Personality: Study and Assessment

A comprehensive set of practice flashcards covering reliability, validity, biases, varieties of personality measures, projective vs. objective tests, research designs, and ethics in personality assessment.

What does reliability refer to in personality measurement?

The ability of a scale to give consistent results.

What is internal consistency reliability?

Reliability assessed by the consistency of results across items within a test.

What is test–retest reliability?

Reliability assessed by the stability of scores over time when the same test is administered again.

How can researchers address the idea that personalities change over time?

By looking for consistent patterns of response that indicate underlying personality stability.

What does validity refer to in test measurement?

Whether a test measures what it is supposed to measure.

What is content validity?

A type of validity focused on whether test content represents the construct being measured.

Under Construct Validity, which type is explicitly listed in the notes?

Content Validity.

What is bias related to ethnicity and gender in testing?

Ethnic and Gender Bias.

What is Acquiescence Response Set?

A tendency to respond in agreement regardless of item content.

How can item wording help avoid response-set biases?

Wording of items is sometimes reversed to counteract biases.

What is Social Desirability Response Set?

Tendency to respond in a way that makes one look good; can involve lying.

Name a common type of personality measure that relies on the test-taker's own responses.

Self-Report Tests.

Which method involves others rating or judging a person’s personality?

Ratings and Judgments by Others.

What is a Q-Sort Test?

A non-self-report method used in personality assessment.

What are Biologic Measures in personality assessment?

Biological Measures (physiological/genetic indicators) used to assess personality.

What are Behavioral Observations?

Observing and recording behavior as a measure of personality.

What is an Interview in personality assessment?

A method of collecting personality data via questioning.

What is Expressive Behavior in personality measurement?

A category of measures involving observing expressive actions.

What is Document Analysis and Biographical Studies?

Using documents and biographical information as data sources for personality.

What is a Projective Test?

A subjective test where the individual projects unconscious contents onto neutral stimuli.

Name a projective test example that uses inkblots.

Rorschach Inkblot Test (RIT).

What does TAT stand for in projective testing?

Thematic Apperception Test.

What are DAP, HTP, and KFD in projective testing?

DAP = Draw a Person; HTP = House Tree Person; KFD = Kinetic Family Drawing.

What is the psychoanalytic perspective's relation to projective testing?

Projective testing is most closely associated with the psychoanalytic perspective.

Name two other projective test examples mentioned besides RIT/TAT (if listed).

DAP (Draw a Person) and HTP (House Tree Person); KFD (Kinetic Family Drawing).

What are Demographics and Lifestyle in the context of personality measures?

Categories of data used alongside other measures to describe personality.

What is Internet Analysis of Social Media and Big Data in personality assessment?

Using online data sources and big data methods to assess personality.

Give an example of an objective personality test.

MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory).

Give another example of an objective personality test.

MCMI (Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory).

What are Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and NEO-PI?

MBTI and NEO-PI (Big Five) as objective personality tests.

What is a Case Study in personality research?

Looks at an individual in depth; hard to generalize.

What is a Correlational Study in personality research?

Correlates personality types with behavior (not causal).

What is an Experimental Study in personality research?

Addresses causal factors; random assignment to conditions is possible, but manipulation of personality variables is limited.

Do all test results contain no error?

No; all tests contain some amount of error.

Why do errors matter when tests are used for important decisions?

Errors become very important because decisions (e.g., school, work, medical treatment) depend on test results.

Should we stop using psychological assessment tools because of measurement error?

No; use them carefully, including interpretation, application, test construction, and revision.

What should be done to minimize issues in the assessment process?

Be careful in interpretation of results, in applying knowledge, in constructing new tests, and in revising existing measures.