Common traits described the characteristics of people within a given culture or an environment. Allport placed the levels of personal dispositions on a continuum from those that are most central to those that are only important to the person. The three levels of personal dispositions are cardinal dispositions, which are exceedingly prominent in a person, followed by central dispositions, which are less dominating, but indicate the person as unique. Central dispositions guide much of a person's adaptive and stylistic behavior, which blends into secondary dispositions, which are less descriptive of that individual. However, one can not infer that an individual's secondary dispositions are less intense than another individual's central dispositions.
Comparisons are inappropriate to personal dispositions.
Cardinal dispositions are considered to be an eminent characteristic or ruling passion so outstanding that it dominates their lives. Few people have cardinal dispositions, but everyone has several central dispositions, which includes 5 to10 most outstanding characteristics around which a person's life focuses. Allport described central dispositions as those that would be listed in an accurate letter of recommendation written by someone who knew the person quite well. Allport believed that 5 to 10 central dispositions that our friends and close acquaintances would agree are descriptive of our personality. A less conspicuous but far greater in number than central dispositions are the secondary dispositions.