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Integrating whole trait theory and self-determination theory
Mike Prentice1, Eranda Jayawickreme1, William Fleeson1
1Wake Forest University.
Journal of Personality
|July 13, 2018
Summary
This study integrates self-determination theory (SDT) and whole trait theory (WTT), proposing that personality traits serve as tools for fulfilling basic psychological needs, offering a novel explanatory framework.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Personality Theory
- Motivation Theory
Background:
- Integrating trait-descriptive and motivational-explanatory views of personality presents ongoing challenges.
- Self-Determination Theory (SDT) focuses on motivation and psychological needs.
- Whole Trait Theory (WTT) views traits as functional tools for goal pursuit.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and explicate points of integration between Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Whole Trait Theory (WTT).
- To demonstrate how integrating SDT and WTT can address challenges in personality theory.
- To propose a novel framework linking psychological needs to personality traits.
Main Methods:
- Review of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) organized by its six mini-theories.
- Review of Whole Trait Theory (WTT), introducing descriptive and explanatory elements.
- Identification of SDT motivational concepts as intermediaries between WTT inputs and outputs.
Main Results:
- SDT's need satisfaction processes are linked to trait manifestations.
- Personality traits are proposed as tools for satisfying basic psychological needs.
- Basic psychological needs can partially explain the emergence of traits.
Conclusions:
- The integration of SDT and WTT offers a novel perspective on personality.
- Traits function as tools for goal pursuit and need satisfaction.
- This framework opens avenues for new research questions in personality psychology.
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