Personality assessment

Personality Assessments

Carlos F. Martinez MHA, M.Ed.

carlosFmartinez.com

Personality Assessment

What is personality?

Personality is: Personality includes all the special qualities

people have that make them different from each other. These include: charm, energy, disposition, attitude, temperament, cleverness, and all feelings and behaviors they exhibit.

Personality is: Personality is the reasonably stable

patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behavior that distinguish one person from another.

Personality

What does personality assessment achieve?

Personality Assessment Personality Assessment assists counselors in: Understanding the behavior of a particular

individual Helps counselor come to a conclusion about a

possible future course of action Helps counselor make predictions about a

person’s unique future behavior.

Traits, States, and Types There are three fundamental terms related to

personality Traits States Types

Traits Personality Traits can be viewed as the

distinguishing characteristics or qualities possessed by the individual.

Traits are “dimensions” of individual differences in tendencies to show consistent patterns of thoughts, feelings and actions.

States Personality States refer to a temporary

behavioral tendency. Eg. A student may be described as being in an

anxious state before finals. Whereas trait refers to an enduring

personality characteristic, state usually refers to a temporary behavioral tendency.

Personality Types Personality Types are regarded as a general

description of a person. Eg. Extroverted/Introverted.

Personality Inventories Inventories are commonly used to identify the

structure and features of one’s personality, or one’s characteristic way of thinking, feelings and behaving.

Examples A career counselor administers an inventory

in order to help a person choose a career. A psychologist wants to look at symptoms to

possibly diagnose a disorder A school counselor implements inventors to

see if a student is suffering from academic problems.

Examples (continued) An employment counselor uses inventories to

see if an individual meets the right requirements and performance.

A neurophysiologist administers an inventory to determine the extent of a possible brain injury.

Approaches to Personality Inventory Development Personality inventories may differ in the

approach by which they are constructed. Four common approaches to personality inventory development are Rational, Theory-Based, Criterion Group, and Factor Analysis.

Rational Approach Rational Approach is one of the oldest methods of

personality test construction. Here, we use the use of reason and deductive logic to

construct test items. Eg. Woodsworth Personal Data Sheet, from 1920,

which contained a 116-item self report in response to needs for psychiatric screening during the U.S. entry into WWI.

Theory-Based Approach This approach is founded on an established theory of

personality, unlike Rational Approach. The psychodynamic theory of personality is followed and the unconscious/inner conflicts play a significant role.

Clients are believed to eventually project or express unconcious fears, conflicts, or inner needs.

Criterion Group Approach C.G.A. is an empirical method of personality

test construction that involves selecting items that can discriminate between relevant criterion groups and control groups. Control Groups are usually studied alongside Criterion Groups to identify items that distinguish the groups from one another.

Factor Analysis Another empirical approach that uses

statistical procedures to analyze interrelationships among a large number of variables.

Eg. Personality Traits.

Categories of Personality Inventories Structured Personality Inventories: standardized,

usually self-report instruments. Use selected response items (true/false, multiple choice) or rating scales. No right or wrong answer (i.e., true may indicate a trait

– “outgoing”). Broad scope inventories are very comprehensive (1 to 2

hrs); for example, the MMPI-2. Narrow scope inventories focus on targeted aspects of

personality (i.e. BDI-II).

Structured Inventory

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2)

567 true/false questions 18 years and older Takes 60 to 90 minutes to complete Has 10 clinical scales that assess dimensions of

personality and psychopathology , pg 254 Has 9 validity scales to detect response styles

(i.e. unanswered questions), pg 253. Available in English, Hmong, French and

Spanish.

MMPI-2 (Example questions) Source: https://antipolygraph.org/cgi-bin/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1109032158/0#0

1.I like mechanics magazines2.I have a good appetite3.I wake up fresh & rested most mornings4.I think I would like the work of a librarian5.I am easily awakened by noise6.I like to read newspaper articles on crime7.My hands and feet are usually warm enough8.My daily life is full of things that keep me interested9.I am about as able to work as I ever was10.There seems to be a lump in my throat much of the time

11.A person should try to understand his dreams and be guided by or take warning from them12.I enjoy detective or mystery stories13.I work under a great deal of tension14.I have diarrhea once a month or more15.Once in a while I think of things too bad to talk about16.I am sure I get a raw deal from life17.My father was a good man18.I am very seldom troubled by constipation19.When I take a new, I like to be tipped off on whom should be gotten next to20.My sex life is satisfactory

Structured InventoryMillon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III):

175-item self-report 18 years and older Approx. 30 minutes to complete Designed to assist with clinical and

personality disorders (Axis II on DSM-IV-TR).

Consists of 28 scales (pg. 256)

Sample of the MCMI-III Name: Sample Interpretive Report ID Number: 98765 Age: 22 Gender: Female Setting: Outpatient Never Hospitalized Race: White Marital Status: Never Married Date Assessed: 04/03/2009

Sample of the MCMI-IIIPossible Diagnoses:

“She appears to fit the following Axis II classifications best: Antisocial Personality Disorder, with Histrionic Personality Features, and Paranoid Personality Features.

Axis I clinical syndromes are suggested by the client's MCMI-III profile in the areas of Alcohol Abuse and Psycho-active Substance Abuse NOS.” Source:http://www.pearsonassessments.com/hai/images/pa/pdfs/mcmi3interp.pdf

http://www.pearsonassessments.com/hai/images/pa/pdfs/mcmi3interp.pdf


Structured InventoryThe California Psychological Inventory (CPI):

434 true/false statements. Ages 12 to 70. Takes about 50 to 60 minutes. Designed for “normal” people. Focus on behavior patterns, feelings and

opinions, and attitudes relating to social, ethical, and family matters.

Structured InventoryThe Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Another non-pathological inventory. Designed based on Carl Jung’s typological theory.

Extraversion - Introversion Sensing – Intuitive Thinking – Feeling Judging – Perceiving

They’re often referred to by an abbreviation of 4 letters, indicating the 4 type preferences

ESTJ: Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging. INFP: Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, Perceiving.

Projective Instruments

Require the client to answer questions using pictures, phrases, or inkblots.

Associated with the psychodynamic theory of personality – the unconscious mind (i.e., hidden emotions, internal conflicts).

Two well-known instruments are the Rorschach and the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).

Projective InstrumentsThe Rorschach Inkblot Test

Measures client’s view of his/her world. Clients are asked to look at inkblots and

to describe what they see. The test has 10 bilaterally symmetrical

inkblots printed on separate cards. Requires examiners to be thoroughly

trained.

Rorschach Inkblot Card http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rorschach_test

Rorschach Inkblot Card

Common Responses: Bat (53%), Butterfly (39%)


Common Responses:

Dog Elephant Bear


Common Responses:

Animal skin Skin Rug


Common Responses: Heads of women or

children Human head

Projective Tests

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) Contains 31 black and white pictures The usual number of cards shown to the client is

between 10 and 14 Administration of the TAT usually takes an hour Client is asked to make a story about each

picture Examiner asks client several questions in order

to better understand his/her story

Image similar to the ones used in TAT http://www.macalester.edu/psychology/whathap/ubnrp/intelligence05/Dpersonality.html

Image similar to those used in TAT

Projective InstrumentsVerbal Projective Techniques

Require verbal and/or written responses; therefore, clients must have good verbal and written skills.

Examples of questions: If you had three wishes, what would you

wish for? If you could be anything you wanted to

be, what would you be?


Sentence Completion Examples of sentence completion

I wish _________. I love _________. A husband should ______. My nerves are made of _________. I hate _________.


Projective Drawings Perhaps the oldest category of projective

assessments used with children and adolescents.

A very common technique is the “Draw-a- Person” test (pg. 267).

Another technique is the House-Tree-Person Technique (pg. 267).


Issues Subject to the examiner’s opinion and

judgment. They have failed to provide research

support for their reliability and validity.

Questions

1. The MMPI-2 is:

a. an IQ test

b. a neurological test

c. a projective personality test

d. a standardized personality test

2. In a projective test the client is shown

a. something which is highly reinforcing

b. something which is highly charged from an emotional standpoint

c. a and b

d. neutral stimuli

Questions

3. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator reflects the work of

a. Raymond B. Cattell

b. Carl Jung

c. William Glasser

d. Oscar K. Buros

4. The counselor who favors projective measures would most likely be a

a. Rogerian

b. Strict behaviorist

c. TA therapist

d. Psychodynamic clinician

Questions

5. One of the oldest methods of personality test construction is

a. Rational approach

b. Theory-based approach

c. Criterion Group approach

d. Factor analysis6. Personality Assessment assists counselors in: a. Understanding the behavior of a particular individual b. Coming to a conclusion about a possible future course of

action c. Making predictions about a person’s unique future behavior. d. All of the above

Outside Sources Butcher, J.N., Hstetler, K. (1990). Abbreviating MMPI Item

Administration. What Can Be Learned From the MMPI for the MMPI-2? Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, March 1990 Vol. 2. No. 1.12-21

Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III Interpretive Report with Grossman Facet Scales. Theodore Millon, PhD, DSc (http://www.pearsonassessments.com/hai/images/pa/pdfs/mcmi3interp.pdf)

Narron, M. C. (2005). Updating the TAT: A Photographic Revision of the Thematic Apperception Test, Dissertations Abstract International, DAI-B 66/01, p. 568, Jul 2005.



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