Exam Two Flashcards
Personality
relatively stable and distinctive patterns
of behaviors, feelings, thoughts, and motives that characterize an individual and his/her reactions to the environment
Reasons psychologists use personality tests
- ID normal v. subnormal mental abilities
- ID typically-developing vs. non-typically developing youth
- Suggest how to use our abilities
- ID non-intellective aspects of human behavior
Collective unconscious
Part of Carl Jung’s theory; shared by all people and reflects humanity’s collective evolutionary history
Archetypes
Part of Jung’s theory; Universal human instincts and themes of human life cycle (birth, sense of self, parenthood, spiritual search, death)
3 patterns of personality
Karen Horney: moving toward, against, or away from other people
Womb envy
Karen Horney: in contrast to penis envy, men experience envy of women’s ability to nurture and sustain life
Inferiority/superiority complex
Alfred Adler: everyone strives for superiority and success, but when they do not achieve that or overcompensate, they develop either an inferiority or superiority complex.
Self-concept
Humanistic perspective: conscious, subjective perception of his/herself
Actualizing tendency
Humanistic perspective: first innate drive to maintain and enhance self
Self-efficacy
awareness of your own capabilities via mastery experiences and observational learning
3 key differences between social cognitive perspective of personality and others
- based on experimental findings
- conscious, self-regulated behaviors
- social contextual influences
Trait perspective
- identify, describe, measure individual differences
- traits exist on a continuum
Traits
Unique combo of personality characteristics
Five-Factor Model of Personality
Openness Conscientiousness Extraversion Agreeableness Neuroticism
Structured personality tests
- objective methods of personality assessment
- structured, lack ambiguity
- typically self-report
Projective personality tests
- subjective methods of personality assessment
- few guidelines
- open-ended format where admin presents material to the subject, who then interprets the stimulus
Types of deductive test construction
- Logical content
- Theoretical approach
Logical content
- Type of deductive test construction
- Test designer tries to determine the type of content needed to measure the characteristic being assessed
- Woodworth, Early Multidimensional tests, Mooney
Theoretical approach
- type of deductive test construction
- Begins with a theory about the nature of personality characteristics to be assessed
- Items deduced to be important for measurement must be consistent with this theory
- EPPS, Myers-Briggs
Types of empirical test construction
- rely upon data collection and statistical analysis
- Criterion Group
- Factor Analytic
Criterion group
- type of empirical test construction
- A criterion group, or collection of individuals with a common feature, is distinguished from a control group
- control group represents the larger pop from which the CG was drawn
- Scale is administered to both groups to compare differences (ID which items discriminate the criterion and control groups)
Factor analytic
- type of empirical test construction
- the goal is to identify the basic factors of personality
- -intercorrelations between a large number of items or tests are sought
- factor analysis reduces items to common factors
Woodworth Personal Data Sheet
- logical content personality test
- developed during WWI-single overall index
- ID military recruits who may break down in combat
- psychiatric interview
- 116 Y/N Qs (self-report)
Early Multidimensional LC Scales
-logical content personality tests
1930’s-
-Bell Adjustment Inventory (adjustment to different
areas of life)
-Bemreuter Personality Inventory (introversion,
confidence, sociability)
Mooney Problem Checklist
-logical content personality test; 1950
-Subjects reply to list of problems that recur in a variety of areas
-courtship, sex, and marriage; health and physical
development; home and family; morals and religion
Edwards Personal Preference Scale
(EPPS) a theoretical personality test, based on Murray’s Need system
- To boost validity, used forced-choice procedure and repeated items
- Satisfactory psychometrics`
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
- A theoretical personality test, based on Carl Jung’s theory of personality types
- 4 main ways in which we experience the world: sensing, intuiting, feeling, thinking
- also distinguishes between extroversion/introversion
- widely used but relatively low reliability and validity
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
MMPI- a criterion-group personality tests used for psychopathology
- originally designed to assist with diagnosis- normal vs. non-normal groups
- K scale - to ID social desirability; F scale - to ID deviant response patterns; L scale - to ID overly favorable self-concept
- Content scales- groups of items that are specific to certain content areas (anger)
- Clinical scales- items to ID psych disorders (depression, schizophrenia)
California Psychological Inventory
CPI- a criterion group personality test used for normal populations
MMPI-2
Most commonly used now
- expanded validity scales
- 8th grade reading level
- larger and more representative
- -help assess a very wide range of problems, making its clinical utility very strong
- interpretation of profiles must consider demographic effects
- 1 issue - some items are on several scales rather than just one —> high intercorrelations between scales that may be artificially increased
Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament Survey
- a factor-analytic personality test
- Ten dimensions, each assessed with 30 items (single factor: social efficacy)
- Similar to MMPI in structure and process
16 Personality Factor Questionnaire
- a factor-analytic personality test by Cattell
- personality can be accounted for by 16 different traits
Combination strategies for personality test construction
Modern trend is to use combo of strategies in scale construction
NEO-PI
- factor analysis, logical, and theoretical for item development
- most commonly used personality measure
NEO-PI-3
- updated version of the NEO-PI
- assessment of positive traits-resilience, hardiness, empathy, hope, optimism, etc.
- positivity was generally defined as an absence of pathology
- first personality scale to focus on positive traits
What are the 3 broad domains represented by NEO?
Neuroticism, Extroversion, Openness
-each has 6 different facets
Psychometrics of the NEO-PI
- high split-half and test-retest consistency
- high predictive and concurrent validity
Strengths of structured inventories
- are standardized
- use established norms
- higher reliability and validity
Weakness of self-inventories
response biases- Ss may “fake” responses to look better/worse
tedious- high number of items leads to loss of interest
accuracy- self-judgments may be inaccurate
Hypothesis of projective tests
A person’s interpretation of an ambiguous stimulus reflects his or her unique characteristics (personality, feelings, experiences, prior conditioning, thought processes, etc.)
Herman Rorschach
- Swiss psychiatrist
- Highly interested in psychoanalysis
- author of Psychodiagnostik
- major contribution: use of inkblots to identify psychological disorders
Rorschach test
- atheoretical
- lacks face validity
- administrator is purposefully vague and deflects Qs
- admin should sit beside examinee to reduce cuing
Rorschach test administration
- 10 symmetrical inkblots are presented and very little guidance regarding interpretation is offered
- certain answers from client have specific replies from the test administrator
Two phases of presentation:
- Free association
- Inquiry
Exner’s Comprehensive Scoring System
Most widely used scoring system used for Rorschach test
-doesn’t increase diagnostic accuracy
Rorschach Criticisms
- Never been adequately normed
- Over pathologizes
- Scoring is unreliable (reliability estimates highly variable depending on study cited)
- Lacks incremental validity within context of comprehensive evals
- results highly correlated to method in which test was administered
- not a cost-effective measure in clinical setting
- no universally accepted method of administration or scoring
- no consistent empirical data to suggest relationship exists between Rorschach response profile and valid diagnosis of psychological disorders or symptoms
Thematic Apperception Test
- 1935, Morgan & Murray (Murray’s theory of needs)
- Billed as instrument to evaluate human personality characteristics (not a strict diagnostic tool)
- 31 total stimuli (30 pictures and 1 blank card)
- Examinees are asked to tell a story about the stimuli
TAT administration
- Common standardization procedures are lacking
- subject responses recorded verbatim
- 20 items administered in two 1-hr sessions; today, 10-12 items, 1 session more common
- Vast number of scoring systems available
- Common themes in scoring: hero, needs, press, themes, outcomes
Word association test
- projective test
- psychologist says a word, subject says 1st word that comes to mind
- goal is to infer areas of disturbance or problem from the responses given
Sentence Completion Tasks
- project test
- Subjects provided with a stem to complete (I am ____)
- rated on a 3 point scale, used in clinical and research settings
- psychometrics are somewhat positive and encouraging
Projective Figure drawing tests
- expressive techniques require a person to make something, such as draw a picture of a person/house/family
- draw a person test, house tree person test, kinetic family drawing test, goodenough draw a man test
- interpretations tend to overanalyze
- low reliability
Binet scales
2 key principles: age differentiation and general mental ability
Second level had three components:
- crystallized abilities
- fluid-analytic abilities
- short-term memories
Reliability is good
Wechsler intelligence scales
Adult (WAIS)
Child (WISC)
Index scores- verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, processing speed
2 broad scores= summarize general intellectual ability
Hig reliability estimates
Considered the most valid in the world for testing IQ
McCarthy Scales of Children’s Abilities
MSCA- individual ability test 2-8 years of age
- 18 scales, 15 of which combine for a general cognitive index
- Used in research and has strong psychometrics
- studying relationship between parental behaviors and children’s intellectual skills
Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children- Second Edition
KABC-II
Supplemental psychological diagnostic test
Individual ability test for 3-18 year olds
Sequential-simultaneous distinction
Has strong psychometrics and shows less racial/ethnic divide than other tests
Criticized for being low in predictive validity for school achievement and not being effective at assessing general intelligence.
Columbia Mental Maturity Scale- Third Edition
CMMS
3-12 year olds of normal ability or with various handicaps
Requires neither verbal response nor fine motor skills
Test taker decides which card does not belong, discriminating similarities/differences
92 cards grouped into 8 levels, or scales
Untimed test- reduced pressure
Has a strong though outdated standardization sample and good psychometrics
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Fourth Edition
PPVT-IV
2 through 90 years of age
Multiple choice requiring “yes” or “no” type answers
Primarily used with those with a physical (brain) or language handicap; not appropriate for the deaf
Assess receptive vocabulary and is a nonverbal measure of verbal intelligence
Has strong psychometrics
Leiter International Performance Scale-Third Edition
Unlike Columbia or Peabody tests, the Leiter is strictly a performance measure
Assesses nonverbal intelligence in 3 to 75 year olds
Used in clinical settings to assess those with pervasive developmental disorders
Untimed
Porteus Maze Test (PMT)
3 years old and up
Popular test but poorly standardized
12 mazes of increasing difficulty
Requires no verbal instructions; can be used with a variety of special-needs individuals
2004 IDEA Amendment
Changes the need for a child to have fallen behind before services are provided (“discrepancy model” -> RTI “response to intervention”)
Signs of a learning disability
- Disorganization, careless effort, forgetfulness
- refusal to do schoolwork or homework
- slow performance, poor attention, moodiness
Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities
ITPA-3 - test for learning disabilities
- Based on the info-processing model
- Assumes that a learning disability can occur at any stage of this model
- 12 subtests-visual, auditory, or tactile input
- Three composite scores: general language, spoken language, written language
Woodcock-Johnson IV
Assesses general intellectual ability, specific cognitive abilities, scholastic aptitude, oral language and achievement
- Three independent but coordinated test batteries
- Comparing cognitive abilities to achievement, learning disabilities may be identified
- Can help pinpoint source of the deficit
- Reading disability -> processing speed deficit
- Good psychometric properties
Benton Visual Retention Test- Fifth Edition
BVRT-V
Tests for brain damage are based on the idea of psychological deficit
-BVRT assumes that underlying brain damage impairs visual memory ability (can assess such damage or conditions like Alzheimer’s disease)
-It is used for those 8 years and older; visual images must be remembered and then reproduced
Memory-for-Designs Test
- similar to BVRT
- can be administered in just a few minutes
- drawings are scored on a 0 to 3 point scale
- reliability estimates are quite good, though validity ratings require further examination
Individual tests
1 examiner/1 subject
- one subject is tested at a time
- examiner records responses
- scoring requires considerable skill
- examiner flexibility can elicit maximum performance/information if permitted by standardization
Group tests
1 examiner/2+ subjects
- Many subjects are tested at a time (cost effective, minimizes time for admin/scoring)
- Subjects record own responses
- Scoring is straightforward and objective
- There are fewer safeguards (less examiner skill and training)
Achievement tests
- originally essay tests, replaced in 1930s
- easier and more reliable administration and scoring
- validity determined by content-related evidence
- Stanford and Metropolitan Achievement Tests
Aptitude tests
- assess wide range of experiences in a variety of ways
- evaluate effects of unknown/uncontrolled experiences
- validity is based on ability to predict future performance
Kuhlmann-Anderson Test- 8th edition
KAT- group test of mental abilities
- eight separate levels from K through 12th grade
- Remains primarily nonverbal as the grade/age advances
- Useful for those with certain handicaps or non-English-speaking populations
- Has drawn praise for its construction and psychometric properties
Henmon-Nelson Test
H-NT- group test of mental abilities
- Appropriate for all grade levels
- Produces a single score but has two sets of norms
- A quick measure of general intelligence (30 min needed to complete 90 items)
- Reliability statistics are high, and correlation with other IQ measures are sound
- Limitations: one dimensional model of intelligence
Cognitive Abilities Test Form 7
COGAT
- A measure of fluid intelligence that has similarities to the H-NT
- Provides three scores rather than one- verbal, quantitative, nonverbal
- Reliability estimates range from low to high .90s
- Special care was given to guard against bias
- A good predictor of giftedness, future performance, and verbal underachievement
The New SAT
2016
Verbal and Mathematics Test
Renormed in 1994- led to an increase in average scores
Offers an optional essay, along with more widely available test prep opportunies
The American College Test
ACT
- Most recent update in 2005; the ACT is more useful for non-native English-speaking students
- Scores vary between 1 and 36, with a mean of 16 for high school students, 19 for those aspiring to college
- Correlates well with SAT, and both are predictors of college GPA
Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test
GRE
- verbal and quantitative section
- psychometrics are adequate to sound, though less impressive than the SAT
- Moderate correlations between GRE and GPA in some studies, while others find a negative correlation
- Not significant predictors of success for various groups
- Overpredicts future achievement of younger students; underpredicts that of older students
- restricted range problems
Miller Analogies Test
- Used to assess scholastic aptitude in a fully verbal format
- Task is to deduce logical relationships of escalating difficult
- Correlates well with GRE, but predictive validity is low
- Accuracy of prediction varies by age group, with more overprediction found for the 45 year old group
- Useful for discriminating graduate school applications, but care must be taken to consider bias
Raven Progressive Matrices
- Well-known, very popular nonverbal test
- Missing part of a logical sequence is identified
- 60 items of escalating difficult (with some problems with center-located items)
- Is considered a strong measure of g
- Neuroimaging studies found that it assesses activity in specific brain areas
- Strong psychometrics, particularly useful for groups such as children, those who are culturally deprived, or the language handicapped
Culture Fair Intelligence Test
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