Situational Conditions
A third factor, the situation, influences the effects of heredity and environment on per-
sonality. An individual’s personality, although generally stable and consistent, does
change in different situations. More specifically, the demands of different situations
call forth different aspects of an individual’s personality. We should not, therefore, look
at personality patterns in isolation.^34
Personality Traits
The early work in the structure of personality revolved around attempts to identify and
label enduring characteristics that describe an individual’s behaviour. Popular charac-
teristics include shy, aggressive, submissive, lazy, ambitious, loyal, and timid. Those
characteristics, when they are exhibited in a large number of situations, are called per-
sonality traits.^35 The more consistent the characteristic and the more often it occurs in
different situations, the more important that trait is in describing the individual. The
“Myers-Briggs Type Indicator” and “the Big Five Model,” which we discuss below, are two
methods that have been used to determine personality traits. A recent study suggests
that personality traits are common across a variety of cultures.^36
Our personality traits, by the way, are evaluated differently by different people. This
is partly a function of perception, which we discussed earlier in the chapter. In Exhibit
2-3, you will note that Lucy tells Linus a few things about his personality.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
One of the most widely used personality frameworks is called the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator (MBTI).^37 It is essentially a 100-question personality test that asks people
how they usually feel or act in particular situations.
The MBTI classifies people based on how they prefer to focus their attention, col-
lect information, process and evaluate information, and orient themselves to the outer
world. These classifications are then combined into 16 personality types. Briefly, per-
sonality is classified along the following dimensions:
- Extraversion/Introversion (E or I).This dimension refers to how people focus
themselves: inside (introversion) or outside (extraversion). - Sensing/Intuiting (S or N).This dimension refers to how people gather infor-
mation: very systematically (sensing) or relying on intuition (intuiting). - Thinking/Feeling (T or F).This dimension refers to how people prefer to make
decisions: objectively and impersonally (thinking) or subjectively and inter-
personally (feeling).
Chapter 2Perception, Personality, and Emotions 43personality traits Enduring char-
acteristics that describe an individ-
ual’s behaviour.Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
(MBTI) A personality test that taps
four characteristics and classifies
people into 1 of 16 personality
types.EXHIBIT 2-3Source: Peanuts reprinted with permission of United Features Syndicate, Inc.