Personality Personality AssessmentAssessment

What is Personality?What is Personality?

Aiken (2003) defines Aiken (2003) defines personality as “a composite personality as “a composite of cognitive abilities, of cognitive abilities, interests, attitudes, interests, attitudes, temperament, and other temperament, and other individual differences in individual differences in thoughts, feelings, and thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.”behaviors.”

Important Definitions:Important Definitions:

Factor analysis identifies the number of traits Factor analysis identifies the number of traits underlying a set of items on an inventory. underlying a set of items on an inventory.

Example: NEO.Example: NEO.

Anxiety Angry Hostility Impuls iveness

N eurotic ism

W armth Assertiveness Activity

Extrovers ion

Fantasy Aesthetics Values

O penness

PurposesPurposes

Two Major Divisions:Two Major Divisions:

Test Construction Strategies:Test Construction Strategies:

Test Construction StrategiesTest Construction Strategies

NEO-PI SeriesNEO-PI Series

Based on the “Big Five” Model Based on the “Big Five” Model (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, & Conscientiousness): all Agreeableness, & Conscientiousness): all descriptions of personality can be placed descriptions of personality can be placed in one of these five categories. in one of these five categories.

Norm-referenced test: an examinee’s Norm-referenced test: an examinee’s scores are compared to the scores are compared to the standardization group and expressed as T-standardization group and expressed as T-scores (M = 50, SD = 10). scores (M = 50, SD = 10).

Big-FiveBig-Five

Big-FiveBig-Five

MBTIMBTI

Based on Carl Jung’s theory of Based on Carl Jung’s theory of personality.personality.

Examinees are assessed on four Examinees are assessed on four dichotomous dimensions, resulting in dichotomous dimensions, resulting in 16 code-types.16 code-types.

MBTI: 4 bipolar dimensionsMBTI: 4 bipolar dimensions

Extroversion . . . . . . . IntroversionExtroversion . . . . . . . Introversion

Sensation . . . . . . . . . . . . iNtuition Sensation . . . . . . . . . . . . iNtuition

Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FeelingFeeling

Judging . . . . . . . . . . . . PerceivingJudging . . . . . . . . . . . . Perceiving

Problems with MBTIProblems with MBTI

MMPI/MMPI-2MMPI/MMPI-2

Examples of MMPI-2 ScalesExamples of MMPI-2 Scales

Depression.Depression. Psychopathic deviate.Psychopathic deviate. Paranoia.Paranoia. Schizophrenia.Schizophrenia. Hypomania.Hypomania. Social Introversion.Social Introversion. Health Concerns.Health Concerns. Cynicism.Cynicism. Type A.Type A.

Family Problems.Family Problems. Ego Strength.Ego Strength. College College

Maladjustment.Maladjustment. Marital Distress Scale.Marital Distress Scale. Self-Alienation.Self-Alienation. Somatic Complaints.Somatic Complaints. Need for Affection.Need for Affection. Dominance.Dominance. Addiction Potential Addiction Potential

Scale.Scale.

Special Applications:Special Applications:

Response Sets: responding to the Response Sets: responding to the structure, rather than the content, of structure, rather than the content, of

test itemstest items

Social Desirability.Social Desirability. Faking Good or Bad.Faking Good or Bad. ““Yea” Saying (acquiescence).Yea” Saying (acquiescence). Constant Errors: selecting the Constant Errors: selecting the

same response over and over.same response over and over. Central Tendency Error: tendency Central Tendency Error: tendency

to respond in the middle of a rating to respond in the middle of a rating system.system.

Projective TechniquesProjective Techniques

Examples:Examples:

Word Associations.Word Associations. Sentence Completions.Sentence Completions. Draw-A-Person Test.Draw-A-Person Test. Rorschach Inkblot Test.Rorschach Inkblot Test. Thematic Apperception Test.Thematic Apperception Test. Play materials with children. Play materials with children.

Projective TechniquesProjective Techniques