ABSTRACT
This chapter provides H.J. Eysenck’s type theory, and Allport’s trait theory. These theories illustrate different approaches to the study of personality. The essence of Allport’s theory lies in his suggestion that an individual manifests three types of traits, which he described as cardinal traits, central traits or secondary traits. Allport considered that some traits have particular influence over an individual’s behaviour, and therefore personality. Allport argued that the traits which constitute an individual’s personality are unique to them in a number of ways. Eysenck argued against this emphasis on uniqueness, although he did recognise that people score unique combinations of levels on trait dimensions Allport suggested that only individual traits could capture the uniqueness of people, and because of the vastness and diversity of those traits, they cannot be grouped together under a few dimensions. The idea that different traits represent different levels along a single continuum he found unacceptable.
