Raymond Cattell

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Raymond Cattell

• Factor Analytic Trait Theory

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Biography

• Cattell was born in England in 1905 to a family
  of engineers.
• Cattell was a bright student, graduating with his
  doctorate in psychology in 1929 from the
  University of London at 23.
•  A bleak job market forced Cattell to take a
  clinical position doing school psychology for 5
  years.
• This helped him with his future career in
  personality research.

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Biography contd.

• In 1937, Cattell was invited to the states by
  E.L. Thorndike in New York.
• Cattell stayed in the US after this, taking
  positions at Clark University, Harvard
  University, and the University of Illinois.
• It was in Illinois, that he spent his most
  productive years developing personality tests.  
• In 1997, he was awarded a lifetime achievement
  award from the American Psychological Foundation.

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Factor Analytic Theories

• Factor analytic theories strive to summarize the
  relationships among a large number of variables
  into fewer, more general patterns.
• This is done to describe the fundamental
  dimensions of individual differences.

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PersonalityCattells time-line

• Cattell argued--personality went through 3
  phases.
• Phase 1 Occurred from ancient times till the
  1900s century, when scholars wrote about their
  intuitive insights into personality.
• Phase 2 In the early 1900s, clinically oriented
  theorists proposed their views of personality
  (Freud, Adler, Jung) with some experimental work.
  
• Phase 3 Following WWI, theorists employed
  more experimental quantitative methods to
  assess personality.

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What did Cattell believe was his place in
personality field?

• Cattell observed the important insights of
  earlier theorists used modern methods
  technology (computers) to assess the importance
  of these insights in determining personality.

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Factor Analysis

• A statistical produce based on correlation, that
  is used to examine factor analytic theories.
• A correlation coefficient provides an index of
  the relationship between two or more variables.
• It may range from 1.00 to 1.00, where the sign
  indicates the direction the indicates the
  magnitude of the relationship.

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Factor Analysis contd.

• Many correlation coefficients are computed during
  the course of a factor analysis.
• The correlations among all pairs of variables are
  computed to form a correlation matrix.
• Patterns of correlations often disclose redundant
  information, which may be systematically
  described.
• Factor analysis allows the personality researcher
  to identify a smaller number of dimensions
  (factors) that the variables fit into.

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Example

• Imagine we administer intelligence tests.
• We would find that
• Tests of verbal ability would be positively
  correlated (vocabulary, grammar, spelling), but
  have lower correlations with tests of
  mathematical abilities.
• Tests of math ability would be positively
  correlated (geometry, algebra, calculus), but
  have lower correlations with tests of verbal
  ability.
• Factor analysis of these variables would reveals
  two factors mathematical ability a verbal
  ability.

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Cattells view of traits

• Cattell saw traits as important units of
  presonality that have predictive value.
• In contrast to Allport, who felt traits were part
  of our biology, Cattell thought of traits as
  abstract concepts.

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Measurement

• Cattell sought to systematically methodically
  describe personality.
• He believed that it was imperative to have a
  method for obtaining reliable valid measure of
  personality factors.
• His best known personality test is the 16
  Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) that can
  be used with normal Ss with clinical
  populations.

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Types of data

• 1. Q-data (questionnaire data) is obtained by
  asking people to describe themselves in response
  to a set of standard questions (Multiple choice,
  true/false).
• Proseasy to administer quick access to
  information.
• Con people may impression manage (e.g., lie to
  make themselves look good).

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Types of data

• 2. T-data (objective test data) is obtained by
  asking people to take various tests (projective,
  physical, reaction times) in which the purpose of
  the test isnt obvious.
• Pros-this should reduce impression managing
  provides objective data.
• Cons-objective tests may be of limited use.

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Types of data

• 3. L-data (life record data) is obtained by
  gathering life history of person (personal
  records), such as grade point average, driving
  history, letters of recommendation, etc.
• Prosinformation can be obtained with requiring
  Ss to fill out questionnaires.
• Cons provides limited information about the
  individual.

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Surface traits

• Refers to those traits that seem readily
  apparent.
• E.g., you encounter a friendly, gregarious
  librarian who is very helpful you infer she
  possesses the trait of sociability.
• However, surface traits are based on peoples
  perceptions of personality they dont
  necessarily provide the best description of
  underlying personality dimensions.

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Source traits

• Refers to the deeper patterns underlying
  personality.
• These source traits emerge despite differences in
  testing situations, questionnaire methods, so
  forth.
• Cattell used factor analysis to identify 16
  source traits. Using these 16 source traits he
  developed the 16PF.
• The set of scores on all factors is the profile
  of the individual.

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Second-Order Factors

• There may be correlations among the 16 factors.
  That is, there is some redundancy in the 16
  soruce traits Cattell identified.
• We can reduce this number down, by doing another
  factor analysis on the 16 personality factors.
• This second-order analysis, often yields 5
  second-order factors.

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Three types of traits

• 1. Ability traits- define intelligence.
• Cattell argued that we have 2 types of
  intelligence Fluid crystallized.
• Fluid intelligence-the innate ability to learn
• Crystallized intelligence-what has been learned
  from education.

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Intelligence

• Cattell believed that 80 of the variance in
  intelligence was the result of heredity the
  remaining 20 due to experience.
• This position supported both the Eugenics
  movement the Nazis.

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2. Temperament traits

• These traits determine the general way a person
  behaviors. (high-strungness, speed, energy, etc.)
• Thought to be largely inherited.
•   Dynamic traitsare motivational. These guide us
  in our behaviors interactions with others.
• Cattell felt some of these are inherited, others
  learned.

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The Big Five

• Based on Cattells model of factor analysis, five
  factors have been identified that may describe
  the full spectrum of personality.
• The proponents of the Big Five are Paul Costa Jr.
  Robert McCrae, who are interested in describing
  personality.

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The Big Five

• Five broad factors have been identified to
  describe personality. They are
• Extraversion
• Agreeableness
• Neuroticism
• Conscientiousness
• Openness
• (They spell OCEAN)

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1. Extraversion

• People high in extraversion are often talkative,
  passionate, active, dominant, sociable.
• Those scoring high have more interactions with
  others than those scoring low.
• Extraverts tend to develop more social
  relationships during college, are more likely to
  fall in love, are more responsive to pleasure.

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2. Agreeableness

• Agreeableness refers to how likable we are.
• People scoring high on agreeableness tend to be
  good-natured, soft-hearted, and trusting. Those
  low on the factor are irritable, ruthless, and
  suspicious.
• People who score high on this factor report
  little conflict in their relationships. They are
  less likely to assert power when they do
  experience conflict as well.

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3. Neuroticism

• Describes people who frequently are troubled by
  negative emotions such as worry insecurity.
• People high on neuroticism can be described as
  those who worry, those who emotionally unstable,
  they are often anxious, have low self-esteem.
• People who score low on this factor report being
  much happier than people scoring higher on this
  dimension.

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Conscientiousness

• Describes someone who is hardworking, dependable,
  ambitious, responsible, is tenacious.
• People scoring high on this dimension value
  cleanliness, ambitiousness.
• They tend to be organized, punctual, do well
  academically, are well liked by their superiors,
  dedicated to their significant others.

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Openness

• Refers to how cultured, intelligent, receptive
  a person is to new ideas, places, interests.
• Those who score high in openness are more likely
  to be artistic, curious, imaginative, insightful,
  and intuitive.

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