The Trait Perspective

Welcome to the 3rd personality perspective. It’s commonly called the trait perspective.

Why are some people naturally outgoing while others are reserved? The trait theory of personality attempts to answer this by identifying stable characteristics that define individuals. Unlike other perspectives that focus on unconscious desires or environmental factors, trait theory simply categorizes and measures personality traits.

One of the most well-known models is the Big Five Personality Traits, which organizes human personality by 5 categories:Openness (Imaginative, creative vs. practical, routine-based), Conscientiousness (Organized, responsible vs. careless, impulsive), Extraversion (Outgoing, energetic vs. reserved, introverted), Agreeableness (Compassionate, cooperative vs. competitive, skeptical), and Neuroticism (Anxious, emotional vs. calm, stable). Now an interesting thing about these trends is if you take a trait test over the years, you will see that Neuroticism, extraversion, and agreeableness tend to be consistent throughout whereas conscientiousness and openness increase slowly over the years.

Unlike other theories that suggest personality is constantly evolving, trait theorists argue that these characteristics are relatively stable over time. This perspective is widely used in personality assessments, career counseling, and even hiring decisions. While we may adapt to different situations, our core traits tend to remain the same, giving us a unique and predictable personality profile. One final thing: you might have noticed I haven’t included any names until now. The reason is , for the trait perspective, so many people have contributed to the extent that it is unclear who discovered what exactly; the entire theory is one thing built upon another. So, here are some names if you want to do external research: Gordon Allport, Hans Eysenck, Paul Costa, Raymond Cattell, and Robert McCrae.