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Pleasure-arousal-dominance: A general framework for describing and measuring individual differences in Temperament

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Abstract

Evidence bearing on the Pleasure-Arousal-Dominance (PAD) Emotional State Model was reviewed and showed that its three nearly orthogonal dimensions provided a sufficiently comprehensive description of emotional states. Temperament was defined as average emotional state across a representative sample of life situations. The Pleasure-Arousability-Dominance (PAD) Temperament Model was described. Evidence relating the PAD Temperament Model to 59 individual difference measures was reviewed. Formulas were offered for use of P, A, and D temperament scores to compute and predict a variety of personality scores (e.g., Anxiety, Depression, Panic, Somatization, Empathy, Affiliation, Achievement, Extroversion, Arousal Seeking, Loneliness, Neuroticism, Suicide Proneness, Binge Eating, Substance Abuse, Emotional Stability, Dependency, Aggressiveness, and Fidgeting).

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of California, 90095, Los Angeles, CA

    Albert Mehrabian

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  1. Albert Mehrabian
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Mehrabian, A. Pleasure-arousal-dominance: A general framework for describing and measuring individual differences in Temperament. Current Psychology 14, 261–292 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02686918

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