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Theories of Personality - Personality Theories
About Personality Theory
56
Psychology
Undergraduate 3
02/18/2016

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Term
adaption
Definition
coping with the external world
Term
applied research
Definition
research intended for practical use
Term
applied value
Definition
the ability of a theory to guide practical uses
Term
basic research
Definition
research intended to develop theory
Term
case study
Definition
an intensive investigation of a single individual
Term
comprehensiveness
Definition
the ability of a theory to explain a broad variety of observations
Term
construct
Definition
a concept used in a theory
Term
construct validity
Definition
the usefulness of a theoretical term, evidened by an accumlation of research findings
Term
control group
Definition
in an experiment, the group not exposed to the experimental treatment
Term
correlational research
Definition
research method that examines that relationships among measurements
Term
dependent variable
Definition
the effect in an experimental study
Term
description
Definition
theoretical task of identifying the units of personality, with particular emphasis on the differences between people

Interpret: how to understand one's dynamic or one's life
Term
determinism
Definition
the assumption that phenomena have causes that can be discovered by empirical research
Term
development
Definition
formation or change (of personality) over time

Interpret: biological factors, or how people change over time
Term
disconfirmation
Definition
evidence against a theory; observations that contract the predictions of a hypothesis
Term
dynamics
Definition
the motivational aspect of personality

Interpret: how to understand one's dynamic or one's life
Term
ecelectic
Definition
combining ideas from a variety of theories
Term
empirical
Definition
based on scientific evidence
Term
experimental group
Definition
the group exposed to the experimental treatment
Term
factor
Definition
a statistically derived, quantitative dimension of personality that is broader than most traits
Term
hypothesis
Definition
a prediction to be tested by research
Term
idiographic
Definition
focusing on one individual
Term
implicit theories of personality
Definition
ideas about personality that are held by ordinary people
Term
independent variable
Definition
the cause that is manipulated by the researcher
Term
individual differences
Definition
qualities that make one person different from another
Term
nomothetic
Definition
involving comparisons with other indivduals; research based on groups of people
Term
operational definition
Definition
procedure for measuring a theoretical construct
Term
paradigm
Definition
a basic theoretical model, shared by various theorists and researchers
Term
personality
Definition
the underlying cause within the person of individual behavior and experience
Term
psychobiography
Definition
the application of a personality theory to the study of an individual's life; different from a case study because of its theoretical emphasis
Term
quantitive measures
Definition
measures that permit expression of various amounts of something, such as a trait
Term
reliability
Definition
consistency, as when a measurement is repeated at another time or by another observer, with similar results
Term
scientific method
Definition
the method of knowing based on systematic observation
Term
temperament
Definition
consistent styles of behavior and emotional reactions present from early life onward, presumably caused by biological factors
Term
theoretical proposition
Definition
theoretical statement about relationships among theoretical constructs
Term
theory
Definition
a conceptual tool, consisting of systematically organized constructs and propositions, for understanding certain specified phenomena
Term
trait
Definition
personality characteristic that makes one person different from another and/or the describes an individual's personality
Term
true experimental research
Definition
research strategy that manipulates a cause to determine its effect
Term
type
Definition
a category of people with similar characteristics
Term
validity
Definition
desirable characteristic of a test, indicating that it actually does measure what it is intended to measure
Term
variable
Definition
in research, a measurement of something across various people (or times or situations), which takes on different values
Term
verifiable
Definition
the ability of a theory to be tested by empirical procedures, resulting in confirmation or disconfirmation
Term
What is criteria for a good theory?
Definition
verifiable, applied value, comprehensive, parsimony, heuristic value.
Term
What does personality theory study?
Definition
Description, dynamics, and development
Term
How do traits, factors, and types differ from another?
Definition
Traits are more narrow and have precise description of personality focused on characteristics, but quantitative like factors

Types are categories of people with similar characteristics

Factors are more broad but are quantitative like traits
Term
Personality dynamic
Definition
Mechanisms by which personality is expressed and often focuses on the motivational aspect thru
a) adaption and adjustment
b) cognitive processes
c) culture
Term
How do cognitive processes and culture relate to personality dynamics?
Definition
Thru cognitive processes, one's experience and ideas effect personality dynamics by predicting behavior and coping.

Culture helps some motivation thru direct people driven or shaping thru their own culture
Term
What is the relationship between theory and research?
Definition
Research leads to theory and theory leads to research
Term
How can personality be measured?
Definition
Reliability (test-retest, alternative forms, and split half reliability), validity, direct self reports, open ended questions, projective tests, behavioral measures, objective measures
Term
What is the strength and weaknesses of psychobiography?
Definition
+ looks beyond the individual
- lacks statistical advantages and a control variable
Term
Why might you use eclecticism?
Definition
Since theories may have different areas of usefulness for your own
Term
Parsimony
Definition
does not propose an excessive number of narrow constructs or propositions if a smaller number of broad constructs could explain the phenomena under consideration
Term
Heuristic value
Definition
ability of a theory to suggest new ideas for further theory and research
Term
direct self-report measures
Definition
respond to specific (usually multiple choice) questions
Term
What contributes to unreliability?
Definition
shorter tests, unrelated items, ambiguously worded tests
Term
What reduces validity?
Definition
Respondent's intentional distortion, misunderstanding of test items, lack of knowledge or insight about material being asked
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