The Trait Model of Personality
[WLOs: 2, 3] [CLOs: 1, 5]
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, review the following:
Chapter 8: A Trait Approach to Personality in your course textbook.
The article Personality Stability and Change: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies
The Big Five Personality Test; complete the free, confidential personality test that is based on the Big Five theory. The results of this test will be used to aid in the completion of this assignment. Note that you do not need to register or provide personal information to obtain your results from this website.
This site lists a $29 charge to take the assessment, but that is only if you want the Premium Report. You do not need the Premium Report and do not have to pay anything to complete the online assessment. After you have completed the assessment, select the ‘No, just give me my results’ link. This link will take you to a page that will tell you how you scored on each of the five traits in the Big Five theory.
In addition to the required resources, go to the University of Arizona Global Campus Library and research a minimum of one scholarly source on the trait model of personality (part one of the paper) and one scholarly resource on the big five theory of personality (part two of the paper).
All required and outside sources should be properly cited in your paper.
To assist you in completing the library research required for this assignment, review this The University of Arizona Global Campus Library Quick and Easy Library Research tutorial, which introduces the University of Arizona Global Campus Library and the research process and provides some library search tips.
In the first part of your paper,
Provide an overview of the trait model of personality in which you identify at least one principal theory and its theorist (i.e., Allport, Cattell, or Eysenck) associated with the model. (Please note that the trait model is more than just the Big Five—this part of the paper should cover the general history and evolution of the model.)
Compare and contrast the basic assumptions of the trait model and the basic assumptions of one of the three models discussed in Weeks 1 and 2 regarding the theorist’s explanations of personality development.
Use the scholarly sources you researched for this assignment as well as this week’s required sources to support your statements.
In the second part of your paper,
Describe each of the five traits included in the Big Five model:
extroversion
agreeableness
conscientiousness
neuroticism
openness to experience
(This section demonstrates your understanding of the theory, so do not just copy and paste the explanations provided on The Big Five Personality Test.)
Reflect on your results from the test on each of the five traits.
Use the scholarly sources you researched for this assignment as well as this week’s required sources to support your statements.
The Trait Model of Personality paper
must be 5 to 6 double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Microsoft Word resource.
must include a separate title page with the following in title case:
title of paper in bold font
Space should appear between the title and the rest of the information on the title page.
student’s name
name of institution (The University of Arizona Global Campus)
course name and number
instructor’s name
due date
must utilize academic voice.
Review the Academic Voice resource for additional guidance.
must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph.
Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.
For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions and Writing a Thesis Statement, refer to the Writing Center resources.
must use at least 2 scholarly, peer-reviewed, and/or credible sources in addition to the course text.
The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source.
To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, refer to this Quick and Easy Library Research tutorial, which introduces the University of Arizona Global Campus Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips.
must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your Paper guide.
must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center.
Refer to the APA: Formatting Your References List resource in the Writing Center for specifications.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
