In
psychology,
trait theory (also called
dispositional theory) is an approach to the study of human
personality. Trait theorists are primarily interested in the measurement of
traits, which can be defined as habitual patterns of behavior, thought, and emotion. According to this perspective, traits are relatively stable over time, differ across individuals (e.g. some people are outgoing whereas others are shy), and influence behavior. Traits are in contrast to states which are more transitory dispositions.