"I love to wear western clothes" is an example of which dimension of trait according to Allport's trait theory?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Secondary trait
Option (1) Cardinal trait — Incorrect. Cardinal traits are highly generalised dispositions that indicate the goal around which a person’s entire life revolves, such as Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence. A liking for western clothes does not run a whole life.
Option (2) Central trait — Incorrect. Central traits are less pervasive but still quite generalised dispositions, such as warm, sincere or diligent, the kind of words used in a testimonial or job recommendation.
Option (3) Secondary trait — Correct. The least generalised characteristics of a person are secondary traits. Allport’s own examples are ‘likes mangoes’ or ‘prefers ethnic clothes’; ‘I love to wear western clothes’ is the same kind of narrow preference.
Option (4) Tertiary trait — Incorrect. Allport classified traits into only three kinds: cardinal, central and secondary. There is no tertiary trait in his theory.
NCERT (2025-26): “Trait Approaches … Allport, based on this, categorised traits into cardinal, central, and secondary. Cardinal traits are highly generalised dispositions. They indicate the goal around which a person’s entire life seems to revolve. Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence and Hitler’s Nazism are examples of cardinal traits. Such traits often get associated with the name of the person so strongly that they derive such identities as the ‘Gandhian’ or ‘Hitlerian’ trait. Less pervasive in effect, but still quite generalised dispositions, are called central traits. These traits (e.g., warm, sincere, diligent, etc.) are often used in writing a testimonial or job recommendation for a person. The least generalised characteristics of a person are called secondary traits. Traits such as ‘likes mangoes’ or ‘prefers ethnic clothes’ are examples of secondary traits.…” |