Objective Personality Tests. Examples of uni-dimensional traits Surveys n Locus of Control n Need for Cognition n Tolerance of Ambiguity n Type A/B.

Objective Personality TestsObjective Personality Tests

Examples of uni-dimensional traitsSurveys

Examples of uni-dimensional traitsSurveys

Locus of Control Need for Cognition Tolerance of Ambiguity Type A/B

Locus of ControlLocus of Control

Julian Rotter 1966 Internal vs External Control of reinforcement Internal = own action determines rewards External = rewards determined by luck,

fate, chance

Need for CognitionNeed for Cognition

Cacioppo and Petty 1982 “tendency for an individual to engage in and

enjoy thinking”

Tolerance for AmbiguityTolerance for Ambiguity

MSTAT - Multiple Stimulus Types Ambiguity Tolerance

David McLain 1993 “ability to tolerate contradictory and

incalculable information” Trait or state?

Type A/BType A/B

Friedman and Jordan 1950s Type A = ambitious, rigidly organized,

highly status conscious, sensitive, truthful, impatient, try to help others, meet deadlines, multi-task

Type B = apathetic, patient, relaxed, easy-going, no sense of time schedule, poor organizational skills

Examples of uni-dimensional traitsBehavioral

Examples of uni-dimensional traitsBehavioral

Impulsive/Reflective (Kagan - Matching familiar figures)

Field Dependent/Independent (Witkin - embedded figures)

Impulsive/ReflectiveImpulsive/Reflective

Matching Familiar Figures – (MFF) Jerome Kagan – 1965 Based on time to react Slower, more accurate = reflective Faster, less accurate = impulsive

Field Dependent/IndependentField Dependent/Independent

Embedded Figures Test – (EFT)

Herman Witkin – 1950’s

Field DependentField Dependent

– has trouble finding geometric shape embedded in background = very interpersonal, reads social cues well, openly convey own feelings. Women more likely field dependent

Field independentField independent

– readily finds geometric shape regardless of background = has internal frame of reference, imposes own sense of order on situation lacking structure, impersonal and task oriented, separate own self identity from field. Men frequently field independent.

Personality assessmentPersonality assessment

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Isabel Briggs Myers and Katherine Briggs 1940s Based on Jung’s personality dimensions 126 forced choice questions 20-30 minutes

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Heavily used in research lots of validity studies used in academic and counseling settings vocational preferences interpersonal interactions

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (example of MBTI types)

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (example of MBTI types)

Measures 4 dimensions of personalityextroversion-introversion (EI)

sensing-intuition (SN)

thinking-feeling (TF)

judgement-perception (JP) combine into 16 personality types e.g. ESTJ

Keirsey Temperament Sorter – IIKTS-II

Keirsey Temperament Sorter – IIKTS-II

Similar to MBTI test profile - high validity – computerized - shorter

4 Scales (E)=Expressive vs. (I)=Attentive (S)=Observant vs. (N)=Introspective (T)=Tough-minded vs. (F)=Friendly (J)=Scheduling vs. (P)=Probing

MBTI/KRT/imagesMBTI/KRT/images Scores???? ESFJ – (MBTI) ISFJ – (KRT) ENTP – ABAB Reliability???? Validity????? Standardization????

Survey dataSurvey data

16 Personality Factors - 16 PF16 Personality Factors - 16 PF Cattell - 1956 - last revised 2000 data reduction by factor analysis Started with 18,000 adjectives describing

personality = 16 factors 185 items (true, ?, false) 30-60 minutes 5th grade reading level (16 years and over) computer or hand score

16 Personality Factors - 16 PF16 Personality Factors - 16 PF

Measures 16 primary personality traits good reliability - test/retest, internal good validity - construct and criterion lots of norms and profiles Heavily used in research Counseling (couples) Career and vocational guidance

16 factor scales16 factor scales 16 bipolar dimensions of personality 5 global factors

Extraversion Anxiety Tough-mindedness Independence Self-control

IM (impression management)

16 factors – additional scales16 factors – additional scales

Vocational themes Validity scales Leadership scores Degree of compatibility

Revised NEO Personality InventoryNEO – PI-R

Revised NEO Personality InventoryNEO – PI-R

Costa & McCrae - 1985/1995 Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Agreeableness Conscientiousness

16 PF and NEO16 PF and NEO

Are they the same dimensions?????

How would we tell?????

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

Original development 1940 –Hathaway & McKinley

(MMPI-2 1989) MMPI-2-RF 2008 Over 18 years MMPI -A – 1992 (adolescent) 14 – 18 yrs Clinical populations paper-pencil, computer or audio 35-50 minutes About 338 questions

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

(MMPI-2-RF)

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

(MMPI-2-RF)

Criterion based (or data reduction)

large pool of questions

select appropriate criterion groups

factor analysis

MMPI – 2-RF scalesMMPI – 2-RF scales

50 scales 8 Validity scales addiction scales supplemental scales

Problems with MMPI-2Problems with MMPI-2

norms inter-item consistency is low high inter correlations between scores validity reading at 6th grade self-report

California Psychological Inventory-260 (CPI)

California Psychological Inventory-260 (CPI)

Developed 1956 -- revised 2005 assess normal adult personality 260 true/false questions (1/2 from MMPI) 30-45 minutes paper-pencil normed on college students

California Psychological Inventory (CPI)

California Psychological Inventory (CPI)

29 socially desirable behavioral tendenciesInterpersonal styles

self acceptance

self control

flexibility more positive than MMPI used for educational, vocational, counseling