Warren Norman (psychologist)
Warren Norman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1930 |
| Died | 1998 (aged 67–68) |
| Education | University of Minnesota |
| Occupations | social psychologist, professor |
| Years active | 1959-1998 |
| Known for | Big Five Personality Traits |
Warren T. Norman (1930–1998)[1] was a psychologist recognized for his research on personality psychology, particularly in establishing the Five-Factor Model (FFM), also known as Norman's "Big 5". These dimensions, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience, are foundational aspects of contemporary personality theory.
Education
Norman earned degrees from the University of Minnesota, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Natural Science in 1952. In 1955 he earned a Master of Arts in Statistics and Educational Psychology, followed by a Ph.D. in Psychology in 1957.[1][2]
His spent most of his career at the University of Michigan. He was the Head of the Department of Psychology and Chairman of the University Senate. He wrote many papers and contributed to numerous psychological associations and editorial boards.[1]
Career
Norman spent thirty-seven years at the University of Michigan. While there, he developed several notable hypotheses, published papers, and continued his research in personality psychology. In 1963 he dismissed the deviation hypothesis, demonstrating "that subtle test content was equally as useful as obvious content in constructing self-report scales."[1]
Another 1963 work about categorizing personality traits, Toward an Adequate Taxonomy of Personality Attributes, Norman identified consistent patterns regarding how individuals rate each other's personalities. This work influenced the Five Factor Model.[2][3][4]
Rounding out a productive 1963, he published his most well-known work, the Five-Factor Model (FFM).[2] This theory is considered a classic model for measuring and describing personality traits. It measures openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.[2] The theory has also become known as "Norman's Big Five."[2]
In 1967 he published 2800 Personality Trait Descriptors, in which he documented personality traits in detail, presenting a list of characteristics to definitively describe personality traits.[5]
Throughout his career he served in many leadership positions for psychology societies, journals, and organizations.[2] He also worked at the Oregon Research Institute, the University of Birmingham in England, as well as the University of Queensland and University of Western Australia.[2]
Further reading
- Norman, Warren T. (April 1967). 2800 Personality Trait Descriptors--Normative Operating Characteristics for a University Population (Report). ERIC ED014738. Full text.
- Norman WT (June 1963). Toward an adequate taxonomy of personality attributes: replicated factors structure in peer nomination personality ratings. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. 66 (6): 574–83. doi:10.1037/h0040291. PMID 13938947.
References
- ^ a b c d Goldberg, Lewis (October 24, 2023). "Warren T. Norman (1930 - 1998)". Journal of Research in Personality. 32 (4): 391–396. doi:10.1006/jrpe.1998.2224. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Albertson, Stephanie L. (18 September 2020). "Warren T. Norman". The Wiley Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Wiley. pp. 601–604. doi:10.1002/9781118970843.ch172. ISBN 9781118970744. S2CID 229030963. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
- ^ Soto, Christopher J.; Jackson, Joshua J. (2013-02-26), "Five-Factor Model of Personality", Psychology, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/obo/9780199828340-0120, ISBN 978-0-19-982834-0, retrieved 2025-11-17
- ^ Norman, Warren T. (June 1963). "Toward an adequate taxonomy of personality attributes: Replicated factor structure in peer nomination personality ratings". The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology. 66 (6): 574–583. doi:10.1037/h0040291. ISSN 0096-851X.
- ^ Norman, Warren T. (April 1967). 2800 Personality Trait Descriptors--Normative Operating Characteristics for a University Population (Report). ERIC ED014738.