Cattell Raymond Bernard (1905-1998), Anglo-American personality theorist.
The questionnaire (method of personality psychodiagnostics) by Cattell is a multidimensional technique that assesses the properties of a normal personality, it describes the personality structure of a person, reveals personal problems, and helps to find corrective mechanisms for solving personal problems.
The basis of the Cattell test is the «theory of personality traits». According to this theory, a personality is described as consisting of stable, stable, interconnected elements (properties, traits) that determine its inner essence and behavior. Differences in people’s behavior are explained by differences in the severity of personality traits. It is assumed that the order of subjects on the scale of severity of personality traits remains the same in different situations. In the course of testing with this approach, the personality is correlated with a ready-made coordinate system, within which the severity of predetermined properties is measured.
Despite its wide distribution, the theory of personality traits encounters a number of criticisms, the most significant of which are as follows.
- In this theory, a person appears as a passive subject, a «puppet» of personality traits (since the severity of traits mechanically determines behavior).
- Critics question the stability of the manifestation of personality traits in various situations. According to A. Anastasi, empirical data show that “in many non-intellectual areas of behavior (such as aggressiveness, conformism, honesty, etc.), people usually show situational specificity: a person can be open and sociable at work, but shy and withdrawn at a friendly party.
- The position of the considered theory that the spheres of manifestation of the selected personality traits are the same for all individuals is disputed.
Research by R. Cattell in the framework of the theory of personality traits is distinguished by pronounced empiricism, since he did not rely on the original theoretical ideas about the content and number of determined personality traits. The originality of R. Cattell’s approach also consisted in the fact that he used the method of factor analysis as a tool for identifying the «basic initial personality traits», and not for streamlining the data obtained. Trying to achieve a comprehensive description of the personality, R. Cattell began by collecting all the names of personality traits found either in dictionaries of the type compiled by G. Allport and H. Odbert, or in psychiatric and psychological literature. The resulting list of names (4500 characteristics) was reduced to 171 personality traits by combining explicit synonyms. To further reduce the list, R. Cattell used the services of a large group of experts who evaluated each other according to the proposed lists of personality traits. Expert estimates were subjected to correlation and factor analysis. Thus, R. Cattell showed that personal space can be reduced to 12-16 factors. As expected, the factors were bipolar, i.e., they contained pairs of traits with high negative correlations. The selected factors made it possible to determine what R. Cattell called «the main primary properties of the personality.»
The properties (features) of the personality identified by R. Cattell are some integral characteristics, since they combine several closely related features and generalize their content.
A. Anastasi notes that despite the extensive research conducted over thirty years by R. Cattell and his colleagues, it is better to treat the personality traits proposed by him as preliminary. Although some of the vulnerabilities of R. Cattell’s approach are criticized, he has many followers. Personality research in this direction continues.
Primary test factors
- Factor A: «isolation — sociability»
- Factor B: intelligence
- Factor C: «emotional instability — emotional stability»
- Factor E: «subordination-dominance»
- Factor F: «restraint — expressiveness»
- Factor G: “Low Normativity of Behavior – High Normativity of Behavior”
- Factor H: «timidity — courage»
- Factor I: «rigidity — sensitivity»
- Factor L: «gullibility — suspicion»
- Factor M: «practicality — dreaminess»
- Factor N: «straightforwardness — diplomacy»
- Factor O: «Calmness — Anxiety»
- Factor Q1: «Conservatism — Radicalism»
- Factor Q2: «conformity — non-conformism»
- Factor Q3: «low self-control — high self-control»
- Factor Q4: «relaxation — tension»
- Factor MD: «adequate self-esteem — inadequate self-esteem»
Secondary test factors
- F1. Anxiety
- F2. extraversion — introversion
- F3. Sensitivity
- F4. conformity