Affective Traits

Affective Traits
Trait Definition
Attitudes Predisposition to respond favorably or
unfavorably to specified situations,
concepts, objects, institutions, or persons
Interests Personal preference for certain kinds of
activities
Values Importance, worth, or usefulness of
modes or conduct and end states of
existence
Opinions Beliefs about specific occurrences and
situations
Preferences Desire or propensity to select one object
over another
Motivation Desire and willingness to be engaged in
behavior and intensity of involvement
Academic Self-Concept Self-perceptions of competence in school
and learning
 Traits Definition
Self-Esteem Attitudes toward oneself; degree of self
respect, worthiness, or desirability of self-
concept
Locus of Control Self-perception of whether success and
failure is controlled by the student or by
external influences
Emotional Development Growth, change, and awareness of
emotions and ability to regulate
emotional expression
Social Relationships Nature of interpersonal interactions and
functioning in group setting
Altruism Willingness and propensity to help others
Moral Development Attainment of ethical principals that guide
decision making and behavior
Classroom Environment Nature of feeling tones and interpersonal
relationships in a class
The positive or negative attitudes that you want to
foster or at least monitor because they are related to
current and future behavior. Some examples are:
A Positive Attitude Toward
learning
school
math, science, English, and other subjects
homework
classroom rules
teachers
working with others
staying on task
taking responsibility for one’s acts
A Negative Attitude Toward
cheating
drug use
fighting
skipping school
dropping out
Social psychologists, through extensive research,
have found that attitudes consist of three
elements or contributing factors (Forsyth, 1995):
1. An affective component of positive or
negative feelings
2. A cognitive component describing worth or
value
3. A behavioral component indicating a
willingness or desire to engage in specific
actions