1. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | Name that tune. Song title? Performer(s)? 1

2. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | Individual Differences “The Knower” 2/3/10 2

3. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | Objectives After this class you will be able to (it is my hope!): -Appreciate the need to attend to individual differences. -Know your Myers-Briggs personality type. -Be slightly warmer than you are right now. -Randolph – remember to take roll.

4. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | Didja hear the one about... ... the three statisticians who went deer hunting?

5. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | Individual Differences Psychology  “Every [person] is in certain respects  (a) like all other [people],  (b) like some other [people],  (c) like no other [person]" (Murray, H.A. & Kluckhohn, C. 1953).

6. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | 6 People Differ  Some of your users/visitors may be: –Non-native English speakers –Left handed –Capricorns –Republicans –Heterosexuals –Poor visual processors –In a hurry –Alabamans – In a public library – Blind – Mostly blind – Color blind – Geniuses – Drunk – Visitors to your earlier site – First-time web visitors! – On a subway – Using a smartphone

7. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | What are some ways we are like all others?  All of us have rods and basilar membranes.  Two legs.  Labor within the confines of physics. –“Gravity – it’s not just a good idea – it’s THE LAW.”  We’re gonna die.

8. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | How’re we like NO other people?  Chromosomal make-up. (Unless you have an identical twin.)  Particular familial context.  (Perhaps therefore) our thoughts and actions are unique.

9. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | But Indiv Differences Psych... ... focuses on how we are like SOME other people.  From Wikipedia: “Study of individual differences is essential because important variation between individuals can be masked by averaging.”  Last week, talking about STM, we discussed Miller’s “magical number 7 +/- 2” –Imagine how easy life would be if it was “the magical number 7.” “OK, people can hold 7 items (chunks) in STM.” Well now wouldn’t THAT make designing web sites easier?!  Age, weight, metabolism, memory, experiences, interests, emotionality, dot dot dot!!!!  And, our personalities....

10. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | “Myers-Briggs Type Indicator”  ”The purpose of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) personality inventory is to make the theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung understandable and useful in people’s lives. The essence of the theory is that much seemingly random variation in the behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment.”

11. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | “In developing the MBTI... ... the aim of Isabel Briggs Myers, and her mother, Katharine Briggs, was to make the insights of [personality] type theory accessible to individuals and groups. They addressed the two related goals: –The identification of basic preferences of each of the four dichotomies specified or implicit in Jung’s theory. –The identification and description of the 16 distinctive personality types that result from the interactions among the preferences.”

12. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | Please complete... ... this SHORT version of the MBTI.  Calculate your “type.”  This will take about 10 minutes or so.

13. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | Earlier, “4 dichotomies”  Introvert (allows others to initiate conversation; thorough preparation) vs. Extrovert (interrupts, likes dialogue)  Sensing (focus on facts, deliverables) vs. Intuitive (connections, patterns)  Thinking (low-key, logical) vs. Feeling (working relationship, expressive)  Judging (goals, planning) vs. Perceiving (seeks options, emphasizes adapting)

14. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | On Friday... ... you’ll learn more about these types.  For now here’s all I want you to know: –No one type is better than another. –We each bring different skills, different preferred ways of interacting “to the table.” –There is potential value in understanding what we and others are like.

15. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | References  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individual_differ ences_psychology http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individual_differ ences_psychology  http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti- personality-type/mbti-basics/

16. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | Ahem, “for instance,”  Today’s song was “A change is gonna come” by Sam Cooke.  Why do you suppose we chose to play it before THIS class?  Nope – guess again.... 16

17. R.G. Bias | rbias@ischool.utexas.edu | Who, what TYPES,...  Friday – Bring your MBTI sheets.  Monday – Meet in PCL 1.124.  Questions?