PDF - Week 2 - Research Methods.pdf
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Psychology for Social Service Workers PSYC-1130 – Fall 2024 Professor: Akeisha Barrow-Pollard Week 2: Research in the Study of Personality Attendance Weekly Recap… o Course plan o What is personality? o Themes, theories, and perspectives o Influences MEASURING PERSON...
Psychology for Social Service Workers PSYC-1130 – Fall 2024 Professor: Akeisha Barrow-Pollard Week 2: Research in the Study of Personality Attendance Weekly Recap… o Course plan o What is personality? o Themes, theories, and perspectives o Influences MEASURING PERSONALITY 1 Agenda ASSESSMENT METHODS 2 RESEARCH METHODS 3 DISCUSSION FORUM 4 Assessment Measures o An assessment measure is a test or evaluation o In the study of personality, an assessment measure can collect data and evaluate or tell you about some aspect of an individual’s personality Principles of Measurement o Reliability: the consistency of response to a psychological assessment device. o Validity: the extent to which an assessment device measures what it is intended to measure. Reliability is about consistency Validity is about accuracy Methods to Test Reliability o Test-Retest o Equivalency Forms o Split-Halves Methods to Test Validity o Content o Criterion-Related o Construct o Face Early Personality Studies o Lacked reliability and validity o Limited diversity in study populations, often focused on Euro-American men o Neglected study of ethnic minorities o Wrongly assumed universal applicability to all humans ANY QUESTIONS? Methods of Assessment o Self-Report Inventories o Online Test Administration o Projective Tests o Clinical Interviews o Behavioral Assessment o Thought and Experience Samples Self-Report Inventories: “A personality assessment technique in which subjects answer questions about their behaviors and feelings.” (Schultz, 2020, p.14) Advantages Disadvantages Objective scoring Reading level Quick automated Sensitivity to wording assessment changes Complete diagnostic Tendency for social profile desirability bias Widely used in Potential for false personality assessment answers Example: MMPI-2 oMost widely used oTrue/false inventory oValid measure oInterpreted by psychologists MMPI-2 Results Image Source: Take MMPI Online Online Test Administration: The use of internet-based platforms or software to conduct self-reported personality assessments. It allows individuals to complete assessments remotely using computers, tablets, or smartphones. Advantages Disadvantages Time-efficient Potential for technical Cost-effective issues Objective scoring Limited access for some Preferred by the participants younger generations Security and privacy Prevents cheating and concerns changing answers Less personal Evidence-backed interaction Increased likelihood of honest response Example: Big 5 o Openness o Conscientiousness o Extraversion o Agreeableness o Neuroticism Video: The Big Five Projective Tests: “A personality assessment device in which subjects are presumed to project personal needs, fears, and values onto their interpretation or description of an ambiguous stimulus.” (Schultz, 2020, p.16) Advantages Disadvantages Insight into the Subjectivity in unconscious interpretation Developed for clinical low reliability and use validity Access to innermost Different impressions needs and values among scorers Useful for assessment and diagnosis Example: Rorschach Inkblot Technique o Hermann Rorschach (1921) o Inkblot cards are shown one at a time, and test-takers describe what they see o Despite controversy surrounding its usefulness and validity, it is widely used in Europe and South America Clinical Interviews: A method of personality assessment that involves face-to-face interactions between a clinician and an individual seeking evaluation. The goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the person’s personality, mental health, and any potential psychological concerns. Advantages Disadvantages In-depth exploration Subjectivity in Personalized approach interpretation Wide range of data Lack of standardization Integration with other Potential for interviewer psychological tests bias Therapeutic alliance Time-consuming Behavioural Assessment A personality assessment method based on observing, recording, and analyzing an individual’s behaviour in various contexts. This method aims to understand how an individual responds to specific stimuli, interacts with others, and navigates different situations. Advantages Accurate evaluations Contextual understanding Frequency Disadvantages Limited systematically Subjectivity Potential bias Example: Buss & Pomin’s Temperament Survey Thought Sampling: This method of assessment involves systematically recording an individual's private thoughts over a period (e.g., through diary entries). It provides a unique insight into internal experiences and is employed for group studies or individual diagnosis and treatment. Experience Sampling: A variation of thought sampling that captures thoughts and moods but also considers the social and environmental context in which these experiences occur. It offers valuable data for understanding how thoughts and moods can be influenced by various contexts. Advantages Disadvantages THOUGHT SAMPLING Insight into private thoughts Variation in memory Self-observation Emotional influence Limited observer influence Technological dependency Useful in diagnosis and treatment EXPERIENCE SAMPLING Contextual understanding Emotional influence Rich data Variation in memory Technological advancements Technological dependency Example: Thought Record Variables Influencing Assessment o Gender o Ethnicity o Culture ANY QUESTIONS? Research in the Study of Personality o Clinical Method o Experimental Method o Virtual Research Method o Correlational Method Clinical Method o Examines a detailed history of individual o Contains data from various sources (e.g., tests, interviews, case studies, dream analysis) Advantages Disadvantages In-depth exploration Lack of precision Insights into unconscious Subjective and prone to Utilizes various clinical biases methods Potentially lacks validity and reliability Experimental Method o Determines the effect of one or more variables or events on behaviour Independent Variable Dependent Variable Variable manipulated Variable measured Experimental Group Control Group Exposed to treatment No treatment Example: Bandura’s Experiment o Objective: Determine if children imitate aggressive behavior observed in adults. o Method: Systematic experiment exposing children to the same display of adult aggression. o Groups: Experimental group witnessed aggressive adult behavior; control group observed nonaggressive adults. o Results: Children in the experimental group showed increased aggressiveness, supporting the conclusion that aggression can be learned through imitation Advantages Disadvantages Controlled environment Ethical limitations Causation inference Artificiality (may not fully Replicability capture real-life Rigorous data behaviour) Observer effect Potential lack of validity Virtual Research Method o Studies conducted through online platforms, using digital tools to administer tests, surveys, and experiments Advantages Disadvantages Faster responses Demographic bias Cost-effective Limited Broad subject range representativeness Diverse population Lower response rates assessment Excessive clicking and Efficient mouse movements Consistent with traditional Potential issues with methods integrity and reliability Correlational Method o “A statistical technique that measures the degree of the relationship between two variables, expressed by the correlation coefficient.” (Schultz, 2020, p.27) o Helps us to understand relationships and make predictions in real-world scenarios E.g., achievement-need levels and grades (Atkinson, Lens, & Omalley, 1976) Figure 1.2 (Schultz, 2020, p.29) ANY QUESTIONS? Instructions and Rubric Coming up... oTopic: The Psychoanalytic Approach oReadings: Chapter 2 oAssessments: Discussion Forum Post (Mon, Sept. 16th by 11:59pm) and Response (Wed, Sept. 18th by 11:59pm) Thank you Akeisha Barrow-Pollard [email protected]
