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Personality: Self concept · Personality testing · Theories · Mind-body problem
Personality traits and states are the characteristics of a person's personality. Traits are permanent; states are temporary. However, traits can be changed; doing so, however, requires a lot of work.
Personality traits
These are permanent characteristics. They are classified into three types:
Cardinal trait
This is a huge trait around which a person organises his/her entire life. People generally do not have more than one cardinal trait, if they have one at all.
Primary traits
These are smaller traits that most people would identify as 'what a person is like' in a non-psychology context. Examples would include affectionateness or loyalty.
Secondary traits
These have the smallest influence on a person's life and include minor traits like preferences.
Personality states
These are temporary characteristics; being in a 'bad mood' would be one, as a 'bad mood' is not a permanent characteristic.
Miscellaneous
States can sometimes eclipse traits; for example, a person who is normally cheerful might behave the opposite if he/she is in a 'bad mood'.
Also, traits can sometimes be like states. For example, tendency to hold a grudge, a trait, would be increased if the person is in a bad mood (a state). The increased tendency to hold a grudge is a state as it will not stay on permanently after the person is out of his/her bad-mood state.
See Also
References & Bibliography
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Key texts – Books
Additional material – Books
Key texts – Papers
Steyer, R. Schmitt, M. Eid, M.(1999). Latent State-Trait Theory and Research in Personality and Individual Differences. European Journal of Personality, Vol 13; 5, p 389-408. ISSN 0890-2070