Variations in Psychological Attributes

Individual Differences

Distinctiveness and variations among people’s characteristics and behaviour patterns.

Situationism

Situations and circumstances in which one is placed influence one’s behaviour more than their characteristics

Psychological attributes

Can range from simple phenomena

• Reaction time

To global concepts

• Happiness

Assessment

Measurement of psychological attributes of individuals and their evaluation, using multiple methods

• Psychological attributes are multidimensional, so to assess a person, one needs to assess various domains of it.

Formal assessment

• Objective, standardised, organised

• Psychologists are trained to use this

Informal assessment

Varies from case to case, from one assessor to another, and is open to subjective interpretation

Intelligence

• Global capacity to:

  • Understand the world

  • Think rationally

  • Use available resources to overcome challenges

• A test measures a person’s general cognitive competence

  • Inability to profit from schooling likely signals low intelligence