PPT 1 Flashcards
Self-Report Assessment
First course to address “personality”
- Problems in living:
Emotional
Interpersonal
Thought Disorders
Protecting Test Data
Ethical responsibility to protect the integrity of tests
Do not let others, including people you know take or even see the items on the MMPI except in a professional context
MMPI-2 Remote Administration
Q-Global
Assessment
Some form of assessment is integral to everything we do clinically as psychologists-as well as in life!
We must have some understanding of what we are dealing with before we can take effective action
And this is challenging when talking about personality!
Personality Assessment is a unique contribution of psychologists
What is Psychological Assessment?
Assessment is a process that uses both nomothetic and idiographic means to understand subjects and their behavior in context, and to share that understanding with clients and practitioners. The goal of this understanding is, to guide treatment planning, to inform decision-making about subjects, and/or to help the client understand themselves in ways that ultimately ameliorate the problems in their life.
Nomothetic vs. Idiograhic
Nomothetic - that part of variance in a quality that is shared by people (general)
Idiographic - that part of variance that is unique to the individual (unique, individualized)
Objective Tests
Traditionally, Objective Test refers to (outdated term):
Structures stimulus (a specific statement)
A limited set of externally provided answers (True/False, Likert scale)
Does not rely on scorer’s judgement to classify the response (scored according to pre-exisiting key)
“Objective”
Connotes the notion of unbiased, reliable
BUT this ignores possible non-objective aspects of these types of tests:
- Test taker/rater’s willingness to be honest - malingering
- Test taker/rater ability to be honest - lack of self knowledge, response styles; Halo effects and Scapegoating effects
- Imperfections in the tests - ambiguity, psychometrics, etc.
Replaced “Objective Test” with “Self-Report Test”
Differentiated by type of informant
Self typically
But also,
“Parent questionnaire”
“Spousal rating scale”
“Teacher questionnaire”
etc.
Projective Tests
Traditionally, Projective refers to:
Ambiguous stimulus or activity (e.g., inkblot)
Test-taker generates a response with minimal external guidance
In responding the test-taker projects or puts forward elements of their habits, personality
Interpretation requires subjectivity
Projective
Rorschach Inkblot Method would fit the classical definition of projective (ambiguity, infinite answers)
BUT scoring it involves stimulus classification and problem-solving styles more than projection
PLUS Rorschach scoring strictly limits subjectivity
Modified Use of “Projective Test”
Now, we distinguish between two types of projective tests:
- Projective tests - rely exclusively on projection (House-Tree-Person, Thematic Apperception Test, Roberts Picture Story, etc.)
- Performance-based personality tests - which have substantial nomothetic aspects (Rorschach, Wartegg Drawing Completion Test, Adult Attachment Projective)
Attributes of a Good Test
Clear instructions for administering, scoring, and interpreting
Efficient use (incremental validity)
Accurate (reliability aka consistency, validity aka measures what it purports to measure)
Purposes of Personality Assessment?
- To describe current functioning
- To confirm, refute or modify impressions
- To identify therapeutic needs
- To aid in differential diagnosis
- To monitor treatment
- To manage risk
- As an effective short-term therapeutic intervention
To guard against bias/human thinking errors
Best Defenses Against Inaccurate Conclusions
Using valid & reliable measures
- Guard against bias/blindspots
Multi-Method Assessment - Using
- Multiple methods of measuring
- Blend the various strengths and weaknesses every instrument inevitably has
Collaborative/Therapeutic Assessment
Again, in short…
Do no harm (non-malfeasance)
Do good (beneficence)
Promote autonomy (informed consent)
Be just (be fair)
What is Personality?
“An individual’s unique constellation of psychological traits and states”
Traits - relatively enduring ways in which one person varies from another
- At least somewhat situation-dependent
- Perfect consistency will not be found; no absolute standards
States - temporary (unlike traits which are enduring)
Meyer & Erdberg (2017)
Personality is:
- A bio-psycho-social construct
- The relatively stable set of attitudes and behaviors that makes each person unique
- The product of a complex interaction of nature, nurture, and context
Personality Disorders
- Are the maladaptive extremes of normal personality characteristics
- “…deviate markedly from expectation of an individual’s culture…”
States vs. Traits debate
How stable is behavior across situations?
- Mischel (1968, 1994) traits are not very important determinants of behavior; rather the context of the behavior is most important
- Bandura (1986) - trait theorists neglect the functionality of a behavior in a particular situation (reinforcement, etc.)
- Wachtel - traits are important; differing experiences cause people to see similar situations differently (or different situations similarly); traits can influence the kinds of situations we put ourselves in
Underlying Assumptions in Assessment
- Traits and states do exist
- Traits and states can be quantified and measured
- Various approaches to measuring aspects of the same thing are a vital part of the assessment process (Multi-Method)
- Assessment can provide insight into important issues that are not efficiently available otherwise
- Various sources of error are part of the assessment process
- Tests and other measurement techniques all have strengths and weaknesses
- Test-related behavior predicts non-test-related behavior
- Present day behavior sampling predicts future behavior
- Testing and assessment can be conducted in a fair and unbiased manner
- Testing and assessment benefit individuals and society
Personality Dimensions
NEO-PI
Assess the “Big 5” - Costa and McCrae (1978)
1. Neuroticism
2. Extraversion
3. Openness to Experience
4. Agreeableness
5. Conscientiousness
Generally, …
Generally, “types” are out of favor and the focus today on patterns of traits and states, which offers much more precision and accuracy
Methods of Personality Assessment (1)
- Self Report
- True/False
- Lickert scale
- Forced choice
- Adjective Checklist
- Q-sort technique
Methods of Personality Assessment (2)
- Performance-Based
- Sentence completion
- Inkblot
- Picture stories
- Drawings
