PSYCH CH 12

factor analysis

...

self-report

a method in which people provide subjective information about their own thoughts, feelings, or behaviors, typically via questionnaire or interview. (On a scale from 1- 10, how friendly would you say you are)

Rorschach Inkblot Test

a projective technique in which respondents' inner thoughts and feelings are believed to be revealed by analysis of their responses to a set of unstructured inkblots.

trait

a relatively stable disposition to behave in a particular and consistent way.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

a well-researched, clinical questionnaire used to assess personality and psychological problems. The MMPI-2-RF consists of 338 self-descriptive statements to which the respondent answers "true," "false," or "cannot say.". Measures a wide range of psychological constructs: clinical problems (e.g., antisocial behavior, thought dysfunction), somatic problems (e.g., head pain, cognitive complaints), internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety, self-doubt), externalizing problems (e.g., aggression, substance abuse), and interpersonal problems (e.g., family problems, avoidance).

validity scales

assess a person's attitudes toward test taking and any tendency to try to distort the results by faking answers

Gordon Allport

believed people could be described in terms of traits just as an object could be described in terms of its properties. Allport saw traits as preexisting dispositions, causes of behavior that reliably trigger the behavior. The person's orderliness, for example, is an inner property of the person that will cause the person to straighten things up and be tidy in a wide array of situations.

social role theory

he evolutionary perspective holds that men and women have evolved different personality characteristics, in part because their reproductive success depends on different behaviors. (mens aggressiveness-- intimidating rivals; womens nurture--protection)

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

projective technique in which respondents' underlying motives, concerns, and the way they see the social world are believed to be revealed through analysis of the stories they make up about ambiguous pictures of people.

Hans Eysenck

simplified things nicely with a model of personality with only two major traits (although he later expanded it to three). Eysenck's two-factor analysis identified one dimension that distinguished people who are sociable and active (extraverts) from those who are more introspective and quiet (introverts). His analysis also identified a second dimension ranging from the tendency to be very neurotic or emotionally unstable to the tendency to be more emotionally stable. He believed that many behavioral tendencies could be understood in terms of their relation to the core traits of Extraversion and Neuroticism. The third factor he proposed was Psychoticism, which refers to the extent to which a person is impulsive or hostile.

Henry Murray

suggested instead that traits reflect motives. Just as a hunger motive might explain someone's many trips to the snack bar, a need for orderliness might explain the neat closet, organized calendar, and familiarity with the bus schedule

projective tests

tests designed to reveal inner aspects of individuals' personalities by analysis of their responses to a standard series of ambiguous stimuli.

In general, explanations of personality differences are concerned with?

(1) prior events that can shape an individual's personality or (2) anticipated events that might motivate the person to reveal particular personality characteristics.

What are some limitations/ problems with self report tests?

One problem is that many people have a tendency to respond in a socially desirable way, such that they underreport things that are unflattering or embarrassing. Perhaps even more problematic is that there are many things we don't know about ourselves and so are unable to report!

Sandra Bem

designed a scale (the Bem Sex Role Inventory) that assesses the degree of identification with stereotypically masculine and feminine traits. Bem suggested that psychologically androgynous people (those who adopt the best of both worlds and identify with positive feminine traits such as kindness and positive masculine traits such as assertiveness) might be better adjusted than people who identify strongly with only one sex role

Jeffrey Gray

dimensions of extraversion-introversion and neuroticism reflect two basic brain systems. The behavioral activation system (BAS), essentially a "go" system, activates approach behavior in response to the anticipation of reward. The extravert has a highly reactive BAS and will actively engage the environment, seeking social reinforcement and be on the go. The behavioral inhibition system (BIS), a "stop" system, inhibits behavior in response to stimuli signaling punishment. The anxious person, in turn, has a highly reactive BIS and will focus on negative outcomes and be on the lookout for stop signs.

Big Five

the traits of the five-factor personality model: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. (OCEAN)