Define and explain the units of the Five-Factor Theory and how behavior is predicted by an understanding of three central or core components.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In the personality theory of McCrae and Costa, behavior is predicted by an understanding of three central or core components and three peripheral ones. The three central components include (1) basic tendencies, (2) characteristic adaptations, and (3) self-concept.

A. Basic Tendencies: As defined by McCrae and Costa (1996), basic tendencies are one of the central components of personality, along with characteristic adaptations, self-concept, biological bases, objective biography, and external influences. McCrae and Costa defined basic tendencies as the universal raw material of personality capacities and dispositions that are generally inferred rather than observed. Basic tendencies may be inherited, imprinted by early experience, or modified by disease or psychological intervention, but at any given period in an individual's life, they define the individual's potential and direction.

B. Characteristic Adaptations: Core components of the Five-Factor Theory include the characteristic adaptations, that is, acquired personality structures that develop as people adapt to their environment. The principal difference between basic tendencies and characteristic adaptations is their flexibility. Whereas basic tendencies are quite stable, characteristic adaptations can be influenced by external influences, such as acquired skills, habits, attitudes, and relationships that result from the interaction of individuals with their environment.

C. Self-Concept: McCrae and Costa (2003) explain that self-concept is actually a characteristic adaptation, 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." The beliefs, attitudes, and feelings one has toward oneself are characteristic adaptations in that they influence how one behaves in a given circumstance.