Personality traits are relatively stable attributes found in an individual that define his or her personality. Factor analysis is one of the statistical methods used in determining the number and kinds of traits needed to define an individual’s personality. Raymond B. Castell and Hans Eysenck are two trait theorists analyzed in this chapter in alignment with the factor analysis trait identification method.
Raymond B. Castell was for the idea that 16 traits are needed in determining an individual’s personality. Hans Eysenck, on the other hand, argued that three personality traits are adequate in defining personality. The main source of difference between these two theorists is the categorization of traits.
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Eysenck’s three categories of personality traits include extroversion-introversion, neurotism- emotional stability, and psychoticism- impulse control. He argues that these traits are determined by heredity factors. Extraversion and introversion have a biological basis in cortical arousal with introverts experiencing relatively higher normal arousal while extraverts have to seek external stimulation to improve their brain arousal. High neuroticism-emotional stability measures imply anxiety, emotional instability and high chances of becoming easily upset. Psychoticism-impulse control trait aligns with empathy, aggression, and impulsiveness.
While personality traits can be as many as per the categorization of a theorists, there are five main personality traits that seem universal and are consistent for people of age 30 and above, particularly up to late adulthood stage. These traits are categorized under “The Big Five Personality Traits Dimension” and include Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.
Openness aligns with independence, imagination, and reception of new ideas. People who do not embrace openness tend to conformists, practical, and resistant to change. People with high levels of conscientiousness are reliable, self-disciplined, careful, and organized. Those on the low end of conscientiousness are unreliable, careless, disorganized, and spontaneous. Extraverted individuals are sociable, friendly, talkative, and adventurous. The opposite happens to the introverts who tend to be quiet, reserved, and cautious. Agreeableness embraces attributes, such as politeness, sympathy, good nature, and a soft heart. Individuals who have low levels of agreeableness are rude, irritable, and tough-minded. Neurotic individuals are emotionally unstable, insecure, and self-pitying. People who are on the low-end of neurotism depict calmness, relaxation, self-satisfaction and other traits that align with self-confidence.
