PSYC 305 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Big Five Personality Traits, Civil Rights Act Of 1964, Personnel Selection
Document Summary
Chapter 4 theoretical and measurement issues in trait psychology. Traits theories share 3 important assumptions about personality traits: meaningful individual differences, stability or consistency over time, and, consistency across situations. Trait psychology is sometimes called differential psychology, because of its emphasis on the study of differences among people. Includes the study of personality, abilities, aptitudes and intelligence. Of all the perspectives and strategies for studying personality, trait approach is the most mathematically and statistically oriented. Every personality is the product of a particular combination of a few basic and primary traits. Traits and personality traits show consistency but not attitudes (interest and opinions) Although a trait might be consistent in time, the way in which it manifests itself in actual behaviour might change substantially. Rank order if people show a decrease in a particular trait at the same rate over time, they might still maintain the same rank order relative to each other.
