fei75766_ch13_408-434.indd 419  02/06/20 01:05 PM
Chapter 13    McCrae and Costa’s Five-Factor Trait Theory419
anewtheory should beabletoincorporate thechange andgrowth ofthefieldthat
hasoccurred overthelast25years aswellasbegrounded inthecurrent empirical 
principles thathaveemerged from research. 
For25years, Costa andMcCrae hadbeenattheforefront ofcontemporary per-
sonality research, developing andelaborating ontheFive-Factor Model. According to
McCrae andCosta (1999), “neither themodel itself northebody ofresearch findings 
withwhich itisassociated constitutes atheory ofpersonality. Atheory organizes find-
ingstotellacoherent story, tobring intofocus those issues andphenomena thatcan
andshould beexplained” (pp.139–140). Earlier, McCrae andCosta (1996, p.78)had
stated that“thefactsabout personality arebeginning tofallintoplace. Now isthetime
tobegin tomake sense ofthem.” Inother words, itwastimetoturntheFive-Factor 
Model (taxonomy) intoaFive-Factor Theory (FFT). 
Units of the Five-Factor Theory 
Inthepersonality theory ofMcCrae andCosta (1996, 1999, 2003; McCrae &Sutin, 
2018), behavior ispredicted byanunderstanding oftwocentral orcorecomponents 
andthree peripheral ones. Thetwocorecomponents (rectangles) arebasic tenden -
ciesandcharacteristic adaptations (including  self-concept). Thethree peripheral 
units (ellipses) ofthemodel arebiological bases, objective biography, andexternal 
influences.
Core Components of Personality
InFigure 13.3, thecentral orcorecomponents arerepresented byrectangles, whereas 
theperipheral components arerepresented byellipses. Thearrows represent dynamic 
processes andindicate thedirection ofcausal influence. Forexample, objective biogra -
phy(lifeexperiences) istheoutcome ofcharacteristic adaptations aswellasexternal 
influences. Also, biological bases arethesolecause ofbasic tendencies (personality 
traits). Thepersonality system canbeinterpreted either cross-sectionally (how the
system operates atanygiven point intime) orlongitudinally (how wedevelop over
thelifetime). Moreover, eachcausal influence isdynamic, meaning thatitchanges 
overtime. 
Basic Tendencies  Asdefined byMcCrae andCosta (1996), basic tendencies are
oneofthecentral components ofpersonality, along withcharacteristic adaptations, 
self-concept, biological bases, objective biography, andexternal influences. McCrae 
andCosta defined basic tendencies as
theuniversal rawmaterial ofpersonality capacities anddispositions thatare
generally inferred rather thanobserved. Basic tendencies maybeinherited, 
imprinted byearly experience ormodified bydisease orpsychological intervention, 
butatanygiven period inanindividual’s life,theydefine theindividual’s potential 
anddirection. (pp.66,68)
Inearlier versions oftheirtheory, McCrae andCosta (1996) made itclear thatmany 
different elements make upbasic tendencies. Inaddition tothefivestable personality 
traits, these basic tendencies include cognitive abilities, artistic talent, sexual orienta -
tion,andthepsychological processes underlying acquisition oflanguage.Final PDF to printer