PSYB30H3 Chapter Notes -Hans Eysenck, Carl Jung, Nomothetic
Document Summary
Trait: describes a person"s typical style of thinking, feeling, and acting different kinds of situations and at different times. ->if someone were to follow you around for a while to witness your bhevaiour in many situations and at different times in your life he or she would see some commonalities and consistencies in your reactions. Temporary states (emotions), attitudes (liberal, conservative) and physical attributes (short, muscular) are not considered personality traits. Two approaches to the study of personality traits. Idiographic approach: understand the personality of a single individual with all of his or her quirks or idiosyncrasies and characteristics that make them unique. Case of jenny allport used the idiographic method, and analyzed the letters of jenny and identified sentimental, suspicious, and quarrelsome, among her central traits. Psychologists who follow the nomothetic approach seek to identify the basic traits that make up the human personality.
