Research Methods in Personality Psychology

Study Notes

Gordon Allport's definition of personality stems from Scheier's work.
Personality is a dynamic organization within an individual, encompassing psychophysical systems (genetics).
Personality is characterized by consistent behaviours, thoughts, and feelings.
Personality is a causal factor influencing behaviour, thought, and feeling.
Different definitions of personality expand on this foundational view.

Descriptive: Describing and comparing personality traits.
Explanatory: Identifying factors influencing personality.
Predictive: Using personality to forecast outcomes, including individual and social functions (e.g., criminal activity, military success, corporate success, clinical treatments).

Scientific methods are used to systematically and objectively observe and study personality.
Theory: Proposed explanations of relationships among constructs (e.g., aggression, self-esteem).
Construct: A hypothetical or conceptual variable not directly observable (e.g., aggressiveness.)
Operationalization: Turning a hypothetical variable into an observable one (e.g., measuring aggressiveness through self-report surveys).
Research Methods:
- Experimental: Manipulation with control groups and random assignment.
- Correlational: Examining relationships between two naturally occurring variables (without cause-and-effect), acknowledging potential third-variable problems.

Correlation (r) measures the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables.
Values range from -1.00 to +1.00.
Correlations can be categorized as small, moderate, or large based on their numerical value.
Coefficient of determination (R²) reflects how much of one variable's variance is explained by another.
Ex: -0.35 correlation between self-esteem and depression indicates a moderate negative relationship, implying a 12% variance in self-esteem is attributable to depression.
Case Studies: In-depth analysis of a single person or a small group, helping understand and illustrate phenomena and generate new hypotheses about personality. Ex: Ted Bundy's psychopathic behaviour.