Measuring Personality Self Report ask them o Disadvantages People can lie and there are things they may not even know about themselves information o Advantages People know things about themselves that nobody else does Other Report ask other people o Disadvantages Observers that have a relationship to the target may present biased o Advantages Provides access to information not attainable through other sources or that the target may not disclose themselves Situational Tests o Disadvantages Subjects might guess what is being measured and alter their behavior o Advantages Subjects may interpret testing situation different than intended The researcher might influence behavior Biological Tests Validity refers to the credibility or believability of the research Are the findings genuine Does the experiment measure what it is supposed to measure Face Validity doesn t look like what it s supposed to Math test looks like English test Predictive Validity does the measure predict behaviors related to the trait Convergent Validity does the measure correlate with other measures that are supposed to be related Depression has a correlation with staying indoors moping Discriminant Validity is this measure uncorrelated with measures that it shouldn t be correlated with Reliability refers to the repeatability of findings If the study were to be done a second time would it yield the same results If so the data are reliable Test Retest test one time and test again The results should be similar Internal Consistency Items within the test positively correlate Is each item on the scale measuring the same Generalizability degree to which measure retains validity across different contexts including different groups of people and different conditions The scale is valid across various groups and situations Correlation does not equal causation Curvilinear relationship as one variable increases so does the other variable but only up to a certain point after which as one variable continues to increase the other decreases Graphically looks like an inverted U Construct Approach Begins with a clear conceptual definition of the trait of interest usually embedded in a larger personality theory After defining the trait we would begin writing items which are the test questions or statements Item Analysis used to determine the contribution that each item makes to the scale by correlating the scores on each item with the total score Those items that make a negligible contribution produce low correlations would be dropped Trait Perspectives CAN CAUSE BEHAVIOR 1 Neurophysiological substrates Traits are biological differences that can cause behavior to occur 2 Behavioral Traits Traits are tendencies to behave a certain way DO NOT CAUSE BEHAVIOR 1 Act Frequencies Traits are descriptive categories for behavior traits exist 2 objectively Linguistic Categories Traits are linguistic categories for behavior traits are all in our minds Features of a Trait Internal stable attribute 1 2 Conceived in bipolar terms continuum 3 Seen as additive and independent 4 Broad differences in socioemotional functioning Approaches to Developing Trait Taxonomies Lexical All important traits are apparent in language 1 2 Statistical Give people questionnaires and analyze using factor analysis 3 Theoretical A theory determines which traits are important Eysenck s Hierarchical Model of Personality 1 Extraversion Introversion E Sociable lively active assertive 2 Neuroticism Emotional Stability N 3 Psychoticism P Solitary lack empathy or are cruel aggressive prefer strange unusual things impulsive antisocial Interpersonal Circumplex 1 Dominant Submissive agency a Argued to directly map onto Extraversion 2 Friendly Hostile communion a Argued to directly map onto Agreeableness Five Factor Model of Personality 1 Neuroticism moody anxious insecure Negatively correlated with extraversion Neurotic Cascade Hyperreactivity differential exposure differential appraisal mood spillover 2 Extraversion Extraverts talk more engage in more eye contact happier more sexually active don t mind large groups 3 Openness to Experience correlation of about 32 between IQ and openness More magical thining 4 Agreeableness Kind warm understanding sincere Are better lovers friends and caregivers Experience less interpersonal conflict 5 Conscientiousness Organized neat orderly practical prompt and meticulous Perform better at work work more hours perform better at school live longer Factor Analysis Enables the researcher to reduce a large number of items or variables to a smaller set of underlying dimensions called factors Surface Traits identified or projected by the individual according to the situation and environment Source Traits building blocks or sources of human personality Myers Briggs Type Indicator The MBTI has very skimpy scientific evidence behind it Research has failed to show that clean types provided by the MBTI actually correspond to demonstrable differences in personality functioning Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory has been the most widely used and thoroughly researched personality measure in the past 70 years Examples of questions are T or F I have nightmares every few nights At times I feel like smashing things I am sure I am being talked about Criterion Key Method method to select questions for personality inventories where the items are chosen and weighted according to social criterion Longitudinal Study study of the same group of people over time Absolute Continuity mean level stability absolute change in the individual s level of a certain trait over time Differential Continuity rank order stability maintenance of an individual s relative position within a group Personality Coherence maintaining one s relative position to others in a group but changing in the manifestations of trait Temperament assessed by Activity level Smiling and laughter Fear Distress to limitations Duration of orienting Soothability Personality generally becomes more stable as people age Big Five traits have high absolute and differential continuity Decrease in Openness to experience Extraversion Neuroticism Increase in Conscientiousness Agreeableness What characteristics do people universally view as most important in a mate o Mutual Attraction o Dependable Character o Emotional Stability and Maturity o Pleasing Disposition Agreeableness Emotional Stability Openness Conscientiousness Agreeableness VERY strong predictor of relationship satisfaction Assortive Mating
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