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Definition
In Cattell’s theory of personality, one way to classify traits is as surface traits or source traits. Surface traits are personality elements that can be directly observed, in contrast to source traits, which must be inferred through statistical methods. One way to think about surface traits is that since they are at the “surface” of an individual’s personality, their behavioral expression can be more easily noticed by others. Overall, Cattell identified 46 surface traits in his research on basic personality traits.
Introduction
To better understand what causes human behavior, researchers have considered both situational factors (i.e., the environment) and individual differences (i.e., personality traits). Trait theory focuses on the human personality as being composed of many traits, as well as describing how individuals differ on these traits. As such, in studying personality traits, researchers seek to learn what traits...
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References
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Johnson, L. (2019). Surface Trait. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_2122-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_2122-1
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