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OCEAN of personality
Study
of personality based on psychological traits has a quite interesting
history. It started with Gordon Allport and Henry Odbert in 1936 who
used a very innovative method. They searched an unabridged dictionary
for words that could be used to describe persons. They identified
around 35000 words. Further analysis was done to eliminate mere
evaluative terms (e.g:awful) resulting in 4000 genuine words that can
be called words describing genuine traits.
Raymond Cattell identified 35 personality variables from this list of 4000 words. Further empirical testing and analysis (using statistical technique of factor analysis) resulted in 12 personality factors. He could identify a further 4 factors using self report questionnaire. Thus he came up with the 16 personality factors. He also devised test for measuring these 16 factors (16 PF test).
Later the highly influential British psychologist Eysenck argued that only 2 factors are needed to describe the personality These were extraversion - introversion and neuroticism - emotional stability. Though this was widely accepted, there was a feeling that this is not the whole story.
In 1961, Ernest Tupes and Raymond Christal did studies using the 35 factors of Cattell. They produced evidence that a 5 five factor model could fit in well with empirical data and could explain personality. Thus this model was better than Eysenck's 2 factor model.
The utility of this model was confirmed by Norman and Goldberg 20 years later creating renewed interest in this model.
The 5 factors involved are
Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism. (can be abbreviated as OCEAN)
Each factor has around 5 or 6 underlying traits. These traits have a strong correlation to the adjectives used to describe a person in the natural languages. Studies have been done in Chinese, hebrew, Filipino and several Indo-European languages.
The personality disorders described in DSM - IV can be understood based on the levels of the underlying traits of these 5 factors.
http://www.psychiatryforpublic.blogspot.com/
Raymond Cattell identified 35 personality variables from this list of 4000 words. Further empirical testing and analysis (using statistical technique of factor analysis) resulted in 12 personality factors. He could identify a further 4 factors using self report questionnaire. Thus he came up with the 16 personality factors. He also devised test for measuring these 16 factors (16 PF test).
Later the highly influential British psychologist Eysenck argued that only 2 factors are needed to describe the personality These were extraversion - introversion and neuroticism - emotional stability. Though this was widely accepted, there was a feeling that this is not the whole story.
In 1961, Ernest Tupes and Raymond Christal did studies using the 35 factors of Cattell. They produced evidence that a 5 five factor model could fit in well with empirical data and could explain personality. Thus this model was better than Eysenck's 2 factor model.
The utility of this model was confirmed by Norman and Goldberg 20 years later creating renewed interest in this model.
The 5 factors involved are
Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism. (can be abbreviated as OCEAN)
Each factor has around 5 or 6 underlying traits. These traits have a strong correlation to the adjectives used to describe a person in the natural languages. Studies have been done in Chinese, hebrew, Filipino and several Indo-European languages.
The personality disorders described in DSM - IV can be understood based on the levels of the underlying traits of these 5 factors.
http://www.psychiatryforpublic.blogspot.com/
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