PERSONALITY TRAITS AND SELF-CONCEPT
These whole considerations are based on idea that basic personality traits are organs of personality. If we remind that one of the first criteria that has to be satisfied is personality trait must have physiological basement in central nervous system than we can say there is no such a difference between arms, legs, kidneys or liver as physical organs (with theirs responsible centers in the frame of nervous system) and anxiety, hostility or sociability as organs of personality that have theirs physiological origins.
I suppose we agree that nowadays we can identify basic personality traits, especially because dominant models of personality today are mostly compatible with each other. Their operationalisaton and procuring under methodological patterns show that there should be 5 or six basic personality traits with its certain substructures.
Over their substructures basic personality traits can form many combinations of personality tendencies that are observable through behavior. Model of basic personality traits that I prefer are Zuckerman’s alternative five factors model. It is very similar to personality factors suggested by NEO-PR (Extraversion, Conscientiousness, Openness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism) or BIG 5 (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Openness to experience, Emotional stability) what can be seen by factors names.
Zuckerman factors are named as:
- Activity
- Aggressiveness/Hostility
- Impulsive sensations seeking
- Neuroticism/Anxiety
- Sociability
Zuckerman denies idea of isomorphism between personality traits and neuropsychological systems. He postulates an interaction among brains systems and behavior and thought there are more than one nervous structure that shapes certain personality traits.
He differs 7 levels of traits and as relatively independent entities basic personality traits must satisfy 4 criteria’s.
- Personality traits must have at least average heritability.
- Basic personality traits bust be identified at more animal species.
- Basic personality traits must be connected with biological markers (have its physiological origins)
Basic idea of self-concept is that is dynamical system where building material traits substructure and binder are dynamical processes that are established between them (traits substructures). Self-concept as construct is based on interpretation of personal characteristics (and personal life) and on interpretations of social factors thought about myself.
So dynamical structural elements are traits substructures (exhibited through behavior), their relations are dynamical connection and personal interpretations of perceived personality characteristics and their social response/reaction are aspects of self-concept.
The last one, process of interpretations is the factor that allows self-concept to become more than a combination of personality tendencies. Perceiving, comparations, evaluation and emotional response on observed personality characteristic are processes that allows construction of new instance based on that same basic personality traits.
Question that still has no completed answer is which personality traits (or their substructures) raise (develop) different aspects of self-concept. Self-concept as we know so far is multidimensional construct. At the same time it is hierarchically structured what means it consists of several primary self-concept domains that are relatively independent (simultaneously correlated with each other and general dimension of self-concept).
My preferred model is revision of Brackens hierarchical multidimensional model. It consists of 6 primary domains:
Every primary domain consists of several specific self-concept domains.
This model says that dimensions (made indicators) can be identified and derived at the level of subscales. It does not allowed possibilities that indicators from different domains developed new structure that can be common rudiment for both of them.
But in my opinion it should be improved by taxonomic idea that says: Indicators must have two simoultaniouslless divergent directions, one vectors direction is forming a primary domain of self-concept by building a significant correlations among other related indicators and the other one is that the same time indicators can set common structure with indicators form another primary domains of self-concept.
That gives us possibility to identify personality traits that are intertwined into primary domains and to give a straight answer to the question: which personality traits (dimensions or factors) and its substructures through its tendencies are responsible for certain primary domains of self-concept.
Detection of personality dimensions that develop and maintain certain primary self-concept domain, and personality tendencies in process of interpretation of life could let us find out what kind of personality processes are “guilty” for negative, malfunctioned and distorted self-concept and over which traits they are based.
DE
