THEORIES ON CENTRALITY OF

EVALUATION
PSY 436 ASSIGNMENT

Name: Anene Chukwudumebi Benedicta.

Matric Number: 208236.
Department: Psychology.
Course: PSY 436. Social Perception.
Lecturer in charge: Dr. Famakinde F.
What is evaluation in this context?
Evaluation is described as a mental process in which a person gives unique values (positive or
negative) to certain behavioral patterns (e.g., talking, giving) conducted in a social interaction
and connects these behaviors with specific people.

What is the Centrality of Evaluation?

Centrality of evaluation refers to a method of making perceptions about an individual's
personality where one places importance on a single trait which can be called the central trait and
further uses this central trait to explain the behaviour of that individual.

What are central traits?

Central traits form the basis of human personality. These traits are so significant because they
define attributes that can be used to describe a person.
When making perceptions about somebody or evaluating somebody people usually use these
traits to make their final conclusions.
Many researchers have come up with theories that expand on these central traits and how people
use them to make evaluations

Beyond this point is a look at the various theories.

Theory 1
Gordon Allport's Theory
This theory is by Gordon Allport (1897-1967). Let us first look at the definition of personality
according to Allport.
According to Allport, personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those
psycho-physical systems that determine his unique adjustment to his environment.
Allport wrote that traits contribute to the basic unit of human personality.
In this theory there are two types of traits;
● Common traits.
● Personal traits or dispositions.
Common traits.
These traits originate from the pressure created by one's social environment to behave in a
certain manner. Due to this people who experience the same cultural or social environment might
have similar behaviour leading to common traits.
Allport did not attach significance to Common traits because they only manifest on the surface.
Personal traits or dispositions.
This is unique to an individual. These personal dispositions are what causes an individual's
behaviour to be consistent when the individual is present in identical situations.
Allport later substituted the word traits for disposition in this
This is further categorized into 3;
● Cardinal traits.
● Central traits.
● Secondary traits.
Cardinal traits.
These are traits that are central for an individual and are evident in almost all situations and a lot
in the individual's personality. This trait has a great influence on individuals, it guides and directs
almost all sorts of behaviour from the person.

An example is if someone's cardinal trait is generosity. This trait of generosity will affect almost
all aspects about the behaviour of this person. If the person sees people asking for money to
complete a project, he does not hesitate to donate. Or he sees a beggar at the road side, he gives
some loose change whenever he is close. Or those family members who always need help, he is
generous with that also.
We can see how one trait- generosity has affected this individual's behaviour in all the scenarios
above. This is what is meant by cardinal trait.

These cardinal traits are considered to be building blocks of an individual's personality. Allport
says individual's have five to ten cardinal traits. One of the five or ten is usually dominant, while
the remaining four or nine do not have as much influence as the cardinal trait when influencing
an individual's behaviour.
Central traits.
These are what people come to expect from you on a daily basis. These are the traits other
people would typically use to describe your personality. An example is describing a classmate to
an outsider as hardworking because that trait is what you feel he showcases more than his other
traits.
Secondary traits.
These traits are unlike the cardinal traits and the central traits but you can find traces of these
traits in various preferences and attitudes of the individual. This trait comes to the light most
times in specific situations. An example is a lady being rude to any man who presents marriage
as a price to be gotten from a relationship with that man.

Allport emphasized that personality is not a collection of disparate features, but rather
personality traits that share consistency, unity, and integration. This means that the personality is
structured, as well as regulated by some key principles. Allport referred to the entire organization
as the Proprium. This Proprium develops through seven stages;
● Sense of body
● Self-identity
● Self-esteem
● Self-extension
● Self-image
● Rational coping
● Propriate striving

Theory 2
Hans Eysenck's theory.
Hans Eysenck utilized statistical analysis to divide features into two broad dimensions that he
believed were determined by biology. Individuals, according to Eysenck, sit somewhere on an
'extraversion - introversion' and an 'emotionally stable - emotionally unstable' scale.

In this theory, extraverts are extroverted and friendly, whereas introverts are more restrained and
thoughtful. Individuals that are emotionally stable are dependable and make strong leaders,
whereas those who are emotionally unstable (also described as neurotic) are moody, agitated, and
restless.

This theory has a recognised resemblance with earlier Greek ideas on personality development.
In the earlier Greek ideas typically, personality was according to four body humors - melancholic
(depressed), choleric (irritable), phlegmatic (cool and unemotional) and sanguine (cheerful and
warm).

Below is a diagram illustrating Hans Eysenck's theory.

Theory 3
The Big Five Model.
This theory is by D. W. Fiske and later expanded upon by other researchers including Norman
(1967), Smith (1967), Goldberg (1981), and McCrae & Costa (1987).
In 1936, Gordon Allport and Henry Odbert compiled a list of 4,500 terms referring to personality
qualities (Vinney, 2018). Their study laid the groundwork for later psychologists to start defining
the fundamental aspects of personality.

Raymond Cattell and his colleagues utilized factor analysis (a statistical method) in the 1940s to
reduce Allport's list to sixteen features. Many psychologists investigated Cattell's list and
discovered that it could be further reduced to five features. Donald Fiske, Norman, Smith,
Goldberg, and McCrae & Costa were among these psychologists (Cherry, 2019).

According to research on the Big Five, these characteristics stay consistent over time,
particularly in maturity.
The Big Five trait spectrums;
● Openness to experience
● Conscientiousness
● Extraversion
● Agreeableness
● Neuroticism (emotional stability vs. instability)
Unlike the other theories that categorize individual traits, the Big Five Model asserts that each
personality trait is a spectrum.

Each trait is around 50% genetically determined, allowing the environment to alter these features
further. This theory can be used to predict individuals' behaviour. Today, the Big Five appear to
be our greatest way for characterizing personality traits.
References
Lim, A. G. Y. (2020). Big Five Personality Traits - Simply Psychology.
https://www.simplypsychology.org/big-five-personality.html
Nauts, S., Langner, O., Huijsmans, I., Vonk, R., & Wigboldus, D. H. J. (2014). Forming
Impressions of Personality. Social Psychology, 45(3), 153–163.
https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000179
Irene Trapp & Rouven Trapp, 2019. "The psychological effects of centrality bias: an
experimental analysis," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 89(2), pages 155-189,
March. <https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jbecon/v89y2019i2d10.1007_s11573-018-0908-6.html>
trait centrality. (n.d.). Oxford Reference.
https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803105302871
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