#AP Psychology: Personality Assessment - The Night Before 🌙

Hey! Let's get you feeling confident about personality assessment. We'll make sure you're ready to ace those questions. Let's dive in!

#Methods of Personality Assessment

Psychologists use different methods to measure personality, often depending on their theoretical leanings. Here's a breakdown:

# Direct Observation: The Behaviorist's Approach 👀

• What it is: Essentially, it's watching people in their natural environment (or a controlled one). Think of it as a structured form of people-watching.
• Who uses it: Favored by behaviorists.
• Behavioral Assessments: Record the frequency of specific behaviors.
• Pros: Great for making inferences about behavior.
• Cons:
  • Subjectivity: Can be influenced by observer bias.

  • #Hawthorne Effect: People change their behavior when they know they're being watched. 💡

- **Solution:** Use control measures in lab studies to minimize this effect.

# Projective Tests: Unlocking the Unconscious 🔓

• What they are: Tests that use ambiguous stimuli to reveal inner thoughts. The idea is that when you're not sure what you're looking at, your own personality shapes your interpretation.
• Who uses them: Primarily used by psychodynamic psychologists.
• Types:
  • Rorschach Inkblot Test:
    • Participants describe what they see in a series of inkblots.

-  - *Caption: A classic example of a Rorschach inkblot. What do you see?* - **Thematic Apperception Test (TAT):** - Participants create stories based on pictures of people in various situations. - Reveals inner thoughts through the stories they tell. - - **Pros:** Designed to tap into the unconscious. - **Cons:** Low validity...