Glossary
Behavioral Assessments
A type of assessment used by behaviorists that involves systematically recording the frequency, duration, or intensity of specific behaviors.
Example:
To reduce a child's tantrums, a therapist might conduct behavioral assessments to count how many times the child screams in a day.
Behaviorists
Psychologists who focus on observable behaviors and how they are learned through conditioning, often favoring direct observation for assessment.
Example:
A behaviorist might analyze a student's study habits by tracking the frequency of their active recall sessions versus passive reading.
Case Study
An in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, or event, often used to explore complex or rare phenomena.
Example:
A detailed analysis of a patient with a unique neurological condition would be considered a case study.
Direct Observation
A method of personality assessment where psychologists watch and record individuals' behaviors in their natural or controlled environments.
Example:
A researcher studying child development might use direct observation to see how toddlers interact with new toys in a playroom.
Experimentation
A research method where researchers manipulate one or more independent variables to observe their effect on a dependent variable, allowing for the determination of cause-and-effect relationships.
Example:
To test if a new teaching method improves test scores, a researcher might use experimentation, assigning one group to the new method and another to a traditional method.
Hawthorne Effect
A phenomenon where individuals modify an aspect of their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed.
Example:
Students might work harder on a group project when they know their teacher is periodically checking in, demonstrating the Hawthorne Effect.
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
The most widely used and researched clinical personality inventory, featuring hundreds of true/false questions and scales to detect various psychological disorders and personality traits, including built-in lie detection.
Example:
A forensic psychologist might administer the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to evaluate the psychological state of a defendant.
Personality Inventories
Self-report questionnaires designed to assess a wide range of personality traits by asking individuals to respond to a series of statements or questions about themselves.
Example:
Before starting a new job, an applicant might complete a personality inventory to help the employer understand their work style and interpersonal tendencies.
Projective Tests
Personality assessments that use ambiguous stimuli to elicit responses believed to reveal unconscious thoughts, feelings, or conflicts.
Example:
When asked to describe what they see in an abstract painting, a person's interpretation might be analyzed using principles similar to projective tests to understand their inner world.
Psychodynamic
A psychological perspective that emphasizes the systematic study of the psychological forces that underlie human behavior, feelings, and emotions, and how they might relate to early experience.
Example:
A psychodynamic therapist might explore a client's recurring dreams to uncover unresolved childhood conflicts.
Reliability
The consistency of a measure, meaning that a test yields consistent results when administered repeatedly under the same conditions.
Example:
A bathroom scale that gives you the same weight reading every time you step on it within a short period demonstrates good reliability.
Rorschach Inkblot Test
A projective test in which participants describe what they see in a series of ambiguous inkblots, with interpretations believed to reveal aspects of their personality.
Example:
During a session, a psychologist might present an abstract image and ask, 'What do you see?' as part of a Rorschach Inkblot Test.
Social-Cognitive Perspective
A psychological perspective that emphasizes the interaction between our traits and their social context, focusing on how our thoughts and environment influence our personality.
Example:
A social-cognitive perspective would explain why someone might be shy in a large group but outgoing with close friends, considering both their internal thoughts and the social situation.
Subjectivity
The quality of being based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions, which can introduce bias into observations or interpretations.
Example:
An art critic's review of a painting often contains a high degree of subjectivity, as their personal preferences heavily influence their judgment.
Survey
A research method involving the systematic questioning of a representative sample of a population to gather data on attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors.
Example:
To understand student opinions on online learning, a university might conduct a survey of its entire student body.
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
A projective test where individuals create stories about ambiguous pictures of people in various situations, revealing their inner thoughts and feelings through the narratives.
Example:
A therapist might show a picture of a person standing alone and ask a client to tell a story about what led to that moment and what will happen next, using the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).
Trait Psychologists
Psychologists who focus on identifying, describing, and measuring stable and enduring personality characteristics or traits.
Example:
A trait psychologist might use a questionnaire to determine if someone is consistently introverted or extroverted across different situations.
Validity
The extent to which a test or experiment measures what it is intended to measure.
Example:
If a new intelligence test accurately predicts academic success, it would be considered to have high validity.