Lecture No.

Trait Theory
 Trait Theories
Trait theory is an approach to the study of
human personality.
Trait theorists are primarily interested in the
measurement of traits, which can be defined as
habitual patterns of behavior, thought, and emotion
A trait are the characteristic in which an individual
perceives, feels, believes, or acts.
Traits relatively stable over time, differ across
individuals (e.g. some people are outgoing whereas
others are shy)
Traits are characteristic ways of behaving, such
as -Extraversion–Introversion:
An individual may fall along any point in the
range, and where they fall determines how they
will respond in various contexts.
Q. One trait that dominates a personality so much that it
influences nearly everything a person does is a-
a) Cardinal Trait
b) Secondary trait
c) Central Trait
d) All of these
Q. The psychoanalytic theory of personality is
primarily developed by-
a) Carl Jung
b) Sigmund Freud
c) Alfred Adler
d) G. W. Allport
 Social-Cognitive Theories
 It emphasize the role of cognitive processes, such as
thinking and judging, in the development of
personality.

Albert Bandura is a behavioral psychologist who

came up with the concept of Reciprocal Determinism,
in which cognitive processes, behavior, and context
all interact with and influence each other.
 Albert Bandura
Albert Bandura is a behavioral psychologist credited with
creating social learning theory.
He agreed with B.F. Skinner’s theory that personality
develops through learning;
In contrast to Skinner’s idea that the environment alone
determines behavior, Bandura (1990) proposed the
concept of reciprocal determinism, in which cognitive
processes, behavior, and context all interact, each factor
simultaneously influencing and being influenced by the
others.
• Cognitive processes refer to all
characteristics previously learned,
including beliefs, expectations, and
personality characteristics.

• Behavior refers to anything that we

do that may be rewarded or
punished.

• The context in which the behavior

occurs refers to the environment or
situation, which includes
rewarding/punishing stimuli.
 Humanistic Theories
• Maslow’s Humanistic Theory of Personality
It says people achieve their full potential by
moving from basic needs to self-actualization.
As a leader of humanistic psychology,
Abraham Maslow expanded how human needs
change throughout an individual’s lifespan, and
how these needs influence the development of
personality.
Personality and the Hierarchy of Needs
• Maslow believed that successful fulfillment of each
layer of needs was vital in the development of
personality.
• The highest need for self-actualization represents the
achievement of our fullest potential, and those
individuals who finally achieved self-actualization
were said to represent optimal psychological health
and functioning.
ANY QUERIES