personal disposition
Gordon W. Allport’s term for a personality trait: any of a number of enduring characteristics that describe or determine an individual’s behavior across a variety of situations and that are peculiar to and uniquely expressed by that individual. Personal dispositions are divided into three categories according to their degree of influence on the behavior of the person possessing them. Cardinal dispositions (or cardinal traits), such as a thirst for power, are so pervasive that they influence virtually every behavior of that person; central dispositions (or central traits), such as friendliness, are less pervasive but nonetheless generally influential and easy to identify; and secondary dispositions (or secondary traits), such as a tendency to keep a neat desk, are much more narrowly expressed and situation specific. Compare common trait.