Week 1 Lecture 1 - intro

Question 1

What are individual differences?

Answer 1

The dimensions on which we differ

Question 2

What does individual differences allow?

Answer 2

• complements our understanding of behaviour –> takes general rules then examines the variation around it
• permeates our everyday experience and language

Question 3

What “individual differences” are there?

Answer 3

• Personality
• Intelligence
• Motivation
• Creativity

Question 4

What are some ways to measure individual differences?

Answer 4

• Self-report measures
• Behavioural or performance-based measures
• Alternate uses tests –> name all things associated with “……”
• Remote associations tests –> identify a fourth word that is associated with e.g., strike - same - tennis

Question 5

What do measures of individual differences tend to be?

Answer 5

• tend to be normally distributed
• tend to represent both trait and state effects

Question 6

Why are individual differences important?

Answer 6

• they help us to understand ourselves and others as unique individuals
• they allow us to predict future behaviour and outcomes

Question 7

What was an example of controversial research in the personality and individual differences field?

Answer 7

• Personality test that told job-seekers their strengths but results were the same no matter which was you answered
• was based on scientific research so not bogus but was inappropriate

Question 8

What are some pros and cons of personality and ID research?

Answer 8

pros:
- helps us to understand causes of ID
- essential for addressing inequality

cons:
- highly politically sensitive
- subject to misuse/ misinterpretation
- group differences say little about each person
- need to be considered in the context of other differences