Chapter 14 - Personality Assessment

Question 67

Personality Assessment

Answer 67

To be useful from either a scientific or practical perspective, personality tests must conform to the standards of reliability and validity

• Reliability (consistency of measurement): A test that measures a stable personality trait should yield similar scores when administered to the same individuals at different times (test-retest reliability). The different professionals should score and interpret the test in the same way (interjudge or inter-rater reliability).
• Validity: the most important question of all: Is the test actually measuring the personality variable that it is intended to measure? A valid test allows us to predict behaviour that is influenced by the personality variable being measured.

Question 68

Personality Assessment

Interviews

Answer 68

• Should not limit attention to what interviewee says, but also how they say it
• Characteristics of interviewer and interviewee can affect validity of information

Question 69

Personality Assessment

Behavioural Assessment

Answer 69

• Psychologists devise an explicit coding system that contains the behavioural categories of interest
• Psychologists observe behaviours rather than ask people about them

Question 70

Personality Assessment

Remote Behaviour Sampling

Answer 70

• Researchers collect samples of behaviour from respondents as they live their daily lives
• A beeper sounds at determined times throughout the day, and people record thoughts, feelings, etc.

Question 71

Personality Assessment

Personality Scales

Answer 71

• Certain tests have validity scales that detect tendencies to respond in a socially desirable manner
• Items on personality scales are developed in two ways:
  
  • Rational approach – items are based on theorist’s conception of the personality trait to be measured
  • Empirical approach – items are chosen not because their content seems relevant to the trait, but because previous research has shown that the items were answered differently by groups of people known to differ in the personality characteristic of interest
  • Used to develop Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

Question 72

Personality Assessment

Projective Tests

Answer 72

Assumption is that when a person is presented with an ambiguous stimulus whose meaning is not clear, the interpretation attached to the stimulus will have to come partly from within.

Question 73

Personality Assessment

Projective Tests

Rorschach Inkblots

Answer 73

Rorshach inkblot test consists of ten inkblots of ambiguous shape

Question 74

Personality Assessment

Projective Tests

Thematic Apperception Test

Answer 74

• Thematic Apperception Test consists of series of pictures from paintings, drawings, and magazines
  
  • Respondents must describe what is going on in each scene

Question 75

Personality Assessment

Personality Theory and Personality Assessment

Answer 75

• Theories provide us with a framework that specifies how thoughts, feelings, and bodily processes relate to one another and behaviour.
• Assessment provides tools for measuring personality variables and testing the theory.
  
  • Psycodynamic theorists use projective techniques
  • Humanistic Theorists use self-report measures of the self-concept and personal aspirations
  • Social cognitive researchers use behavioural assessments
  • Trait theorists and behaviour geneticists use the MMPI and the NEO-PI
  • Biological process researchers use physicological measures