Personality: Definitions

Transcription

1 Personality: Definitions Anastasi "Personality tests are instruments for the measurement of emotional, motivational, interpersonal and attitudinal characteristics, as distinct from abilities. Kaplan & Saccuzzo "One can define personality as the relatively stable and distinctive patterns of behavior that characterize an individual in his or her reactions to the environment " Gregory "We can distinguish two fundamental features of this vague construct. First, each person is consistent to some extent, we have consistent traits and behavior patterns that arise repeatedly. Second, each person is distinctive to some extent: behavioral differences exist between individuals." No right answers! Personality: Tests Structured - questionnaires, inventories versus Unstructured - projective tests Normal versus Abnormal psychopathology Theory-based versus Empirically-based Dimensions versus Types 1

2 Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Inspired by Jung Psychological Types 1921 Test published 1962 Perceiving the world and making decisions Most recent scale is Form M 93 items E.g. You often do jobs in a hurry Forced-choice yes or no: Not Likert No significant age or gender effects Often used in organizational testing Four dichotomies = 16 personality types MBTI dichotomies - 1 Extraversion Directing energy mainly towards the outer world of people and objects: interacting, talking Introversion Directing energy mainly towards the inner world of experiences and ideas: reflecting, contemplating 2

3 MBTI dichotomies - 2 Sensing Focusing mainly on what can be perceived by the five senses: evidence, facts, details intuition - focusing mainly on perceiving patterns and inter-relationships: concepts, ideas, theories MBTI dichotomies - 3 Thinking Basing conclusions on logical analysis with a focus on objectivity and detachment: logical analysis, dispassionate Feeling Basing conclusions on social values or with a focus on understanding and harmony: 3

4 MBTI dichotomies - 4 Judging preferring decisiveness and closure when dealing with the outside world: organized, structured Perceiving preferring flexibility and spontaneity when dealing with the outside world: State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Determines anxiety in a specific situation and as a general trait Two twenty-item scales For individual or group administration Provides norms for clinical patients, high school and college students, and working adults Easily scored Can be completed in about ten minutes no time limit Sixth grade reading level 4

5 State-Trait Anxiety Inventory The S-Anxiety scale consists of twenty statements that evaluate how respondents feel "right now, at this moment. 1 Not at all 2 Somewhat 3 Moderately 4 Very much A. I feel at ease B. I feel upset State-Trait Anxiety Inventory The T-Anxiety scale consists of twenty statements that assess how respondents feel "generally. 1 Almost never 2 Sometimes 3 Often 4 Almost always A. I am a steady person B. I lack self-confidence

6 State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Test-Retest for State = 0.70 Test-Retest for Trait = 0.88 Few somatic symptoms or relating to fear Gregory s reservations 1 Perhaps not purely anxiety also depression and self-criticism 2 Totally face valid easily faked But good for research State-Trait Anxiety Inventory 6

7 The NEO-PI From Goldberg s theory Test developed by Costa & McCrae For general personality description But now also claims clinical utility Based on Factor Analysis And Lexical Analysis 240 Likert items 5 Factors ( The Big Five ) 6 Facets to each factor 8 Items per Facet/Factor The NEO-PI Self and Observer forms Balanced keying Internet administration Validation 241 Jeg har forsøgt at besvare alle spørgsmålene ærligt og præcist No other validity scales C & M recommend querying successive same answers, e.g. 6 strongly disagree s Separate norms for males and females 7

8 The NEO-PI A study of child custody litigants ( ) showed that ex-spouses described each other as almost three standard deviations lower than they described themselves on A and C In principle, no set of validity scales, however sophisticated, can guarantee the accuracy of results. Imagine that a client simply decides to fool the clinician by descibing not himself or herself, but say, Mick Jagger The NEO-PI Danish norms 600 twins (!) from Odense study Transformed to T-scores mean=50 SD=10 Also 60 item FFI The Big Five is now the dominant trait model of personality 8

9 NEO-PI Neuroticism Anxiety I am not a worrier (R) Anger Hostility It takes a lot to make me mad Depression I have a low opinion of myself Self-Consciousness Sometimes I m so ashamed I want to hide Impulsivity I sometimes eat myself sick Vulnerability I keep a cool head in emergencies (R) NEO-PI Extraversion Warmth I really like most people I meet Gregariousness I like having a lot of people around me Assertiveness I have often been the leader in groups Activity My life is fast-paced Excitement-seeking I often crave excitement Positive Emotions I am not a cheerful optimist (R) 9

10 NEO-PI Openness (Åbenhed) Fantasy I have a very active imagination Aesthetics Poetry has little no effect on me (R) Feelings I rarely experience strong emotions (R) Actions I follow the same route when I go anywhere (R) Ideas I enjoy solving puzzles problems Values I consider myself broad-minded and tolerant NEO-PI Agreeableness (Venlighed) Trust My first reaction is to trust people Straightforwardness I would hate to be thought of as a hypocrite Altruism I go out of my way to help people if I can Compliance I hesitate to express my anger Modesty I try to be humble Tender-Minded I have no sympathy for panhandlers (tiggere) 10

11 NEO-PI Conscientiousness (Samvittighedsfuldhed) Competence I am efficient and effective at my work Order I am not a very methodical person (R) Dutifulness I pay my debts promptly and in full Achievement-striving I m something of a workaholic Self-discipline I waste a lot of time before I settle down to work (R) Deliberation I think twice before I answer NEO-PI scores profile 11

12 NEO-PI scores profile NEO-PI Danish standardization 12

13 NEO-PI Factor Structure 13