Personality Flashcards

1
Q

Where does the concept of personality originate from and why?

A

The West - oriented towards individualism

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2
Q

What is personality?

A

Dynamic and complex organisation of psychological and physiological systems that gives direction to or determines characteristic patterns of feelings, thoughts and behaviours

Enduring dispositions / stable over time

Unique constellation of psychological traits

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3
Q

What are personality traits?

A

a distinguishable enduring way one individual differs from another

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4
Q

What is personality state?

A

a relatively temporary predisposition

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5
Q

When assessing personality you can classify people into:

A

personality profiles and

personality types

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6
Q

What is a personality profile?

A

a narrative description e.g. the MMPI

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7
Q

What is a personality type?

A

a constellation of traits similar to a category within a taxonomy of personalities

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8
Q

What were the 6 personality types John Holland argued for?

A
Artistic, 
Enterprising, Investigative, 
Social, 
Realistic, or 
Conventional
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9
Q

What test did John Holland develop?

A

Self-directed search (used for vocational assistance)

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10
Q

Friedman and Rosenman developed which typology?

A

A two-category personality typology:
Type A: competitive and dominant
Type B: mellow and laid back

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11
Q

What are the 5 major theoretical models of personality?

A
Trait: ind. differences 
Psychodynamic: developmental aspects 
Situational: context driven
Interaction: interplay with environment
Phenomenological: internal subjective experiences
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12
Q

What are the 5 contrasting ideas when looking at personality?

A
Uniqueness vs. universality 
Nature vs. nurture 
State vs. trait
Free will vs. determinism 
Conscious vs. unconscious
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13
Q

How did Hippocrates see ‘humors’ related to personality?

A

excess humour (blood, bile and phlegm) = different character (active, gloomy, angry, passive)

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14
Q

How can we assess theories of personality?

A
Assess:
• explanatory power 
• testable?
• concepts defined
• empirically tested
• falsifiable
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15
Q

What does falsifiable mean?

A

It can be proved incorrect

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16
Q

Why is personality a good way of thinking about someone?

A
  • framework of understanding
  • relating to others
  • identify drives/ motivations
  • identify patterns
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17
Q

What are the 3 ways instruments used in personalty assessment vary?

A
  • A-theoretical (no practical application)
  • Theory saturated
  • Empirical (MMPI)
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18
Q

What is an example of a personality assessment?

A

MMPI

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19
Q

When logic and reason is used to develop tests which approach is this?

A

content-oriented

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20
Q

What does the data reduction method in test development involve?

A

narrowing down lists/ categories to come up with a minimum number of variables

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21
Q

What do items on a personality assessment generally test for?

A

Response style: tendency
Impression management
Validity: honesty, carelessness and misunderstanding

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22
Q

How do nomothetic and idiographic approaches to personality assessment change the outcome?

A

generalisable vs. descriptive

theoretical labels vs. how and why

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23
Q

There are two types of personality assessment:

A

Objective (self-report)
and
Projective (performance)

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24
Q

What does ipsative mean?

A

either-or scenarios

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25
Q

What does normative mean when talking about types of assessment?

A

comparing to a ‘normative’ group

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26
Q

What are three types of tests that involve responses to stimulus?

A

Kinetic figure drawing
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT- picture stories)
Rorschach Technique

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27
Q

What is the interview used for personality assessment?

A

Composite International Diagnostic Interview

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28
Q

What does K measure in the MMPI-2?

A

validity: impression management / Social desirability bias testing

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29
Q

What does O measure in the MMPI-2?

A

social introversion

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30
Q

How has the MMPI developed over time?

A

removal of sexist/ racist language
less items
population sample broadened
restandardised in 1989 MMPI-2

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31
Q

What type of test is the MMPI-2?

A

self-report for 18+

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32
Q

How many validity scales are there in the MMPI-2?

A

11

33
Q

What does VRIN stand for in the MMPI?

A

Variable Response Inconsistency (responses don’t match- possibly lying)

34
Q

What does TRIN stand for in the MMPI?

A

True Response Inconsistency (tendency for yes or no)

35
Q

What does L measure in the MMPI-2?

A

Lying: denial of minor faults

36
Q

What does S measure in the MMPI-2?

A

Superlative: impression management / self-deception

37
Q

What does FBS measure in the MMPI-2?

A

Symptom Validity: not credible symptoms because overemphasis

38
Q

What does F measure in the MMPI-2?

A

Infrequency: random responding comprehension difficulties, no contact with reality, psychopathology

39
Q

What does Fb measure in the MMPI-2?

A

Back Infrequency: suicidal ideation, hopelessness

40
Q

What does FP measure in the MMPI-2?

A

Infrequency Psychopathology: over reporting psychopathology

41
Q

What does F-K measure in the MMPI-2?

A

Dissiumulation Index: feigning presence/ denying psychopathology

42
Q

What does the Internalisation Ratio (IR) measure in the MMPI-2?

A

Coping style: externalising (aggression/ blaming) or internalising (withdrawal, isolation, hurt)

43
Q

What does the Goldberg Index measure in the MMPI-2?

A

Separates neurotic from psychotic

44
Q

What are the best personality dimensions best for predicting performance?

A

Conscientiousness and Neuroticism (good for attention to detail, although not great in high stress)

45
Q

Low L, High F and Low K on the MMPI-2 =

A

distressed and disclosing

L:Lying, F:Random, K:Correction

46
Q

High L, F and K on the MMPI-2 means?

A
Low validity 
(L:Lying, F:Random, K:Correction)
47
Q

High L, low F and low K on the MMPI-2 =

A
naive defensiveness (not deliberate lying) 
(L:Lying, F:Random, K:Correction)
48
Q

Mid L, Low F, Mid K on the MMPI-2=

A

Stiffness

L:Lying, F:Random, K:Correction

49
Q

Low L, F and K on the MMPI-2 means?

A
non defensive (valid) 
(L:Lying, F:Random, K:Correction)
50
Q

Mid to high L, High F, high K in the MMPI-2 =

A

invalid response pattern

L:Lying, F:Random, K:Correction

51
Q

What does K measure in the MMPI-2?

A

Correction: sophisticated defensive approach

52
Q

What are the 10 MMPI-2 Clinical Scales?

A

1: HS - Hypochondriasis
2: D - Depression
3: Hy - Hysteria
4: Pd - Psychopathic Deviate
5: MF - Masculinity/ Femininity
6: Pa - Paranoia
7: Pt - Psychasthenia (worry)
8: Sc - Schizophrenia
9: Ma - Hypomania
10: Si - Social Introversion

53
Q

What is measured by the HS scale?

A

Concerns about bodily functioning / symptoms

control/ manipulation / demanding

54
Q

What is measured by the D scale?

A

Depressive Symptoms

55
Q

What is measured by the Hy scale?

A

Awareness of problems and vulnerabilities

Self-centred, immature, flirtatious

56
Q

What is measured by the Pd scale?

A

Conflict, struggle, anger, respect for society’s rules

antisocial, substance abuse, social problems, authority

57
Q

What is measured by the MF scale?

A

Stereotypical masculine or feminine interests/behaviors

Reverse scored for females

58
Q

What is measured by the Pa scale?

A

Level of trust, suspiciousness, sensitivity

delusions

59
Q

What is measured by the Pt scale?

A

Worry, Anxiety, tension, doubts, obsessiveness

60
Q

What is measured by the Sc scale?

A

Odd thinking and social alienation

poor concentration, delusions, withdrawal

61
Q

What is measured by the Ma scale?

A

Level of excitability

restlessness, euphoric, impulsive

62
Q

What is measured by the Si scale?

A

People orientation

social interaction, introverted, indecision

63
Q

What, overall should be considered when choosing an assessment?

A

The assessors worldview

64
Q

What scale did Raymond Cattell design?

A

16PF

65
Q

What is the 16PF designed to be used for?

A

(16+) personality in a borad range of settings: clinical, organisational, school

66
Q

What is the 16PF good and bad at measuring?

A

Good: social skills
Bad: motivation

67
Q

What does TAT stand for?

A

Thematic Apperception test

68
Q

What materials are used in the TAT?

A

10 black and white ambiguous drawn picture cards (different versions for different ages)

69
Q

What do participants have to do in the TAT?

A

Tell a story about each picture (assimilate new - the picture - experience with past experience)

70
Q

What is assessed in the TAT?

A
Content
Structure/ expression
Gestalt
Self-image
Preference
71
Q

What are the two types of projective personality tests?

A

Rorschach and Thematic Apperception Test

72
Q

What made the scoring of the Rorschach better?

A

The founding of the Exner/ Rorschach research Council

73
Q

What system was developed from Exner’s work with the Rorschach scoring after he died?

A

Performance Assessment System (R-PAS)

74
Q

What could be some issues with the Rorschach?

A

Images have been in public
Tester Projections
Scores correlate with intelligence?

75
Q

What are some reasons people would demonstrate malingering?

A
  • Compensation (financial)
  • Avoidance of responsibility
  • Avoidance of work
  • Prison transfer
  • Drug seeking
76
Q

Most common types of malingering?

A

– Injury / Pain
– Injury / Cognitive Deficit
– Depression
– PTSD

77
Q

How can you detect malingering?

A
  • Non-verbal cues
  • Eagerness to draw attention to symptoms
  • Absurd or inconsistent responses
  • Overacting the part
  • Rare symptoms
  • Unlikely symptom combination
  • Symptom severity
78
Q

How does PTSD relate to personality tests?

A

Use them to detect malingering level

79
Q

What does PAI stand for?

A

Personality Assessment Inventory