Objective Testing. Personality Assesment.

Question 1

Definition

Answer 1

Objective tests are structured psychological tests that require respondents to answer standardized questions or statements, usually in the form of multiple choice, true/false, or Likert scale responses.

Question 2

Advantages

Answer 2

• Easy to administer and score due to their standardized nature.
  
  • They offer quantitative data, which can be statistically analyzed.
  • Useful for large-scale assessments where comparisons across groups are needed

Question 3

Cons

Answer 3

• May not capture the complexity of human behavior and personality.
  
  • Susceptible to social desirability bias, where individuals may respond in a way they think is favorable.
  • Can oversimplify responses to complex traits or behaviors.

Question 4

Empirical criterion keying definition.

Answer 4

• Definition: Empirical criterion keying is a method used in test construction where items are selected based on their ability to differentiate between distinct groups (e.g., people with a certain psychological disorder versus those without).
  
  • Example: The MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) uses this approach by selecting items that empirically distinguish between clinical groups (e.g., people diagnosed with depression) and normal groups.

Question 5

Advantages and Disadvantages of Empirical criterion keying

Answer 5

• Advantages:
  
  • Provides strong external validity as items are empirically tested against real-world outcomes.
  • Disadvantages:
  • May include items that are not theoretically relevant to the trait being measured but still show empirical distinctions.

Question 6

Factor analysis. definition + types

Answer 6

• Definition: Factor analysis is a statistical method used to examine the intercorrelations among test items to see if certain groups of questions correlate highly with each other, which may represent underlying factors (or traits).
  
  • Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA):
  • Purpose: To identify the basic dimensions within the data by analyzing how items cluster together.
  • Goal: To reduce data to key factors without predefined expectations. For instance, it helps reveal how many factors (e.g., traits) exist in a personality test.
  • Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA):
  • Purpose: To test a hypothesized structure, such as whether the data fits into an expected model (e.g., 5 factors for a personality trait model like the Big Five).
  • Goal: To verify whether the observed data align with the theoretical model or predicted number of factors.
  • Empirical Emphasis: Unlike purely theoretical approaches, factor analysis relies on empirical data to uncover or confirm how many factors best represent the data in a given test. It’s frequently used in personality assessments to ensure that test items reflect distinct, meaningful traits.

Question 7

MMPI

Answer 7

◦ Self-report inventory
◦ Purpose
◦ Originally to identify psychiatric diagnoses
◦ Computerized
◦ Over 10,000 studies published using MMPI
◦ Questions asked of 700 ‘normal’ volunteers
◦ …and 800 psychiatric patients
◦ Looked to see which questions were answered differently by psychiatric
patients
* Structure: The original test had 550 items and was based on clinical observations and diagnostic categories.
* It became one of the most widely used personality tests in both clinical and forensic settings.

Question 8

MMP2

Answer 8

• Revisions. MMPI-2 now includes 567 items.
  
  • It also includes validity scales to detect response biases and inconsistencies.
  • Applications: It is used to assess a wide range of psychological conditions and has supplementary scales to assess specific traits like anxiety, repression, or dominance.

Question 9

Validity scales of MMPI2

Answer 9

• Purpose: Validity scales are designed to detect test-taking attitudes and ensure the accuracy of the test results. They help to identify when respondents are not answering truthfully or are trying to manipulate the outcome.
  
  • Common MMPI-2 Validity Scales:
  • L (Lie) Scale: Detects individuals who try to present themselves in an overly favorable manner (e.g., “I never lie”).
  • F (Infrequency) Scale: Identifies individuals who answer unusually or inconsistently, suggesting random responding or exaggeration.
  • K (Defensiveness) Scale: Measures more subtle attempts to appear psychologically healthy.
  • TRIN (True Response Inconsistency) Scale: Detects contradictions in responses.
  • VRIN (Variable Response Inconsistency) Scale: Measures consistency across similar items to detect careless or random responding.

Question 10

Reliability

Answer 10

• Definition: Reliability refers to the consistency of a test across time, situations, and different groups of people. For personality tests like the MMPI and MMPI-2, reliability ensures that the test produces stable and consistent results over multiple administrations.
  
  • Test-Retest Reliability: Ensures that the same individual taking the test at different times will obtain similar results, assuming their personality traits have not changed.
  • Internal Consistency: Measures the degree to which items within a test consistently measure the same construct or trait. MMPI-2 has high internal consistency for some scales but less for others (e.g., gender-specific scales).

Question 11

Interpretation Through Patterns

Answer 11

• Profile Analysis: Interpretation of the MMPI and MMPI-2 often involves analyzing patterns of elevated scales. For instance, high scores on the Depression (D) and Psychasthenia (Pt) scales may indicate anxiety and depressive tendencies.
  
  • Complex Profile Patterns: Clinicians look for combinations of high or low scores across multiple scales to create a comprehensive picture of an individual’s psychological state. For example, someone with elevated scores on paranoia (Pa) and schizophrenia (Sc) scales may exhibit signs of psychosis or paranoid thinking.
  • Diagnostic Use: While elevated scores can indicate specific diagnoses (e.g., schizophrenia or depression), interpretations are more nuanced and take into account the overall pattern of responses.

Question 12

Addendums for MMPI-2

Answer 12

1. Fb (Back Page):
   
   • This scale checks the consistency of responses towards the end of the test.
   • It focuses on 40 items that typically receive a “cannot say” response. Inconsistent answering on these items might indicate respondent fatigue or loss of attention.
     2. VRIN (Variable Response Inconsistency):
   • Compares 67 pairs of related items to detect inconsistent answers.
   • If the respondent answers two logically similar questions differently, it signals random or careless responding.
     3. TRIN (True Response Inconsistency):
   • Compares 23 pairs of inverted items where one should be answered “true” and the other “false.”
   • This scale identifies cases where respondents answer both items the same, indicating careless or non-differentiated responses.

Question 13

NEO-Personality Inventory. what does domains/facets does it explore?

Answer 13

◦ 240 items
◦ 5 point response scale
◦ Five factor model
◦ Neuroticism
◦ Extraversion
◦ Openness to experience
◦ Agreeableness
◦ Conscientiousness

LIKERT SCALE

Question 14

NEO-Personality Inventory CHARACTERISTICS

Answer 14

◦ Rational-empirical test
◦ Standard and reverse scoring
◦ Answer on a likert scale (1-5)
◦ Strong reliability & stability
◦ Relevant to some psychological disorders

Question 15

DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES OF MMPI AND NEO

Answer 15

• Excellent as a starting point for assessment of symptoms
• MMPIs useful for diagnosis of having some disorder
• NEO-PI-R useful for comparing to ‘normal’ personality
• There will always be statistical arguments about how useful a test is
• Specificity/Sensitivity conundrum
• Key issue is
• Why is patient showing any symptoms?
• Objective tests can explain how symptoms are manifested
• Limited ability to explain thought processes leading to this