Week 8: Personality Assessment Flashcards
Benefits of interviews
- information about the individual and their relationships
- allows the therapist to contextualise the clients problem
- problem behaviours are isolated and goals for therapy are selected
List different types of interviews
- semi structured
- structured
Example of a semi structured interview
Clinical interview which is guided by the client but also has a focus
Example of a structured interview
Very specific questions e.g. for assessing depression
Criterion group
A group examined for characteristics that others belonging to the group are already recognised as having
Criterion
A standard by which something can be judged
IPIP-120
- a measure of normal personality
- general non clinical population
- 120 statements, likert response scale
- uses the big 5
MMPI-2
- minnesota multiphase personality inventory-2
- 567 statements - true, false, cannot say
- provides a personality profile about current psychological functioning and characteristic ways of responding
What are MMPI validity scales designed to detect
- non/inconsistent reporting
- over reporting or exaggerating
- under reporting or downplaying
List the MMPI clinical scales
- hypochondriasis
- depression
- hysteria
- psychopathic deviate
- masculinity-femininity
- paranoia
- psychasthenia
- schizophrenia
- hypomania
- social introversion
Describe the hypochondriasis scale
Subject is unrealistically concerned with physical complaints
Describe the depression scale
Subject is unhappy, depressed and pessimistic
Describe the hysteria scale
Subject focuses on vague physical symptoms to avoid dealing with severe psychological distress
Describe the psychopathic deviate scale
Subject’s social interactions indicate emotional shallowness, rebelliousness and disregard for law or conventional morality
Describe the masculinity-femininity scale
Subject shows interests and behaviours usually associated with the opposite sex role
Describe the paranoia scale
Subject has a strong, irrational suspicions and overestimates own importance
Describe the schizophrenia scale
Subject is withdrawn, experiences distortions of reality and dresses and acts bizarrely
Describe the hypomania scale
Subject is outgoing, impulsive, overly active and excited
Describe the social introversion scale
Subject is withdrawn, shy, extroversion inhibited, and self effacing
What is a criticism of the MMPI
Cultural bias. In the US, african americans tend to score higher on certain sub scales
Describe projective tests
The test taker responds to an ambiguous stimuli to presumably reveal unconscious emotions and hidden conflicts projected by the person onto the test
Describe the thematic apperception test (TAT)
The test taker makes up a story about a set of pictures, which presumably reveals underlying motives and personality factors
List some examples of TAT questions
- what has led to the event shown?
- what is happening at the moment?
- what are the characters feeling and thinking?
- what was the outcome of the story?
List some projective tests for children
- complete this sentence
- draw a house/tree/person
