Robert McCrae and Paul Costa Jr.
: Five Factor Trait Theory
The Pioneering Word of Raymond B. Cattell Evolution of the Five-Factor Theory
An important figure in the early years of psychometrics was Initially, the five factors were simply a way to classify
Raymond B. Cattell (1905– 1998), who was born in England personality traits. By the late 1980s, Costa and McCrae
but who spent most of his career in the United States. Cattell became confident that they had identified a stable personality
had only an indirect influence on McCrae and Costa. They did, structure, answering the question of how personality is
however, share techniques and ideas, even if their organized. This provided a common language for describing
approaches also had some real differences. traits, but explaining them required developing a theory, which
First, Cattell used an inductive method of gathering data; that became their next focus.
is, he began with no preconceived bias concerning the McCrae and Costa (1996) criticized earlier theories for relying
number or name of traits or types. too much on clinical experience and speculation. By the
Second, he used three different media of observation to 1980s, the gap between classical and research-based
examine people from as many angles as possible. theories was clear. They argued that old theories shouldn't be
A. Person’s life record from other people’s abandoned but replaced with new ones built on past insights
observations (L data). and modern research, leading them to develop a theory
B. Self reports from questionnaires (Q data). beyond the five-factor model.
C. Objective tests (T data). McCrae and Costa argued that a modern trait theory should
Third, Cattell divided traits into common traits (shared by reflect the field's growth over the past 25 years and be
many) and unique traits (peculiar to one individual). He also grounded in current empirical research.
distinguished source traits from trait indicators, or surface For 25 years, Costa and McCrae led personality research,
traits. Cattell further classified traits into temperament, refining the Five- Factor Model. However, they emphasized
motivation, and ability. that a model alone isn’t a theory—it must organize findings
Fourth, he yielded 16 Personality Factors. into a coherent explanation. By the late 1990s, they aimed to
transform their model into the Five-Factor Theory (FFT).
Factor Analysis
Statistical technique based on correlations between several Units of the Five-Factor Theory
measures, which may be explained in terms of underlying In the personality theory of McCrae and Costa (1996, 1999,
factors. 2003), behavior is predicted by an understanding of three
central or core components and three peripheral ones. The
Five Factors Found three central components include (1) basic tendencies, (2)
McCrae and Costa (late 1970s to early 1980s) were building characteristic adaptations, and (3) self-concept.
elaborate taxonomies of personality traits to examine stability
and structure of personality. Core Components of Personality
Focused on three factors – Neuroticism, Extraversion and Basic Tendencies
Openness to Experience (basis of the NEO Personality As defined by McCrae and Costa (1996), basic tendencies are
Inventory). one of the central components of personality, along with
Reported working on five factors of personality adding characteristic adaptations, self-concept, biological bases,
Agreeableness and Conscientiousness (1985). objective biography, and external influences.
Culminated in their new personality inventory (NEO-PI Characteristics Adaptations
Revised) in 1992. Core components of Five- Factor Theory include the
characteristic adaptations, that is, acquired personality
Found valid across a variety of cultures and languages.
structures that develop as people adapt to their environment.
Self-Concept
McCrae and Costa (2003) explain that self-concept is actually
a characteristic adaptation (see Figure 13.3), but it gets its
own box because it is such an important adaptation. McCrae
and Costa (1996) wrote that it “consists of knowledge, views,
and evaluations of the self, ranging from miscellaneous
facts of personal history to the identity that gives a sense of
purpose and coherence to life”
Periphiral Components
Biological Bases
The Five-Factor Theory rests on a single causal influence on
personality traits, namely biology. The principal biological
mechanisms that influence basic tendencies are genes,
hormones, and brain structures.
Objective Biography
The second peripheral component is objective biography,
defined as “everything the person does, thinks, or feels across
the whole lifespan”
External Influences
People constantly find themselves in a particular physical or
social situation that has some influence on the personality
system. The question of how we respond to the opportunities
and demands of the context is what external influences is all
about.