Trait theory in personality psychology

Trait Theory

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Trait theory is mainly concerned with differences between individuals -- their personality traits. Gordon Allport, who founded the personality trait theory, postulated that every person has a mixture of traits -- the adjectives you would use to describe a friend, for instance -- and those traits play off each other to form a unique personality or individual. So Allport's trait theory is concerned with identifying and measuring these individual personality characteristics.

In Personality Traits: Their Classification and Measurement, (Allport and Allport, 1922), co-authored by his brother, Floyd, Gordon Allport discusses personality traits for each individual as divided into three characteristics: temperament, strength or self-expression, and sociality. These three form a basis or foundation on which is built sociability, habit formation, and character (Allport & Allport, 1922).

He further points out that the individual's personality is a result of his circumstances. As he or she adapts to their own environment, most of their personality traits are developed. But, says Allport, traits such as intelligence and temperament are probably inborn. It is important to the child's development that the development of the personality traits must be understood and supported by his parents and teachers.

Allport insists that these traits can be tested and rated such that, for each person, personality can actually be graphed and plotted, so that other supportive cast members around him or her can understand how they need to respond and react to his particular personality -- and he to theirs. In Allport's own work he has graphed several basic types of personalities: extroverted -- both social and anti-social, and introverted -- social or anti-social. Associated with these personalities are certain temperaments such as the extrovert, who tends to have narrow, but very sincere emotions, and the introvert who may have very strong, but superficial emotions.

Allport's point through all of his studies and research is that, in knowing personality traits of an individual and classifying them, we can better relate to them and they to us, and both understand and predict their behavior. (Allport & Allport, 1922).

Gordon Allport's point-of-view is supported by David Charles Funder in his book, Personality Judgment, (1999). Funder says of Allport: "his work on the conceptualization and measurement of personality is today regarded as definitive of mainstream personality psychology" (Funder, 1999, p. 13).

Funder believes, as did Allport, that personality traits are real attributes of individuals. The focus of Funder's research carries on with Allport's emphasis on the importance of identifying personality traits (trait theory). He has created what he calls the Realistic Accuracy Model (RAM) which says that accurate personality judgment is the result of a four-stage, social-cognitive process. His resultant point is that accurate personality judgment is very difficult.

Like Allport, Funder's research is working towards both a theory and practical application of an explanation regarding why people are accurate sometimes and inaccurate at other times in judging an individual's personality.