PSYB30H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Conscientiousness, Factor Analysis, Trait Theory
Document Summary
Traits are presumed to be internal in the sense that individuals carry their desires, needs and wants from one situation to the next. These desires and needs are presumed to be causal in the sense that they explain the behaviour of the individuals who possess them. Psychologists who view traits as internal dispositions believe that traits can lie dormant in the sense that the capacities remain present even when particular behaviours are not actually expressed. Traits in the sense of internal needs, desires and so on are presumed to exist, even in the absence of observable behavioral expressions. The formulation of traits as internal causal properties differs radically from an alternative formulation that considers traits as merely descriptive summaries of actual behaviour. Traits are descriptive summaries of attributes of a person, they make not assumptions about internality or causality. Summarizes the general trend in expressed behaviour, but no assumption are made about what causes the behaviour.
