Personality assessmentPersonality assessment

...in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you ...in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you makemake

Personality assessmentPersonality assessment

...in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you ...in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you makemake

Dr Niko TiliopoulosRoom 448, Brennan McCallum building

Email: nikot@psych.usyd.edu.au

The final summaryThe final summary

ApproachApproach LevelLevel CoverageCoverage CauseCause BiasBias FocusFocus

11stst forceforce

PsychodynamPsychodynamicic

Idiographic-Idiographic-NomotheticNomothetic PartialPartial DeterminedDetermined

SubjectivSubjectivee

(observer(observer))

NegativeNegative

22ndnd forceforce

Behavioural-Behavioural-CognitiveCognitive NomotheticNomothetic Minimal-Minimal-

PartialPartial DeterminedDetermined ObjectiveObjective Positive-Positive-NegativeNegative

33rdrd forceforce HumanisticHumanistic IdiographicIdiographic PartialPartial Non-Non-

determineddetermined

SubjectivSubjectivee

(individua(individual)l)

PositivePositive

ExistentialExistential IdiographicIdiographic HolisticHolistic Non-Non-determineddetermined

SubjectivSubjective(individue(individu

al)al)

Positive-Positive-NegativeNegative

TraitsTraits Idiographic-Idiographic-NomotheticNomothetic

Nearly Nearly holisticholistic ProbableProbable

SubjectivSubjective-e-

ObjectiveObjective

Positive-Positive-NegativeNegative

General types of personality General types of personality assessmentassessment

Tests of performanceTests of performance Attempt to reveal the intent or internal mental state of a participantAttempt to reveal the intent or internal mental state of a participant

• E.g. Mental abilities tests, IQ tests, Psychomotor testsE.g. Mental abilities tests, IQ tests, Psychomotor tests The problem of The problem of ecological validityecological validity

Behaviour observationsBehaviour observations Assessment of typical manifestations of an attribute within a specific Assessment of typical manifestations of an attribute within a specific

contentcontent• E.g. E.g. (Semi- unstructured)(Semi- unstructured) Interviews, Participant-observations Interviews, Participant-observations (ethnography)(ethnography)

The problem of The problem of replicabilityreplicability

Self (peer)-reportsSelf (peer)-reports Participants are asked to report elements of their (or their peers) Participants are asked to report elements of their (or their peers)

feelings, attitudes, beliefs, values, etc.feelings, attitudes, beliefs, values, etc.• E.g. Personality tests, Standardised (clinical) interviews, surveysE.g. Personality tests, Standardised (clinical) interviews, surveys

The problem of The problem of dishonestydishonesty

Psychophysiological assessmentPsychophysiological assessment Measuring biological functions that relate to personalityMeasuring biological functions that relate to personality

• E.g. fMRI scans, EEG data, GSR data, PET scans, blood tests, gene E.g. fMRI scans, EEG data, GSR data, PET scans, blood tests, gene sequencingsequencing

The problems of The problems of reductionism and practicalityreductionism and practicality

Scoring (quantifying) your Scoring (quantifying) your personalitypersonality

Established rules for scoring & obtaining Established rules for scoring & obtaining quantitative information from behaviour quantitative information from behaviour samplessamples

Objective scoringObjective scoring E.g. Standardised (Clinical) QuestionnairesE.g. Standardised (Clinical) Questionnaires

Subjective scoringSubjective scoring(psychologist’s judgement)(psychologist’s judgement) E.g. Vignette, Projective, and role-playing E.g. Vignette, Projective, and role-playing

teststests

Concerns regarding the interpretation of test Concerns regarding the interpretation of test resultsresults

Are the observed attributes real?Are the observed attributes real? (Cultural) test biases(Cultural) test biases Procedural /administrative biasesProcedural /administrative biases FakingFaking Framing and observer biasesFraming and observer biases

Are the observed attributes important?Are the observed attributes important? The difference between statistical and practical The difference between statistical and practical

(psychological) importance(psychological) importance

Do tests help or hurt?Do tests help or hurt? The person as a numberThe person as a number The issue of The issue of labellinglabelling

PsychometricPsychometric properties of personality properties of personality tests I: tests I: ValidityValidity

The degree to which a test measures The degree to which a test measures what it claims to measurewhat it claims to measure

The appropriateness or meaningfulness The appropriateness or meaningfulness of test scores or interpretationsof test scores or interpretations

The degree to which measurements or The degree to which measurements or observations are a observations are a true representation true representation of realityof reality

Psychometric properties of personality Psychometric properties of personality tests II: tests II: ReliabilityReliability

The degree of consistency or stability of The degree of consistency or stability of measurement scores across time or measurement scores across time or contextcontext

The absence of measurement The absence of measurement fluctuations that are unaccounted by fluctuations that are unaccounted by the measurement’s scopethe measurement’s scope

An individual should consistently produce An individual should consistently produce similarsimilar responses to any test that measures responses to any test that measures the same personality elementsthe same personality elements

Reliability vs. ValidityReliability vs. Validity

A valid measure always A valid measure always hitshits the target; a reliable the target; a reliable measure always hits the measure always hits the same placesame place on the target on the target

Reliability is a necessary but Reliability is a necessary but notnot sufficient condition for sufficient condition for validityvalidity

At the conceptual level, a valid measure is At the conceptual level, a valid measure is alwaysalways reliablereliable

Looking aheadLooking ahead 22ndnd year year

PSYC2014: Personality & Intelligence IPSYC2014: Personality & Intelligence I• In-depth presentation of specific theories, e.g. Freud, Jung, In-depth presentation of specific theories, e.g. Freud, Jung,

Maslow, Bandura, Allport, etc.Maslow, Bandura, Allport, etc.

33rdrd year year PSYC3015: Personality & Intelligence IIPSYC3015: Personality & Intelligence II

• Cross-cultural theories, evolutionary theories, genomic theoriesCross-cultural theories, evolutionary theories, genomic theories

PSYC3018: Abnormal PsychologyPSYC3018: Abnormal Psychology• Personality disorders and other fantastic cuckoo stuff Personality disorders and other fantastic cuckoo stuff

44thth year year Psychometric AssessmentPsychometric Assessment

Religion & SpiritualityReligion & Spirituality

Personality Dynamics & PhilosophyPersonality Dynamics & Philosophy

Exam Exam information!information!