Theories of Personality

Chapter 3 Learning Goals

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

  •  Identify and provide examples of trait-descriptive adjectives.

  •  Identify and discuss the three fundamental questions that guide psychologists who study personality traits.

  •  Identify and discuss the two basic formulations for answering the question “What is a trait?”

  •  Discuss the act frequency formulation of traits, including a brief review of each of the four steps involved in this program of research.

  •  Be familiar with accomplishments and critiques of the act frequency formulation of traits.

  •  Identify and discuss the three basic approaches to identifying the most important traits.

  •  Discuss Eysenck’s hierarchical model of personality, including brief reviews of the basic super-traits identified by this model. 

  •  Discuss the advantages and limitations of Eysenck’s hierarchical model of personality.

  •  Discuss Cattell’s 16 personality factor system, including a brief review of each of the 16 basic traits identified in this system.

  •  Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Cattell’s 16 personality factor system.

  • Identify and briefly discuss the five factors of the five-factor model of personality.

  •  Discuss the empirical evidence for the five-factor model of personality.

  •  Discuss the troublesome nature of the fifth factor of the five-factor model of personality.

  •  Discuss whether the five-factor model of personality provides comprehensive coverage of individual differences.