Trait Theory: An Overview
Mostly all personality theorists concern themselves with traits. Traits are after all what makes us who we are; they are relatively permanent aspects of humans. This permanency is proved through the consistency in our interactions. The trait theory, which suggests than an individual's personality is composed of broad dispositions, is different from other theories in four major ways. First, most theories represent attempts to better understand the development process of personality; trait theorists on the other hand talk very little about development. Second, predicting how a person will behave in a certain situation is of no concern to trait theorists. Third, trait theorists are more interested in the comparison of people through based on rather than just aspects, and also degrees, unlike many other theoretical orientations. Finally, trait theory does not inherently provide a medium of personality trait; this is by far the biggest difference between trait theory and other theories of personality. The main focus of trait theory is determining differences between individuals. The combination and interaction of various traits forms a personality that is unique an each individual, and trait theory focuses on identifying and measuring those individual personality characteristics.
Assessing Traits: Personality Inventories & the MMPI
Today, several trait assessment techniques exist, and some are more valid than others. To assess traits, some of these tests profile a person's behavior patterns, often providing quick assessment of a single trait, such as extraversion, anxiety, or self-esteem. Personality inventories are questionnaires, often containing true-false or agree-disagree items, on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors; used to assess selected personality traits. A classic personality inventory is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), which is the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests. This test, originally developed to identify emotional disorders (still considered its most appropriate use) is now used for many other screening purposes. Even though this test assesses "abnormal" personality tendencies rather than normal personality traits, the MMPI illustrates a good way of developing a personality inventory. The MMPI items were empirically derived, meaning that it was developed by testing a pool of items and then selecting those that discriminate between groups. Once those differences were accounted for, the questions were grouped into ten clinical scales, including scales assessing depressive tendencies, masculinity-femininity, introversion-extraversion.
Unlike projective tests such as the Rorschach inkblot test, personality inventories are scored objectively. In fact, this objectivity allows a computer to administer and score the test and also provide descriptions of people who have previously responded similarly. This objectivity, however, does not guarantee validity, but it has allowed the MMPI to become popular and contributed to its ability to be translated into more than one hundred languages.
Unlike projective tests such as the Rorschach inkblot test, personality inventories are scored objectively. In fact, this objectivity allows a computer to administer and score the test and also provide descriptions of people who have previously responded similarly. This objectivity, however, does not guarantee validity, but it has allowed the MMPI to become popular and contributed to its ability to be translated into more than one hundred languages.
Criticisms of Trait Theory
Just like all theories, trait theory has its weaknesses, even considering it has objectivity unlike some personality theories, such as Freud's psychoanalytic theory. Common criticisms of trait theory center on the fact that traits are often poor predictors of behavior; while an individual may score high on assessments of a specific trait, they may not always behavior in that matter in every situation. Another criticism of trait theories is that they do not address how or why individual differences in personality develop or emerge. Trait theory is also often criticized because it does not address development. Statistics are a strength of trait theory, but it also contributes to what could be its biggest criticism. Because this theory is based on statistics rather than theory, it is unable to provide an explanation of personality development. Most theories argue for the development (past), the current personality (present), and provide a means for change (future); the trait theory is stuck only in the present. In this, trait theory is unable to predict the development, but also a change in traits and ultimately, personality. Trait theory provides little or no guidance in the changing of negative aspects for a trait, and many argue that this weakness of not providing a means for change reduced the theory's application significantly.