A large part of each of our lives is made up of the struggle to understand the people around us. We are all involved in assessing how best to deal with others. Much of our success in life, whether in business or personal matters, depends on how well we do this. Those who study personality professionally have attempted over the years to formulate general principles that explain and predict individual differences in behavior. Two approaches to this problem are trait theory and temperament theory.
Trait theory is based on observed behaviors.
There are many personality traits that are linked with other traits. A person who is very ordered and neat, for example, will usually be responsible and a strong believer in rules. When a cluster of traits is repeatedly found in people, psychologists refer to the cluster as a personality type. By classifying individuals into personality types, it becomes easier to describe, understand and predict their behavior. Temperament theory is another method of classifying personality types.