Traits:
Traits can be defined as a characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act, as assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports. They influence our health, thinking, and performance.
British psychologists, Hans Eysenck and Sybil Eysenck, proposed introversion-extroversion and emotional stability-instability to describe personality variation, however trait researchers today believe that there is more to understanding personality. The expanded set of factors, known as The Big Five, include openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism
British psychologists, Hans Eysenck and Sybil Eysenck, proposed introversion-extroversion and emotional stability-instability to describe personality variation, however trait researchers today believe that there is more to understanding personality. The expanded set of factors, known as The Big Five, include openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism
Openness: Openness stands for 'openness to experience'. Those who are high in openness are curious and enjoy adventure. Those who are low to openness are the opposite as they avoid new experiences and usually prefer following their own routines and habits. Openness is a trait that can change as a person ages.
Conscientiousness: People who are conscientious are organized, careful, and often said to be dependable and disciplined. Those low in conscientiousness are disorganized and tend to be careless. Conscientiousness is a useful trait to possess as it relates to achievement in school and in work. Extroversion: People who are extroverts are those who are sociable and tend to be assertive and affectionate within social interactions. Introverts, however, are more reserved and prefer to be alone than to socialize. Introversion is often confused with shyness. Agreeableness: It is the extent of one's kindness. People who are more agreeable are helpful and soft-hearted. Disagreeable people are uncooperative and often suspicious of others. Neuroticism: People high in neuroticism frequently worry about various things in their lives and can easily experience anxiety and depression. In contrast, individuals who are low in neuroticism are more calm, secure, and emotionally stable. |
Development of Traits:According to an article published in 1986 by Daniel Goleman, results involving personality showed that variations in traits was mostly due to heredity than experience and the environment. However, psychologists today believe personality traits are developed through the interaction of both genetics and the environment that surrounds us. With heredity, many genes have small effects, but when combined together, they are capable of influencing traits. The environment that contributes to traits include social factors, which involves religion, family, and peers; cultural factors, and situational factors.
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