Personality Testing & Heredity

Personal interview: A. Unstructured Used to diagnose an individual problem

Personal interview: A. Unstructured Used to diagnose an individual problem B. Structured Used for systematic research on personality

II. Observation:

II. Observation: A. Works best with young children B. Has problems with people behaving differently since they know they are being watched

III. Objective tests (personality inventories A. What good can they do? B. They are the most widely used personality tests C. Two drawbacks:

III. Objective tests (personality inventories A. What good can they do? B. They are the most widely used personality tests C. Two drawbacks: They rely on self-reporting If too familiar with the tests, it can shape the test taker’s responses

IV. Projective tests A. Tests are based on the idea that people will “project” their own inner feelings onto the ambiguous image/story

IV. Projective tests A. Tests are based on the idea that people will “project” their own inner feelings onto the ambiguous image/story B. Rorschach (ink blot)

IV. Projective tests A. Tests are based on the idea that people will “project” their own inner feelings onto the ambiguous image/story B. Rorschach (ink blot) C. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

V. Heredity A. Is personality nature or nurture? B. How can we determine this?

V. Heredity A. Is personality nature or nurture? B. How can we determine this?

V. Heredity A. Is personality nature or nurture? B. How can we determine this? C. There are strong signs of personality even in the first weeks of infancy.

D. Certain temperaments are prevalent: Reactivity (how excitable or responsive the baby is) Soothability Positive/negative emotionality E. About 20% are on one extreme or the other in reactivity. F. For babies on the extremes, some will stay that way for life, most will move toward the middle, none become the opposite