The Five Factor Model Of Personality Essays -- Psychology essays resea

The precise definition of spirit has been a point of discussionamongst many different theorists at heart many different disciplines since thebeginning of civilization. Personality can be defined as the distinctive andcharacteristic patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior that define an soulfulnesss personal style and square up his or her interactions with theenvironment (Atkinson, Atkinson, Smith & Bem, 1993 525). It can be proposedthat personality psychology has two different tasks. The first involvesspecifying the variables on which individuals differ from one another. Thesecond involves synthesizing the mental processes of human functioninginto an integrated account of the total person (Atkinson et al., 1993 532).There are many different theories of personality and many different theorists.The purpose of this examine is to examine the trait approach, specifically thefive-factor lay. Both the development and limitations of the Five-Factor placeof personality shall be disc ussed.Trait theory is based on several speculations. The first assumption isthat any difference between people that is seen as significant go forth have a name.Secondly, these names, known as traits, are conceived of as continuousdimensions. In general, trait theories assume that people vary simultaneously ona number of personality factors. These traits are of both the conjunctive anddisjunctive form. Therefore, to understand a trait, it is necessary tounderstand what a particular trait is and what type of behaviour is evidence ofthat trait. (Atkinson et al., 1993). Five factor theorists are one qualify of traittheorists. The aver of five factor theorists is that behaviour can be bestpredicted and explained by measurement of five dominant personality factors. Thefive factor theory is a fairly recent proposal and has its basis in earlier work,which shall be discussed.One of the statistical techniques most commonly used in the study ofpersonality is that of factor analysisBy ident ifying groups of highly intercorrelated variables,factor analysis enables us todetermine how many underlyingfactors are measured by a set of original variables. In otherwords, factor analysis is used to uncover the factor structureof a set of variables. (Diekhoff, 1992 333)A factor analysis will generally show t... ...ratings, thebig five model is extremely useful. If the purpose of the field is also toinvestigate observers attributions about individual differences the five-factor model is slight significant. If the study of personality aims to emphasisethe whole person and the dynamic nature of personality, the model seems to beonly of minor concern. As such, from the view of multifaceted personology, thefive-factor model is one model in personality... not the model of personality(McAdams, 1992 355).In conclusion, the support and criticisms of the five factor model arenot as ghastly and white as would be hoped. Each argument has logical reasoningand can provide evidence to suppo rt itself. Each view also has a large number ofsupporters. Neither one is necessarily correct, as it is possible for the modelto be applicable at some stages, and not applicable at others. As a result, itis probable and acceptable to conclude that the five factor theory may or maynot be an appropriate model of personality. Perhaps a comparison of how muchsupporting literature there is for each argument is a useful method for decidingwhich theory an individual may choose to support.