Social-Cognitive and Other Mechanisms Constituting Traits

Although it is well-known that traits exist and that they influence our behavior, it is relatively unknown how they do so. The purpose of this line of research is to examine how traits work, that is, how they influence our behavior, feelings, and thoughts. For example, what causes some people to be polite and others to be rude, or some people to be hard-working and others to be lazy. This line of research investigates the causal mechanisms underlying traits, including goals, beliefs, and homeostatic principles.