ABSTRACT
Relationships between cognitive or intellective functioning on the one hand and personality consistencies on the other are both multilevel and multiplex. Before exploring the nature of these relationships in detail, however, we should first comprehend the overarching nature of the concept of personality in most modern theoretical usage. Personality is usually conceptualized as subsuming not only temperament, motivation, and affect but cognition and intellect as well. This means that intellective abilities in essence are traits of personality, and cognitive processes are part of personality dynamics (e.g., Gill, 1967; Guilford, 1959; Lewin, 1935; Rapaport, 1960). As an instance, Cattell (1957, 1971, 1979) speaks of the three personality modalities of ability traits, temperament traits, and dynamic traits of motivation and interest. Therefore, in exploring the interplay between cognition and personality, we are actually surveying a part-whole relationship and asking how some parts of the total personality influence the structure and functioning of other parts of the personality.
