In terms of personality psychology, which aspect is often measured to understand individual differences?

Understanding individual differences in personality psychology often revolves around the measurement of traits. Traits are consistent patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that distinguish one person from another. They represent the underlying characteristics that form a person's identity and influence how they respond to various situations in life.

Personality traits are typically assessed using standardized instruments, such as self-report questionnaires or observer ratings, which yield scores that can be compared across individuals. The Five Factor Model (also known as the Big Five) is a widely recognized framework that highlights five major traits—openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism—that help to describe an individual's personality profile.

Studying traits allows psychologists to predict behavior and understand how individuals differ from one another, making it a fundamental aspect of personality psychology. In contrast, while motivation levels and coping strategies can play important roles in determining behavior, they are often influenced by underlying traits rather than serving as standalone measures of personality. Intelligence, while also a critical area of study, focuses more on cognitive abilities than on the personality characteristics that drive individual differences in behavior.