Lecture 6: Personality assessment

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Questions and Answers

According to trait theory, what is personality equated with?

Cognitive processes

Biological structures and processes (correct)

Everyday language

Behavioural patterns

Who claimed that introverts are not more sensitive to conditioning than extraverts?

Eysenck

Skinner

Gray (correct)

Allport

What is the Behavioural Approach System associated with in Gray's theory?

Impulsivity

Approach (correct)

Anxiety

Avoidance

Who focused on observable behaviours in their theory of personality?

Skinner Signup and view all the answers

What is the main focus of Interactionism in the context of personality?

Interaction between traits and situations Signup and view all the answers

Who proposed the Whole Trait Theory?

Fleeson Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of Behaviourism in the context of personality?

Behavioural patterns Signup and view all the answers

Who proposed A Cybernetic Big Five Theory for Personality Psychology?

DeYoung Signup and view all the answers

What is the focus of the Psychoanalytic approach?

Negative Signup and view all the answers

Which approach is characterized by a holistic coverage?

Existential Signup and view all the answers

What is the level of the Humanistic approach?

Idiographic Signup and view all the answers

Which approach is determined by the observer?

Psychodynamic Signup and view all the answers

What is the bias of the Humanistic approach?

Subjective Signup and view all the answers

Which approach is characterized by a minimal coverage?

Behavioural Signup and view all the answers

What is the cause of the Psychoanalytic approach?

Non-Determined Signup and view all the answers

Which approach is characterized by a nearly holistic coverage?

Sociocognitive Signup and view all the answers

What is the main concern with behaviour observations in personality assessment?

The problem of replicability Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of scoring in personality assessment?

To obtain quantitative information from behaviour samples Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between nomothetic and ideographic approaches to personality assessment?

Nomothetic focuses on groups, while ideographic focuses on individuals Signup and view all the answers

What is the concern with self-report measures in personality assessment?

Response biases Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of validity in personality assessment?

The degree to which a claim is correct or true Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a nomothetic scoring method?

Standardised (nomothetic) Questionnaires Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of idiographic scoring in personality assessment?

To make judgement based evaluations Signup and view all the answers

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

They are susceptible to dishonesty Signup and view all the answers

What is a necessary condition for validity in a test?

Reliability Signup and view all the answers

What is the concern of whether the observed attributes are real?

Cultural bias Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the difference between statistical and practical importance?

Practical significance Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for measuring biological functions that relate to personality?

Psychobiological assessment Signup and view all the answers

What is the issue of labelling in personality assessment?

The person as a number Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a test that measures what it claims to measure?

Valid Signup and view all the answers

What is the problem of reductionism in psychobiological assessment?

Oversimplification of complex phenomena Signup and view all the answers

What is the association between personality traits and academic performance?

Conscientiousness is positively associated with academic performance Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between extraversion and loneliness as frequency of touch increases?

Those who are less extraverted score lower on loneliness Signup and view all the answers

According to the research, what is the difference in emotional eating between men and women with high narcissism?

Men with high narcissism are less likely to engage in emotional eating, while women show little difference Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to study personality?

Because it helps us understand individual differences in behavior and experience Signup and view all the answers

What is the current state of personality theories and models?

Some theories are better supported than others Signup and view all the answers

What is the benefit of an integrative approach to understanding personality?

It combines multiple theories and models to provide a more comprehensive understanding Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of touch in relationships, according to the research?

It decreases feelings of loneliness Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between narcissism and emotional eating in women, according to the research?

There is little difference between women who score higher or lower on narcissism Signup and view all the answers

What is the implication of the research on touch and loneliness for relationships?

It suggests that increasing touch can decrease feelings of loneliness Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Understanding Personality Assessment

Familiarity with two approaches to personality assessment: nomothetic and ideographic
Nomothetic approach: focuses on general laws and principles of personality, aims to establish universal principles
Idiographic approach: focuses on individual uniqueness, aims to understand the unique characteristics of a person

General Forms of Personality Assessment

Behavioural observations: assess typical manifestations of an attribute within a specific context
Self-report (peer-report) assessments: assess one's own feelings, attitudes, beliefs, values, and motives
Problem of replicability in behavioural observations
Problem of dishonesty and response biases in self-report assessments

Scoring and Quantifying Personality

Established rules for scoring and obtaining quantitative information from behaviour samples
Nomological scoring: uses standardized questionnaires, e.g., Big Five personality test
Idiographic scoring: uses psychologist's judgement, e.g., clinical, workplace, and research evaluations

Psychometric Properties: Validity and Reliability

Validity: the degree to which a claim is correct or true, measures whether a definition of a construct is correct
Reliability: the degree of consistent or stable accuracy of measurement outputs across time or context
Internal validity: does a test measure what it claims to measure?
External validity: can test results be generalized?
Reliability is a necessary but not sufficient condition for validity

The Great Debate: Approaches to Personality

Trait theory: personality consists of traits, revealed in everyday language, but not explained
Behavioural approach: personality consists of behavioural patterns, revealed in what people do
Interactionism: whole trait theory, considering both within-person and between-person structures and processes

Psychobiological Personality Assessment

Measuring biological functions that relate to personality, e.g., fMRI scans, EEG data, GSR data, PET scans, blood tests, gene sequencing
Problems of reductionism and practicality

Concerns: Interpreting Test Results

Are the observed attributes real? (cultural, procedural, and framing biases)
Are the observed attributes important? (statistical vs. practical importance)
Do tests help or hurt? (labelling and the person as a number)

Traits – Everyday Applications

Personality traits are associated with important life outcomes, e.g., academic performance, loneliness, and relationships
Using personality traits to improve relationships and in clinical settings

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Description

Understand the different approaches to personality assessment, including nomothetic and ideographic approaches, and general forms of personality assessment. Familiarize yourself with psychobiological forms of assessment and the importance of validity and reliability.