Week 2: Psychometrics & trait theory

Question 1

What is factor analysis?

Answer 1

Factor analysis examines the relationship between observed correlating variables to determine whether or not those variables combined represent latent unobserved variables, thus reducing the number of variables to a minimum number of combined factors.

Question 2

What’s the difference between an item and a factor or component?

Answer 2

An item is an observed, measured element or expression of an attribute (eg a Q psychometric questionnaire or a response to a behavioural task).

A factor or component is a combination of items which form a latent dimension (construct).

Question 3

What is factor loading, and what is the value used to determine that each item loads on to a factor?

Answer 3

Factor loading is a measure used to determine the statistical relationship between an item and a factor-> it’s basically the correlation coefficient for the item and the factor it’s loading on to.

Generally if the factor loading is >|.40| (medium correlation) then it is considered to belong to, or make up that factor.

Question 4

For a factor to be considered a meaningful psychological construct, the items which load onto it need to be both:

Answer 4

The variables need to be both qualitative and quantitative

Question 5

What are the two types of factor analysis (FA), EFA and CFA? Describe their differences.

Answer 5

The two types of factor analysis are analysis are exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

EFA is used to identify possible latent construct/s whereas CFA is used to reveal already hypothesised/ theorised or empirically tested latent constructs.

Question 6

PCA (principle component analysis) is the simplest and most commonly used EFA (exploratory factor analysis).

What are it’s assumption in regards to common and unique variance? Use the construct of neuroticism as an example

Answer 6

PCA assumes that all the common and unique variance in the items are attributed to the same latent construct eg neuroticism

Question 7

What’s the difference between orthogonal and oblique factors/ components?

Answer 7

Orthogonal factors are dimensions which are independent of one another, whereas oblique factors are related to one another.

Question 8

Are neuroticism and extraversion orthogonal or oblique?

Answer 8

Neuroticism and extraversion are considered orthogonal, they are not related to one another.

Question 9

Are Gf (general fluid) and Gc (general crystalised) intelligence factors considered to be orthogonal or oblique constructs/ dimensions?

Answer 9

Gf and Gc are considered to be oblique constructs; they are related to one another.

Question 10

The suitability of an item (or a psychometric test dataset) to be included in a FA model, is considered to be that item’s _______

Answer 10

factorability

Question 11

Items which form distinct factors, or item clusters, and exhibit high levels of convergence and discriminant validity, are known to belong to which type of factor analyses structure?

Answer 11

Items which cluster together and show high discriminant validity from the other clusters are forming a simple structure.

Question 12

Name the rotation type most commonly used in psychology, used to rotate orthogonal factors in such a way that the variability they each explain is maximised.

Answer 12

Varimax rotation (from variance max rotation).

Question 13

A rotation type used for oblique factors is called _____, or direct rotation. This twists the space, and is avoided in psychology, because it can distort the conceptual space.

Answer 13

(Direct) Oblimin rotation (Oblique rotation)

Question 14

What is the maximum possible number of factors?

Answer 14

The maximum possible number of factors is equal to the number of dimensions being measured

Question 15

The standardised variance of all the items that is explained by a single factor is known as the ______, or characteristic roots. Explain in different words what it represents.

Answer 15

eigenvalue

Eigenvalue is a numerical index used to express the portion of the total variance among several correlated variables which contributes to a single factor.

Question 16

What is the acceptable eigenvalue used for The Kraiser Criterion, to determine if a factor is valid? What is the justification for this?

Answer 16

At least 1. This represents at least one item. If there are 4 items represented by an eigenvalue of 1, then 1/4 of each item contributes to that factor.

Question 17

What is Cattell’s scree plot (line plot of the eigenvalues of factors or principal components) rule?

Answer 17

Cattell’s scree plot rule is that the the scree plot is composed by the slope, we should therefore keep all dimensions proposed by the slope.

Question 18

Retain all factors that are meaningful, clearly interpretable (valid) and measurable (reliable) within the context of a given study or a conceptual framework.

Which rule do these principles outline of which factors to keep after performing a factor analysis?

Answer 18

The comprehensibility rule: Retain all factors that are meaningful, valid and reliable

Question 19

Who was responsible for factor analysis and classical test theory?

Answer 19

Charles Spearman

Question 20

Give an example of an extremely useful application for psychometric profiling and psychobiography, with 4 examples of how it is applied

Answer 20

Criminal/ clinical personality profiling.

Eliminating suspects who don’t fit the profile, interrogation techniques which are adapted the the personality type, identifying unknown offenders and offenders of unusual crimes such as serial murders.

Question 21

Psychographics is a subset of psychobiography, involving the study and classification of people according to their attitudes, aspirations, and other psychological criteria.

What is it’s most common application?

Answer 21

Market research

Question 22

The triple book-keeping approach; body, ego and family, contributed greatly to psychobiographical psychometric assessment. Who was responsible for this contribution?

Answer 22

Erik Erikson.

Question 23

Although Niko hates Freud, Freud’s proscriptive guidelines in 1910 laid the foundations for what types of conceptual assessment in personology?

Answer 23

Assesment of validity and reliability elements in personology.

Question 24

The traits approach to personality involves 4 main landmark theories: Lexical, Psychobiological, Evolutionary and Interpersonal. Within the Lexical theories, who are the major players by decade? 40s, 60s, 80s and 90s

Answer 24

40s: Cattell: factorised trait theory- 16 traits
60s: Norman: Coined term ‘The Big 5’!
80s: Goldberg: Also foudn 5, named them more squishy names like ‘love, work, affect, power, intellect’
90s: Costa and McCrae: NEO- later became OCEAN

Question 25

What did Allport believe about trait integration or dissociation and health? Personality is a dynamic system of traits.

Answer 25

Allport believed that trait integration signalled a healthy individual, whereas disassociated traits signaled poor health.

Question 26

Allport believed that traits render diverse stimuli functionally equivalent. Explain how this applies to reactions in different situations.

Answer 26

Traits are the basis for consistent reactions across differing situations. Traits are transferable, or constant.

Question 27

Allport's trait types are divided into 3 types: Cardinal, central and secondary. Describe each type and how it's applied individually. Which type is also known as meta-traits and which is super-traits?

Answer 27

Cardinal traits are dominant traits known as meta-traits. They really make up a person, but not everyone possesses cardinal trait/s. Examples of people with cardinal traits are my dad, Einstein etc. Central traits, or super-traits, are the traits which best describe an individual. This is how people would describe you, eg friendly, reliable, lazy etc. Secondary traits are generalised dispositions, such as musical taste and food preferences. These traits are less consistent.

Question 28

Universal norms (we are one) and Group norms (some of us are one), belong to which umbrella trait type, whereas Idiosyncratic norms belong to which other trait type?

Answer 28

Universal and group norms belong to the common traits group (think commonalities), whereas idiosyncratic norms are individual norms.

Question 29

In Allport's psychophysical systems, is temperament considered to have a biological or psychological origin?

Answer 29

In Allport's psychophysical systems, temperament is considered to have a biological origin.

Question 30

Why did Allport claim that heredity and environment must be multiplied together to create personality?

Answer 30

Allport claimed that heredity and environment must be multiplied together, because if either equalled 0 there would be 0 personality.

Question 31

Allport used the word 'determinative' to emphasise the causal link between behaviour and personality as part of the biophysical stance he took. What is the nature of that causal link?

Answer 31

Allport used the word determinative to emphasise the causal link between behaviour and personality as part of the biophysical stance he took. Allport claimed that behaviour causes personality.

Question 32

What are common and unique variance?

Answer 32

Common variance reflects the true score whereas unique variance reflects the errors.

Question 33

an Extraversion item is not factorable within a set of Neuroticism items, this is because:

Answer 33

Extraversion and neuroticism do not converge to create a single factor, they belong to different and independent constructs

Question 34

Eysenck's personality questionnaire revised short could be expressed using tow different acronyms, what are they?

Answer 34

EPQ-R-S or EPQ-R-B (because long and short questionnaires are referred to as A=long and B=short)

Question 35

What is heuristic realism?

Answer 35

Treat it as real until proven otherwise

Question 36

Somatomorphy used psychometric to find associations between personality and ____ ____

Answer 36

Somatomorphy used psychometric to find associations between personality and body types

Question 37

Traits are generic dispositions (inherent probability biases) that people posses, that uniquely influence their psychology. Give an example which demonstrates this

Answer 37

Traits are generic dispositions (inherent probability biases) that people posses, that uniquely influence their psychology. For example, the probability of chatting with strangers is high for an extrovert