The Psychoanalytic Approach and Trait Theories - Essay Example

Trait theories place emphasis on aspects of personality that are thought to remain relatively consistent throughout life (Ryckman, 2013). Researchers of this theory are commonly interested in comparing these traits between people, groups, and populations to check for expected continuity and to reveal new insights into the perpetuation of traits in human personality. Accordingly, the development of abnormal behavior is viewed as a process that can be predicted and treated by the study of traits that are stable among those who experience particular psychological maladies.

2. Traits are also known as dispositions (Ryckman, 2013) and are thought to be the main determinants of behavior in related theories. They refer to a relatively stable tendency to behave in a certain manner given a particular set of circumstances. Sometimes the situations surrounding the expression of dispositions are specific and required to elicit a predicted response, but many traits are not contingent on contextual variables and will be evident in virtually any setting. Dispositions are not discrete events but instead describe underlying tendencies that drive behaviors throughout life. Read More