What are enduring characteristics or tendencies to respond in a certain manner called?

The term that describes enduring characteristics or tendencies to respond in a certain manner is "traits." In psychology, traits are considered stable qualities that influence the way individuals consistently think, feel, and behave across a variety of situations. This concept is integral to personality psychology and assessment, as traits provide a framework for understanding individual differences in behavior.

Traits are often viewed as the building blocks of personality. They can be broad, encompassing general tendencies such as extroversion or agreeableness, or they can be more specific, such as a tendency to be anxious in specific situations. This inherent consistency is what distinguishes traits from behaviors, which are observable actions that can vary considerably depending on the context.

In contrast, abilities refer to the skills or competencies one has, behaviors are the actual actions or reactions observable in real-time, and attributes, although sometimes used interchangeably with traits, often refer to specific qualities or features that may not necessarily imply a long-standing tendency to respond in a particular way. Therefore, traits are the most fitting term to describe those enduring characteristics that shape how individuals typically respond to their environments.