Psychology Class 12 Chapter 2 | Part - 6
In this video we will learn about Psychology Class 12 Chapter 2: Self and Personality
Part 6: Assessment of Personality
Introduction
A formal effort aimed at understanding personality of an individual is termed as personality assessment. Assessment refers to the procedures used to evaluate or differentiate people on the basis of certain characteristics. The goal of assessment is to understand and predict behavior with minimum errors and maximum accuracy.
Self report measures
Gordon Allport suggested that the best method to assess a person is by asking them about themselves. This led to the development of self report measures, which are fairly structured measures often based on theory that requires subjects to give verbal responses using some kind of rating scale. The method requires the subject to objectively report their feelings with respect to various items. The responses are scored in quantitative terms and interpreted on the basis of norms developed for the test. The responses are accepted at their face value.
a) The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
This inventory is widely used as a test in personality assessment, which was developed by Hathaway and McKinley. It is a helping tool for psychiatric diagnosis, but the test has been found very effective in identifying varieties of psychopathology. Its revised version is available as MMPI 2.It consists of 567 statements and the subject has to judge each statement as true or false. The test is divided into 10 subscales, which seek the diagnosis of hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria, psychopathic deviate, masculinity, femininity, paranoia, psychasthenia, schizophrenia, mania and social introversion. In India, Mallick and Joshi have developed the Jodhpur music personality inventory, JMPI.
b) Eysenck personality questionnaire (EPQ)
This questionnaire is developed by Eysenck, and it assesses 3 dimensions of personality called introverted-extroverted, emotionally stable-emotionally unstable and psychoticism-neuroticism. These dimensions are characterized by 32 personality traits.
c) Sixteen personality factor questionnaire (16 PF)
Raymond Cattell developed the 16 personality factor questionnaire. He identified a large set of personality descriptors, which were subjected to factor analysis to identify the basic personality structure. The test provides with declarative statements and the subject responds to a specific situation by choosing from a set of given alternatives. It can be used with high school level students as well as with adults. It is highly useful in career guidance, vocational exploration and occupational testing.
Limitations of self report measures
- Social desirability-The tendency on the part of the respondent to endorse items in a socially desirable manner.
- Acquiescence- It is a tendency of the subject to agree with questions irrespective of their contents.
Projective techniques
Psychoanalytic theory tells us that a large part of human behavior is governed by unconscious motives. Direct methods of personality assessment cannot uncover the unconscious part of our behavior. Projective technique is an indirect method to assess unconscious motifs and feelings. These techniques are based on the assumption that a less structured or unstructured stimulus or situation will allow the individual to project their feelings, desires and needs onto that situation. These projections are interpreted by experts.
Features of projective techniques
- The stimuli are relatively or fully unstructured and poorly defined.
- The person being assessed is usually not told about the purpose of assessment and the method of scoring and interpretation.
- The person is informed that there are no correct or incorrect responses.
- Each response is considered to reveal a significant aspect of personality.
- Scoring and interpretation are lengthy and sometimes subjective.
Various types of projective techniques
a) Rorschach inkblot tests
The test was developed by Hermann Rorschach. The test consists of 10 ink plots, five of them are in black and white, two with some red ink, and the remaining three in some pastel colors. The blots are symmetrical in design with a specific shape or form. Each blot is printed in the center of a white cardboard of about 7 inch into 10 inch size. The blots were originally made by dropping ink on a piece of paper and then folding the paper in half. The cards are administered individually in two phases. The first phase performance proper is the phase in which the subjects are shown, the cards and are asked to tell what they see in each of them. The inquiry is the second phase in which a detailed report of the response is prepared by asking the subject to tell where, how and on what basis was the particular response made. The use and interpretation of this test requires extensive training.
b) Thematic apperception test (TAT)
This test was developed by Morgan and Murray. It is a little more structured than the inkblot test and consists of 30 black and white picture cards and one blank card. Each picture card depicts one or more people in a variety of situations. Some cards are used with adult males or females, and others are used with boys or girls.20 cards are appropriate for a subject, although a lesser number of cards have been successfully used. The subject is asked to tell a story describing the situation presented in the picture. He is asked to describe what led up to the situation, what is happening at the moment, what will happen in the future, and what the characters are feeling and thinking? The test has been modified for children and for the aged. Uma Chaudhary is Indian adaptation of TAT is also available.
c) Rosenzweig’s picture frustration study (P-F Study)
This test was developed by Rosenweig to assess how people express aggression in the face of a frustrating situation. The test presents, with the help of cartoon-like pictures, a series of situations in which one person frustrates another, or calls attention to a frustrating condition.The subject is asked to tell what the other person will say or do.The analysis of responses is based on the type and direction of aggression. An attempt is made to examine whether the focus is on the frustrating object or on the protection of the frustrated person, or on the constructive solution to the problem. Preekhas adapted this test for use with the Indian population.
d) Sentence completion test
This test makes use of a number of incomplete sentences. The starting part of the sentence is first presented, and the subject has to provide an ending to the sentence. The type of endings used by the subjects reflects their attitudes, motivation and conflicts.
e) Draw a person test
The subject is asked to draw a person on a sheet of paper .A pencil and eraser is provided to facilitate drawing. The subject is generally asked to draw the figure of an opposite sex person. Finally, the subject is asked to make a story about the person as if he or she was a character in a novel or play.
Examples of interpretation
- Omission of facial features suggest that the person tries to evade a highly conflict ridden interpersonal relationship.
- Graphic emphasis on the neck suggests lack of control over impulses.
- A disproportionately large head suggests organic brain disease and preoccupation with headaches.
Behavioral analysis
A person's behavior in a variety of situations can provide us with meaningful information about their personality.
a) Interview
Interview is a commonly used method for assessing personality, which involves talking to the person being assessed and asking a specific questions. Diagnostic interviewing generally involves in depth interviewing, which seeks to go beyond the replies given by the person. Interviews can be of two kinds:
- Unstructured interviews-In this the interviewer seeks to develop an impression about a person by asking a number of questions. The way a person presents their answers carries enough potential to reveal their personality.
- Structured interview-It address very specific questions and follow a set procedure.
b) Observation
It is a sophisticated procedure that cannot be carried out by untrained people. It requires careful training of The Observer and a fairly detailed guideline about analysis of behaviors in order to assess the personality of a given person.
Limitations of interview and observation method
- Professional training required for collection of useful data through these methods is quite demanding and time consuming.
- Maturity of the psychologist is a precondition for obtaining valid data through these techniques.
- Mere presence of The Observer may contaminate the results.
c) Behavioural ratings
It is frequently used in educational and industrial settings. Behavioral ratings are generally taken from people who know the assessee intimately and have interacted with them over a period of time, or have had a chance to observe them. They attempt to put individuals into certain categories in terms of their behavioral qualities.
Limitations
- Halo effect-Raters can display certain biases that color their judgments of different traits.
- Middle category bias-The tendency to place individuals in the middle of the scale.
- Extreme response bias-The tendency of the rater to put individuals in the extreme positions by avoiding middle categories.
d) Nomination
It is used in obtaining peer assessment.It can be used with persons who have been in long term interaction and who know each other very well.Each person is asked to choose one or more persons of the group with whom they would like to work, study, play or participate in any other activity.The person is asked to specify reasons for the same.
Limitations
- Highly dependable
- Affected by personal biases
e) Situational tests
The most commonly used situational test is the situational stress test. It provides us with information about how a person behaves under stressful situations. The test requires a person to perform a given task with other persons who are instructed to be non cooperative and interfering. The person is instructed to play a role for which they are observed.
In this video we will learn about Psychology Class 12 Chapter 2: Self and Personality
Part 6: Assessment of Personality
Introduction
A formal effort aimed at understanding personality of an individual is termed as personality assessment. Assessment refers to the procedures used to evaluate or differentiate people on the basis of certain characteristics. The goal of assessment is to understand and predict behavior with minimum errors and maximum accuracy.
Self report measures
Gordon Allport suggested that the best method to assess a person is by asking them about themselves. This led to the development of self report measures, which are fairly structured measures often based on theory that requires subjects to give verbal responses using some kind of rating scale. The method requires the subject to objectively report their feelings with respect to various items. The responses are scored in quantitative terms and interpreted on the basis of norms developed for the test. The responses are accepted at their face value.
a) The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
This inventory is widely used as a test in personality assessment, which was developed by Hathaway and McKinley. It is a helping tool for psychiatric diagnosis, but the test has been found very effective in identifying varieties of psychopathology. Its revised version is available as MMPI 2.It consists of 567 statements and the subject has to judge each statement as true or false. The test is divided into 10 subscales, which seek the diagnosis of hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria, psychopathic deviate, masculinity, femininity, paranoia, psychasthenia, schizophrenia, mania and social introversion. In India, Mallick and Joshi have developed the Jodhpur music personality inventory, JMPI.
b) Eysenck personality questionnaire (EPQ)
This questionnaire is developed by Eysenck, and it assesses 3 dimensions of personality called introverted-extroverted, emotionally stable-emotionally unstable and psychoticism-neuroticism. These dimensions are characterized by 32 personality traits.
c) Sixteen personality factor questionnaire (16 PF)
Raymond Cattell developed the 16 personality factor questionnaire. He identified a large set of personality descriptors, which were subjected to factor analysis to identify the basic personality structure. The test provides with declarative statements and the subject responds to a specific situation by choosing from a set of given alternatives. It can be used with high school level students as well as with adults. It is highly useful in career guidance, vocational exploration and occupational testing.
Limitations of self report measures
- Social desirability-The tendency on the part of the respondent to endorse items in a socially desirable manner.
- Acquiescence- It is a tendency of the subject to agree with questions irrespective of their contents.
Projective techniques
Psychoanalytic theory tells us that a large part of human behavior is governed by unconscious motives. Direct methods of personality assessment cannot uncover the unconscious part of our behavior. Projective technique is an indirect method to assess unconscious motifs and feelings. These techniques are based on the assumption that a less structured or unstructured stimulus or situation will allow the individual to project their feelings, desires and needs onto that situation. These projections are interpreted by experts.
Features of projective techniques
- The stimuli are relatively or fully unstructured and poorly defined.
- The person being assessed is usually not told about the purpose of assessment and the method of scoring and interpretation.
- The person is informed that there are no correct or incorrect responses.
- Each response is considered to reveal a significant aspect of personality.
- Scoring and interpretation are lengthy and sometimes subjective.
Various types of projective techniques
a) Rorschach inkblot tests
The test was developed by Hermann Rorschach. The test consists of 10 ink plots, five of them are in black and white, two with some red ink, and the remaining three in some pastel colors. The blots are symmetrical in design with a specific shape or form. Each blot is printed in the center of a white cardboard of about 7 inch into 10 inch size. The blots were originally made by dropping ink on a piece of paper and then folding the paper in half. The cards are administered individually in two phases. The first phase performance proper is the phase in which the subjects are shown, the cards and are asked to tell what they see in each of them. The inquiry is the second phase in which a detailed report of the response is prepared by asking the subject to tell where, how and on what basis was the particular response made. The use and interpretation of this test requires extensive training.
b) Thematic apperception test (TAT)
This test was developed by Morgan and Murray. It is a little more structured than the inkblot test and consists of 30 black and white picture cards and one blank card. Each picture card depicts one or more people in a variety of situations. Some cards are used with adult males or females, and others are used with boys or girls.20 cards are appropriate for a subject, although a lesser number of cards have been successfully used. The subject is asked to tell a story describing the situation presented in the picture. He is asked to describe what led up to the situation, what is happening at the moment, what will happen in the future, and what the characters are feeling and thinking? The test has been modified for children and for the aged. Uma Chaudhary is Indian adaptation of TAT is also available.
c) Rosenzweig’s picture frustration study (P-F Study)
This test was developed by Rosenweig to assess how people express aggression in the face of a frustrating situation. The test presents, with the help of cartoon-like pictures, a series of situations in which one person frustrates another, or calls attention to a frustrating condition.The subject is asked to tell what the other person will say or do.The analysis of responses is based on the type and direction of aggression. An attempt is made to examine whether the focus is on the frustrating object or on the protection of the frustrated person, or on the constructive solution to the problem. Preekhas adapted this test for use with the Indian population.
d) Sentence completion test
This test makes use of a number of incomplete sentences. The starting part of the sentence is first presented, and the subject has to provide an ending to the sentence. The type of endings used by the subjects reflects their attitudes, motivation and conflicts.
e) Draw a person test
The subject is asked to draw a person on a sheet of paper .A pencil and eraser is provided to facilitate drawing. The subject is generally asked to draw the figure of an opposite sex person. Finally, the subject is asked to make a story about the person as if he or she was a character in a novel or play.
Examples of interpretation
- Omission of facial features suggest that the person tries to evade a highly conflict ridden interpersonal relationship.
- Graphic emphasis on the neck suggests lack of control over impulses.
- A disproportionately large head suggests organic brain disease and preoccupation with headaches.
Behavioral analysis
A person's behavior in a variety of situations can provide us with meaningful information about their personality.
a) Interview
Interview is a commonly used method for assessing personality, which involves talking to the person being assessed and asking a specific questions. Diagnostic interviewing generally involves in depth interviewing, which seeks to go beyond the replies given by the person. Interviews can be of two kinds:
- Unstructured interviews-In this the interviewer seeks to develop an impression about a person by asking a number of questions. The way a person presents their answers carries enough potential to reveal their personality.
- Structured interview-It address very specific questions and follow a set procedure.
b) Observation
It is a sophisticated procedure that cannot be carried out by untrained people. It requires careful training of The Observer and a fairly detailed guideline about analysis of behaviors in order to assess the personality of a given person.
Limitations of interview and observation method
- Professional training required for collection of useful data through these methods is quite demanding and time consuming.
- Maturity of the psychologist is a precondition for obtaining valid data through these techniques.
- Mere presence of The Observer may contaminate the results.
c) Behavioural ratings
It is frequently used in educational and industrial settings. Behavioral ratings are generally taken from people who know the assessee intimately and have interacted with them over a period of time, or have had a chance to observe them. They attempt to put individuals into certain categories in terms of their behavioral qualities.
Limitations
- Halo effect-Raters can display certain biases that color their judgments of different traits.
- Middle category bias-The tendency to place individuals in the middle of the scale.
- Extreme response bias-The tendency of the rater to put individuals in the extreme positions by avoiding middle categories.
d) Nomination
It is used in obtaining peer assessment.It can be used with persons who have been in long term interaction and who know each other very well.Each person is asked to choose one or more persons of the group with whom they would like to work, study, play or participate in any other activity.The person is asked to specify reasons for the same.
Limitations
- Highly dependable
- Affected by personal biases
e) Situational tests
The most commonly used situational test is the situational stress test. It provides us with information about how a person behaves under stressful situations. The test requires a person to perform a given task with other persons who are instructed to be non cooperative and interfering. The person is instructed to play a role for which they are observed.
