Personality Assessment
• Personality Definition: an individual’s unique
constellation of psychological states and traits
• Traits: Guilford (1959), “An distinguishable,
relatively enduring way in which one individual
varies from another.”
• States: transitory exhibition of some personality
trait
• Types:constellation of traits & states that is similar
in pattern to one identified category of personality
taxonomy, e.g., Type A, personality profiles
Basic Characteristics of
Personality Assessment Methods
• Personality v. IQ & Achievement tests
– Typical v. maximum performance tests
– Stability of constructs of interest
• Degree of inference in assessment methods
– Behavioral v. “traditional” v. projective
• Interpretation approaches
– Clinical v. actuarial
Methods of Developing
Assessment Methods
• Logic/Reason
– Face validity, content-oriented approach
• E.g., DSM questionnaires
• Theory
– Questions reflect theory about personality &
human behavior
• E.g., Self-Directed Search, EPPS
Methods of Developing
Assessment Methods (cont.)
• Data Reduction methods
– Factor analysis to place items to scales
• E.g., Cattell & 16PF, Children’s Personality
Questionnaire, NEO PI-R (Big 5, Neuroticism,
Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness,
Conscientiousness)
• Empirical Criterion Keying
– Can items/scales distinguish among groups?
• E.g., MMPI
MMPI Overview
• Psychiatric patients v. visitors
• 567 true-false items
• 10 clinical scales that could differentiate the
groups
• “validity” scales
• Several “research”/content scales developed
over the years
MMPA-2
• Items rewritten
– Eliminated “objectionable” wording
• Added items
– Drug abuse, Type A, attitudes toward work
• 3 new validity scales
• New content scales, clinical scales the same
• Larger & more representative normative
sample
Projective Assessment
• Psychodynamic origination
• Projective hypothesis
– When confronted with ambiguous stimuli
subjects will create structure which reveals
information about their personalities, needs,
drives, etc.
Projectives (cont.)
• Defining characteristics
– Lack of stimulus structure
– Multiplicity of responses permitted
– Absence of right or wrong answers
• Assumptions
– Because they are ambiguous, they elicit more
meaningful information;
– They are less susceptible to faking
– Reveal more unconscious aspects of personality
Examples of projectives
• Rorschach
– 10 ink blots
– Exner comprehensive scoring system
• Free association and inquiry phases
• What are characteristics of response?
– E.g., location, popular responses, perseveration
Storytelling/Apperception tests
• Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
– Murray’s Needs-Press theory
– What’s happening in the picture? What events led up to
the scene? What will happen next? What are the
people’s thoughts, feelings, etc.
– Hero, Needs, press, outcomes, themes
• Children’s Apperception Test, Robert’s
Apperception Test
• Modifications for individuals of differing ethnic
backgrouns
Projective drawings
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Overall appraisal + “sign” approach
Draw a Person
House-Tree-Person
Kinetic Family Drawing
Evaluation of Projectives
• Are they tests?
– Can they be held to psychometric standards?
• Assumptions have not really held up.
• Can be influenced by situational variables.
Stimuli not as ambiguous as assumed.
• Psychometrics not been demonstrated
despite years of study.