PSYC 2600 Chapter 3: Personality chapter3.docx
31 Mar 2012
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Document Summary
Three fundamental questions guide those who study personality traits. Every field needs to define its key terms explicitly in bio- for ex. Species is a key concept so the concept of species is defined explicitly ie. a group of organisms is capable of reproducing with each other. In physics the basic concepts of mass, weight, force and gravity are defined explicitly. Because traits are central concepts in personality psych. Individuals differ in many ways that are both characteristic and enduring. Some individuals are extremely extraverted, enjoying loud and crowded parties, others are introverted preferring quiet evenings spent reading. Some people talk a lot and seek to be the center of attention in most social encounters; some prefer to be quiet and let others do the talking. A crucial goal of personality psychology is to identify the most important ways in which individuals differ. A central goal of personality psychology is to formulate a comprehensive taxonomy of important traits.
