PSYCH-220 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Trait Theory, Psych, Gordon Allport
28 Oct 2020
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Trait theorists are not really focused on how our personalities are formed, but instead on how to describe personalities. Trait = consistent pattern in the way individuals behave, think and feel. Or a characteristic of someone, something that describes them. Distinctiveness = something that makes someone unique. Measurement is a huge part of trait theory (assessment tools) Traits function to describe (taxonomy), predict (whether people differ in a predictable way), and explain (but not all trait theorists are concerned with explaining) State = a particular situation, or a particular way that you are expressing yourself or being at a particular time. May be different from typical personalities / traits bc they are affected by moods, emotions, and situations. Activities = behaviors; can gather info about people based on what activities they engage in; not the most valid way to find out a personality, because it is just observable behavior. Roles = responsibilities (e. g. student, daughter, worker, etc. ).
