Final answer:
Cattell's 16 personality source traits are dimensions of personality including traits like warmth and emotional stability, each scored on a continuum fro low to high. The 16PF questionnaire assesses these traits, providing insight into an individual's personality profile.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cattell's 16 Personality Source Traits
Raymond Cattell identified 16 factors or dimensions of personality, which are as follows: warmth, reasoning, emotional stability, dominance, liveliness, rule-consciousness, social boldness, sensitivity, vigilance, abstractedness, privateness, apprehension, openness to change, self-reliance, perfectionism, and tension. Each of these traits is scored over a continuum, rather than being present or absent, which describes a range of how these traits can be expressed within an individual.
Cattell developed the 16PF (16 Personality Factor) questionnaire as a tool to assess these dimensions in individuals. For example, a high score in warmth would indicate a person who is supportive and comforting, while a low score suggests someone who is distant and cold. This approach emphasises that personality traits are a matter of degree rather than a binary presence or absence.
It's important to note that Cattell's model of personality differs from other models, like the Big Five Personality Traits, which includes openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Unlike Cattell's model, the Big Five is currently the most widely accepted theory in personality psychology.