Bernard began by studying the qualities of a trait. He breaks the qualities of a trait into the following types.

Types of trait and its characteristic.

1. Genetic Trait Vs Learned Trait

Genetic is inherited from the genes of our family tree. Base on the Pareto Principle about 10-20% of our traits are inherited while more than 80% of them are learned. All genetic traits are dominant.

A learned trait is developed from the process of learning and growing from the environmental forces in seeking pleasures and avoiding pains in situations where growth and survival is at stake.

2. Dominant trait Vs Weak Trait - To identify the relative strength of a trait

A dominant trait has persistent and enduring characteristic that is strong and overpowering. It is learnt repeatedly and across situations where a discharge of high level of psychic energy is discharged from the consciousness. All genetic traits are dominant.

A weak trait is rarely manifested and is learnt in situations where a low level of psychic energy is discharged. A trait is weak when learning take place in association with specific situation.

Positive trait, Negative trait and Neutral Trait - To identify strengths and shortcomings of a personality and to differentiate good and bad personality

A trait is deemed positive when its manifestation helps to improve or does well to a situation and gives pleasures to others

A trait is negative when its manifestation causes damage to a situation and gives pains to others

A neutral trait neither causes good or harm to a situation when it is manifested

Altruistic Trait Vs Situational Trait – to identify and predict simple and complex personality

A trait is altruistic when it has the quality of a characteristic that is stable or static over time and across situations. For example, one of the altruistic trait of Mother Theresa’s is caring. Her caring quality is probably inherited and learned from a caring family and others. As a result of her caring, she learned the joys and pains of changing others’ life. Despite the pains she has gone through, her caring trait is not affected.

A situational trait is dynamic as its manifestation varies from time to time and from place to place. For example, an individual may be friendly with his bosses but distance himself from his subordinates.

Classifying people into personality type is a tricky business. You administer a psychological instrument and get the person fill up the questionnaires. You come out with all types of measures to interpret their responses and then classify them into personality types. Yet it has its flaws as the person may be blind to certain aspects of one’s behavior. Alternatively you get someone who knows the individual intimately to fill up the instrument. The classification also has its shortcomings as its accuracy depends on how well that someone knows the individual. A better approach is to combine the two and look for the common indicators to interpret personality types.