Page 416 - Understanding Psychology

Do we see ourselves as others
see us?
different research studies. Often called the “five robust factors,” or “the big five,” they are:
• Extraversion, which is associated with warmth, talkativeness, and being energetic. The opposite of this dimension is introver- sion, meaning being quiet or reserved.
Some personality theorists talk about extra-
version versus introversion as being a basic
part of personality. Do people exhibit these • traits in all situations? Are these traits easily
identified?
Procedure • 1. Choose five people (family members,
Agreeableness, which involves being sympa- thetic to others, kind, and trusting; the oppo- site is cruel and nontrusting.
Conscientiousness, which identifies individuals who are dutiful, dedicated to completing tasks, organized, and responsible.
friends, or acquaintances) and observe their behavior in several situations.
2. Record your observations by classifying each person as extraverted, introverted, or a combination of both.
3. Ask the five people whether they would consider themselves extraverted or intro- verted, and then record their responses.
Analysis
1. What do your results tell you about extraversion and introversion as person- ality traits? Are people extraverted or introverted in all situations all the time?
2. What do your results tell you about people’s own perceptions of their personality versus the perceptions of others? What might account
for any differences?
See the Skills Handbook,
page 622, for an
explanation of designing
an experiment.
• Openness to experience, which describes people who are open-minded and willing to try intellectual experiences, new ideas, or cre- ative experiences.
• Emotional stability, which identifies individuals who experience things relatively easily and without getting upset. The opposite is neuroti- cism—a tendency to experience unpleasant emotions a great deal of the time. (John, 1990; Costa, McCrae, & Dye, 1991)
Think of each big-five trait as a continuum. Each trait has many related traits. For example, conscien- tiousness at one end includes being responsible and dependable. On the other end, though, it involves being
impulsive or careless.
Trait theorists assume that traits are relatively fixed, or
unchanging. The advantage of trait theories is that by identify- ing a person’s personality traits, that person’s behavior can be pre- dicted. However, critics argue that trait theories describe personality rather than explain it. Trait theorists cannot explain or predict behaviors across different situations. For example, a person may be quiet and reserved in class but outgoing and wild at a party. Why? Critics of trait theories propose that personality is an interaction between a person’s traits and the effects of being in a particular situation. For example, whereas most theories of personality consider the person as an individ- ual, some psychologists regard personality as a function of a person’s social environment. One of the first of these thinkers was Harry Stack
Sullivan (1892–1949).
Sullivan’s ideas have been organized into a two-dimensional model.
One dimension is power, which ranges from dominance at one end of the scale to submissiveness at the other. The second dimension is friendliness, which ranges from friendliness to hostility. Most behaviors can be described as a combination of these two dimensions. For example, help- fulness is a combination of dominance and friendliness, while trust is a combination of submissiveness and friendliness.
402 Chapter 14 / Theories of Personality