Three-Factor Model, Five-Factor Model

Personality has been called by Abram Kardiner an essential adaptive organization of biological and behavioral functions that is of paramount importance to social life. Psychologists have generated a plethora of personality theories and measures of personality during this century.

However, the major contenders at this time appear to be the three-factor model (TFM) and the more recent five-factor model (FFM). The TFM employs these traits: Extroversion, Neuroticism (or Emotional Instability) and Psychoticism. The five traits represented in the FFM are Extroversion, Emotional Instability, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness.

The Eysenck model (TFM) is generally preferred for three reasons. First, this theory of personality is strongly supported by a very long and continuous history of research and development. Eysenck's dedication to research on personality has made him the most frequently cited psychologist in the world. Eysenck points out that nearly all large-scale studies of personality find the equivalent of the three traits he proposes, that the traits are found worldwide, that an individual's status relative to the traits is consistent across time and that research on the genetics of personality support the three traits. Second, the development of the theory and related research has focused on measurement. The instrument associated with the model includes both adult and child versions, which makes comparisons between teachers and students possible and extends the possible areas for research. Third, it is a rich explanatory theory that suggests many potential research hypotheses, in contrast to the FFM, which is largely a descriptive model.

The three Eysenckian traits can be briefly characterized as follows. The Extroversion (“E”) trait is a bipolar scale that is anchored at the high end by sociability and stimulation seeking and at the other end by social reticence and stimulation avoidance. This trait is tied to basal levels of arousal in the neocortex. The Neuroticism trait is anchored at the high end by emotional instability and spontaneity and by reflection and deliberateness at the other end. This trait's name is based on the susceptibility to anxiety-based problems of individuals high on the “N” trait. This trait is related to one's degree of reactivity to emotional stimuli. The Psychoticism trait is anchored at the high end by aggressiveness and divergent thinking and at the low end by caution and empathy. The label for this trait [Page 1021]is based on the susceptibility to psychotic disorders of a significant subgroup of individuals high on the “P” trait. This trait is polygenic in nature and may, to some degree, be a reflection of the amygdala's sensitivity to androgen. None of the traits are intended as indicators of psychopathology. The scales based on these traits are measures of temperament source traits that in interaction with experience produce personality.

Eysenck's theory and the research it has generated suggest linkage to a variety of developmental problems such as overactivity, shyness, antisocial behavior, and anxiety disorders, as well as other characteristics, such as creativity. Center and Kemp have discussed how the theory and research might be applied to dealing with children and youth with antisocial behavior. James Wakefield has described the implications of the TFM theory for educational settings and learning. In his discussion of Eysenck's personality traits (PEN), he covers each relative to behavior, central nervous system arousal, learning, discipline, and achievement. The details of that discussion are too involved to cover here but are well worth reading. Furthermore, Wakefield has worked out 12 of the possible combination scores that a student might get on the Eysenck instruments (see Table 1).

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