Methods Flashcards
Main sources of data
Self reports
Informants reports
Life outcomes
Behavioural observations
What is the primary advantage of S data in understanding personality
S data provide a large amount of information because individuals are present in various life settings, and they have unique knowledge of their own thoughts, feelings, and intentions.
How are S data typically collected
S data are often collected through questionnaires where individuals self-report their personality traits and characteristic
What is “face validity” in S data questionnaires?
Face validity means that the questions in S data questionnaires are intended to measure what they appear to measure on the surface.
What are the advantages of S data
They provide a large amount of information about various life settings.
They give access to thoughts, feelings, and intentions.
Some S data is true by definition.
S data has a causal force on behavior.
They are simple and cost-effective.
What are the disadvantages of S data
Bias: Individuals may have biases in how they describe themselves.
Error: S data can contain errors due to lack of awareness or carelessness.
Overuse: S data are often overused in research, leading to potential limitations in understanding personality.
What is I data in personality psychology?
I data refers to judgments by knowledgeable informants about an individual’s general personality attributes, gathered through observations in daily life.
How does the author typically collect I data in their research on college students?
The author asks each student to provide the names and emails of two people on campus who know them best, and then recruits these individuals to come to the lab and describe the student’s personality.
Who can serve as informants for gathering I data?
Informants can be acquaintances from daily life, co-workers, or clinical psychologists, as long as they are well-acquainted with the individual being described.
What are the advantages of I data?
Provides a large amount of information based on multiple behaviors in various situations.
Derives from real-world observations, making it relevant to important life outcomes.
Informs based on common sense and considers contextual factors.
Some I data are true almost by definition, such as traits like charm, likeability, and sense of humor.
Why are I data generally considered better than S data for predicting outcomes like academic achievement and occupational success?
I data are considered better because they rely on the observations and judgments of others, who often have a clearer view of an individual’s traits and behavior compared to self-assessments.
What are the disadvantages of I data?
limited Behavioural Information
Lack of Access to Private Experience
Error
Bias
Advantages of L Data
Objective and Verifiable
Psychological Relevance:
Intrinsic Importance
Disadvantage of L Data
Multidetermination
B Data (Behavioral Data)
Definition: B data stands for “behavioral data” and refers to observations of an individual’s behavior in various situations, either in daily life or laboratory settings.
Sources: B data can be collected through naturalistic observations, laboratory experiments, experience-sampling methods, electronic recording devices, and even social media.
Natural B Data
Derived from real-life situations, including diaries, experience sampling, and wearable recording devices.
Provide realistic insights into an individual’s behavior.
Laboratory B Data
Collected through psychological experiments.
Researchers create specific situations to observe participants’ behavior.
Examples include crisis simulations and coin-flipping experiments.
Advantages of B Data
Range of Contexts
Appearance of Objectivity
Disadvantages of B Data
Difficult and Expensive
Uncertain Interpretation
Factors That Undermine Reliability
Low precision
State of the participant
State of the experimenter
Variation in the environment
techniques to Improve Reliability
Care with research procedure
Standardized research protocol
Measure something important
Aggregation
face validity
The degree to which an assessment instrument, such as a questionnaire, on its face appears to measure what it is intended to measure. For example, a face-valid measure of sociability might ask about attendance at parties.
self-verification
The process by which people try to bring others to treat them in a manner that confirms their self-conceptions.
expectancy effect
The tendency for someone to become the kind of person others expect him or her to be; also known as a self-fulfilling prophecy and behavioral confirmation.
