Personality refers to “factors” inside people that explain their behavior (MacKinnon, 1944). The sum total of typical ways of acting, thinking, and feeling that makes a person unique.

Ancient Greeks characterized human character by excessive influence of bodily fluids: blood, yellow & black bile, and phlegm. Ancient Greeks characterized human character by excessive influence of bodily fluids: blood, yellow & black bile, and phlegm. Early psychological examinations looked at psychopathology. Early psychological examinations looked at psychopathology. By the 1930’s researchers started looking at the structure of everyday behaviour. Came up with universal traits. By the 1930’s researchers started looking at the structure of everyday behaviour. Came up with universal traits.

Relatively enduring patterns of behavior (thinking, acting, and feeling) that are relatively consistent across situations. Trait Examples - introvert - extrovert - assertiveness - persistence (Mayer) - narcissism - Resilience - -locus of control

Openness - refers to open-minded thinking and interest Conscientiousness - refers to how organized and persistent we are in pursuing our goals. Extroversion - refers to the preference for, & behavior in social situations Agreeableness - refers to how well we tend to interact with others Neuroticism - refers to the tendency to experience negative thoughts and feelings. Additions to the Big Five? – Honesty, Respect, Integrity,. Many agree that five basic traits provide a complete description of our personalities. They are:

What Are Projective Tests? A projective test uses ambiguous stimuli designed to reveal the contents of the client’s unconscious mind.

What Are Objective Tests? In an objective test, no attempt is made to subjectively understand what the person means by answer to each question.

What Make a Good Personality Measure Interpretability - Broad vs. Narrow (more reliable) Stability - Are tests valid? - Are they reliable? - Are they reliable? - Are they standardized? - Are they standardized?

 Temporal stability – short vs. long term?  Assumed etiology/cause – situation specific vs. person-centered?  Assumed mutability – changeable or stable?

Examples  16PF  Myers Briggs Inventory (better to use the NEO-PI)  Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

 567 item, T/F inventory developed using an empirical approach  Criterion group validation (T > 65)  Low face validity (see Burisch criteria)  Validity scales (e.g., L, K, F, F b, S, VRIN/TRIN)  Primary clinical  Restructured clinical  Content/Content component  Supplemental

 TAT  Rorschach using Exner scoring system  Location  Determinant  Content  Popular