Glossary
Agreeableness
One of the Big Five personality traits, characterized by compassion, cooperativeness, trustworthiness, and a tendency to be kind and empathetic.
Example:
A friend who is always willing to help others, avoids conflict, and is known for their forgiving nature demonstrates high agreeableness.
Conscientiousness
One of the Big Five personality traits, characterized by organization, discipline, responsibility, and a tendency to be goal-directed.
Example:
A student who always turns in assignments on time, keeps their notes meticulously organized, and plans their study schedule well in advance exhibits high conscientiousness.
Extraversion
One of the Big Five personality traits, characterized by sociability, assertiveness, talkativeness, and a preference for social interaction.
Example:
At a party, the person who is actively engaging with many different groups, laughing loudly, and initiating conversations is likely high in extraversion.
Factor Analysis
A statistical technique used to identify underlying dimensions or factors that explain the correlations among a set of observed variables.
Example:
Researchers used factor analysis to determine that many seemingly different personality descriptors, like 'sociable,' 'talkative,' and 'assertive,' actually cluster together to represent a single underlying trait: extraversion.
Neuroticism
One of the Big Five personality traits, characterized by emotional instability, anxiety, moodiness, and a tendency to experience negative emotions.
Example:
Someone who frequently worries about small things, gets easily stressed, and experiences significant mood swings might score high on neuroticism.
Openness to Experience
One of the Big Five personality traits, characterized by imagination, curiosity, intellectual broad-mindedness, and a willingness to try new things.
Example:
A musician who constantly explores new genres, learns different instruments, and enjoys traveling to unfamiliar places demonstrates high openness to experience.
Personality Inventories
Self-report questionnaires designed to assess an individual's personality traits by asking them to respond to a series of statements or questions.
Example:
To determine a person's standing on the Big Five traits, a psychologist might administer a personality inventory like the NEO-PI-R, where the individual rates their agreement with various statements.
Reciprocal Determinism
The idea that personal factors (thoughts, feelings), behavioral factors (actions), and environmental factors (surroundings) all mutually influence each other in a continuous loop.
Example:
A student's belief in their ability to succeed (personal factor) leads them to study diligently (behavioral factor), which results in good grades and praise from teachers (environmental factor), further reinforcing their belief in their academic capabilities, demonstrating reciprocal determinism.
Self-Concept
An individual's overall perception of their own identity, including their attributes, abilities, and roles in relation to others.
Example:
A teenager who views themselves as a talented artist, a loyal friend, and a dedicated student has a well-developed self-concept that guides their actions and choices.
Self-Efficacy
An individual's belief in their own capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments; it reflects confidence in the ability to exert control over one's own motivation, behavior, and social environment.
Example:
Despite failing the last math test, a student with high self-efficacy believes they can improve their score by studying harder and seeking help, rather than giving up.
Self-Esteem
An individual's overall subjective emotional evaluation of their own worth, reflecting how they feel about themselves.
Example:
Someone with high self-esteem feels good about who they are, accepts their flaws, and generally maintains a positive outlook on life.
Traits
Enduring characteristics or predispositions that influence an individual's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors across different situations and over time.
Example:
A person who consistently seeks out social gatherings and enjoys being the center of attention likely possesses the trait of extraversion.