159 CH 1 2021

Chapter 1
Personality:
What It Is And Why You
Should Care
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Personality
• Dictionary definitions
– State of being a person
– Characteristics and qualities that form a
person’s distinctive character
– Sum total of a person’s physical,
mental, emotional, and social
characteristics
Personality (continued)
• Psychological definition
– Unique and relatively enduring internal
and external aspects of a person’s
character
• They influence behavior in different
situations
• Description is complex
– Humans change according to different
situations and people
Role of Race, Gender, and
Culture in Shaping Personality
• Race and gender
– Personality theorists traditionally
consisted of white men of European and
American heritage
• Ignored ethnic and gender influences
• Culture
– Cross-cultural psychology research
• Conclusion shows that personality is formed
by genetic and environmental influences
Differences in Cultural
Beliefs and Values
• Individualism versus collectivism
– Impacts:
• Child-rearing practices
• Self enhancement - Tendency to promote
oneself aggressively and be conspicuous
Assessment in Personality Study
• Evaluation of personality
– Used for diagnosis, education,
counseling, and research
• Principles of measurement
– Reliability: Consistency of response to
a psychological assessment device
– Validity: Extent to which an
assessment device measures what it is
intended to measure
Assessment Methods
Self-report Online test Projective

inventories administration tests
Thought and
Clinical Behavioral
experience
interviews assessment
samples
Self-Report Inventories
• Subjects answer questions about

their behaviors and feelings
– Objective measure - Minnesota
Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
Advantages Disadvantages
Not suited for people who possess

Objective scoring limited reading skills
Quick assessment Tendency to provide socially
desirable answers
Online Test Administration
• Advantages
– Less time-consuming and expensive
– Objective scoring
– Accepted by younger employees
– Prevents test takers from looking ahead
at questions and changing their answers
Projective Tests
• Projective techniques
– Rorschach Inkblot Technique
– Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
– Word association and sentence
completion
• Interpretation is subjective
– Reliability and validity of the tests are
low
Clinical Interviews
• Involves asking relevant questions

about:
• Past and present life experiences
• Social and family relationships
• Reasons for seeking psychological help
Advantage Disadvantage
Problem areas can be Subjective

explored in detail
Behavioral Assessments
• Observer evaluates a person’s

behavior in a given situation
• Assessment occurs during clinical interview
Provides valuable insights Less systematic
Gender Issues in Assessment
• Personality assessment is influenced

by gender
– Assessment measures indicate
differential rates of diagnosis based on
gender for emotional disorders
• Therapists may exhibit bias against
women
Personality Research
Methods
Clinical Experimental
method method
Virtual
Correlational
research
method
method
Clinical Method
• Case study: Detailed history of an

individual
– Contains data from various sources
– Consistencies in the patient’s lives are
used by theorists to generalize their
findings
– Advantage - Provides an in-depth view
of one’s personality
Clinical Method (continued)
– Disadvantages
• No precision and control of the experimental
and correlational methods
• Subjective
• Accuracy of childhood memories cannot be
checked
Experimental Method
• Involves determining effects of

variables or events on behavior
– An experimental situation is arranged by
psychologists
Independent variable Dependent variable
Variable that is manipulated Variable that is measured
Experimental group Control group

Exposed to experimental Does not receive experimental
treatment treatment
Experimental Method (continued)
• Advantages
– Well controlled and systematic
• Disadvantages
– Safety and ethical reasons restrict
control over some aspects of personality
and behavior
– Dependent variable is influenced by the
subject’s attitude
Virtual Research Method
• Online test administration

– Psychological tests, opinion surveys,
and subject responses to experimental
stimuli
• Advantages
– Fast responses
– Inexpensive
– Reaches broad range of subjects
Virtual Research Method
(continued)
• Disadvantages
– Sample may not represent the
population
– Online test-takers may have different
characteristics from non-responders
– Honesty and accuracy of data is
questionable
Correlational Method
• Measures the degree of relationship

between two variables
– Expressed by the correlation coefficient,
which ranges from -1.00 to +1.00
Helps make predictions in the Cause and effect conclusions may

real world be flawed
Theory in the Study of
Personality
• Theory – Provides the framework to
describe data in a meaningful way
– Set of principles that must:
• Be testable and capable of stimulating
research
• Be able to clarify and explain data by
organizing those data into coherent
framework
• Help understand behavior
Questions About Human
Nature
• Free will or determinism?
• Inherited nature or nurturing
environment?
• Dependent or independent of
childhood?
• Unique or universal?
• Satisfaction or growth?
• Optimism or pessimism?

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Chapter 1

Self-report Online test Projective

• Subjects answer questions about

Not suited for people who possess

• Involves asking relevant questions

Problem areas can be Subjective

• Observer evaluates a person’s

Provides valuable insights Less systematic

• Personality assessment is influenced

• Case study: Detailed history of an

• Involves determining effects of

Experimental group Control group

• Online test administration

• Measures the degree of relationship

Helps make predictions in the Cause and effect conclusions may

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