Unit 3.2: theoretical measurement issues in trait psychology

Question 1

Which are the three assumptions about personality traits that form the basic foundation for trait psychology?

Answer 1

primarily interested in the ways in which people are different from each other
takes quantitative approach (emphasises difference from average)
by combining traits in various amounts unique personalities can be recreated

Question 2

What does differential psychology include?

Answer 2

abilities, aptitudes and intelligence

Question 3

When are people most likely to change?

Answer 3

after encountering turning points

Question 4

Is personality stable despite changes (in the form of tuning points for example?

Answer 4

there is a degree of stability
-> in absence of turning points stability over time is more the rule than the exception

Question 5

Is behaviour as stable as traits?

Answer 5

No, traits might be stable, but behaviours they manifest themselves in might change substantially

Question 6

How stable are traits across situations?

Answer 6

some degree of stability

Question 7

Which two concepts are impacting our behavioural consistency across situations?

Answer 7

Situationism: behaviour varies from 1 situation to another
-> due to situational differences rather than traits determining behaviour
Person-Situation interaction: why do two people act differently in the same situation?

Question 8

How do Situationalism and Person-situation interaction interplay?

Answer 8

they interact with situational forces to produce behaviour
Strong situations: nearly everybody reacts in the same way
Weak/ ambiguous situations: personality has strongest influence

Question 9

What did personality psychologists settle for now?

Answer 9

predicting some of the people some of the time (not all of them at all times)

Question 10

Which types of dynamic interactions between person and situation are there?

Answer 10

Situational selection: tendency to chose situations to get involved in -> can influence people’s states
Evocation: certain personality traits may evoke specific responses from the environment
Manipulation: means by which people influence the behaviours of others

Question 11

What’s aggregation?

Answer 11

process of adding up/ averaging several single observations
-> better measure of a personality trait

Question 12

What are examples of companies using personality tests?

Answer 12

Personell selection
Integrity Testing: Overt (asking about counterproductive behaviours in previous jobs), Covert (personality traits highly correlated with these behaviours)

Question 13

What is the ultimate goal of using personality tests in companies?

Answer 13

Avoiding systematic discrimination based on other criteria like race, etc.

Question 14

Why is the MBTI (Myers-Briggs type indicator) an unreliable personality test?

Answer 14

1. Created for money
2. no psychological training (and based on Jungs pseudoscientific theories)
3. Simplified all scores into 4 dimensions to place people in 16 common typologies
4. Attractive, simple and understandable (personality is more complex)
5. Force all people into 16 categories
6. No predicitive or incremental validity

Question 15

What’s a reliable personality test and why?

Answer 15

Hogan’s personality inventory (HPI)
1. not for money
2. Specialised in psychology
3. Questionnaire developed based on evidence
4. tested and proven to be reliable and valid