Question

How does trait differ from type approach?

Differentiate between type and trait approaches to personality.

Answer 1

• The type approaches attempts to comprehend human personality by examining certain broad patterns in the observed behavioral characteristics of individuals while the trait approach focuses on the specific psychological attributes along which individuals tend to differ inconsistent and stable ways.

• Each behavioral pattern of type approach refers to one type in which individuals are placed in terms of the similarity of their behavioral characteristics with that pattern while in trait approach refers to the degree of presence or absence of the concerned behavioral quality on which individuals can be rated.