Survey of Modern Psychology

1. Survey of Modern Psychology Personality

2. Personality Personality generally refers to the “distinctive patterns (including thoughts as well as ‘affects,’ that is, feelings and emotions and actions) that characterize each individual enduringly.” (Mischel, 1999)

3. Personality Psychology Personality psychology examines a person’s traits that are considered to be consistent across situations. Social Psychology focuses on how the situation causes individuals to behave a certain way Behavior is seen as primarily a function of the situation rather than individual characteristics Personality Psychology emphasizes the importance of individual differences

4. Approaches to Personality There are five main approaches to the study and interpretation of personality: Psychodynamic Trait and Biological Phenomenological (Emphasizes the individual's experience and how he or she perceives it) Behavioral Social Cognitive-Affective Tables from Mischel, 1999

5. Causes of Behavior

6. Behavioral Manifestations of Personality

7. Preferred Data Sources

8. Research Focus

9. Approach to Personality Change

10. Role of Situation

11. Contradictions in Personality Theory Personality is both stable and capable of change

12. Contradictions in Personality Theory Dispositions and situations are both important

13. Contradictions in Personality Theory Behavior depends on the social environment; genetic and biological factors are also foundations of social behavior

14. Contradictions in Personality Theory People are both consistent and inconsistent

15. Contradictions in Personality Theory Humans are cognitive and emotional beings

16. Contradictions in Personality Theory Behavior can be both rational and irrational

17. Personality Tests Discussion: What do you know about personality tests?

18. Personality Tests Projective Tests: Present the individual with material that’s open to interpretation. The tests are based on the assumption that the responses reveal information about the respondent’s personality

19. Personality Tests Objective/standardized/structured tests: Materials are standardized and give a structured set of potential responses (ex. true/false, always/sometimes/never, don’t know, etc.) Scoring is based on a given set of specific criteria and is not open to broad interpretation

20. Projective Tests - Rorschach Consists of 10 cards with vertically symmetrical inkblots The respondent looks at the inkblots one at a time and is asked to say everything the inkblot could resemble or look like The examiner usually asks for details about the interpretation of the inkblot

21. Projective Tests - Rorschach Responses are scored based on: Location (the part of the card that the respondent refers to) Physical aspects of the inkblot (shape, suggestion of movement) Originality Content These responses are generally compared to those of respondents of a similar age group

22. Projective Tests - Rorschach The examiner interprets the responses as related to personality, creative capacity, contact with reality, and anxiety

25. Rorschach Test There is debate as to whether the results have any true meaning Mixed results on inter-rater reliability A more intelligent or creative person may give a higher number of interpretations, meaning that there’s a higher chance some will be considered pathological Cross culturally, different people may focus on different aspects of the same inkblot

26. Rorschach Test Often, more can be inferred from how the respondent verbalizes their response rather than the answer itself For example, a more vivid description of the same image could indicate a higher IQ

27. Factors other than pathology may influence how we interpret inkblots

28. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) The test contains a series of picture cards presented one at a time It is described as a story telling test, and the respondent is asked to make up a story for each picture telling: What led up to the event shown in the picture What is happening in the picture at the moment What the characters are feeling and thinking What is the outcome?

29. TAT The task is timed from before the respondent begins the story to the end of the story It studies how people interpret an ambiguous stimuli The themes are assumed to reflect the respondent’s underlying conflicts and problems Results are generally interpreted based on the clinician’s judgments rather than a formal scoring method

32. TAT Images include adults, children, men, women, and ambiguous figures Originally, 10 cards were selected out of the possible 31 and were matched to the respondent based on age and gender

33. Problems with the TAT The story a person tells does not necessarily reflect a permanent inner state For example, a person who has recently lost a loved one might tell a sad story with a bereavement theme because it has recently been on their mind, not because they are a generally depressed person

34. Problems with the TAT Original images were made in the 1930s and had white people, which may influence the interpretations for non-white test takers Some of the images are now considered outdated, which may bias results The interpretation of the story is generally left up to the examiner

35. Problems with Projective Tests They are open to the interpretation of the examiner Does the same response always mean the same thing? It’s usually easy to “fake good” or “fake bad”

36. The Big Five In research, when people are asked to describe themselves they tend to cluster their descriptions around these five categories (on different points of a spectrum)

37. The Big Five Neuroticism Extraversion Openness to Experience Agreeableness Conscientiousness

38. Neuroticism Negative emotions, e.g., anxiety, depression In this spectrum: Calm vs. worrying Unemotional vs. emotional Secure vs. insecure Not envious vs. jealous

39. Extraversion Positive emotionality In this spectrum: Quiet vs. talkative Aloof vs. friendly Inhibited vs. spontaneous Timid vs. bold

40. Openness to Experience Vs. closed-mindedness In this spectrum: Conventional vs. original Unadventurous vs. daring Conforming vs. independent Unartistic vs. artistic

41. Agreeableness Vs. antagonism In this spectrum: Irritable vs. good natured Uncooperative vs. helpful Suspicious vs. trusting Critical vs. lenient

42. Conscientiousness Vs. undirectedness In this spectrum: Careless vs. careful Helpless vs. self-reliant Lax vs. scrupulous Ignorant vs. knowledgeable

43. The Big Five This list was constructed using Factor Analysis Patterns of responses that tend to go together Particular adjectives are strongly correlated with other adjectives; those characteristics make up that particular trait

44. The Big Five Inter rater reliability tends to be good Test-retest reliability is high

45. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) The MMPI is one of the most extensive, popular, and widely studied personality questionnaires

46. MMPI Consists of 550 statements Gives the answer options of: True False Cannot say (undecided)

47. MMPI The MMPI was originally used to classify psychiatric patients on multiple dimensions Items ask about attitudes, emotional reactions, psychiatric symptoms, the respondent's past, and more

48. MMPI Sample Items: Sometimes I think I may kill myself My greatest troubles are inside myself I certainly have little self-assurance I wish I were not so awkward I am shy Questions are purposely vague and do not describe situations

49. Similar Items to MMPI Anxiety Measures

50. MMPI The MMPI is sorted into 10 scales with 3 control scales Results provide comparisons against norms (averages) and provide information based on people who give similar answers