Personality Assess & Research Jan. 09 PDF

Research methods and personality assessments: Jan.09 What are the processes through which personality exerts its effects? How does personality interact with the environment to determine outcomes? How does personality develop? And Can personality be changed through therapeutic intervention? Pers...

Research methods and personality assessments: Jan.09 What are the processes through which personality exerts its effects? How does personality interact with the environment to determine outcomes? How does personality develop? And Can personality be changed through therapeutic intervention? Personality: What is personality? Gordon Alport builds a definition from Scheier. Personality is a dynamic organization, inside the person, of psychophysical systems (genetics) create the person’s characteristic patterns of behaviours, thoughts, feelings. Personality is causal in nature. Creating behaviour, thought and feelings. Characteristics patterns of consistency. Other definitions build upon this perspective of personality. Goals of personality psychology: Why study personality? 1. Descriptive: describe and compare. 2. Explanatory: explain personality. What determines personality. 3. Predictive: use personality to predict outcomes. Individual and social functions. a. Ex: what predicts criminal activity. (Forensic) b. Ex: what personality traits suitable for military combats. c. How personality influence success. (Corporation) d. What treatments work with a type of personality. (Clinical) Theory and research: What methods to study personality? Use of scientific methods for systematic and objective observation. Theory Hypothesis Operationalization Research Observations 1. Theory = proposed explanations of relations among constructs. Proposes relationships between constructs. 2. Construct= a hypothetical/conceptual variable which cannot be directly observed. Major difference: Construct- aggressiveness, self-esteem, optimism (cannot directly observe) **we must find methods of observation Ex: hair colour, eye colour are not constructs (can be directly observed) Is personality a construct? Yes. It is unobservable and must be operationalized. 3. Operationalization = Translation of hypothetical variable into a variable that can be directly observed. Types of research/ studies: 1. Experimental: manipulation with control group, random assignment. 2. Correlational: no cause and effect. Two naturally occurring variables relate. 3rd variable problem. Correlation ( r ) relationship: r=0-1.00 +/- o 0.2 small o 0.4 moderate o 0.6 large R^2 = coefficient of determination. Reflects the proportion of variance in one variable due to another variable. o Ex: r = - 0.35 self esteem and depression r^2=0.12 ▪ What does that mean? 12% of variance in self-esteem is accounted for by depression. 3. Case studies: generate, illustrate or examining phenomena through in depth analysis of on person or small group. Ex: Ted Bundy- demonstrated narcissism and classic psychopathy. Problem: serial killer who acted as disabled and manipulated women into his car and harmed them. After convicted he allowed case study. Application of research methods to hypothesis: