Dispositional andShoaib

PRESENTED BY: Eman Trait Theories

Malaika Tayyab
 INTRODUCTION

• Dispositional and Trait Theories

focus on identifying and measuring
individual personality characteristics.
• They assume that people have
inherent traits or dispositions that
influence their behaviors, thoughts,
and emotions across different
situations and over time.
 Major assumptions
1. Stability over Time:
• Personality traits are relatively stable over time.
2. Consistency across Situations:
• Traits lead to consistent behavior across various situations.
3. Individual Differences:
• People differ in the extent to which they possess various traits, leading to
unique personalities.
4. Biological Basis :
• Traits have a genetic or biological foundation.
• While environmental factors can influence the expression of traits.
 Main proponents and their
contributions

1. Gordon Allport:
• Pioneering Work in Trait Theory
• Concept of Traits
2. Raymond Cattell
• 16 Personality Factor (16PF) Model
• Surface Traits
• Source trait
 Main proponents and their
contributions

3. Hans Eysenck:
• Three-Factor Model (PEN Model):
• Psychoticism , Extraversion ,
• Neuroticism
4.Paul Costa and Robert McCrae
• Five-Factor Model (Big Five):
• Developed the most widely accepted
model of personality today
Gordon Allport's
 Gordon Allport

• Gordon Allport (1897-1967) was a pioneering American psychologist

renowned for his extensive work in personality psychology.
• He is often considered one of the founding figures of trait theory, a major
approach to understanding human personality.
• The formal and systematic study of personality was not recognized by the
psychology establishment until Allport published Personality: A Psychological
Interpretation in 1937.
• The book was an immediate success and became a classic in the study of
personality.
Basic concepts of Allport’s
theory
 BASIC CONCEPTS
1. Individuality:

• Each person’s personality is unique and should be

studied as such.

• Idiographic Approach

• Personal Dispositions

• Holistic View

• Example
 BASIC CONCEPTS
1. Proprium

• The proprium refers to the core of a person’s personality, encompassing

aspects that unify their self-perception and behavior over time. Allport’s
term for the ego or self.

• Derived from the Latin "proprius," meaning "one's own," refers to the self
or the core of an individual's personality.

• It includes everything that makes a person feel a sense of continuity and

identity.
 BASIC CONCEPTS
1. Developmental Stages of Proprium

Bodily Sense Self-Identity Self-Esteem

(0-1) (1-2) (2-3)

Self-
Self-Image Rational
Extension
(5-6) Coping (6-12)
(4-5):

Propriate Striving
(Adolescence):
 BASIC CONCEPTS
Functional anatomy:
• Functional autonomy refers to the idea that some behaviors become
independent of their original motives and are sustained by new motives.
Types:
Perseverative Functional Autonomy:
• Refers to repetitive behaviors and habits that continue without the original
motive.
Propriate Functional Autonomy:
• Refers to more complex, self-sustaining motives that are aligned with the
individual’s self-identity and goals .
Personality traits
 Personality Traits
Gordon Allport categorized personality traits into three distinct levels. Each
level represents different degrees of influence on a person's behavior and
helps to explain the complexity and variability of human personality.
 Personality Traits
Cardinal Traits Central Traits Secondary Traits

Cardinal traits are dominant Central traits are general Secondary traits are more
traits that characterize a characteristics found in some situational and less consistent,
person's behavior across all degree in every person. They influencing behavior in
situations. The most pervasive form the basic foundation of specific circumstances.
and powerful human traits. personality.

Pervasiveness Context-Dependent
Identification Moderate Influence Specific Influences
Descriptors
Example Example
Example
Assessment and
Intervention
 ASSESSMENT AND
INTERVENTION
• Gordon Allport emphasized the
importance of understanding individual
personalities through various methods of
assessment.
• These methods include personal
document analysis, behavioral
observations, and interviews and self-
reports etc.
 Assessment techniques
1. Personal Document Analysis
Analyzing personal documents such as letters, diaries, and
autobiographies to gain insights into an individual's
personality.
• Rich qualitative data
• Longitudinal Perspective

2. Behavioral Observations
Observing behavior in naturalistic or structured settings to
understand personality traits.
• Naturalistic Settings
• Structured Settings
 3. Interviews and Self-Reports
Gathering information through direct interaction
and self-assessment questionnaires
• Interviews
• Self reports

4. Expressive Behavior:
Core Idea: Spontaneous, unplanned actions and
expressions that reflect underlying personality
traits. These behaviors are considered difficult to
change and often occur without conscious
awareness.
• Voice Analysis Facial Expression Analysis
• Gesture and Posture Analysis
5. Study of Values in Allport's Theory
• Gordon Allport emphasized the importance of a unifying philosophy of life
for mature individuals.
• He believed that a person's values—core convictions about what is truly
important—form the foundation of this philosophy.
• Values guide an individual's efforts to find order and meaning in life.
• To empirically measure these values, Allport, along with his colleagues Philip
Vernon and Gardner Lindzey, developed the Study of Values, a well-known
personality test originally published in 1931 and currently in its third edition
(1960).
 Intervention techniques
1. Encouraging Self-Awareness

• Description: Based on the insights gained from assessment, interventions may

focus on helping individuals become more self-aware of their traits and values.
This can involve self-reflection exercises and feedback sessions.

• Purpose: To enhance self-understanding and personal growth by recognizing

how traits and values impact behavior.

• Example: Facilitating a workshop where individuals reflect on their value types

and discuss how these values influence their personal and professional decisions.
 Intervention techniques
2. Trait-Based Counseling

• Description: Tailoring counseling strategies to align with an individual's dominant

personality traits. For example, providing strategies for managing anxiety for
someone with high neuroticism or offering leadership development for someone
with strong political values.

• Purpose: To address specific issues related to an individual's personality traits

and help them develop coping strategies or skills.

• Example: Offering cognitive-behavioral strategies to help someone with high

 Critical Evaluation
Strenghts Limitations

• Allport’s theory highlights the • Some of his concepts, such as the

uniqueness of each person’s personality, proprium and the categorization of traits,
emphasizing that individuals should be lack strong empirical support.
studied as unique entities
• Allport’s classification of traits into
Allport’s theory primarily focuses on trait
cardinal, central, and secondary traits • identification and classification, potentially
provides a structured approach to neglecting other important aspects of
understanding personality. personality, such as interpersonal
• Allport’s concept of the proprium and relationships and emotional processes.
the developmental stages of personality
offer a dynamic view of personality
development over time
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ALLPORT'S AND FREUD’S THEORY

Acknowledge the
Recognition of
Focus on individual Role of the
Complexity:
Unconscious:
• Both Allport and • Both theorists • Although Allport
Freud were recognized that primarily focused
interested in human behavior on conscious
understanding the and personality are processes, he did
individual as a complex and cannot not completely
unique entity. be reduced to dismiss the
simple unconscious
explanations.
 FREUD Allport’s
DIFFRENCE
Theoretical FoundationsBETWEEN FREUD
Focuses on AND
the unconscious mind,Allport’s
Emphasizes THEORY
the identification and
internal conflicts, and early measurement of individual traits and
childhood experiences. values

Key Concepts Id, ego, superego, defense Cardinal traits, central traits,
mechanisms, psychosexual stages secondary traits, proprium, functional
autonomy.
Personality Traits and Personality structure: id (instinctual Traits categorized into cardinal
Structures drives), ego (rational part), superego (dominant), central(general
(moral conscience). characteristics), and secondary
(situational).
Methodology Techniques: free association, dream Techniques: personal document
analysis, projective tests (e.g., analysis, behavioral observations,
Rorschach self-reports, Study of Values

Intervention Psychoanalysis aimed to bring Focus on enhancing self-

unconscious conflicts to understanding, trait modification,
consciousness for resolution. environmental adjustments, and skill
development
 Conclusion
• Dispositional theories provide a valuable framework for understanding
human behavior by highlighting the importance of stable personality
traits. These theories suggest that individual differences in behavior
are largely influenced by innate characteristics that remain consistent
over time. While dispositional theories give explanation for behavior
predictability, they also face criticism for potentially underestimating
the role of environmental factors, learning, and situational influences.
Overall, dispositional theories contribute significantly to the field of
personality psychology, offering insights into the enduring aspects of
human nature.
 References
HTTPS://GENRICA.COM/VUSTUFF/PSY405/PSY405_HANDOUTS_
1_45.PDF
•Schultz, D. P., & Schultz, S. E. (2016). Theories Of Personality
(11th Ed.). Cengage Learning.