Final answer:
The opposite of approach/positive emotionality or sociability in trait theory is typically associated with introversion and low sociability, where individuals have a higher need for solitude and engage less in social interactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to trait theory, the opposite of approach/positive emotionality or sociability is commonly related to the traits of introversion and low sociability. Trait theoreticians like Hans Eysenck theorize that individuals high in the trait of extroversion are outgoing and engage readily with others, showing high approach or positive emotionality. In contrast, those high in introversion prefer solitude, engage less with others, and demonstrate low approach or positive emotionality. Additionally, in the neuroticism/stability dimension, individuals high in neuroticism experience more negative emotions and are less emotionally stable compared to those high in stability, who require more stimulation to elicit a fight-or-flight response and are more emotionally stable.
This framework divides personality into four quadrants, which align with the Greek temperaments: melancholic, choleric, phlegmatic, and sanguine. People with high sociability and low neuroticism fit the 'sanguine' temperament, and their opposites, with low sociability and high neuroticism, resemble the 'melancholic' temperament.
Gordon Allport, another trait theorist, classified thousands of personality descriptors into categories of cardinal traits, central traits, and secondary traits. A person scoring low on sociability, according to Allport, would exhibit central traits such as shyness or reserve. This is consistent with the idea that the opposite of approach/positive emotionality is a tendency towards introversion and low sociability.