THE CONTRIBUTION OF RAYMOND B. CATTELL TO OUR UNDERSTANDING
OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES.
In some ways, Cattell is even more versatile than Freud;
he is a trait and factor theorist, a motive theorist, a ‘self’
theorist, and to some extent, a temperament theorist. He has
been influenced by many prominent figures in psychology e.g.
Spearman, Burt, McDougall, Freud, (his clinical experiences
have led him to accept many psychoanalytic formulations, e.g.
Factor G - Superego Strength, is similar in many respects
to Freud’s concept of the superego) which make his theory
an interesting blend of strict experimental work and clinical
observation. The strength of Cattell’s theorising, however,
rests in its close ties to measurement data and to applied
work in clinical and occupational settings. His work has had
a broad and deep impact upon the scientific study of personality.
He has devised a comprehensive theory of personality which
addresses a wide range of phenomena, both normal and abnormal,
and attempts to account for both the biological and socio-cultural
factors that influence behaviour. His theory has touched on
many aspects of personality: structure, process, growth and
development, psychopathology, and change. He has attacked
a range of questions and has made great progress in systematising
his findings.
Cattellian primary factors, as seen in his 16PF, because
there are only a few in number, offer a potentially useful
and well-researched set of dimensions for describing and studying
individual differences. The 16PF has had a great impact in
educational and occupational psychology, where it is used
in vocational guidance and prediction of occupational fitness.
Cattell’s various inventories are also of use to clinicians
for initial screening and diagnosis and in the aetiological
investigation of clinical disorders.
Despite his many contributions, however, Cattell’s
work is not as popular as that of, e.g. Freud and Rogers.
This is probably because, like the work of Jung, it is considered
difficult to understand. According to Ewen (1980), ‘Raymond
B. Cattell’s approach to personality is so abstruse
that his voluminous writings are little understood, or even
read, by the majority of psychologists’.
The language of the theory is said to be technical, his
methods are considered complex, and there are difficulties
in interpreting his factors, e.g. heavy reliance on factor
analysis has made his research esoteric and it can be rightfully
said that his work is full of neologisms, (especially when
naming factors, e.g. Factor H - Parmia v Threctia or parasympathetic
immunity v threat reactivity). Despite apparent complexities
in his methodology, the basic tenet of his theory of there
being some underlying elements to the structure of personality,
is logically appealing and easy to understand.
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