40 Questions
According to trait theory, what is personality equated with?
Biological structures and processes
Who claimed that introverts are not more sensitive to conditioning than extraverts?
Gray
What is the Behavioural Approach System associated with in Gray's theory?
Approach
Who focused on observable behaviours in their theory of personality?
Skinner
What is the main focus of Interactionism in the context of personality?
Interaction between traits and situations
Who proposed the Whole Trait Theory?
Fleeson
What is the focus of Behaviourism in the context of personality?
Behavioural patterns
Who proposed A Cybernetic Big Five Theory for Personality Psychology?
DeYoung
What is the focus of the Psychoanalytic approach?
Negative
Which approach is characterized by a holistic coverage?
Existential
What is the level of the Humanistic approach?
Idiographic
Which approach is determined by the observer?
Psychodynamic
What is the bias of the Humanistic approach?
Subjective
Which approach is characterized by a minimal coverage?
Behavioural
What is the cause of the Psychoanalytic approach?
Non-Determined
Which approach is characterized by a nearly holistic coverage?
Sociocognitive
What is the main concern with behaviour observations in personality assessment?
The problem of replicability
What is the purpose of scoring in personality assessment?
To obtain quantitative information from behaviour samples
What is the main difference between nomothetic and ideographic approaches to personality assessment?
Nomothetic focuses on groups, while ideographic focuses on individuals
What is the concern with self-report measures in personality assessment?
Response biases
What is the definition of validity in personality assessment?
The degree to which a claim is correct or true
What is an example of a nomothetic scoring method?
Standardised (nomothetic) Questionnaires
What is the purpose of idiographic scoring in personality assessment?
To make judgement based evaluations
What is a limitation of self-report measures in personality assessment?
They are susceptible to dishonesty
What is a necessary condition for validity in a test?
Reliability
What is the concern of whether the observed attributes are real?
Cultural bias
What is the term for the difference between statistical and practical importance?
Practical significance
What is the term for measuring biological functions that relate to personality?
Psychobiological assessment
What is the issue of labelling in personality assessment?
The person as a number
What is the term for a test that measures what it claims to measure?
Valid
What is the problem of reductionism in psychobiological assessment?
Oversimplification of complex phenomena
What is the association between personality traits and academic performance?
Conscientiousness is positively associated with academic performance
What is the relationship between extraversion and loneliness as frequency of touch increases?
Those who are less extraverted score lower on loneliness
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
Why is it important to study personality?
Because it helps us understand individual differences in behavior and experience
What is the current state of personality theories and models?
Some theories are better supported than others
What is the benefit of an integrative approach to understanding personality?
It combines multiple theories and models to provide a more comprehensive understanding
What is the significance of touch in relationships, according to the research?
It decreases feelings of loneliness
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
What is the implication of the research on touch and loneliness for relationships?
It suggests that increasing touch can decrease feelings of loneliness
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
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.
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