Allport noted that it is often more difficult to distinguish between a trait and an attitude. Consider, for example, patriotism. Is it a trait fostered by the mores of a culture, or is it an attitude directed toward one's country? Other terms, such as authoritarianism or extraversion, could also just as easily be called either traits or attitudes. Allport does not resolve the ques- tion, except by noting that in cases such as these it does not make any difference which label we apply to them; both are appropriate. However, it is possible, in general, to distinguish be traits and atti- tudes in two ways. First, attitudes always have very specific objects of refer- ence. A has an attitude toward something: blond-haired people, or a person particular teacher, or school, pine trees. A trait is not so specifically di- or rected to a single object or even to class of objects. A person described as a extremely shy (a personal disposition) would behave in the same way to ward blonds, redheads, and brunettes. Traits, then, are much broader in scope. and attitudes is that atti- The second point of distinction between traits tudes are either for or against something-positive or negative. They lead a person to like or hate, accept or reject, or approach or avoid the object. An attitude involves an evaluation, pro or con, which a trait does not.