Applications In Personality Testing
Applications In Personality Testing
Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read Chapters 8 and 9 in the textbook and carefully review Section 4 of Chapter 7 in the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (2006) guide, Testing and Assessment: A Guide to Good Practices for Workforce Investment Professionals (Links to an external site.). In addition, review all the required articles for this week, as well as the Case Description: Mr. I—Psychiatric Inpatient Interpretive Report (Links to an external site.) and the PSY640 Week Four Psychological Assessment Report (Links to an external site.).
ORDER NOW FOR COMPREHENSIVE, PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPERS
For this discussion, you will take on the role of a psychologist who was recently assigned two new clients. You will examine psychological assessment information presented in two different formats: a computer generated interpretative report of personality test results for the patient Mr. I and a psychological report written by a licensed psychologist for the patient Ms. S. In your initial post, you will examine the personality assessment instruments used in each report.
Carefully review the Case Description: Mr. I—Psychiatric Inpatient Interpretive Report (Links to an external site.); this patient was referred to you after being admitted into a psychiatric inpatient facility. Write a one-paragraph summary of the computer generated MMPI-2-RF results for Mr. I based on the information in the interpretive report.
In your role as the psychologist who evaluated Ms. S., examine the personality and ability testing results in the PSY640 Week Four Psychological Assessment Report (Links to an external site.). In your next meeting with Ms. S, you will be required to give her a copy of the psychological assessment report and discuss the results with her by explaining the psychological concepts effectively observing appropriate professional standards.
In your initial post, provide an evaluation of the contents of both psychological evaluations in terms of ethical standards and the professionalism of the interpretation of the testing and assessment data presented. Write an analysis of the psychometric methodologies employed in the development and validation of the MMPI-2-RF personality test used with both clients. Develop a list of at least two additional tests of personality or emotional functioning to administer to the two clients that demonstrate acceptable validity. Justify your inclusion of each additional assessment measure in terms of the validity of the assessment measure and your clients’ presenting concerns, diagnosis, and prognosis.
-
ch9.pdf8/18/2019 Print
https://content.ashford.edu/print/Gregory.8055.17.1?sections=ch09,ch09lev1sec1,ch09lev1sec2,ch09lev1sec3,ch09lev1sec4,ch09lev1sec5,ch09lev1… 1/59
CHAPTER 9 Assessment of Normality and Human Strengths
TOPIC 9A Assessment Within the Normal Spectrum
9.1 Broad Band Tests of Normal Personality (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch09lev1sec1#ch09lev1sec1)
9.2 Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch09lev1sec2#ch09lev1sec2)
9.3 California Psychological Inventory (CPI) (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch09lev1sec3#ch09lev1sec3)
9.4 NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R) (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch09lev1sec4#ch09lev1sec4)
9.5 Stability and Change in Personality (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch09lev1sec5#ch09lev1sec5)
9.6 Assessment of Moral Judgment (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch09lev1sec6#ch09lev1sec6)
9.7 Assessment of Spiritual and Religious Concepts (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch09lev1sec7#ch09lev1sec7)
In the previous chapter we surveyed tests used by psychologists to evaluate clients for a range of symptoms and life difficulties. These instruments included the mainstays of the profession such as the MMPI-2, MCMI-III, Rorschach, and TAT. Such tests might be referred to as “clinical” in nature, because they are well suited to the needs of clinical practice. But what are practitioners to do if they want to evaluate someone who is reasonably normal? In other words, assessment does not always entail delving into symptoms, distress level, defense mechanisms, diagnosis, and the like. One example might be a young executive who wants to know about “growth edges” in regard to leadership positions. Another example might be a college student who desires self-knowledge as part of vocational explorations. Applications In Personality Testing
Even though clinical tests such as those surveyed in the previous chapter can be employed within the normal spectrum, they do not excel in this application. In fact, the evaluation of normal personality was not the original purpose of tests such as the MMPI or the Rorschach. For example, the initial objective of the MMPI-2 was the diagnosis of psychopathology, which remains the most dominant and effective application of the instrument. Historically, the purpose of the Rorschach has been described by Frank (1939 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib529) ) and others as providing an “X-ray of the mind” to identify themes hidden away from ordinary observation. Currently,
8/18/2019 Print
https://content.ashford.edu/print/Gregory.8055.17.1?sections=ch09,ch09lev1sec1,ch09lev1sec2,ch09lev1sec3,ch09lev1sec4,ch09lev1sec5,ch09lev1… 2/59
the most common application of the test is with clients who display complex psychological symptoms that do not fit neatly into the categories of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV).
When a practitioner wants to assess personality within the normal spectrum, tests designed expressly for that purpose typically provide a more helpful perspective than instruments developed from the standpoint of psychopathology. Instead of measuring concepts such as depression, paranoia, anxiety, narcissism, or suicide potential, the focus in these alternative instruments is on qualities pertinent to the normal range of human functioning. We are referring here to features like responsibility, social presence, intuition, locus of control, attachment style, or faith maturity. This chapter investigates an assortment of instruments suitable for assessment within the normal continuum and beyond. Applications In Personality Testing
Normality differs from abnormality by shades of gray rather than revealing a sharp demarcation (Offer & Sabshin, 1966 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib1249) ). Understanding the various definitions of normality would involve a lengthy detour; we do not pursue the topic here. In their comprehensive textbook of psychiatry, Sadock and Sadock (2004 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib1428) ) provide an excellent overview. Our goal here is to focus on useful tests and measures, including some that have been neglected because of the emphasis on psychopathology within the field of clinical psychology.
In Topic 9A (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch09#ch09box1) , Assessment Within the Normal Spectrum, we explore the qualities of several tests and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. We feature a few widely used scales in this topic, including the venerable Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Myers & McCaulley, 1985 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib1197) ), one of the most widely employed personality tests of all time, and the California Psychological Inventory (Gough & Bradley, 1996 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib633) ), a measure with strong empirical roots.
In addition to their value in the assessment of client personality, tests also contribute to our understanding of both typical and atypical trajectories of personality across the life span. For this reason, we follow a key research issue in personality psychology, namely, whether personality remains stable or tends to shift in specific directions with age. We close the topic with an evaluation of tools for assessing spiritual and religious constructs.
Other forms of assessment pertinent to the normal spectrum of adult functioning also are covered in Topic 9A (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch09#ch09box1) . We are referring here to the evaluation of spiritual, religious, and moral constructs. These specialized forms of assessment have received an increasing amount of attention in recent years.
In Topic 9B (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch09lev1sec7#ch09box2) , Positive Psychological Assessment, we examine a number of relatively new scales that have emerged in response to a reawakening of interest in human potential, an interest that has remained largely dormant in psychology since the early 1900s (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib1480) ). A special focus in this topic is the assessment of creativity. Applications In Personality Testing
8/18/2019 Print
https://content.ashford.edu/print/Gregory.8055.17.1?sections=ch09,ch09lev1sec1,ch09lev1sec2,ch09lev1sec3,ch09lev1sec4,ch09lev1sec5,ch09lev1… 3/59
-
ch8.pdf
8/18/2019 Print
https://content.ashford.edu/print/Gregory.8055.17.1?sections=ch08,ch08lev1sec1,ch08lev1sec2,ch08lev1sec3,ch08lev1sec4,ch08lev1sec5,ch08lev1… 1/81
CHAPTER 8 Origins of Personality Testing
TOPIC 8A Theories of Personality and Projective Techniques
8.1 Personality: An Overview (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08lev1sec1#ch08lev1sec1)
8.2 Psychoanalytic Theories of Personality (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08lev1sec2#ch08lev1sec2)
8.3 Type Theories of Personality (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08lev1sec3#ch08lev1sec3)
8.4 Phenomenological Theories of Personality (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08lev1sec4#ch08lev1sec4)
8.5 Behavioral and Social Learning Theories (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08lev1sec5#ch08lev1sec5)
8.6 Trait Conceptions of Personality (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08lev1sec6#ch08lev1sec6)
8.7 The Projective Hypothesis (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08lev1sec7#ch08lev1sec7)
8.8 Association Techniques (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08lev1sec8#ch08lev1sec8)
8.9 Completion Techniques (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08lev1sec9#ch08lev1sec9)
8.10 Construction Techniques (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08lev1sec10#ch08lev1sec10)
8.11 Expression Techniques (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08lev1sec11#ch08lev1sec11)
Case Exhibit 8.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08lev1sec11#ch08box1a) Projective Tests as Ancillary to the Interview
8/18/2019 Print
https://content.ashford.edu/print/Gregory.8055.17.1?sections=ch08,ch08lev1sec1,ch08lev1sec2,ch08lev1sec3,ch08lev1sec4,ch08lev1sec5,ch08lev1… 2/81
In psychological testing a fundamental distinction often is drawn between ability tests and personality tests. Defined in the broadest sense, ability tests include a plethora of instruments for measuring intelligence, achievement, and aptitude. In the preceding seven chapters we have explored the nature, construction, application, reliability, and validity of ability tests. In the next two chapters we shift the emphasis to personality tests and related matters. Personality tests seek to measure one or more of the following: personality traits, dynamic motivation, symptoms of distress, personal strengths, and attitudinal characteristics. Measures of spirituality, creativity, and emotional intelligence also fall within this realm.
Theories of personality provide an underpinning for the multiplicity of instruments available in the field. For this reason, we begin this chapter with a survey of prominent personality theories. The many ways in which theorists conceptualize personality clearly have impacted the design of personality tests and assessments. This is especially evident with projective techniques such as the Rorschach inkblot method, which emanated from psychoanalytic conceptions of personality. Thus, in Topic 8A (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08box1) , Theories of Personality and Projective Techniques, in addition to the survey of personality theories, we have included an introduction to several instruments based on the turn-of-the-twentieth-century psychoanalytic hypothesis where responses to ambiguous stimuli reveal the innermost, unconscious mental processes of the examinee. The coverage of personality assessment continues in Topic 8B (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08lev1sec11#ch08box2) , Self-Report and Behavioral Assessment of Psychopathology, which includes a review of structured tests and procedures, including self-report inventories and behavioral assessment approaches. These time-honored topics of Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) — theories of personality, projective techniques, and structured personality tests—are followed by the relatively new focus of Chapter 9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/ch09#ch09) —the assessment of normality and human strengths.
8/18/2019 Print
https://content.ashford.edu/print/Gregory.8055.17.1?sections=ch08,ch08lev1sec1,ch08lev1sec2,ch08lev1sec3,ch08lev1sec4,ch08lev1sec5,ch08lev1… 3/81
8.1 PERSONALITY: AN OVERVIEW Although personality is difficult to define, we can distinguish two fundamental features of this vague construct. First, each person is consistent to some extent; we have coherent traits and action patterns that arise repeatedly. Second, each person is distinctive to some extent; behavioral differences exist between individuals. Consider the reactions of three graduate students when their midterm examinations were handed back. Although all three students received nearly identical grades (solid B’s), personal reactions were quite diverse. The first student walked off sullenly and was later overheard to say that a complaint to the departmental administrator was in order. The second student was pleased, stating out loud that a B was, after all, a respectable grade. The third student was disappointed but stoical. He blamed himself for not studying harder. Applications In Personality Testing
How are we to understand the different reactions of these three persons, each of whom was responding to an identical stimulus? Psychologists and laypersons alike invoke the concept of personality (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm01#bm01gloss239) to make sense out of the behavior and expressed feelings of others. The notion of personality is used to explain behavioral differences between persons (for example, why one complains and another is stoical) and to understand the behavioral consistency within each individual (for example, why the complaining student noted previously was generally sour and dissatisfied).
Why people differ is just one of many key issues in the study of personality. Mayer (2007–8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib1070) ) provides a thoughtful discussion of the big questions in personality psychology, which he defines as “those questions that are simple, important, and central to many people’s lives.” He identifies 20 big questions, only a few of which can be addressed through testing and assessment. These questions involve existential matters such as the purpose of life, the nature of personhood, and the difficulties encountered in seeking self- knowledge. His captivating article is a reminder that some vital issues can be approached through the empiricism of psychological research and testing, whereas other crucial matters remain elusive and are amenable mainly to philosophical and phenomenological inquiry.
In addition to understanding personality, psychologists also seek to measure it. Literally hundreds of personality tests are available for this purpose; we will review historically prominent instruments and also discuss some promising new approaches. However, in order that the reader can better comprehend the diversity of instruments and approaches, we begin with a more fundamental question: How is personality best conceptualized? As the reader will discover, in order to measure personality we must first envision what it is we seek to measure. The reader will better appreciate the multiplicity of tests and procedures if we also briefly describe the personality theories that comprise the underpinnings for these instruments. Applications In Personality Testing
8/18/2019 Print
https://content.ashford.edu/print/Gregory.8055.17.1?sections=ch08,ch08lev1sec1,ch08lev1sec2,ch08lev1sec3,ch08lev1sec4,ch08lev1sec5,ch08lev1… 4/81
8.2 PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORIES OF PERSONALITY Psychoanalysis was the original creation of Sigmund Freud (1856–1939). While it is true that many others have revised and adapted his theories, the changes have been slight in comparison to the substantial foundations that can be traced to this singular genius of the Victorian and early-twentieth-century era. Freud was enormously prolific in his writing and theorizing. We restrict our discussion to just those aspects of psychoanalysis that have influenced psychological testing. In particular, the Rorschach, the Thematic Apperception Test, and most of the projective techniques critiqued in the next topic dictate a psychoanalytic framework for interpretation. Readers who wish a more thorough review of Freud’s contributions can start with the New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis (Freud, 1933 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib543) ). Reviews and interpretations of Freud’s theories can be found in Stafford-Clark (1971 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib1544) ) and Fisher and Greenberg (1984 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib506) ).
Origins of Psychoanalytic Theory Freud began his professional career as a neurologist but was soon specializing in the treatment of hysteria, an emotional disorder characterized by histrionic behavior and physical symptoms of psychic origin such as paralysis, blindness, and loss of sensation. With his colleague Joseph Breuer, Freud postulated that the root cause of hysteria was buried memories of traumatic experiences such as childhood sexual molestation. If these memories could be brought forth under hypnosis, a release of emotion called abreaction would take place and the hysterical symptoms would disappear, at least briefly (Studies on Hysteria, Breuer & Freud, 1893–1895 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib217) ).
From these early studies Freud developed a general theory of psychological functioning with the concept of the unconscious as its foundation. He believed that the unconscious was the reservoir of instinctual drives and a storehouse of thoughts and wishes that would be unacceptable to our conscious self. Thus, Freud argued that our most significant personal motivations are largely beyond conscious awareness. The concept of the unconscious was discussed in elaborate detail in his first book (The Interpretation of Dreams, Freud, 1900 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib541) ). Freud believed that dreams portray our unconscious motives in a disguised form. Even a seemingly innocuous dream might actually have a hidden sexual or aggressive meaning, if it is interpreted correctly.
Freud’s concept of the unconscious penetrated the very underpinnings of psychological testing early in the twentieth century. An entire family of projective techniques emerged, including ink-blot tests, word association approaches, sentence completion techniques, and storytelling (apperception) techniques (Frank, 1939 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib529) , 1948 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib530) ). Each of these methods was predicated on the assumption that unconscious motives could be divined from an examinee’s responses to ambiguous and unstructured stimuli. In fact, Rorschach (1921 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Gregory.8055.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02bib1404) ) likened his inkblot test to an X ray of the unconscious mind. Although he patently overstated the power of projective techniques, it is evident from Rorschach’s view that the psychoanalytic conception of the unconscious had a strong influence on testing practices. Applications In Personality Testing