Raymond Cattell and his theory of personality

Raymond Cattell was born in England at the beginning of the 20th century. Higher, His professional career would make this Englishman one of the most important personality theorists in the history of psychology.. His contributions were decisive in the so-called Trait Theory and have had practical application in a test that bears his name.

Although Raymond Cattell initially studied chemistry, after graduating he began to become interested in psychology. For 30 years he was a professor at the University of Illinois and for another 20 at the University of Hawaii. Also He was a tireless researcher of behavior human and the founder of Institute for Personality and Ability Testing (IPAT).

Cattell’s personality theory

This author understands personality as the set of those elements that allow us to understand and anticipate the ways in which people will act when faced with specific situations. The minimum unit of personality analysis is the trait, which refers to relatively permanent characteristics and tendencies in behavior.

To give a quantitative dimension to the analysis of personality traits and determine their main characteristics, Cattell used the factor analysis methodology. In this way, he came to group personality traits into three broad categories:

Temperamental traits: These types of traits are innate and are usually inherited from one generation to another. They are the basis of individual behavior.Aptitude traits: They are traits related to abilities and skills and, according to Cattell, they are also likely to be heritable.Dynamic features: This category refers to the motivational factors of behavior, they are dynamic, fluctuating and contingent.

Cattell defined 16 basic personality factors . Each of them was identified with a letter. From these he created the famous test, which is still applied today for different purposes. Let’s see what the personality factors defined by this extraordinary theorist are.

Factors A, B, C and E in Raymond Cattell’s theory

The factors A, B, C and E In Raymond Cattell’s personality theory they correspond to: affectivity reasoning, stability and dominance.

Affectivity (A), according to his theory, would represent the degree of contact that a person establishes with other individuals. The person who scores low on this factor It tends to be hard, cold, skeptical now stay away. He likes them more things that people. Prefers to work alone and avoid giving opinions compromising. While those with high scores tend to be affable, calm, emotionally expressive, cooperative, kind, kind and adaptable.

Reasoning (B) would have to do with intellectual capacity. In this sense, the deeper and more accurate the thought abstract of an individual, the more intelligent we say he is. Low scores on this factor denote slow to learn and grasp ideas, and difficulty making decisions based on analysis. On the other hand, those who obtain high scores are agile in recognizing problem solutions, are creative and like to draw conclusions.

For its part, stability (C) refers to the ability to adapt. It corresponds to people’s ability not to be disturbed by the stimuli of the environment, together with the willingness and ability to understand and appropriate them. Low scores indicate low tolerance for frustration. c When the conditions are not satisfactory, the person is fickle and evades reality. Is peevish and is easily disturbed. The person who scores high is emotionally mature realistic about life, calm, with good firmness interior and ability to maintain a solid group morale.

Dominance (E) is the degree of autonomy or submission of a person. In this sense, the most dominant people tend to be competitive, aggressive and self-confident. Likewise, they like to exert their will over others, they strive to express their desires and opinions and to get what they want. For their part, the less dominant are more fragile, submissive, dependent and considerate; They usually make few demands and accommodate the wishes of others. Furthermore, in their interpersonal relationships, they are guided by a strong desire to avoid conflict, which is often accompanied by the desire to please others.

The factors F, G, H and I

The facts F, G, H and I belong to: impulsivity, group conformity, daring and sensitivity.

Cattell relates impulsivity (F) to spontaneity and expressivity. The more impulsive a person, the more enthusiastic and expressive they will be. She tends to actively seek out highly stimulating situations and is good at starting things, but not at finishing them. The less impulsive, the more prudent, reserved and pessimistic; She takes life more seriously, she is quiet and careful. He is cautious in his language, in his behavior and in his thought processes.

Group conformity (G) refers to the degree of acceptance of social norms that individuals show.. The most agreeable would be people who become moralistic. The most dissatisfied, rebels or revolutionaries. The person who scores low on this factor tends to avoid the rules and has difficulty adjusting to them. On the other hand, those who obtain high scores are attentive to the rules, compliant and formal. She emphasizes the importance of following regulations.

As for daring (H), it would be related to the ability to take risks and act under pressure. Those who do not have a high level in this dimension would tend to look for what is safe and predictable. Are shy, distant, cautious, retraidos. They may present feelings of inferiority. While those with a high level of this factor areventuresome, daring, they are not afraid of social situations, they like to meet other people and easily initiate social contacts.

For its part, Sensitivity (I) would refer to the predominance of emotional aspects over rational aspects in behavior. A highly sensitive person tends to let themselves be dominated by their feelings. Expect affection and attention, seek help and compassion. He is kind, gentle, accommodating to himself and others. Someone with low sensitivity tends to be realistic, practical, objective, unsentimental, and utilitarian. Undone or ignores what they feel.

The L, M, N and O factors

The facts L, M, N and O belong to: suspicion, imagination, cunning and guilt.

Suspicion (L) would have to do with the degree of trust or distrust towards others. People with a low level of this factor are trusting, unsuspicious and adaptable. They expect fair treatment, are loyal, and see good intentions in others. Those with high levels are watchful, suspicious, skeptical and cautious. They feel that others take advantage of them.

Imagination (M), on the other hand, would be a person’s ability to immerse themselves in their thoughts and their internal world. People with low scores are practical and oriented towards the environment and its demands. They value the concrete and the obvious. They despise abstractions. Someone with high imagination is abstract, imaginative and idealistic. He is unconventional and very absorbed in his thoughts.

The N factor, or cunning, is related to the ability to analyze reality, identifying those traits that allow us to obtain something positive from others. Therefore, the most astute would also be calculating and cold. They are eloquent, preferring to keep problems to themselves rather than discuss them with friends. The least astute are sincere, spontaneous and direct. Yesthey tend to be simple, sentimental, plain. They are easily satisfied and They seem happy with what they have happens.

The last factor, guilt (o), refers to a person’s ability to realistically take responsibility for their actions.. Those who score high on this factor would be people who tend to suffer and blame themselves for everything. They are easily affected and their moods overwhelm them. Those who score low have an excellent opinion of themselves and are more forgiving of their mistakes. They worry less and are not bothered if they are not accepted by others.

The factors Q 1, Q2, Q3 and Q4

The Q factors, from 1 to 4, are: Rebellion, Self-sufficiency, Self-control and Tension.

Rebellion (Q1) has to do with openness to change and the ability to transform situations. The person who scores low trusts what you have been taught to believe and accept what is known and true, despite its inconsistencies. Someone with a high score usually thinks about how to improve things and likes to experiment with them; If he observes that what exists does not satisfy him or is not very adequate, he is inclined to change.

Self-sufficiency (Q2) is related to the degree of personal independence. Individuals with low scores prefer to be in the company of others. They are group oriented and like to do things with other people. Those who score high are independent and are accustomed to following their own path, make their decisions and act on your own.

For its part, Self-control (Q3) has to do with the level of tendency that an individual has to behave socially in an ideal way.. Subjects with low scores are not concerned about accepting and sticking to the social demands. Are not overly considerate, careful or careful. On the other hand, those with high scores tend to have a lot of control over their emotions and behaviors. They are careful and open to social issues.

and heTension (Q4) refers to the degree of anxiety that a subject experiences in their daily life. Those who obtain low scores are usually scalm, relaxed and calm. Those who get high scores are tense, excitable, restless, irritable and impatient. They are often fatigued and unable to remain inactive.

All of these factors are what the Raymond Cattell test would measure.. The scores on these factors would allow us to draw the personality profile of the person who responded to the test. Currently, this test, known as the 16PF, is very frequently used for personnel selection processes carried out by human resources departments.

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