Trait Perspective Analysis
State the critiques of your selected perspective and dispute those critiques (with support). Trait perspective of personality that our group support does receive some critiques. One of those is that trait perspective fails to explain how and why the traits develop. It does not explain why an individual behaves in a certain way. Trait perspective explains which traits cause which behaviors, but it does not explain why these traits interact in such a way. For example, an extraverted individual is energized by social interactions and seeks out social situations, but trait perspective does not offer any explanation for why this might occur or why an introvert would avoid such situations. However, this criticism can be disputed as there are theories
in trait perspective that does explain about how and why the traits develop. There are specific biological mechanisms that cause people to have the traits, such as introverted or extraverted, excitable or calm, and so on. The studies of brain and nervous system find specific areas for many human traits. For example, an extraverted individual has a strong nervous system that forms stronger conditioned responses and tolerates higher intensities of stimulation. On the other hand, an introverted individual has a weak nervous system that forms weaker conditioned responses and does not tolerate higher intensities of stimulation. Moreover, trait perspective has been criticised for its stability throughout a person's life. For example, neuroticism scores decrease when people become involved in relationships. However, when people are tested on personality questionnaires and then retested at a later time, the relative ranking of their scores on almost all dimensions of personality remain reasonably consistent over time, even when the first testing was in childhood and the second testing in adulthood. In fact, these findings suggest that stable differences between individuals on personality traits generally exist from the preschool years onwards. Individuals who were more dominant and assertive than their peers when young are likely to continue to be so when they grow up. In addition, these inter-individual differences generally become more consistent with increasing age. Trait theories of personality rely heavily on self reports. Subjects typically take tests on the computer or answer simple true or false statements. Self reports are inherently unreliable. subjects may report on the personality they aspire to have rather than the one they actually have at the time.
in trait perspective that does explain about how and why the traits develop. There are specific biological mechanisms that cause people to have the traits, such as introverted or extraverted, excitable or calm, and so on. The studies of brain and nervous system find specific areas for many human traits. For example, an extraverted individual has a strong nervous system that forms stronger conditioned responses and tolerates higher intensities of stimulation. On the other hand, an introverted individual has a weak nervous system that forms weaker conditioned responses and does not tolerate higher intensities of stimulation. Moreover, trait perspective has been criticised for its stability throughout a person's life. For example, neuroticism scores decrease when people become involved in relationships. However, when people are tested on personality questionnaires and then retested at a later time, the relative ranking of their scores on almost all dimensions of personality remain reasonably consistent over time, even when the first testing was in childhood and the second testing in adulthood. In fact, these findings suggest that stable differences between individuals on personality traits generally exist from the preschool years onwards. Individuals who were more dominant and assertive than their peers when young are likely to continue to be so when they grow up. In addition, these inter-individual differences generally become more consistent with increasing age. Trait theories of personality rely heavily on self reports. Subjects typically take tests on the computer or answer simple true or false statements. Self reports are inherently unreliable. subjects may report on the personality they aspire to have rather than the one they actually have at the time.