McCRAE AND COSTA’S FIVE-FACTOR TRAIT THEORY

(Outline)

OVERVIEW OF TRAIT AND FACTOR THEORIES

• McCrae, Costa and others have used factor analysis to identify traits, that is, relatively
permanent dispositions of people.
• Robert McCrae and Paul Costa have insisted that the proper number of personality factors
is five—no more and no fewer.
THE PIONEERING WORK OF RAYMOND CATTELL

• Gordon Allport used common sense to identify both common and unique personality
traits.
• In comparison, Raymond Cattell used factor analysis to identify a large number of traits,
including personality traits (included in personality traits were temperament traits, which
are concerned with how a person behaves.).
 Cattell’s and McCrae and Costa’s Work {Compare and Contrast}
• Inductive Method – they began with no preconceived bias concerning the number or
name of traits or types. (specific to general)
• Deductive Method – they have preconceived hypothesis in mind before they begin to
collect data. (general to specific)
• Cattell used 3 different media of observation.
1. L Data = Life Record
2. Q Data = Self-reports
3. T Data = Objective Test
• Cattell divided traits into common traits (shared by many) and unique traits (peculiar
to one individual).
• Temperament traits include both normal and abnormal traits (16 out of 23 are measured
by Cattell’s famous PF scale.).
BASIC OF FACTOR ANALYSIS
• Factor Analysis, begins by making specific observations (quantified)
• Correlation Coefficient – mathematical procedure for reducing a large number of scores
to a few more general variables or factors.
• Factor Analysis – account for a large number of variables with a smaller number more
basic dimensions called Traits.
• Factor M – mathematical ability
• Factors – units of personality derived through factor analysis
• Factors Loadings – The amount of correlation that a score contributes to a given factor.
Correlations of the original. It gives us an indication of the purity of the various factors
and enable us to interpret their meanings.
Unipolar Traits – are scaled from zero to large amount.
(e.g. Height, weight, and intellectual ability)
Bipolar Traits – extend from one pole to an opposite pole, with zero representing a midpoint.
(e.g. Introversion vs. extraversion, liberalism vs. conservatism, & social ascendancy vs. timidity)
 In order for mathematically derived factors to have a psychological meaning, scores are
plotted are usually turned or rotated into a specific mathematical relationship with one
another.

COSTA AND McCRAE’S FIVE-FACTOR MODEL OF PERSONALITY

HIGH SCORES LOW SCORES
Extraversion Affectionate Reserved
Strongest and most ubiquitous personality traits. Joiner Loner
 Talkative Quiet
Fun Loving Sober
Active Passive
Passionate Unfeeling
Neuroticism Anxious Calm
Strongest and most ubiquitous personality traits. Temperamental Even-tempered
Self-pitying Self-satisfied
Self-conscious Comfortable
Emotional Unemotional
Vulnerable Hardy
Openness Imaginative Down-to-earth
People who prefer variety from those who have a need for Creative Uncreative
closure and who gain comfort in their association with familiar
Original Conventional
people and things.
Prefers variety Prefers routine
Curious Uncurious
Liberal Conservative
Agreeableness Soft-hearted Ruthless
Distinguishes soft-hearted people from ruthless ones. Trusting Suspicious
Generous Stingy
Acquiescent Antagonistic
Lenient Critical
Good-natured Irritable
Conscientiousness Conscientious Negligent
Describes people who are ordered, controlled organized, Hardworking Lazy
ambitious, achievement focused, and self-disciplined.
Well-organized Disorganized
Punctual Late
Ambitious Aimless
Persevering Quitting
o Orthogonal Rotation – a method of rotating the axes in factor analysis that assumes
the independence of primary factors. Advocates of the Five Factor Theory
o Oblique Method – a method of rotating the axes in factor analysis that assumes some
inter-correlation among primary factors. Assumes some positive or negative
correlation and refers to an angle of less than or more than 90deg. Advocated by
Cattell.
UNITS OF FIVE-FACTOR THEORY

Behavior is predicted by an understanding of:

3 Central or Core Components:
1.1 Basic Tendencies
1.2 Characteristic Adaptations
1.3 Self-Concept
3 Peripheral Ones
2.1 Biological Bases
2.2 Objective Biography
2.3 External Influences

Core or Central Components of Personality – are represented by rectangles, whereas the

peripheral components are represented by ellipses.
• Dynamic Process represent the arrows and indicate the direction of causal influence.
Biological Bases are the sole cause of basic tendencies (personality traits).
1.1 Basic Tendencies are one of the central components of personality, along with characteristic
adaptations, self-concept, biological bases, objective biography, and external influences.

• Basic tendencies may be inherited, imprinted by early experience or modified by disease

or psychological intervention, but at any given period in an individual’s life, they define
the individual’s potential and direction.
• The essence of basic tendencies is their basis in biology and their stability over time and
situation.
• Stable and enduring
• “How quickly we learn”
• Characteristic responses are shaped and molded by basis tendencies.
1.2 Characteristic Adaptations acquired personality structures that develop as people adapt to
their environment.

• Can be influenced by external influences, such as acquired skills, habits, attitudes, and
relationships that results from the interaction of individuals with their environment.
• Fluctuate, making them subject to change over a person’s lifetime.
• “What we learn”
• Disposition and tendencies are the direct influence on our characteristic adaptations.
1.3 Self-Concept consists of knowledge, views, and evaluations of the self, ranging from
miscellaneous facts of personal history to the identity that gives a sense of purpose and
coherence to life.
• Is actually a characteristic adaptation, but it gets its own box because it is an important
adaptation.
• Personal myths as part of person’s self-concept.
Peripheral Ones
2.1 Biological Bases the five-factor theory rests on a single causal influence on personality traits,
namely biology.

• The principal biological mechanisms that influence basic tendencies are genes, hormones,
and brain structures but not yet provided specific details about what it plays and what its
roles in influencing on personality.
• Biological bases eliminates any role that the environment may play in the formation of
basic tendencies. However, environment has part in personality formulation-merely that it
has no direct influence on basic tendencies.
2.2 Objective Biography everything the person does, thinks, or feels across the whole lifespan.

• Emphasizes what has happened in peoples life (objective) rather than their view or
perceptions of their experiences (subjective).
• McCrae and Costa focus on the objective experiences – the events and experiences one
has had over one’s lifetime.
• Alfred Adler (style of life) or Dan McAdams (personal narrative) focus on the
subjective interpretations of one’s life-story.
2.3 External Influences people constantly find themselves in a particular physical or social
situation that has some influence on the personality system.

• The question of how we respond to the opportunities and demands of the context is what
external factor is all about.
• McCrae and Costa assumes that Behavior - is a function of the interaction between
characteristic adaptation and external influences.

BASIC POSTULATES

Postulates for Basic Tendencies

A. 4 Postulates of Basic Tendencies
1. Individuality Postulate
• Stipulates that adults have a unique set of traits and that each person
exhibits a unique combination of traits patterns.
2. Origin Postulate
• Takes a clear if somewhat controversial stances: All personality traits are
the result solely of endogenous (internal) forces, such as genetics,
hormones, and brain structures.
• Genetic influence is demonstrated by what geneticists refers to as
heritability coefficients and comes out of the research on adoption studies
and twin studies.
 • Heritability addresses the question of what is the difference in the
correlation on a given personality trait between individuals who are
genetically identical and who share only about 50% of their genes.

3. Development Postulate
• Assumes that traits develop and change through childhood, but in
adolescence their development slows, and by early to mid-adulthood
(roughly age 30), change in personality nearly stops altogether.
• Evolutionary and adaptive would be the reasons speculated by McCrae
and Costa:
1. High E, O, and N would be beneficial when people are young and
establishing their relationships and careers.
2. As people mature and become settled, these traits are no longer as
adaptive as they were earlier.
3. As people age, increases in agreeableness and conscientiousness might
be helpful.
4. Stability of traits during adulthood.
4. Structure Postulate
• States that traits are organized hierarchically from narrow and specific to
broad and general

Postulates for Characteristic Adaptations

• This postulate concerning states that, over time, people adapt to their environment “by
acquiring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are consistent with their
personality traits and earlier adaptions.”
• Second characteristic adaptation postulate – Maladjustment – suggests that our responses
are not always consistent with personal goals or cultural values.
• Third characteristic adaptation postulate states that, basic traits may “change over time in
response to biological maturation, changes in the environment, changes in the
environment, or deliberate interventions”
Plasticity Postulate – one that recognizes that although basic tendencies may be rather
stable over the lifetime, characteristic adaptations are not.
CRITIQUE OF TRAITS AND FACTOR THEORIES
• 1st Traits and factor theories rated HIGH IN GENERATING RESEARCH.
- Big Five Personality Structure generated large amounts of Empirical Research
• 2 Traits and factor theories receive a MODERATE TO HIGH RATING IN
nd

FALSIFIABLE.
• 3rd Traits and factor theories rated HIGH ON THEIR ABILITY TO ORGANIZE
KNOWLEDGE.
• 4th A useful theory has the power to guide the actions of practitioners, and on this
criterion, trait and factor theories receive mixed reviews in USEFUL THEORY.
- This theory provides a comprehensive and structured taxonomy such a
classification less useful to parents, teachers, and counselors than it is to
researchers.
• 5th The Big Five theory and research is INTERNALLY QUITE CONSISTENT.
• 6th Trait and factor theories receive an EXCELLENT RATING IN PARSIMONY.

CONCEPT OF HUMANITY
• Humans as being different from other animals. Humans have the ability to report data
about themselves not only possesses consciousness, but self-consciousness. Also, they able
to evaluate their performance, and to render reasonably reliable reports concerning their
attitudes, temperament, needs, interest, and behaviors.
• Genetic factors of personality. They believe that traits and factors are both inherited and
have strong genetic and biological components and hence are universal.
• Environment plays a crucial role in shaping a person’s dispositions. Therefore, Five-
Factor model as medium on social influences.
• Traits and factor theories lean toward individual difference.