Personality Development

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Questions and Answers

What is personality, as defined in the given text?

The ability to change one's behavior over time

The traits that are inherited from one's parents

The ability to adapt to different situations

The characteristics that differentiate one person from another (correct)

According to historical determinism, what is the approximate age by which personality is mostly fixed?

5 years old (correct)

10 years old

20 years old

15 years old

Which of the following birth orders is associated with being outgoing, fun-loving, and charming?

Lastborns (correct)

Firstborns

Only children

Middleborns

What is the term for the view that our experiences in infancy and childhood greatly influence our personality formation?

Historical determinism Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary advantage of self-report as a source of personality data?

It allows individuals to report about their private experiences and feelings Signup and view all the answers

What is the main characteristic of projective personality tests?

They use ambiguous stimuli to infer information about personality Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the factors that influences personality, according to the text?

The Environmental Factor Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the techniques that use ambiguous stimuli to infer information about personality?

Projective techniques Signup and view all the answers

What is the underlying assumption of indirect methods of personality assessment?

People are unaware of the contents of their unconscious Signup and view all the answers

What is the main objective of the Rorschach test?

To classify personality types based on reactions to inkblots Signup and view all the answers

What is the advantage of using observer-report data in personality assessment?

It provides information not attainable through other sources Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential limitation of self-report data in personality assessment?

It is limited to a single observer Signup and view all the answers

What is the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) used for?

To draw inferences about personality from stories about ambiguous pictures Signup and view all the answers

What is a trait in the context of personality psychology?

A descriptive word that describes attributes of a person Signup and view all the answers

What is the advantage of using multiple observers in personality assessment?

It allows investigators to evaluate the degree of agreement among observers Signup and view all the answers

What is social desirability bias in the context of personality assessment?

The tendency for people to report inaccurately on sensitive topics Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Personality Formation

Personality refers to the relatively enduring characteristics that differentiate one person from another and lead people to act in a consistent and predictable manner.
Childhood experiences are critical to personality formation, with some theories suggesting that personality is mostly fixed by the age of 5 and is subject to little change over the rest of one's life.

Birth Order and Personality

Alfred Adler claimed that birth order can impact personality:
- Firstborns: Leaders, High-achieving, Structured, Organized, Responsible, Mature
- Middleborns: Independent, Peacemakers, People pleasers, Outgoing, Adaptable, Attention-seeking, Jealous, Competitive
- Lastborns: Outgoing, Fun-loving, Charming, Free-spirited, Immature, Manipulative, Self-centered, Risk-taking

Factors Influencing Personality

Genetic Factor
Environmental Factor
Learning Factor
Parental Factor
Consciousness Factor
Developmental Factor

Assessing Personality

Self-Report

Individuals can report on their feelings, emotions, desires, beliefs, and private experiences.
Self-report is an indispensable source of personality data.

Projective Techniques

Projective personality tests use ambiguous stimuli to which the subject responds spontaneously.
Examples: Rorschach (inkblots), Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) (ambiguous pictures).
Projective tests assume that personality is mostly unconscious and that people will project their own needs, dreams, feelings into their responses.

Observer-Report Data

Advantages of observer-reports: access to information not attainable through self-report, and multiple observers can be used to assess each individual.
Biases to consider: social desirability bias (people report inaccurately on sensitive topics) and observer bias (expectations influencing observation).

Traits

Traits are descriptive words that describe attributes of a person that are reasonably characteristic of the person.
Traits reflect people's characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.