MEASURING PERSONALITY

WHAT WILL I “TAKE AWAY” FROM THIS LESSON?

• Can we predict meaningful information from assessments of personality?• Are personality assessments valid? Reliable?• What are the strengths and weaknesses of each method?• The Behavioral psychologist- might this be the career for me?

MANY METHODSALL HAVE STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES

•Observation•Interview•Objective Tests •Projective Tests

BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATIONS

• Record certain “actions”• Rating scales• Situational testing-

simulations (test how someone would act in a given situation)

INTERVIEW

• Unstructured=led by responses-informal• Structured=planne

d series of questions• Computerized• Diagnostic=look for

symptoms/feelings

Pre-conceptions of interviewer (house-wife, college student, ski bum)People try to deceive

Halo effect =generalize a favorable /unfavorable impression to unrelated details of personality Limitations of Interview

OBJECTIVE TESTS= PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRES

• Paper & Pencil tests• Questions &

Scoring are standardized• Reliable• Valid

MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY567 TRUE OR FALSE ITEMS

• Everything tastes the same.• There is something wrong with my mind.• I enjoy animals.• Whenever possible, I avoid being in a crowd.• I have never done anything dangerous for the thrill of it. • I daydream often.• Someone has been trying to poison me.

PROJECTIVE TESTS

• Each stimulus has no “specific” significance so meaning applied is a “projection” of the subject’s interests/conflicts• Many tests

DRAW A PERSON

SENTENCE COMPLETION

• I am happiest when…..•My mother…..• If I could do anything I would…• I get angry when….•People don’t understand why I….

THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST (TAT)

• Henry Murray• Vague pictures• Subject tells

“story” about what they see• Before and after

prompts• Used to test

motivation

RORSCHACH (INKBLOT TEST)

• 10 Ink blots• Reflect inner

feelings & conflicts• Lowest validity

among personality tests• Culturally sensitive