GCSE-ready- Home
- Lessons
- GCSE Psychology
- Trait theory: Allport and Cattell
Trait theory: Allport and Cattell
🎬 The doodle video for this lesson is coming soon. Subscribe on YouTube to see it first.
Trait theories describe personality as a set of lasting traits: stable characteristics such as kindness or anxiety.
Allport (1936): three kinds of trait
Allport searched an English dictionary and found thousands of words describing personality.
Cardinal traits: a single trait that dominates someone's whole life and personality. Allport said these are rare (for example, someone whose whole life is driven by greed).
Central traits: the main characteristics that describe most people, usually around 5 to 10, such as honest, friendly or anxious.
Secondary traits: traits that only appear in certain situations or are preferences, such as getting nervous before speaking in public.
Cardinal traits: a single trait that dominates someone's whole life and personality. Allport said these are rare (for example, someone whose whole life is driven by greed).
Central traits: the main characteristics that describe most people, usually around 5 to 10, such as honest, friendly or anxious.
Secondary traits: traits that only appear in certain situations or are preferences, such as getting nervous before speaking in public.
Cattell (1946): the 16PF
Cattell used a statistical method called factor analysis to group Allport's long list of trait words into a much smaller number of basic traits.
He identified 16 personality factors, such as warmth, emotional stability and openness to change.
He created the 16PF questionnaire, which measures each person's score on all 16 factors and gives a personality profile.
He identified 16 personality factors, such as warmth, emotional stability and openness to change.
He created the 16PF questionnaire, which measures each person's score on all 16 factors and gives a personality profile.
Strengths and weaknesses
Allport strengths: recognises that each person is unique, and that behaviour can vary by situation (secondary traits). Weaknesses: cardinal traits are rare, and it is hard to decide which traits are central for each person.
Cattell strengths: uses statistics, so it is more objective. The 16PF is widely used, for example in careers guidance and recruitment.
Weaknesses: the 16PF is self-report, so people may answer to look good. Other researchers using factor analysis found fewer key traits (for example five), so the number 16 is disputed. Traits may not predict behaviour in every situation.
Cattell strengths: uses statistics, so it is more objective. The 16PF is widely used, for example in careers guidance and recruitment.
Weaknesses: the 16PF is self-report, so people may answer to look good. Other researchers using factor analysis found fewer key traits (for example five), so the number 16 is disputed. Traits may not predict behaviour in every situation.
Tom is usually friendly, honest and hard-working, but gets very irritable when hungry. Classify these traits using Allport.
- Friendly, honest and hard-working describe him most of the time: central traits.
- Irritable only when hungry shows in one situation: a secondary trait.
Answer: Friendly, honest and hard-working are central traits; irritability when hungry is a secondary trait.
Allport (1936) described cardinal (dominant, rare), central (main, about 5 to 10) and secondary (situational) traits. Cattell (1946) used factor analysis to find 16 personality factors measured by the 16PF questionnaire. Trait measures are useful but rely on self-report.
Check you have got it
Answer 7 quick questions with instant marking. If you get one wrong, GCSE-ready shows you why and gives you another go. It is free, and you do not need an account.