ABSTRACT
A basic personality trait is likely to affect styles and modes of information processing. Since the "new look" in perception in the 1950s, psychologists have been intrigued with the role of perception and cognition within broader, reliable personality dimensions. One perceptual trait, field independencedependence, has become the basis for an entire approach to personality (Witkin, Lewis, Hertzman, Machover, Meissner, & Wagner, 1954/1972). Eysenck also has made extensive use of perceptual-motor tasks in testing his theory of extraversion. However, one cannot be too sanguine about the possibilities of finding reliable relationships between sensation, perception, or learning variables and a personality trait like sensation seeking. As Eysenck and others working in this area have come to realize, a slight change in the parameters of the laboratory method can produce or wipe out a relationship with personality measures. Few investigators have the inclination or patience to explore the parameters of the laboratory task in relation to personality in a systematic way. This leads to a situation of many unreplicated findings lying around like junked cars in the back lots of psychological research.
