why is personality measurement so difficult? course hero

by Jeanie Sipes 9 min read

What is the best introduction to personality measurement for undergraduates?

An introduction to Personality Measurement suitable for advanced undergraduates is Briggs, S. R. Personality Measurement in In Derlega, V., Winstead, B.A., Jones, W.H. Personality: Contemporary Theory and Research. (2nd Edition). Nelson Hall, 1999, Chicago.

Is it possible to measure personality theories?

All scientific theories require measurement of the constructs underlying the field. Personality theories are no different. Whether we are developing theories of species typical behavior, of individual differences in behavior, or unique patterns of thoughts and feelings, we need to be able to measure the responses in question.

What are the best books on personality measurement?

An introduction to Personality Measurement suitable for advanced undergraduates is Briggs, S. R. Personality Measurement in In Derlega, V., Winstead, B.A., Jones, W.H. Personality: Contemporary Theory and Research. (2nd Edition). Nelson Hall, 1999, Chicago. Other Important Books in Psychometrics and Personality Assessment include:

Where can I find a list of research measures in personality?

A very useful resource for listings of research measures in personality is Robinson, J. P., Shaver, P. R., and Wrightsman, L.S. (1991) Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes. Academic Press, San Diego. See also Lew Goldberg's International Personality Item Poolor IPIP.

Why is personality difficult to define?

Attempts to define personality are always experimental, calling for criticism and invit- ing agreement. Since the term personality is among the most comprehensive of those in the psychologist's vocabulary, clarification of its connotation to the satisfaction of a majority, even of psychologists, is difficult.

What are the criticisms of personality tests?

It is unreliable because a person's type may change from day to day. It gives false information (“bogus stuff,” one researcher puts it). The questions are confusing and poorly worded. Vazire sums it up as “shockingly bad.”

Is it important to measure personality Why or why not?

Personality tests are useful because they show individual strengths that enable professionals to determine where their talents are best served. When individuals have a greater knowledge of their personality, they can discover careers and places that match their personality.

Are personality surveys accurate?

Although personality tests are not absolutely accurate, they are great tools to improve hiring decisions and ensure that the right people are hired into the right roles. The insights they provide can help better understand yourself and others- leading to a more efficient and productive work environment.

Why do people hate personality tests?

1. People can fake their answers: Because most personality tests are based on self-reported information, it is tempting to assume that respondents will fool the test by lying, faking, or distorting their answers, particularly in high-stake situations (e.g., job application, promotion rounds, etc.).

What are the advantages and disadvantages of personality tests?

Personality Tests: The Pros and Cons of Using Them in the Hiring...Lost Productivity. ... Negative Impact on Employee Morale. ... Financial Costs. ... Negative Effect on Reputation. ... Faster Recruitment Process. ... Get to Know the Candidate Better. ... Learn About Their Personality Traits. ... Gain Insight Into an Applicant's Potential.More items...

Is it possible to measure personality?

One way of measuring personality involves asking individuals to respond to a self-report inventory or questionnaire. Such measures (sometimes known as objective tests of personality) contain questions or statements to which individuals respond in various ways.

What are two concerns with personality tests?

Two Reasons Personality Tests Like Myers-Briggs Could Be HarmfulThe Tests Are Not Scientific. Dr. ... The Tests May Lead To "Mindlessness" And Inflexibility. “There is no such thing as a pure extrovert or a pure introvert.

Why do we measure personality?

Personality tests are techniques designed to measure one's personality. They are used to diagnose psychological problems as well as to screen candidates for college and employment. There are two types of personality tests: self-report inventories and projective tests.

Are personality tests biased?

Many personality assessment methods are well-grounded in empirical science. Even so, no method is perfect. Personality research and assessment inherently involve the potential for bias, or systematic error, in measures and statistical predictions.

Why is MBTI inaccurate?

Some research suggests the MBTI is unreliable because the same person can get different results when retaking the test.

Should we trust personality tests?

The accuracy of personality testing is not comparable to measurement accuracy in hard science. This is understandable because the human mind and behavior are very, very complex, and personality traits only summarize broad patterns in them—as these appear to people themselves or others.

Why are personality measures used?

Personality measures are used for two primary purposes. The first is to advance the understanding of personality. Over the last 30 years theorizing about personality has coalesced around what is called the Five Factor Model of personality.

What is the most widely used personality measure used in pretreatment evaluation?

The most widely used personality measure used in pretreatment evaluation is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). This inventory was developed in the 1940s as a means of evaluating mental health problems in psychiatric and medical settings.

What are the Big Five personality dimensions?

For many years, personality measures were considered poor predictors of organizational behaviors. This belief was mainly due to the small correlations found between personality characteristics and the organizational criteria (e.g., job performance) and in part due to the strong criticisms made by those with the situationist view of personality. However, during the past decade, many studies have shown that the Big Five personality dimensions are relevant variables for explaining many organizational behaviors and processes. Several organizational areas of interest for researchers were job performance, training success, teamwork, deviant behaviors, turnover, job satisfaction, leader emergence, leadership effectiveness, and transformational leadership behaviors. There are many cumulative results that allow to conclude that traits are relevant variables for predicting and explaining these organizational behaviors. For example, job performance is related to conscientiousness and emotional stability. Training success is mainly related to extraversion, openness, and conscientiousness. For teamwork, the dimensions with a strong relation are emotional stability, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. In the case of deviant behaviors, the best predictors of the absence of these dysfunctional behaviors are agreeableness and conscientiousness. For turnover, the most related dimensions are emotional stability, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Leadership behaviors were examined in relation to the emergence of leaders, the effectiveness of leaders, and the transformational leadership. In the three cases, the Big Five were shown to be relevant variables related to these organizational behaviors. For example, emotional stability, extroversion, openness, and conscientiousness were found to be related to the emergence of leadership. The effectiveness of leaders was associated with emotional stability, extraversion, openness, and agreeableness. Lastly, extraversion, openness, and agreeableness were related to transformational leadership behaviors (Table II ). Thus, the dispositional variables of personality are thought to be relevant explanatory causes of many organizational behaviors and processes.

What are the dimensions of emotional stability?

These dimensions are called Neuroticism (alternatively called Emotional Stability, which reverses the keying of the scale), Extraversion, Openness to Experience (though some studies suggest this factor should be labeled Intellect or Culture), Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness.

What is temperament in children?

This term refers to early behavioral predispositions that potentially reflect genetic and/or biological influences and that provide the basic building blocks for the development of adult personality.

What is the second topic related to personality assessment?

A second important topic related to personality assessment is personality development.

What is the most popular measure of the Five Factor Model?

The NEO-PI is the most popular measure of the Five Factor Model though other measures of the model exist. One important aspect of the Five Factor Model is the hierarchical organization of personality, so that each factor encompasses a set of more specific facets of personality.

What is the measurement of individual differences?

The measurement of individual differences is of primary concern to personality psychologists. Issues in measurement include fundamentals of scaling, measures of association, determining the relationship between observed and latent variables, reliable measurement of variables, and validity of these measures.

What is test theory?

Test Theory. All scientific theories require measurement of the constructs underlying the field. Personality theories are no different. Whether we are developing theories of species typical behavior, of individual differences in behavior, or unique patterns of thoughts and feelings, we need to be able to measure the responses in question. ...

image