chapter 2: how is personality studied and assessed? this multimedia product and its contents are...
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 2:Chapter 2:
How is Personality How is Personality Studied and Studied and Assessed?Assessed?
This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: (1) Any public performance or display, including transmission of are prohibited by law: (1) Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; (2) Preparation of any derivative work, including the any image over a network; (2) Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; (3) Any rental, lease, or lending of the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; (3) Any rental, lease, or lending of the program.program.
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Subjective AssessmentSubjective Assessment
Measurement that relies on interpretation (unlike objective assessment)
Weaknesses◦ Different observers may make different
judgments
Strengths◦ Complex phenomena may be examined and
valuable insight gained
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reliability (1)Reliability (1)
The consistency of scores that are expected to be the same
Test-retest reliability◦Measure of consistency over time
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reliability (2)Reliability (2)Internal consistency reliability
◦Split-half reliability The correlation between two halves of a
test
◦Cronbach’s coefficient alpha The average of all possible split-half
correlations
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Validity (1)Validity (1)Construct validity
◦The extent to which a test truly measures a theoretical construct
Convergent validity◦A measure is related to what it
should be related toDiscriminant validity
◦A measure is not related to what it should not be related to
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Validity (2)Validity (2)
Criterion-related validity◦The measure can predict important
outcome criteria
Content validity◦The measure contains items that
represent the entire domain of the theoretical construct
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Item SelectionItem Selection Items should be clear and relatively simple
Items should discriminate among test takers
Items should be intercorrelated◦ But not so highly that they are redundant
The total score of the assessment should have a normal distribution◦ Avoid ceiling and floor effects◦ Be sensitive to variability across the range of scores
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Response Sets (1)Response Sets (1)A bias in responding to test items
that is unrelated to the personality characteristic being measured◦Acquiescence response set
“yes”, “agree,” “true of me”
◦Social desirability response set The “good” or “correct” answer The answer that reflects well on the test-
taker
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Response Sets (2)Response Sets (2)
To reduce the problem of response sets◦Reverse-code some items ◦Use neutral wording◦Include lie scales ◦Use several different methods of
assessment
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Ethnic and Gender BiasEthnic and Gender Bias
A characteristic that is a strength in one group may be perceived as a weakness or deficiency in another
All tests make assumptions about the background of the test-taker
Use care in interpreting results◦ Always consider the context
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Types of Personality Types of Personality Measures:Measures:Self-Report TestsSelf-Report Tests
Usually pencil and paper testsMost common type of testExamples:
◦Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
◦Big-Five Inventory (BFI)◦Affective Communication Test
(ACT)
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Types of Personality Types of Personality Measures:Measures:Q-Sort TestsQ-Sort Tests
Person makes comparisons among his/her own characteristics
Uses a stack of cards, one characteristic per card
Sorts cards into piles indicating how descriptive each card is of him/her
Forced number of cards at each level◦ Normalizes use of levels across test-takers
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Types of Personality Types of Personality Measures:Measures:Judgments by OthersJudgments by Others
Someone else answers questions about the person being measured
Some traits are easier to judge than others
Can use ratings from parents, friends, teachers, spouse, psychologists, etc.
Used for adults and children
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Types of Personality Types of Personality Measures:Measures:Biological MeasuresBiological Measures
Assumes that the nervous system is an important element of personality
Modern biological measures◦ Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Can provide event-related potentials (ERPs) ◦ Positron emission tomography (PET) scan◦ Magnetic resonance imagery (MRI)◦ Functional magnetic resonance imagery (fMRI)◦ Hormonal levels◦ Chromosomal analysis
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
PET Scan PET Scan
Brain in REM Sleep
(horizontal view, nose on top)
Lightest areas have highest activity
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Types of Personality Types of Personality Measures:Measures:Behavioral ObservationsBehavioral ObservationsRecords the actual behavior of a
person
Types of behavioral observations◦Simple counts of a specific behavior◦Coding videotaped interactions◦Electronic pagers
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Types of Personality Types of Personality Measures:Measures:InterviewsInterviewsUnstructured interviews
◦Typically yield rich information, but validity is questionable
Structured interviews◦More valid, but usually do not reveal
individual nuances
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Types of Personality Types of Personality Measures:Measures:Expressive BehaviorExpressive BehaviorThe analysis of how people
stand, move, speak, etc.
Includes the examination of:◦speech rate◦voice quality◦gaze patterns◦posture◦gestures
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Types of Personality Types of Personality Measures:Measures:Document Analysis/Life Document Analysis/Life StoriesStoriesInvolves the careful analysis of
writings such as letters and diaries
Can be a very rich source of information
Examples:◦Allport’s “Letters from Jenny”◦Terman’s analysis of Galton’s letters
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Types of Personality Types of Personality Measures:Measures:Projective TestsProjective Tests
Present an unstructured or ambiguous stimulus, task, or situation
Test-taker provides an interpretation◦The goal is to gain access to unconscious
motives and concernsExamples:
◦Draw-a-person test◦Rorschach Inkblot◦Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Projective Test Example: Projective Test Example: Draw-a-PersonDraw-a-Person
Drawing by a nine-year-old in response to the prompt “Draw a person”
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Projective Test Example: Projective Test Example: InkblotInkblot
An inkblot stimulus similar to those used in the Rorschach Test.
The test-taker is asked, “What do you see?”
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Types of Personality Types of Personality Measures:Measures:Demographics and LifestyleDemographics and Lifestyle
Uses information about a person’s age, place of birth, gender, family size, etc.
Can help researchers understand people based on their everyday lives
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Ethics of Personality The Ethics of Personality TestingTesting
Test results always contain some error◦However, this should not prevent
us from using personality testsDue to these errors, one must
be careful◦when interpreting test results◦when choosing how to apply the
results
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Research DesignsResearch Designs
Common designs in personality research:◦Case Studies◦Correlational Studies◦Experimental Studies
Each has different benefits and drawbacks
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.