Lecture 4 - Personality and IQ Testing

Question 1

How were psychological features measures before the late 19th century?

Answer 1

Through observations of the body’s outer features, using imprecise, unreliable, and inflexible methods.

Question 2

What type of data did early psychological measurements primarily involve?

Answer 2

Nominal data - the lowest level of measurement

Question 3

Who coined the term ‘psychometrics’ and what does it refer to? (give examples)

Answer 3

Sir Francis Galton coined ‘psychometrics’, referring to scientific methods for measuring psychological traits (e.g., questionnaires, surveys, reaction times)

Question 4

What is psychometrics?

Answer 4

Psychometrics is a field focused on the theory and techniques of measuring psychological differences between individuals

Question 5

What are personality tests and what do they measure? (Give an example)

Answer 5

Personality tests measure aspects of a person’s personality or psychological makeup (e.g., Big 5 personality test)

Question 6

What are aptitude tests and what do they measure? (Give an example)

Answer 6

Aptitude tests assess knowledge and reasoning in areas like language, maths, patterns, and spatial awareness (e.g., IQ tests)