AP PSYCHOLOGY

PERSONALITY

TRAIT THEORIES

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
a cardinal trait is..
A
the most dominant trait
B
a trait which combines with another
C
a smaller trait
D
a trait that disappears quickly
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -A cardinal trait is one that dominates your entire personality, and hence your life-such as Ebenezer Scrooge’s greed and Mother Theresa’s altruism. Cardinal traits are not very common: Few people have personalities dominated by a single trait. Instead, our personalities typically are composed of multiple traits.

Detailed explanation-2: -cardinal trait in American English noun. Psychology. a basic and dominant characteristic, as greed or ambition, that, according to a theory developed by psychologist Gordon Allport (1936), controls the behavior of many people.

Detailed explanation-3: -For Allport, cardinal traits dominate and shape a person’s behavior. Central traits are characteristics found to some degree in every person. Secondary traits are only seen in particular circumstances (such as the snappy remark mentioned earlier).

Detailed explanation-4: -Allport grouped these traits into three different categories: cardinal traits, central traits, and secondary traits.

Detailed explanation-5: -Central Traits refer to general characteristics that are present to some degree in almost everyone. Examples of central traits could be kindness, honesty, or friendliness. Secondary Traits are characteristics that surface only in certain situations. Some examples could be shyness, irritability, or anxiety.

There is 1 question to complete.