Theorist: Raymond
Cattell
Focus: factor
analysis; basing personality on five basic dimensions: neuroticisims,
extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.
Strengths:
a clear-cut, simpler way of classifying personality traits.
Weaknesses:
there are so many different personality traits, each of which are unique to
different people, that it “clumps” together many people who are in fact very
different.
Personal
Example: My three children are
all extremely different boys. My older one does not like sports and is a very
private and socially awkward child. My middle child is very outgoing; he loves
sports and he loves to be around everyone and do things that include others. My
youngest is very energetic and loves to be around other children, but given the
opportunity he plays very well by himself. I’ve been told, on many occasions,
that my youngest is extremely similar to my oldest, but I’ve also been told
that he is extremely similar to my middle child. Although he is different than
both boys, they have many similarities among the Big Five Model that he could
be clumped together with either one.
