Personality Assessment DAPT

Barnum Effect People’s willingness to interpret vague, general statements as personally meaningful interpretations of their personality

Why do we test? Tell us “how much” of a trait you have. 1) Clinical 2) Employment 3) Curiosity

How do we test? 1) Create a test 2) Validate the test 3) Use the test

Methods for creating a test Rational Method Projective Tests Factor Analytic Method Empirical Method Combination of Methods

Rational Method Questionnaire

1) Enjoy being reckless.  2) Take risks.  3) Avoid dangerous situations. 4) Seek danger.  5) Know how to get around the rules. 6) Would never make a high risk investment. 7) Am willing to try anything once.  8) Seek adventure. 9) Would never go hang-gliding or bungee-jumping. 

1) Enjoy being reckless.  2) Take risks.  3) Avoid dangerous situations. 4) Seek danger.  5) Know how to get around the rules. 6) Would never make a high risk investment. 7) Am willing to try anything once.  8) Seek adventure. 9) Would never go hang-gliding or bungee-jumping. 

Rational Method Straight forward and obvious items Most common method of test construction For this to work: 1) Items must mean the same thing to subjects as it does to the test creator 2) Person must be able to self-assess 3) Person must be willing to self-assess 4) Items must be valid indicators of characteristic

Projective Tests DEFINITION: In a projective test, an individual “supplies structure to unstructured stimuli in a manner consistent with the individual’s own unique pattern of conscious and unconscious needs, fears, desires, impulses, conflicts, and ways of perceiving and responding.”

Inkblots as projective stimuli The Rorschach: Hermann Rorschach (1884 - 1922). 10 bilaterally symmetrical inkblots on separate cards: 5 black and white. 2 black, white, and red. 3 multicolor.

Inkblots: Initial administration “What might this be?” Record response verbatim: Include time until first response. Position of card, spontaneous statements, nonverbal gestures or body movements.

Inkblots Interpretation of scores Generate hypotheses based on patterns of response, recurrent themes and interrelationships among scoring categories

Assumptions of Projective Tests The more unstructured the stimuli, the more examinees reveal about their personality. Every response provides meaning for personality analysis. There is an “unconscious.” Subjects are unaware of what they disclose.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) Morgan and Murray (1935). Elicit fantasy material from patients in psychoanalysis. 31 cards: 30 black & white with scenes: Describe story. 1 blank: Imagine picture on card and tell related story.

TAT: Conclusions Based on: Stories told by examinee. Clinician’s notes: Examinee’s response to the cards. Analysis of story requires special training.

TAT Interpretation (cont.) Basic assumption: Examinee is identifying with protagonist in the story. Examinee’s concerns, hopes, fears, and desires are reflected in the protagonist’s needs, demands, and conflicts. That is, the examinee’s personality is projected onto the protagonist.

Projective Tests for Children “The Adventures of Blacky the Dog”

Blacky Test

Other Projective Tests Draw a person test Draw a house test Word association

Methods for creating a test Rational Method Projective Tests Factor Analytic Method Empirical Method Combination of Methods

Factor Analytic Method 1) Name different makes of cars 2) In groups: Imagine you work in a car lot and you must organize these cars in some manner into 4 different groups 3) Organize the cars and name the groupings

Factor Analytic Method Done in 5 steps 1) Create many items 2) Give these items to many people 3) Correlate items together 4) Look for “groupings” of items 5) Name the “groupings” (i.e. factors)

Factor Analytic Method Limitations: Only as good as the items Sometimes get “odd” factors Still must name the factor (not done by the computer)

Factor Analytic Method 1) Automatically take charge.  2) Joke around a lot. 3) Turn plans into actions.  4) Stick up for myself. 5) Act wild and crazy.   6) Am always busy.  7) Follow a schedule. 8) Laugh my way through life. 9) Let myself go.  10) Express childlike joy.  11) Do a lot in my spare time. 12) Disclose my intimate thoughts.  13) Know what I want. 14) Like harmony in my life. 16) Try to lead others.  17) Am open about myself to others.  18) Can easily push myself forward.  19) Am deeply moved by others' misfortunes.  

Factor Analytic Method Automatically take charge.  Can easily push myself forward.  Try to lead others.  Turn plans into actions.  Stick up for myself.  Am always busy.  Do a lot in my spare time.  Know what I want. Factor 2 Act wild and crazy.  Let myself go.  Disclose my intimate thoughts.  Laugh my way through life.  Express childlike joy.  Joke around a lot. Am open about myself to others.  Factor 3 Follow a schedule. Like harmony in my life Am deeply moved by others' misfortunes.

Empirical Method I prefer a shower to a bath I sometimes tease animals I will sometimes wear a dress I like watching football I am happy I typically open doors for others As a child I liked playing with dolls

Empirical Method Done in 3 Steps: 1) Create items Items can be anything!

Empirical Method 2) Administer the items to two groups Criterion Group Composed of people that possess the trait Control Group Composed of people that do not possess the trait

Empirical Method 3) Select items that the two groups answered differently

Empirical Method Basic Logic: Different kinds of people have distinctive ways of answering certain questions. If you answer questions the same way that members of a diagnostic group did, you might belong to that group too!

Empirical Method Thus, the content of empirical items does not matter “I sometimes tease animals” Not depressed “I have a great fear of snakes” Prejudiced “I do not enjoy detective stories” Hospitalized hysterics “I like tall women” Impulsive males “I gossip a little at times” High IQ

Empirical Method Difficult to “fake” Only as good as the groups they were created with Do other things make the groups different? May not generalize to other people in other areas

Combination of Methods Commonly used Combine together 1) Rational method (come up with items that make sense) 2) Factor Analytic (select items that group) 3) Empirical Method (determine if items can predict types of people)

Methods for creating a test Rational Method Projective Tests Factor Analytic Method Empirical Method Combination of Methods