Raymond Cattell

The Psychologist Who Put Personality Traits on the Map

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• Raymond Cattell was a British-American psychologist who made significant contributions to the fields of personality, intelligence, and multivariate statistics. He is best known for his development of the sixteen personality factor questionnaire which is a widely used personality test that measures 16 basic personality dimensions. (Shiraev 20016):  
  
  
  
  
  

1. warmth vs coldness
   
   
   
2. reasoning vs imagination
3. dominance vs submissiveness
4. liveliness vs seriousness 
5. rule-consciousness vs spontaneity
6. social boldness vs shyness
7. sensitivity vs toughness
8. vigilance vs trust
9. abstractedness vs concreteness
10. privateness vs openness to change
11. apprehension vs self-confidence
12. traditionalism vs unconventional
13. group-dependence vs self-sufficiency
14. perfectionism vs unconcern
15. intellectualism vs anti-intellectualism
16. imagination vs practicality

Cattell believed that personality traits were fundamental underlying elements of daily human behavior and experience. He used factor analysis to identify the basic dimensions of personality by studying large datasets of personality ratings and self-assessments. This work led to the development of the 16PF which is a reliable and valid personality test. 

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 Cattell contributed to the study of intelligence.

Fluid Intelligence - the ability to think abstractly and solve novel problems.

Crystalized Intelligence - the knowledge and skills that are acquired through experience 

Cattell believed that fluid intelligence is more important for success in school and in the workplace. He also believed that fluid intelligence declines with age, while crystallized intelligence can continue to increase throughout life.  (Shiraev 20016)

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Multivariate Statistics

• A set of statistical methods that are used to analyze data with multiple variables allows researchers to study complex relationships between personality traits and other variables. 
• Cattell used multivariate statistics to study the relationship between personality traits and job performance, academic achievement, and mental health.

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He is considered one of the most quoted psychologists of the 20th century and beyond.

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 References

Shiraev, E. (2016). Personality Theories. SAGE Publications, Inc. (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781506300795