Trait theory is one of the ways that researchers study personality (Wright & Weinberg, 2019). Simply, the theory states that personality traits, things like being confident or organized, are fairly stable and don’t change much throughout life. Some major researchers of trait theory include Gordon Allport, Hans Eysneck, and Raymond Cattell (Wright & Weinberg, 2019). Allport suggested that traits are like tendencies that make a person act a certain way, even if the situation or circumstances are different. However, having a trait doesn’t mean that a person will always act that way, just that they’re more likely to (Allport, 1927).
In sports, for example, a confident athlete will probably believe in themselves no matter what happens, but that doesn’t mean they’ll always perform well. In the context of general exercise, studies have shown that people who are outgoing and responsible tend to exercise more, while people who are anxious tend to exercise less (Rhodes et al., 2002). While personality does play a role in how people act, knowing someone’s traits doesn’t always tell you how they’ll act in a specific situation. Other things, like the situation itself, can also affect how someone behaves. So while trait theory has been prevalent for some time to, many theorist now acknowledge that other factors are important too (Bowers, 1973).
Allport, G. W. (1927). Concepts of trait and personality. Psychological Bulletin, 24(5), 284–293. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0073629
Bowers, K. S. (1973). Situationism in psychology: An analysis and a critique. Psychological Review, 80, 307336.
Rhodes, R. E., Courneya, K. S., & Hayduk, L. A. (2002). Does personality moderate the theory of planned behavior in the exercise domain? Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 24, 120132.
Wright, E., & Weinberg, R. (2019). In D. Hackfort, R. J. Schinke, & B. Strauss (Eds.), Dictionary of sport psychology: Sport, exercise, and performing arts. Academic Press.
