MEASURING PERSONALITY

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Tests/techniques of measuring personality

2. Psycho analytical/Intra psychic theory

3. Social learning theory

TESTS/TECHNIQUES

FOR MEASURING

PERSONALITY

Techniques/tests for measuring personality

Several methods are used to assess personality.

Most frequently followed tests are-

1. Projective tests2. Behavioral measures3. Self report questionnaire

PROJECTIVE TESTS

PROJECTIVE TESTS

In this test individuals are shown a picture ,abstract image and asked to describe what they see/to tell a story about what they see.

It assumes that each individual responds to the stimulus in a way that reflects his/her unique personality.

Assessing the Unconscious

Projective Tests used to assess personality (e.g., Rorschach or TAT tests)

How? provides ambiguous stimuli and subject projects his or her motives into the ambiguous stimuli

Assessing the Unconscious -- Rorschach

Rorschach Inkblot Test the most widely used projective test

a set of 10 inkblots designed by Hermann Rorschach Rorschach

Assessing the Unconscious--Rorschach

used to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blots

Assessing the Unconscious--TAT

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)• people express their inner motives through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes

BEHAVIOURAL MESAURES

BEHAVIOURAL MESAURES

It is more an observational techniques Here psychologists count and record the

frequency of particular behaviors. Ex-Sociability

Limitations

Time consuming Expensive Biased opinion by 2 observers Presence of observer can alter the

behavior being observed

SELF REPORT QUESTIONNAIRE Minnesota Multiphasic personality

inventory-MMPI MBTI

MMPI

MMPI is comprehensive and assess a variety of traits , as well as neurotic and psychotic disorders.

It is useful in the screening ,diagnosis and clinical description of abnormal behavior.

Limitation-Does not disclose normal personalities.

Assessing Traits: An Example

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) the most widely researched and clinically

used of all personality tests developed to identify emotional disorders

MMPI: examples

“Nothing in the newspaper interests me except the comics.”

“I get angry sometimes.”

Psychoanalytic Theory

Psychoanalytic Theory

Psychoanalytic theory, as devised by Freud, attempts to explain personality on the basis of unconscious mental forces Levels of consciousness: We are unaware of

some aspects of our mental states Freud argued that personality is made up of

multiple structures, some of which are unconscious

Freud argued that as we have impulses that cause us anxiety; our personality develops defense mechanisms to protect against anxiety

Freudian Theory

Levels of consciousness Conscious

What we’re aware of

Preconscious Memories etc.

that can be recalled

Unconscious Wishes, feelings,

impulses that lies beyond awareness

Structures of Personality Id

Operates according to the “pleasure principle”

Ego Operates according

to the “reality” principle

Superego Contains values and

ideals

Freudian Theory

Anxiety occurs when: Impulses from the id threaten to get out of

control The ego perceives danger from the

environment The ego deals with the problem through:

coping strategies defense mechanisms

Defense Mechanisms Defense mechanisms refer to unconscious

mental processes that protect the conscious person from developing anxiety Sublimation: person channels energy from

unacceptable impulses to create socially acceptable accomplishments

Denial: person refuses to recognize reality Projection: person attributes their own

unacceptable impulses to others Repression: anxiety-evoking thoughts are

pushed into the unconscious

Defense Mechanisms Rationalization: Substituting socially acceptable

reasons Intellectualization: Ignoring the emotional

aspects of a painful experience by focusing on abstract thoughts, words, or ideas

Reaction formation: Refusing to acknowledge unacceptable urges, thoughts or feelings by exaggerating the opposite state

Regression: Responding to a threatening situation in a way appropriate to an earlier age or level of development

Displacement: Substituting a less threatening object for the original object of impulse

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

The Individual vs. the Environment

Albert Bandura

Social Learning Theory

Bandura’s Insights1. Individuals are not only influenced by but

also influence their environments.2. Individuals are not totally determined by

internal process (psychodynamic) or by external stimuli (behaviorism) but rather by the reciprocal determinism between them.

3. Imitation, not conditioning, is the central process of social learning

Reciprocal Determinism

He suggested that environment causes behavior, true; but behavior causes environment as well.  He labeled this concept reciprocal determinism: 

The world and a person’s behavior cause each other.

Process of Social Learning TheorySocial Learning The behavior does not have to be actuallyperformed by the observer. It can be rehearsed in imagination. It can be stored in symbolic form and brought toactuality in the right situation. Thus, a cognitive mediation process allows forvicarious learning. This allows humans to learn without endless trial and error. It allows avoidance of negative consequences without

havingto have personal experience of them.

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY Main focus of social learning theory is on

the approach –The patterns of behavior the individuals

learn is coping with environment.People respond to how they perceive and

define consequences , not to objective consequences themselves.

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY It defines four processes that determine

influence on behavior.1. Attentionalprocesses2. Retention process3. Motor reproduction process4. Reinforcement process-Direct-vicarious-self-admistered

MODELLING

Attentional process-People tend to be most influenced by the models that are attractive and important to us. As the model influences them they learn from model by paying attention to them.

Retention process-A model’s influence will depend on how well the individuals remembers the action after the model is no longer available.

MODELLING

Motor Reproduction processes-After a person has seen new behavior by observing the model, watching must be converted to doing.

Reinforcement processes-Individuals will be motivated to exhibit the modeled behaviour of positive incentives or rewards provided.Behaviours that are reinforced will be given more attention ,learned better and performed more often.

Limitations

It over emphasizes more on situational factors

Experiments are particularly sensitive to impact of situational variables