“Me in a nutshell”: Exploring the content and properties of central traits.
Abstract
= 1,488). We assess coverage of trait content by traditional trait taxonomies and then explore what makes a trait self-defining by predicting trait content from informational (e.g., extremity and stability of trait standing) and motivational (e.g., desirability of the trait) factors and qualitatively analyze extended descriptions of these traits for various identity themes. We find that most (but not all) traits fit the Big Five and that those that did mostly reflected participants' most extreme (but desirable) attributes. This work furthers our understanding of how aspects of personality become personally relevant and lays groundwork for future idiographic study of traits. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Fields of Study & Subjects
Personality Traits and Psychology
Psychological Testing and Assessment
Social and Intergroup Psychology
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- Volume
- 130
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 763–785
- Publication date
- 12 February 2026
- Language
- EN