Source traits are:

(A) stable

(B) result of the interaction between surface traits

(C) considered as the building blocks of personality

(D) quite generalised dispositions

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

The correct answer is (A) and (C) only.

Explanation:

In trait theory, particularly in Raymond Cattell's theory of personality, traits are categorized into two main types: surface traits and source traits.

1. Understanding Source Traits:
Source traits are the underlying, basic structures of personality. They are not directly observable but are inferred through statistical analysis (factor analysis) of surface traits. These traits are highly stable over time and across different situations, acting as the fundamental building blocks of an individual's personality.
- Statement (A) is correct because source traits are stable characteristics of personality.
- Statement (C) is correct because source traits are considered the basic building blocks of personality, giving rise to the observable surface traits.

2. Why other options are incorrect:
- Statement (B) is incorrect because source traits are the cause of surface traits, not the result of their interaction.
- Statement (D) is incorrect because "quite generalised dispositions" is a description more aligned with Gordon Allport's definition of common traits or central/cardinal dispositions, rather than Cattell's specific definition of source traits.

Therefore, only statements (A) and (C) accurately describe source traits, making "(A) and (C) only" the correct option.