Core and Surface Characteristics for the Description and Theory of Personality Differences and Development

TLDR

Personality differences are traditionally described by stable core traits that drive less stable surface characteristics such as attitudes and interests. The authors aim to test whether core and surface traits are distinct by reviewing evidence on their stability, heritability, causation, and shared genetics. They conduct a literature review evaluating core and surface traits against four criteria: stability of individual differences, heritability, direction of causation, and shared genetic variance. The review undermines the core/surface distinction, showing that basic traits like extraversion are linked to specific attitudes but do not serve as the essential, stable genetic foundation for those traits. © 2014 European Association of Personality Psychology.

Abstract

Individual differences in personality are often described on the basis of a small set of dimensional core characteristics that are commonly defined as largely consistent patterns of thoughts, feelings and actions across time and situations. Some theoretical approaches even consider them to provide the biologically founded basis for individual differences in so–called surface characteristics such as self–related evaluations, social attitudes, values, goals or interests, which are commonly hypothesized to be less stable or more environmentally malleable than core characteristics. We examine these hypotheses by reviewing findings about potential core and surface characteristics on the basis of four criteria: (i) level of stability in individual differences; (ii) level of heritability; (iii) direction of causation; and (iv) shared genetic variance. The results from our review call into serious question the labelling of some sets of constructs as either core or surface characteristics of personality. Although certain dimensions—often labelled as basic traits (e.g. extraversion)—are systematically linked to more specific characteristics (e.g. social attitudes and interests), the so–called basic traits do not appear to provide an essential basis (i.e. the more stable and genetically anchored source) for these characteristics. We argue for more integrative models of personality in adulthood. Copyright © 2014 European Association of Personality Psychology