Overview
In the previous unit you were introduced to Gordon Allport, who was the first to bring academic respectability to the traits discipline, and who emphasized the uniqueness of each person. In this unit, you will continue by exploring the work of Raymond Cattell and other theorists.
Topics
This unit is divided into the following topic(s):
- Raymond Cattell and Other Trait Theorists
Unit Learning Outcomes
When you have completed this unit, you will be able to:
- Evaluate Cattell’s approach to personality traits
- Assess source traits (the basic factor of personality) and dynamic traits (motivating forces)
- Compare the influences of heredity and environment
- Evaluate assessment and research in Cattell’s theory
- Evaluate Eysenck’s dimensions of personality and temperament theory by Buss and Plomin
- Compare the use of the five-factor model by McCrae and Costa
Learning Activities
Here is a list of learning activities that will benefit you in completing this unit. You may find it useful for planning your work.
Assessment
See the Assessment section in Moodle for assignment details.
Resources
Here are the resources you will need to complete this unit.
- Schultz, D. P., Schultz, S. E., & Maranges, H. M. (2024). Theories of personality (12th ed.). Cengage Learning.
- Other online resources will be provided in the unit.
6.1 Raymond Cattell and Other Trait Theorists
Source: Theories of personality by Schultz et al., 2024, Cengage Learning. Copyright 2025.
Up to this point, the psychoanalytic and neo-psychoanalytic theories and Allport’s focus on personality assessment have been idiographic, in that their methods of assessment were intended to produce large amounts of subjective data relevant to only one person. There weren’t any standardized tests developed from these approaches. Unlike the previous topics, in this topic you will look at many theorists who have contributed to the trait perspective.
It starts with Raymond Cattell, who through great determination, discipline, and sacrifice put forth a comprehensive personality theory that was sensitive to both genetic and environmental personality factors. His work produced nine different categories of traits, as cited in Schultz et al. (2024):
- Common
- Unique
- Ability
- Temperament
- Dynamic
- Surface
- Source
- Constitutional
- Environmental-Mold
Hans Eysenck and his wife Sybil put forth a theory of personality that is much more genetically focused. Through their extensive and culturally diverse research they proposed three personality superfactors, as cited in Schultz et al. (2024):
- Extraversion
- Neuroticism
- Psychoticism
Source: Psychology – H5P edition, by Spielman et al., (2021), BCcampus, Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Criticisms about the lacking Eysenck theory and the over-abundant Cattell theory led Robert McCrae and Paul Costa to develop an extensive, yet manageable, personality theory. Their research has put forth the most widely utilized and recognized personality approach, known as the five-factor model. The five factors are:
- Openness to experience
- Conscientiousness
- Extraversion
- Agreeableness
- Neuroticism
Source: Psychology – H5P edition, by Spielman et al., (2021), BCcampus, Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Michael Ashton and Kibeom Lee propose a six-factor theory of personality known as HEXACO. The dimensions included in this approach are:
- Honesty/humility
- Emotionality
- Extraversion
- Agreeableness
- Conscientiousness
- Openness to experience
Lastly, Delroy Paulhus and Kevin Williams introduce a three-factor model for examining the darker side of personality. The traits used in this model are:
- Narcissism
- Machiavellianism
- Psychopathy
6.1.1 Activity: History of Personality Psychology
6.1.2 Activity: Raymond Cattell and Other Traits Theorists
6.1.3 Activity: The “Big Five” Personality Traits
6.1.4 Activity: Personality Tests
6.1.5 Activity: First Impressions–A Trait-Based Reflection
Note: The following learning activity serves as a discussion prompt for this unit. Read it carefully and post your response in the corresponding discussion forum.
Unit Summary
In Units 5 and 6 you have had the opportunity to learn about the trait approach to personality theory. We covered the major theorists, each of whom added new and important dimensions to this scientifically rigorous field. Allport was the first to bring academic respectability to this discipline, and he emphasized the uniqueness of each person. Cattell, through a laborious factor analytic approach, created the 16-PF, an instrument designed to capture the 16 personality factors he believed produced a comprehensive description of a person’s personality type. Hans Eysenck believed in and promoted a genetically based personality theory centred around three super-factors: extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism. Costa and McCrae, also through extensive factor analysis, put forth the “Big Five” personality factors that purportedly produce an extensive, stable personality representation. Lee and Ashton added one more distinct and valuable personality dimension to the five-factor model, the honesty/humility factor, to produce a somewhat original personality theory. Lastly, Paulhus and Williams delve into the more unsavoury aspects of personality through their dark triad approach that examines narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.