12 Main Trait-based Theories of Personality

 

The trait theory approach is one of the largest areas within personality psychology. According to this theory, personality is made up of a number of broad traits. A trait is basically a relatively stable characteristic that causes an individual to behave in certain ways. There are three criteria that characterize personality traits: (1) consistency, (2) stability, and (3) individual differences.

Theorists have not agreed so far on the basic set of fundamental traits of personality, so the theoretical debates are still open on the framework for these theories.

Trait-based personality models focus on identifying and describing specific traits or dimensions that capture individual differences in personality. Here are a top 12 notable trait-based personality models:

1. Big Five Personality Traits (Five-Factor Model): The Big Five model is perhaps the most well-known and extensively studied trait-based model. It describes personality along five broad dimensions or traits: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Each trait represents a continuum from low to high, and individuals can be characterized by their relative position on each dimension.
2. HEXACO Model: The HEXACO model expands on the Big Five by including an additional trait called "Honesty-Humility." The six dimensions of the HEXACO model are honesty-humility, emotionality, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience.
3. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): While the MBTI is often associated with personality types, it is also influenced by trait theory. The MBTI assesses preferences in four dimensions: extraversion/introversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving. Each dimension represents a preference along a continuum, yielding 16 possible personality types.
4. Eysenck's Three-Factor Model: Eysenck's model proposes three primary dimensions of personality: extraversion/introversion, neuroticism/emotional stability, and psychoticism. These dimensions capture individual differences in sociability, emotional stability, and impulse control.
5. Cattell's 16 Personality Factors (16PF): Cattell's model identifies 16 primary personality factors, including warmth, reasoning, emotional stability, dominance, liveliness, rule-consciousness, social boldness, sensitivity, vigilance, abstractedness, private-mindedness, apprehension, openness to change, self-reliance, perfectionism, and tension.
6. Cattell's Big Five (16PF): Raymond Cattell's 16 Personality Factors (16PF) is a comprehensive trait-based model that assesses 16 primary personality factors. These factors include warmth, intelligence, emotional stability, dominance, liveliness, social boldness, sensitivity, vigilance, abstractedness, privateness, apprehension, openness to change, self-reliance, perfectionism, tension, and impulsivity.
7. Cloninger's Psychobiological Model: Cloninger's model proposes three primary personality dimensions related to neurobiology: novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and reward dependence. It also includes a fourth dimension, persistence. These dimensions reflect individual differences in behavior and temperament based on underlying biological mechanisms.
8. Tellegen's Three-Factor Model: This model, developed by Tellegen and colleagues, suggests three primary personality dimensions: positive emotionality (extraversion-related traits), negative emotionality (neuroticism-related traits), and constraint (conscientiousness-related traits). It provides a concise representation of personality by capturing the most salient aspects of the Big Five traits.
9. The Dark Triad: The Dark Triad model focuses on three socially aversive traits: Machiavellianism (manipulativeness and self-interest), narcissism (excessive self-love and entitlement), and psychopathy (lack of empathy and remorse). This model explores traits associated with socially exploitative and manipulative behaviors.
10. The Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI): The HPI is a personality assessment tool based on the Five-Factor Model (FFM) and Hogan's socioanalytic theory. It assesses personality traits across seven primary scales: adjustment, ambition, sociability, interpersonal sensitivity, prudence, inquisitiveness, and learning approach.
11. Zuckerman's Sensation-Seeking Model: Marvin Zuckerman's model focuses on sensation-seeking as a primary personality trait. It assesses individual differences in the pursuit of varied, novel, complex, and intense experiences.
12. Keirsey's Temperament Sorter: Based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), David Keirsey developed a temperament model that categorizes individuals into four groups: Artisan, Guardian, Idealist, and Rational. This model emphasizes temperament preferences and characteristics.

These trait-based models provide a framework for understanding and describing personality in terms of specific traits or dimensions. They offer a structured way to assess and compare individuals' personality characteristics. However, it's important to remember that personality is complex, and these models provide a simplified representation of its multifaceted nature. Individual differences and situational factors also play a significant role in shaping behavior and should be considered alongside trait-based approaches.