Answer to Question 1
Three general assumptions are made about traits. First, traits are based on comparisons of individuals. There are no absolute quantitative standards for traits. That is, there is no absolute standard for concepts such as agreeableness or gregariousness. Second, the qualities or behaviors that make up any one particular trait must be distinctive. For example, the behaviors and qualities that make up the traits shyness and aggressiveness are distinct enough from each other so as not to cause confusion. Lastly, we assume traits are relatively stable in individuals. That is, if upon meeting a person several times they exhibit extraversion, then we would expect them to show extraversion when we meet them again in the future.
Answer to Question 2
Karen Hooker added three processes that act in tandem with the McAdams three structural components of personality. State processes act with dispositional traits to create transient, short-term changes in mood, emotion, hunger, anxiety, and so on. Personal concerns act in tandem with self-regulatory processes ,which include such processes as primary and secondary control. Lastly, cognitive processes act in tandem with life narratives to create natural interaction that occurs between storyteller and listener, which are processes central in organizing life stories.
