Who is cattell in psychology

These trait forms are unique from one individual to another. The theory designated to identify and measure individual personality characteristics can be defined as trait theory. Psychologist Gordon Allport was among the firsts to come up with a personality trait theory. He came about with an astounding discovery in , which showed that more than words in an English language dictionary described personality traits.

Allbort viewed traits as building blocks of personality. According to him, there are three classes of traits. Cardinal traits are the traits around which a person organizes his whole life. Allport suggested that these traits are developed later in life, and are in fact quite rare.

Meaning, a person might be specifically known for these traits. In contrast, people high on stability tend to need more stimulation to activate their flight-or-fight reaction and are considered more emotionally stable.

These quadrants are sometimes compared with the four temperaments described by the Greeks: melancholic, choleric, phlegmatic, and sanguine Figure Another personality theory, called the Five Factor Model , effectively hits a middle ground, with its five factors referred to as the Big Five personality factors. It is the most popular theory in personality psychology today and the most accurate approximation of the basic personality dimensions Funder, The five factors are openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism Figure In the Five Factor Model, each person has each factor, but they occur along a spectrum.

Openness to experience is characterized by imagination, feelings, actions, and ideas. People who score high on this factor tend to be curious and have a wide range of interests. Conscientiousness is characterized by competence, self-discipline, thoughtfulness, and achievement-striving goal-directed behavior.

People who score high on this factor are hardworking and dependable. Extroversion is characterized by sociability, assertiveness, excitement-seeking, and emotional expression. People who score high on this factor are usually described as outgoing and warm. Not surprisingly, people who score high on both extroversion and openness are more likely to participate in adventure and risky sports due to their curious and excitement-seeking nature Tok, The fourth factor is agreeableness, which is the tendency to be pleasant, cooperative, trustworthy, and good-natured.

The last of the Big Five factors is neuroticism, which is the tendency to experience negative emotions. Interestingly, while crystallized intelligence does not impact one's fluid intelligence, a high level of fluid intelligence can have a positive impact on crystallized intelligence.

Today, most intelligence tests focus on both types of intelligence, though you can take individual tests for each type. Cattell made a lasting impact on the field of psychology, especially in regard to personality theory.

Today, employers often utilize big five personality tests to evaluate potential employees. The big five is seen as a great way to determine someone's aptitude for a specific position or career path.

In addition to employers, psychologists regularly administer the big five test to clients to help them discover their strengths. The test can also help give people clarity on why they react a certain way in situations and the traits behind their behavior. If this is something you are interested in, bring it up with a counselor. They can help you sort through the results and figure out how to use the results to better your life.

Cattell passed on in with roughly 8, scientific citations to his name. Twenty years later, psychologists continue to make use of his work in human personality. One dissertation PDF download found evidence that his 16PF taxonomy accurately predicted satisfaction in marriages.

In the event that you do have concerns about your personality or that of your loved one, online therapy can provide answers and treatment. Online counseling with BetterHelp is convenient, secure, and affordable. If you believe you are showing symptoms, help is just a click away.

Read what others have to say about their experience with online therapy. She never makes me feel judged despite how some of my more anxious thoughts sound.

She also understood my personality and what works for me and provided me with strategies that helped me function better in life.

Though Cattell never worked as a therapist, his findings nonetheless have impacted the lives of many. As time goes on, people will continue to learn about themselves using the tools developed by Raymond Cattell. Search Topics. Related Articles What Is Flooding? Psychology, Definition, And Applications. The information on this page is not intended to be a substitution for diagnosis, treatment, or informed professional advice.

You should not take any action or avoid taking any action without consulting with a qualified mental health professional. His impetus hastened a turning point in methodological practices in these disciplines. Some say Cattell probably did more than anyone else of his time to foster the development of the behavioral and biological sciences in the United States.

In his own work, Cattell demonstrated the rigor of a scientific approach as he researched reading and perception, psychophysics, individual differences, and individuals' reaction times to various stimuli. Examples of findings from his research still cited today are that eyes jump during reading, that words in print are only perceived when the eyes are at a standstill, that many words can be learned and remembered more easily and accurately than most letters, and that words and phrases can be read in a small fraction of a second.

Second, Cattell advocated that scientific findings could and should be utilized in practical ways. His conclusions from his study of reading, for example, along with others on reaction time revolutionized some educational practices such as methods of teaching reading and spelling.