Raymond Cattell, Hans Eysenck, The Five-Factor Theory,
HEXACO, and the Dark Triad
Raymond Cattell
● Introduction
○ Cattell was much more interested in understanding personality than treating or
changing it. Specifically, he wanted to predict how a person will behave in
response to a given stimulus situation.
○ Very scientific data collection, masses of data, empirical research
○ Used something called factor analysis: based on the correlations between several
measures, which may be explained by underlying factors. If two things correlated,
he’d assume that they measured the same thing. Would assess the relationship
between each possible pair of measured variables to determine common factors.
○ He referred to these factors as traits, which he defined as the mental elements of
the personality. To understand someone entirely, we must be able to describe their
pattern of traits precisely.
● The Life of Cattell (1905-1998)
○ Parents were strict but not too strict, he’d spend much of his free time outdoors
with friends. The start of WW1 made him very aware of death and his need to
accomplish something while he’s alive. He also felt very competitive with his
older brother
○ Got his PhD in Psychology and learned Factor analysis from Spearman, he set up
his own psychology clinic and began his personality research
○ Had a tough time: digestive issues, overworked, bad diet, wife left him
○ Eventually he got the chance to work at Clark University in Massachusetts, where
his creativity rose
○ Eventually settled at the University of Illinois
○ Died 1 year after receiving the gold medal Award for life achievement in
Psychological Science
● Cattell’s approach to personality traits
○ He defined traits as relatively permanent reaction tendencies that are the basic
structural units of the personality
○ There are various classifications of traits
■ Common traits vs Unique traits
● Common: one that is possessed by everyone to some degree.
Degree of extraversion, intelligence, etc
● Unique: aspects of personality shared by few people. A liking of
geology, for example
, ■ Ability, temperament, and dynamic traits
● Ability: how efficient we will work towards a goal. Intelligence is
an ability trait
● Temperament:the general style/tone of your behavior. How
assertive, easygoing, or irritable we are.
● Dynamic: the driving forces of behavior. Define our motivations,
interests, and ambitions
■ Surface Traits and Source Traits
● Surface: Characteristics composed of any number of source traits,
likely unstable and impermanent
● Source: unitary personality factors that are much more stable and
permanent. These are the factors that combine to account or
surface traits
■ Source traits can be Constitutional or Environmental-Mold traits
● Constitutional: originate in biological conditions but aren’t
necessarily innate.
● Environmental-mold: learned characteristics and behaviors that
pose a pattern on personality.
○ A list of the 16 source traits offered on page 218
○ Hereditary vs environmental influences
■ Using twins in his research, Catell estimated that for some traits, heredity
is very important
■ For example, Intelligence is 80% genetic and so is the spectrum of timid
vs boldness
■ He concluded that, overall, ⅓ of our personality is genetically based, and
two thirds is determined by social and environmental influences
● Stages of Personality development
○ Infancy (Birth-6)
■ Influence from parents/sibling
■ Experiences of weaning and toilet training
■ Formation of the ego and superego
■ Development of social attitudes: security vs insecurity, feelings towards
authority,
○ Childhood (6-14)
■ Independence from parents and identification from peers
○ Adolescence (14-23)
■ Conflicts about the need for independence, self-assertion, and sex
■ Troubled stage
○ Maturity (23-50)
■ Satisfaction with career, marriage, and family
HEXACO, and the Dark Triad
Raymond Cattell
● Introduction
○ Cattell was much more interested in understanding personality than treating or
changing it. Specifically, he wanted to predict how a person will behave in
response to a given stimulus situation.
○ Very scientific data collection, masses of data, empirical research
○ Used something called factor analysis: based on the correlations between several
measures, which may be explained by underlying factors. If two things correlated,
he’d assume that they measured the same thing. Would assess the relationship
between each possible pair of measured variables to determine common factors.
○ He referred to these factors as traits, which he defined as the mental elements of
the personality. To understand someone entirely, we must be able to describe their
pattern of traits precisely.
● The Life of Cattell (1905-1998)
○ Parents were strict but not too strict, he’d spend much of his free time outdoors
with friends. The start of WW1 made him very aware of death and his need to
accomplish something while he’s alive. He also felt very competitive with his
older brother
○ Got his PhD in Psychology and learned Factor analysis from Spearman, he set up
his own psychology clinic and began his personality research
○ Had a tough time: digestive issues, overworked, bad diet, wife left him
○ Eventually he got the chance to work at Clark University in Massachusetts, where
his creativity rose
○ Eventually settled at the University of Illinois
○ Died 1 year after receiving the gold medal Award for life achievement in
Psychological Science
● Cattell’s approach to personality traits
○ He defined traits as relatively permanent reaction tendencies that are the basic
structural units of the personality
○ There are various classifications of traits
■ Common traits vs Unique traits
● Common: one that is possessed by everyone to some degree.
Degree of extraversion, intelligence, etc
● Unique: aspects of personality shared by few people. A liking of
geology, for example
, ■ Ability, temperament, and dynamic traits
● Ability: how efficient we will work towards a goal. Intelligence is
an ability trait
● Temperament:the general style/tone of your behavior. How
assertive, easygoing, or irritable we are.
● Dynamic: the driving forces of behavior. Define our motivations,
interests, and ambitions
■ Surface Traits and Source Traits
● Surface: Characteristics composed of any number of source traits,
likely unstable and impermanent
● Source: unitary personality factors that are much more stable and
permanent. These are the factors that combine to account or
surface traits
■ Source traits can be Constitutional or Environmental-Mold traits
● Constitutional: originate in biological conditions but aren’t
necessarily innate.
● Environmental-mold: learned characteristics and behaviors that
pose a pattern on personality.
○ A list of the 16 source traits offered on page 218
○ Hereditary vs environmental influences
■ Using twins in his research, Catell estimated that for some traits, heredity
is very important
■ For example, Intelligence is 80% genetic and so is the spectrum of timid
vs boldness
■ He concluded that, overall, ⅓ of our personality is genetically based, and
two thirds is determined by social and environmental influences
● Stages of Personality development
○ Infancy (Birth-6)
■ Influence from parents/sibling
■ Experiences of weaning and toilet training
■ Formation of the ego and superego
■ Development of social attitudes: security vs insecurity, feelings towards
authority,
○ Childhood (6-14)
■ Independence from parents and identification from peers
○ Adolescence (14-23)
■ Conflicts about the need for independence, self-assertion, and sex
■ Troubled stage
○ Maturity (23-50)
■ Satisfaction with career, marriage, and family
