Introduction to Personality Theory and Psychodynamic Theory Flashcards
Define
Longitudinal study
A study that collects data on the same people at more than one time
Define
Confounding variables
In a correlational study, an outside variable related to the primary variables; also known as third variables
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Correlational study
Studies that examine the relationship between two or more characteristics of people
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Triangulation
Using different research methods to answer the same question, in order to be more certain of the answer
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Repressive copers
People who deny their anxiety even when they’re feeling very worried; they score high on social desirability and low on self-report measures of anxiety
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Physiological measures
Measurements assessing physical reactions such as heart rate or sweating
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Intercoder reliability
Occurs when people coding stories or written material agree, using a set of rules, that it meets a certain criteria
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Informant reports
When the people close to someone (roommates, family, friends) report on his or her personality
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Normal distribution
A distribution of scores in which most people score in the middles and fewer score at the extremes; also known as a “bell curve”
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Mode
The most frequent score
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Median
The score that falls in the middle of all the scores on the test (also called the 50th percentile)
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Descriptive statistics
Numbers such as the mean, median and mode
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Discriminant validity
When a scale does not correlate with unrelated scales
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Convergent validity
When a scale correlates with other scales measuring the same construct
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Internal reliability
When all of the items on a questionnaire measure the same thing
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Statistically significant
Having a probability of less than 5% that the results are due to random chance
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Null correlation
When two variables are not related to each other
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Negative correlation
When one variable is high, the other variable tends to be low
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Positive correlation
When one variable is high, the other variable tends to be high as well
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Correlation
The statistical relationship between two variables
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Acquiescence response set
The tendency of some respondents to agree with many items on a questionnaire
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Reverse-scored items
Items scored in the opposite direction from the responses
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Self-report measure
Questionnaires asking people to report on their own personalities, usually through rating themselves on a list of adjectives or statements
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Personality assessment
The way we measure and capture personality, using a variety of methods
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Socially desirable responding
The tendency of people to make themselves look better than they actually are
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Conscientiousness
Organised, ambitious and self-controlled; opposite: being messy, unmotivated, and impulsive
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Person-situation interaction
When the person and situation work together to determine behaviour
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Nature-nurture debate
The view that geneitcs cause personality traits versus the view that the environment causes personality traits
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Person-Situation Debate
The view that stable personality traits predict behaviour versus the view personality doesn’t really exist and the situation is much more important
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Situation
The other people and the physical environment surrounding a person
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Introversion
How shy and reserved someone is, the opposite of extraversion
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Extraversion
How outgoing, assertive, and talkative someone is
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Personality
Someone’s usual pattern of behaviour, feelings, and thoughts
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Random Assignment to Condition
A process ensuring that all participants have an equal chance of taking part in any condition of an experiment; through random assignment, researchers can be relatively certain that differences in the participants’ personalities or backgrounds are distributed evenly across conditions
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Independent Variable
The variable a researcher changes or varies to see if it has an effect on some other variable
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Experimental Method
The method in which the researcher randomly assigns participants to different conditions and ensures that these conditions are identical except for the independent variable (the one thought to have a causal effect on people’s responses)
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Dependent Variable
The variable a researcher measures to see if it is influenced by the independent variable; the researcher hypothesises that this variable will depend on the level of the independent variable
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Projective tests
Measures designed to elicit personality characteristics without directly asking
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Barnum Effect
The tendency for people to believe vague positive statements about themselves
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Face validity
When scale items appear, at face value, to measure what they are supposed to measure
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Mean
The average score on a scale, calculated by adding everyone’s scores anc dividing by the number of scores
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Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
a device that measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow
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Test-Retest Reliability
Taking the test at to different times produces roughly the same result
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Validity
When a scale measures what it’s supposed to measure
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Reliability
Consistency, either within a scale or over time
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Predictive validity
When a scale is related to a concrete outcome or behaviour
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Percentile score
The percentage of people someone scores higher than on a scale or test; a score at the 90th ______ means someone scores higher than 90% of the people who took the scale
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Likert scale
A range of numbers that correspond to how much someone agrees or disagrees with an item
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Cronbach’s alpha
a statistical measire of internal reliability
Definition
A study that collects data on the same people at more than one time
Longitudinal study
Definition
In a correlational study, an outside variable related to the primary variables; also known as third variables
Confounding variables
Definition
Studies that examine the relationship between two or more characteristics of people
Correlational study
Definition
Using different research methods to answer the same question, in order to be more certain of the answer
Triangulation
Definition
People who deny their anxiety even when they’re feeling very worried; they score high on social desirability and low on self-report measures of anxiety
Repressive copers
Definition
Measurements assessing physical reactions such as heart rate or sweating
Physiological measures
Definition
Occurs when people coding stories or written material agree, using a set of rules, that it meets a certain criteria
Intercoder reliability
Definition
When the people close to someone (roommates, family, friends) report on his or her personality
Informant reports
Definition
A distribution of scores in which most people score in the middles and fewer score at the extremes; also known as a “bell curve”
Normal distribution
Definition
The most frequent score
Mode
Definition
The score that falls in the middle of all the scores on the test (also called the 50th percentile)
Median
Definition
Numbers such as the mean, median and mode
Descriptive statistics
Definition
When a scale does not correlate with unrelated scales
Discriminant validity
Definition
When a scale correlates with other scales measuring the same construct
Convergent validity
Definition
When all of the items on a questionnaire measure the same thing
Internal reliability
Definition
Having a probability of less than 5% that the results are due to random chance
Statistically significant
Definition
When two variables are not related to each other
Null correlation
Definition
When one variable is high, the other variable tends to be low
Negative correlation
Definition
When one variable is high, the other variable tends to be high as well
Positive correlation
Definition
The statistical relationship between two variables
Correlation
Definition
The tendency of some respondents to agree with many items on a questionnaire
Acquiescence response set
Definition
Items scored in the opposite direction from the responses
Reverse-scored items
Definition
Questionnaires asking people to report on their own personalities, usually through rating themselves on a list of adjectives or statements
Self-report measure
Definition
The way we measure and capture personality, using a variety of methods
Personality assessment
Definition
The tendency of people to make themselves look better than they actually are
Socially desirable responding
Definition
Organised, ambitious and self-controlled; opposite: being messy, unmotivated, and impulsive
Conscientiousness
Definition
When the person and situation work together to determine behaviour
Person-situation interaction
Definition
The view that geneitcs cause personality traits versus the view that the environment causes personality traits
Nature-nurture debate
Definition
The view that stable personality traits predict behaviour versus the view personality doesn’t really exist and the situation is much more important
Person-Situation Debate
Definition
The other people and the physical environment surrounding a person
Situation
Definition
How shy and reserved someone is, the opposite of extraversion
Introversion
Definition
How outgoing, assertive, and talkative someone is
Extraversion
Definition
Someone’s usual pattern of behaviour, feelings, and thoughts
Personality