Misconceptions of traits continue to persist: A response to Bandura

In his defense of self-efficacy, Bandura (Journal of Management, vol. 38, no. 1) does the field a disservice by misconstruing what constitutes a trait. The authors of this response discuss current definitions of a trait and contrast these conceptions with the definition put forth by Bandura. Integral to this disagreement is the level of specificity across different psychological constructs. The authors suggest that if levels of specificity are acknowledged, traits may be meaningfully integrated into social cognitive models of personality. They contend that integrating traits and social cognitive units can benefit both fields and meaningfully impact applied research.