PsychologySelf and Personality

Which of the following does NOT belong to the trait approach to perso…

Which of the following does NOT belong to the trait approach to personality?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 4

The correct answer is Option (4) → Both (1) and (2)

Option	Reason
Option (1): Type-A and Type-B personalities. False.	Friedman and Rosenman sorted people into two personality types while looking for psychosocial risk factors of heart disease. Sorting people into a few groups is the type approach.
Option (2): Hippocrates' melancholic type. False.	Hippocrates grouped people by body fluid or humour into sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholic and choleric types. This is also a type approach.
Option (3): Eysenck's theory. Belongs to the trait approach.	Eysenck, with Allport and Cattell, advocated the trait approach. He described personality on a few broad dimensions, such as introversion-extraversion.

NCERT (2026-27): “Type Approaches
As we explained above, personality types are used to represent and communicate a set of expected behaviours based on similarities. Efforts to categorise people into personality types have been made since ancient times. The Greek physician Hippocrates had proposed a typology of personality based on fluid or humour. He classified people into four types (i.e., sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholic and choleric); each characterised by specific behavioural features.”

“In recent years, Friedman and Rosenman have classified individuals into Type-A and Type-B personalities. The two researchers were trying to identify psychosocial risk factors when they discovered these types. …”