Personality Theory Final Paper due in 24 hours

The Trait Model of Personality

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March 10, 2020

Introduction

Personality theories have explained the personality traits of humans in detail. This paper covers the Eysenck model of personality, a comparison of its basic assumptions with those of the psychodynamic model and also describes the five traits of the big five model.

PART I

Traits refer to the way persons are described. An example of a personality trait model is Hans Eysenck's trait theory. This was developed by Eysenck who was a British psychologist. Eysenck had been born in Germany, but later moved to Britain. He had a Ph.D. in psychology and had studied much on psychotherapy. His theories of intelligence and personality were widely known and accepted. The personality model focused on the dimensions of neuroticism, extraversion, and psychoticism.

The Eysenck trait model considered extroversion and introversion as the two main dimensions of personality. His personality model was based on these two traits. Extroversion was linked to being sociable while introversion was linked to being shy. “Introversion involves focusing energy on inner experiences, while extroversion refers to focusing energy on the environment and people” (Allemand et al, 2017). Those who are extroverted are confident are more outgoing while those who are introverted tend to shy away easily.

Eysenck also used the neuroticism/ emotional stability dimension to explain personality. This dimension was related to temperateness. “The dimension encompasses moodiness to even temperedness” (Allemand et al, 2017). Neurotic individuals get emotional or become upset easily while those who have emotional stability remain relatively constant regarding their emotions.

Eysenck also included the psychoticism dimension to his trait theory. This dimension was added after a study was conducted on individuals who were mentally ill. “People high on this trait suggests that the individual might not be normal and might have trouble dealing with reality” (Chmielewski et al, 2017). This dimension was used to describe people with characteristics such as being antisocial, non-empathetic and being hostile. Some individuals may show various personality traits because of an underlying condition such as a mental problem.

Some of the assumptions of the trait model are that the personality traits are stable and predictable. The trait model assumes that every person has different traits and the personality traits are consistent. On the other side, the psychodynamic model assumes that the behaviors of people and their feelings are rooted in their childhood experiences. "Psychodynamic theory states that events in our childhood have a great influence on our adult lives, shaping our personality. Events that occur in childhood can remain in the unconscious, and cause problems as adults" (Chmielewski et al, 2017). Personality development is shaped by the conflicts that occur in different childhood times.

The psychodynamic model also assumes that personality is made of three parts which are the ego, super-ego and the id. The id consists of inherited or biological traits that are present at birth. The superego entails the morals and values of a society. the Eysenck theory, however, assumes that personality is made up of the extroversion, psychoticism, and neuroticism.

Whereas the Eysenck model assumes that personality is shaped by biological factors, the psychodynamic model assumes that personality is shaped by environmental factors. The society that a child lives in plays a major role in his/her personality development. Personalities may be shaped by societal values. The psychoticism dimension of the Eysenck model argues that the mental illnesses of certain individuals influence their personalities. mental illnesses may be hereditary.

The psychodynamic model argues that the unconscious is a powerful effect of the emotions and behaviors of a person. "The unconscious is one of the most powerful factors on behavior and emotion". However, the Eysenck model assumes that the behaviors or emotions of people are predetermined.

PART II

Extroversion

This consists of both extroversion and introversion. Extroversion is a personality trait used to describe individuals who are more confident and sociable. Extroverted people are talkative and assertive. They are also friendly to people and have merriness. “People high in extroversion tend to seek out opportunities for social interaction, where they are often the ‘life of the party’” (Lecci, 2015). It may not be comfortable staying with extroverted people if they talk too much to irritate others. However, they may control how much they talk. Extroverted people may be more suited to specific professionals such as politicians and preachers.

Introversion is a personality trait associated with quiet people. Introverts do not like to socialize with other people. They are more focused on internal feelings and thoughts. They find more enjoyment in staying alone. Their energy is drained by staying with many people. Their perfect good times are when they spend a quiet afternoon enjoying their interests and hobbies. Introverts also tend to have few friends. "…they do enjoy having a small group of friends to whom they are particularly close” (Lecci, 2015). However, this does not mean that they hate people. They just don’t like having many friends.

Agreeableness

This is a trait that describes how people get along with each other. Some of the characteristics that describe agreeableness include being warm, considerate, sympathetic, cooperative and kind. People who get high agreeableness scores are altruistic and empathetic. One is likely to be polite, loyal, helpful and unselfish. “People high in agreeableness tend to be well-liked, respected, and sensitive to the needs of others” (Lecci, 2015). They may not have enemies because they are good for people and affectionate.

Due to their politeness, people with the agreeableness trait may get along with other people easily. They are also humble since they can accept most of the outcomes. Most people can gain trust in people with agreeableness. On the other side, people with low agreeableness cores are very selfish and not loyal. Most people do not like people who are not agreeable. "They tend to be callous, blunt, rude, ill-tempered, antagonistic, and sarcastic" (Zuckerman et al, 2016). They are not sensitive to the needs of other people.

 Conscientiousness

This is a personality trait that entails being aware of one's behavior towards other people. it is being mindful of the people around oneself such as families and others. Those who are conscientious ensure that they make a good impression to new people. They are always careful with their words not to hurt other people. when conscientious people are organized, they feel at ease. "Their organized tendencies also extend to other areas of life: a conscientious person will often be careful to be reliable, and to be on time for important meetings and appointments” (Lecci, 2015). Conscientious people are, therefore, more likely to be successful in life because they stick to their plans.

Neuroticism

This trait relates to the ability of a person to have emotional stability. It is the extent to which one perceives the world as threatening and/or distressing. Neurotic individuals are generally dissatisfied and face distress. They may experience various emotions such as anger, guilt, depression, and anxiety. "Empirical studies suggest that extremely high levels of neuroticism are associated with prolonged and pervasive misery in both the neurotic individuals and those close to them” (Lecci, 2015). Neuroticism is associated with negative emotions. On the other side, individuals with high emotional stability are more stable, calm and confident. They may not show negative emotions or get upset easily. These individuals, therefore, experience positive feelings.

People with emotional stability fit in many professionals. This is because most employers want to hire a person that does not get upset easily. They are also interested in people who can control their emotions. "Employees with low emotional stability may be more easily distracted from their work, by deadlines, personal situations, and pressure” (Lecci, 2015). Employers, therefore, have to ensure that employees have emotional stability before they are hired.

openness to experience.

This trait describes the quality of a person to be open-minded such that he/she can try new things. People with openness often try new things. They are curious and imaginative. People with high scores in this personality trait may be more innovative because of their quality or ability to try doing new things. They not like being tied down to a specific routine. People with openness are also more creative. They are adventurous, liberal and intellectual. On the other side, people who are not open to experiences are less creative and innovative. They also enjoy being tied down to specific routines.

Reflection

The score on openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness was all average. Creativity and adventurous levels are, therefore, medium. The score on neuroticism was, however, lower than the average value. This is because I rarely experience negative emotions. When faced with difficult situations, I try to maintain a positive attitude to solve the problem. The average score on agreeableness means that I sometimes put the needs of other people first, but still consider my needs first during other times.

Conclusion

One can determine his/her personality traits using the big five model. However, it is important, to be honest, while answering the questions. This would ensure that the results reflect the true characteristics of a person.

REFERENCES

Allemand, M., Steiger, A. E., & Hill, P. L. (2013). Stability of personality traits in adulthood: Mechanisms and implications. GeroPsych: The Journal of Gerontopsychology and Geriatric Psychiatry, 26(1), 5-13.

Chmielewski, M., Ruggero, C. J., Kotov, R., Liu, K., & Krueger, R. F. (2017). Comparing the dependability and associations with the functioning of the DSM–5 Section III trait model of personality pathology and the DSM–5 Section II personality disorder model. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 8(3), 228.

Lecci, L. B. (2015). Personality. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu

Zuckerman, M., & Glicksohn, J. (2016). Hans Eysenck's personality model and the constructs of sensation seeking and impulsivity. Personality and Individual Differences, 103, 48-52.