Module 1: Defining and Measuring Personality

Question 1

The textbook defines personality as…

Answer 1

the set of psychological traits and mechanisms within the individual that are organized and relatively enduring and that influence the individual’s interactions and adaptations to the environment

Question 2

What are the 6 domains of personality functioning?

Answer 2

1. Dispositional
2. Biological
3. Intrapsychic
4. Cognitive-experiential
5. Social and cultural
6. Adjustment

Question 3

Correlational studies establish…

Answer 3

associations among variables

Question 4

A correlation coefficient is a type of statistic that reflects…

Answer 4

the strength and direction of an association among variables

Question 5

Pearson’s correlation coefficient is denoted with what letter?

Answer 5

r

Question 6

Pearson’s r captures the association between…

Answer 6

two continuous variables

Question 7

Random assignment is used for __________-subjects designs

Answer 7

between

Question 8

Counterbalancing is used for ___________-subjects designs

Answer 8

within

Question 9

What are 3 strengths of correlational studies?

Answer 9

1. Higher degree of ecological validity (no manipulation, measuring things as they are)
2. More flexible (easier to apply in a variety of settings)
3. Allow researchers to investigate questions where variables cannot be manipulated

Question 10

What is one major weakness of correlational studies?

Answer 10

Correlation does not equal causation

Question 11

What are 3 strengths of experimental studies?

Answer 11

1. Can test causal theories
2. Greater control to rule out alternative explanations
3. Better able to replicate

Question 12

What are 2 weaknesses of experimental studies?

Answer 12

1. Cannot manipulate all variables
2. More difficult to achieve ecological validity

Question 13

Psychological traits

Answer 13

Characteristics that describe ways in which people are different from each other

i.e., shy; talkative

Question 14

Psychological traits describe the ____________ _______________ of a person

Answer 14

average tendencies

Question 15

Psychological mechanisms

Answer 15

Refer to the process of personality

i.e., the psychological mechanism of extraversion would be that they look for and notice opportunities to interact with other people

Question 16

Psychological mechanisms typically have 3 essential ingredients:

Answer 16

1. inputs
   - info from environment
2. decision rules
   - think about certain options
3. outputs
   - behaviour or action

Question 17

What are the 3 levels of personality analysis?

Answer 17

1. Human nature level
   - universal traits
   - i.e., need to belong
2. Individual & group differences level
   - i.e., some people have a stronger need to belong than others
   - i.e., males (one group) are more aggressive than females (another group)
3. Individual uniqueness level

Question 18

Nomothetic versus idiographic research

Answer 18

Nomothetic:
- statistical comparisons

Idiographic:
- focus on single subject

Question 19

Most of the grand theories of personality address what level of personality analysis?

Answer 19

The human nature level

i.e., Freud emphasized universal instincts of sex and aggression

Question 20

Most empirical research in contemporary personality addresses what level of personality analysis?

Answer 20

The individual/group differences level

i.e., research on extraversion and introversion; anxiety and neuroticism; self-esteem; individualistic versus collectivist cultures

Question 21

Briefly describe the dispositional domain

Answer 21

Wants to understand the traits people are born with, how they develop/ are maintained over time, and how people differ from one another because of these fundamental trait dispositions.

Question 22

Briefly describe the biological domain

Answer 22

Aims to understand the genetic, psychophysiological, and evolutionary underpinnings of personality.

Question 23

Briefly describe the intrapsychic domain

Answer 23

Deals with mental mechanisms of personality (many of which operate outside of conscious awareness)

Question 24

Briefly describe the cognitive-experiential domain

Answer 24

Focuses on cognition and subjective experience (conscious thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and desires)

Question 25

Briefly describe the social and cultural domain

Answer 25

Understands personality as being affected by the social and cultural context

Question 26

Briefly describe the adjustment domain

Answer 26

Focuses on how personality plays a key role in how we cope, adapt, and adjust to life

Question 27

What are the 5 scientific standards for evaluating personality theories?

Answer 27

1. Comprehensiveness - explains all the facts 2. Heuristic value - guide to new knowledge 3. Testability - has precise predictions that can be tested empirically 4. Parsimony - few premises and assumptions 5. Compatibility & integration across domains and levels

Question 28

The field of biology has a grand theory (i.e., theory of evolution), does the field of personality?

Answer 28

No

Question 29

What are the 4 sources of personality data?

Answer 29

1. Self-report data 2. Observer-report data 3. Test data 4. Life-outcome data

Question 30

What source of personality data is the most common method for measuring personality?

Answer 30

Self-report data

Question 31

An advantage of observer-report data is that it allows researchers to use multiple observers and this allows researchers to evaluate the degree of agreement among observers - which is known as...

Answer 31

inter-rater reliability

Question 32

What are some different forms of test data?

Answer 32

1. Mechanical recording devices (i.e., actometer) 2. Physiological data (i.e., fMRI) 3. Projective techniques (i.e., ink-blots)

Question 33

Personality psychologists often use self-report data and observer-report data to predict...

Answer 33

life-outcome data

Question 34

What are the 3 standards used to evaluate personality measures?

Answer 34

1. Reliability 2. Validity 3. Generalizability

Question 35

What are 3 ways to estimate reliability?

Answer 35

1. Repeated measurement - test-retest reliability 2. Examine relationship among items - internal consistency reliability 3. Obtain measurements from multiple observers (only applicable with observer-report data) - inter-rater reliability

Question 36

What are 3 ways to approach the problem of socially desirable responses?

Answer 36

1. Remove them statistically 2. Use/ develop questionnaires less susceptible to this responding 3. Use a forced-questionnaire format

Question 37

What are the 5 types of validity?

Answer 37

1. Face 2. Predictive 3. Convergent 4. Discriminant 5. Construct

Question 38

Face validity

Answer 38

Whether the test appears to measure what it is supposed to i.e., a scale measuring manipulativeness might include items such as "I made a friend just to obtain a favour" - most people would agree that this act is manipulative thus it is face-valid

Question 39

Predictive validity

Answer 39

Whether the test predicts criteria external to the test Sometimes called criterion validity i.e., a scale intended to measure sensation-seeking should predict which individuals actually take risks to obtain enjoyment

Question 40

Convergent validity

Answer 40

Whether a test correlates with other measures that it should correlate with i.e., if a self-report measure of tolerance corresponds well with peer judgements of tolerance then the scale has high convergent validity

Question 41

Discriminant validity

Answer 41

Refers to what a measure should NOT correlate with (opposite of convergent validity)

Question 42

Construct validity

Answer 42

Broadest type of validity that subsumes all other forms of validity