McCrae and Costa

McCrae and Costa Self-concept is actually a characteristic
adaptation, but it gets its own box because it is

Evolution of the Five Factor Theory such an important adaptation.
-By the 1980s, the rift between classical theories and

“Consists of knowledge, views, and evaluations
modern research-based theories had become quite
of the self, ranging from miscellaneous facts of
pronounced.
personal history to the identity that gives a
-It had become clear to them that “the old theories sense of purpose and coherence to life.”
cannot simply be abandoned: They must be replaced by
a new generation of theories that grow out of the Peripheral Components
conceptual insights of the past and the empirical
findings of contemporary research” The three peripheral components are (1)
biological bases, (2) objective biography, and (3)
-According to McCrae and Costa, first and foremost, a external influences.
new theory should be able to incorporate the change
and growth of the field that has occurred over the last (1) Biological Bases
25 years as well as be grounded in the current empirical The principal biological mechanisms that
principles that have emerged from research. influence basic tendencies are genes,
-The Five-Factor Model (taxonomy) into a Five-Factor hormones, and brain structures.
Theory (FFT).
McCrae and Costa have not yet provided
Units of the Five-Factor Theory specific details about which genes,
Behavior is predicted by an understanding of three hormones, and brain structures play what
central or core components and three peripheral ones. role in their influence on personality.
The three central components include (1) basic (2) Objective Biography
tendencies, (2) characteristic adaptations, and (3) self- Defined as “everything the person does,
concept thinks, or feels across the whole lifespan.”
(1) Basic Tendencies Objective biography emphasizes what has

The universal raw material of personality happened in people’s lives (objective)
capacities and dispositions that are generally rather than their view or perceptions of
inferred rather than observed. Basic tendencies their experiences (subjective).
may be inherited, imprinted by early experience
or modified by disease or psychological
intervention, but at any given period in an
individual’s life, they define the individual’s (3) External Influences
potential and direction. The question of how we respond to the
opportunities and demands of the context
Many different elements make up basic is what external influences is all about.
tendencies. In addition to the five stable
personal traits, these basic tendencies include Postulates for Basic Tendencies
cognitive abilities, artistic talent, sexual Basic tendencies have four postulates: individuality,
orientation, and the psychological processes origin, development, and structure.
underlying acquisition of language. (1) Individuality
(2) Characteristic Adaptations The individuality postulate stipulates that adults
The acquired personality structures that have a unique set of traits and that each person
develop as people adapt to their environment. exhibits a unique combination of trait patterns.
The principal difference between basic The precise amount of OCEAN is unique to all of
tendencies and characteristic adaptations is us, and much of our uniqueness results from
their flexibility. Whereas basic tendencies are variability in our genotype.
quite stable, characteristic adaptations can be (2) Origin
influenced by external influences, such as Takes a clear if somewhat controversial stance:
acquired skills, habits, attitudes, and All personality traits are the result solely of
relationships that result from the interaction of endogenous (internal) forces, such as genetics,
individuals with their environment. hormones, and brain structures.
(3) Development
(3) Self-Concept Assumes that traits develop and change
through childhood, but in adolescence their
development slows, and by early to mid-
adulthood (roughly age 30), change in
personality nearly stops altogether (Costa &
McCrae, 1994; Costa, McCrae, & Arenberg,
1980).
When people are young and establishing their

relationships and careers, high E, O, and even N
would be beneficial. As people mature and
become settled, these traits are no longer as
adaptive as they were earlier.
(4) Structure
States that traits are organized hierarchically
from narrow and specific to broad and general.
Postulates for Characteristic Adaptation

The postulate concerning characteristic adaptations
states that, over time, people adapt to their
environment “by acquiring patterns of thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors that are consistent with their
personality traits and earlier adaptations.”
(1) First Postulate

Traits affect the way we adapt to the changes in
our environment. Moreover, our basic
tendencies result in our seeking and selecting
particular environments that match our
dispositions.
(2) Second Postulate: MALAJUSTMENT
Suggests that our responses are not always
consistent with personal goals or cultural
values.
For example, when introversion is carried to

extreme, it may result in pathological social
shyness, which prevents people from going out
of the house or holding down a job. Also,
aggression carried to an extreme may lead to
belligerence and antagonism, which then result
in being frequently fired from jobs.
(3) Third Postulate

States that basic traits may “change over time
in response to biological maturation, changes in
the environment, or deliberate interventions.”
This is McCrae and Costa’s plasticity postulate,

one that recognizes that although basic
tendencies may be rather stable over the
lifetime, characteristic adaptations are not.

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McCrae and Costa Self-concept is actually a characteristic

adaptation, but it gets its own box because it is

-By the 1980s, the rift between classical theories and

(1) Basic Tendencies Objective biography emphasizes what has

When people are young and establishing their

Postulates for Characteristic Adaptation

(1) First Postulate

For example, when introversion is carried to

(3) Third Postulate

This is McCrae and Costa’s plasticity postulate,

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