Ch. 1 Theories of Personality

Question 1

persona

Answer 1

Latin for “mask”

(Greek/Roman theater) actors wore mask/persona to hide their face

Question 2

personality

Answer 2

a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics
- give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior

Question 3

trait

Answer 3

a relatively permanent disposition of an individual, which is inferred from behavior

• consistent over time
• como spectrum, there are individual differences
• stable across situations

(ie) extraversion, agreeableness

Question 4

characteristic

Answer 4

unique quality

(ie) temperament, physique, intelligence

Question 5

theory

Answer 5

a set of related assumptions that allows scientists to use logical deductive reasoning to formulate testable hypotheses
- if/then terminology

Question 6

deductive

Answer 6

broad to specific

Question 7

terms related to theory

Answer 7

philosophy
speculation
hypothesis
taxonomy

Question 8

philosophy

Answer 8

“love of wisdom”

broader than theory
- ought/should terminology

Question 9

speculation

Answer 9

consideration

- must be tied to empirical data (observations) and science

Question 10

hypothesis

Answer 10

specific guess that can be tested using scientific method

- if/then terminology

Question 11

taxonomy

Answer 11

classification according to natural relationships

Question 12

reasons for differences between personality theories

Answer 12

have different:

1) personal background
2) philosophical orientations of assumptions
3) perspectives of world/humanity
4) observed data/groups
5) personalities

Question 13

functions of useful theory

Answer 13

1) generates research
2) falsifiable / verifiable
3) organizes known data and observations
4) guides action, practical - should help w/ treatment
5) internally consistent - clear consistent definitions
6) parsimonious

Question 14

dimensions for a concept of humanity

Answer 14

determinism vs. free choice

pessimism vs. optimism

causality vs. teleology

conscious vs. unconscious determinants of behavior

biological vs. social influences on personality

uniqueness vs. similarities

Question 15

empirical criteria for instruments to be useful

Answer 15

reliability

validity

Question 16

types of validity

Answer 16

construct validity

predictive validity

Question 17

construct validity

Answer 17

the degree to which a test measures what it claims, or purports, to be measuring

Question 18

types of construct validity

Answer 18

convergent validity
divergent validity
discriminant validity

Question 19

*convergent validity

Answer 19

the degree to which two measures of constructs that theoretically should be related, are in fact related

Question 20

*divergent validity

Answer 20

constructs that should have no relationship do, in fact, not have any relationship

Question 21

*discriminant validity

Answer 21

tests whether concepts or measurements that are supposed to be unrelated are, in fact, unrelated

Question 22

reliability

Answer 22

consistency of measurement

Question 23

test-retest reliability

Answer 23

strongest validity b/c results always the same/consistent with little to no variability from older tests

Question 24

predictive validity

Answer 24

predicts outcome w/ accuracy