Metatraits Roy E Boumelster Case Western Reserve University Dlanno M. Tice Princeton University ABSTRACT A metatrait is the trait of havmg versus not havmg a trait It re- fers to whether a given trait dimension or construct can be used to descnbe a particular personality Using attitudes as an analog to traits, we argue that the study of personality may benefit from considenng metatraits Implications for the nature of traits and for the formation and disappearance of traits within a personality are discussed We review strategies for measunng metatraits and conclude that at present it seems best to use lntentem vanance in responses to specific, familiar trait scales Metatraits will most commonly moderate trait ef- fects, especially such that hypotheses about traits are appropnately tested only with traited individuals Untraited individuals may be susceptible to fluctuating states and situational manipulations Sometimes metatraits may predict behav- ior directly, independently of trait level TWo studies are reported to lUustratB metatrait moderation of trait effects and direct prediction of behavior by meta- trait Allport (1937) suggested that not all trait dimensions apply equally well to all people For example, there are introverts and extraverts, but there may also be people who are neither, whose personalities seem introverted in some respects and extraverted in other respects Fbr these latter indi- We are indebted to Cindy Gibson for conducting Study 2 and to Bnan Mullen for his contnbuuons to designing the research We thank Craig Anderson, Bill Chaplin, Lew Goldberg, Bill Graziano, Bob Greene, Bob Hogan, Bob Kraut, Charlie Lord, Del Paulhus, Fred Rhodewalt, Sandy Russ, Steve Scher, Doug Schultz, Bill Swann, and Steve West for their cnticisms and suggestions in response to an earlier version of this article Rartions of this matenal were presented at the convention of the Amer- ican Psychological Association in Washington, DC, in August 1986 Address cor- respondence to Roy F Baumeister, Department of Psychology, Case Westem Re- serve University, Cleveland, CM 44106 Journalcf Personality 56 3, September 1988 Copynght © 1988 by Duke University Press CCC 0022-3506/88/$! 50