Psychology : Psychometric Report
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PSY4046andPSY3018Week16-Personalityfeedbackandprofiling.pdf
PSY4046 & PSY3018 Week 16
Personality Feedback and Profiling
Dr Jackie Meredith 1
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Learning Outcomes
• To understand the basis of the two tests you have taken
• To explore the first of these tests in detail: the Five Factor Model.
• To examine how scores might relate to workplace issues and how to write to the client.
• To have a go at writing personality profiles…
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PSY4046 - Choosing Psychometric Tests
• In your introduction there is a section where you inform the client as to which measures you have used, who wrote them and why they have been chosen. This must be accompanied by a citation of the author (or authors) and the year of publication or development.
• You will need to reword your section from the following slides.
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THE IPIP
• The International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) has been developed by Lew Goldberg and colleagues.
• The development of the IPIP is an on-going project which aims to establish the validity of a useful personality inventory for administration via the WWW or by researchers.
• The IPIP website is intended as an international effort to develop and continually refine a set of personality inventories, whose items are in the public domain, and whose scales can be used for both scientific and commercial purposes.
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THE IPIP
• The IPIP used on this occasion (Goldberg 1999) has 100 items and assesses the five domains of the Five Factor Model (as described by Costa & McCrae, 1992) - Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism (The NEO-Pi). • We have reworded ‘Neuroticism’ to read ‘Emotionality’ as this is a more
acceptable term.
• The Five-Factor model is the current dominant model in theory and research on personality and proposes that personality is best described in terms of five main domains.
• The IPIP is a Big 5 style questionnaire which is available to researchers and academic institutions.
• This instrument has been chosen for two main reasons: it addresses the same domain constructs as the NEO-PI, a widely used commercially-published inventory, and it is freely available for use.
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IPIP Factors
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EXTRAVERSION (FELLOWSHIP)
• Extraverts direct their energies outwards whereas Introverts direct their energies inwards.
• Extraverts are sociable, like meeting new people and are happy with large groups.
• They are more likely to be assertive, active and talkative.
• They like excitement and stimulation and tend to be cheerful in disposition.
• They are upbeat, energetic and more likely to be optimistic about outcomes.
• An extraverted person is likely to most enjoy time spent with people and find less reward in time spent alone or in solitary pursuits.
• Introverts are reserved rather than unfriendly, independent rather than followers, even paced rather than sluggish.
• Introverts may say they are shy when they mean that they prefer to be alone; they do not necessarily suffer from social anxiety but are happier with small groups of intimate friends than large gatherings such as parties and events.
• Although they are not given to the exuberant high spirits of extraverts, introverts are not unhappy or pessimistic.
• Introverts are more likely than extraverts to take pleasure in solitary activities such as reading, writing, using computers, hiking and fishing. 7
EXTRAVERSION
• A relatively new concept is Ambiversion.
• This relates to an Average (average/average) score in Extraversion. An ambivert is moderately comfortable with groups and social interaction, but also can enjoy time alone, away from a crowd.
• A true ambivert can be extravert in situations where they are comfortable and confident, and equally may appear introvert in other situations.
• This would relate to an optimal arousal level in Eysenck’s theory.
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Eysenck:
extraversion based
on activity of the
ARAS = brain
arousal
The Extravert
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Tolerant of Alcohol
Easily Sedated
Resistant to Pain
Strong Nervous System
EXTRAVERT
Excitation builds up slowly and dissipates quickly. ARAS inhibits and reduces
intensity of sensory stimulation
LIKES
Frequent Sensory Stimulation
Loud
Music Change:
Job
House
Partner
Bright Lights
CHRONICALLY UNDER-AROUSED
The Introvert
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Strongly affected by Alcohol
Difficult to Sedate
Low Pain Threshold
Sensitive Nervous System
INTROVERT
Excitation builds up quickly and dissipates slowly. ARAS enhances intensity of
sensory stimulation
HATES
Frequent Sensory Stimulation
Loud
Music Change:
Job
House
Partner
Bright Lights
CHRONICALLY OVER-AROUSED
Extraversion Summary • Theoretical Standpoint: there is an optimal level of cortical arousal
• Performance deteriorates with arousal above or below optimal level • At very low and very high levels of arousal performance is low.
• Arousal can be measured by: • Skin conductance
• Brain waves
• Sweating
• Personality Characteristics • Extraverts are chronically under-aroused and bored
• They need of external stimulation to bring them up to an optimal level of performance.
• Introverts are chronically over-aroused and jittery • They need of peace and quiet to bring them up to an optimal level of performance.
• Evaluation • Modern neuroscience has suggested cortical arousal is more complex than just one
system – so causality uncertain
• However, the premise that extraversion is related to arousal is widely supported 11
EMOTIONALITY (NEUROTICISM)
• The general tendency to experience negative affects such as fear, sadness, embarrassment, anger, guilt and disgust is the core of this factor.
• High Emotionality reflects a general sensitivity to threatening stimuli, including perceived emotional situations.
• Someone high in Emotionality may interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult because they are easily subject to emotional responses.
• People high in Emotionality are also prone to having irrational ideas (particularly in terms of their own abilities), because of their susceptibility to guilt, shame and doubt. They need to reality-test situations and self-assessment for this reason.
• They are less able to control their emotional impulses (so may become overwhelmed by worry, for example and cope more poorly than others with stress. • For example problems with delayed gratification
• High Emotionality has been associated with the potential to suffer from anxiety disorders.
• Individuals who score low on Emotionality are more emotionally stable. They are usually calm, even-tempered and relaxed and are able to face stressful situations without becoming upset. • Because it takes stronger emotional eliciting situations to bring about a response – such as
anxiety
• A moderate amount of Emotionality may have beneficial effects, such as increased drive and productivity, due to greater sensitivity to negative outcomes.
• Very low Emotionality may be associated with a difficulty to be motivated.
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EMOTIONALITY – BASED ON NEUROTICISM
• Interestingly Psychotic individuals have been found to have extremely low neuroticism, reflecting their insensitivity to negative stimuli such as fear, guilt and embarrassment. • This doesn’t mean individuals with low Emotionality are likely to be psychotic in terms
of behaviour – psychotic behaviour is epigenetic; a complex phenomenon relating to biology, nurture and life circumstances
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Eysenck: neuroticism
based on sensitive
nervous system
(autonomic nervous
system) = highly
sensitive to threat
The personality
aspect of
‘Emotionality’ is
based on
Neuroticism – a
biological process
that’s thought to be
related to our basic
biology.
Extraversion Summary • Theoretical Standpoint: there is an optimal level of cortical arousal
• Performance deteriorates with arousal above or below optimal level • At very low and very high levels of arousal performance is low.
• Arousal can be measured by: • Skin conductance
• Brain waves
• Sweating
• Personality Characteristics • Extraverts are chronically under-aroused and bored
• They need of external stimulation to bring them up to an optimal level of performance.
• Introverts are chronically over-aroused and jittery • They need of peace and quiet to bring them up to an optimal level of performance.
• Evaluation • Modern neuroscience has suggested cortical arousal is more complex than just one
system – so causality uncertain
• However, the premise that extraversion is related to arousal is widely supported 14
Neuroticism and the Brain
• Neuroticism can be linked to LOW THRESHOLDS of sensitivity in the HYPOTHALAMUS which governs the sympathetic nervous system • Part of visceral brain responsible for fight and flight.
• Heightened sensitivity to threat.
• Stable individuals have HIGH THRESHOLDS of sensitivity • Less susceptible to negative emotional arousal =
fear, anxiety, stress, hyper-vigilance, depression..
• High emotionality therefore is characterised by high levels of negative affect or aversive mood states, including anger, contempt, disgust, guilt, fear, and nervousness. Low negative affect is characterised by a state of calmness and serenity.
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Emotionality
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Resilient to
shock
Neurotic
Panic attacksHighly aware
Strong startle
response
Our fight/flight system is a normal process to allow the body to respond to threat
Being over-vigilant and over-sensitive to threat can give you a hard time – but being
over-relaxed can lead to procrastination and low motivation
Very anxious
Sensitive nervous system
Very relaxed
Laid-backHardy
Resilient nervous system
Emotionally Stable
Emotionality Summary • Theoretical Standpoint: there is an optimal level nervous arousal
• The autonomic nervous system regulates the body’s visceral equilibrium • Arousal = flight-or-fight in response to danger (sympathetic nervous system) • Relaxation = returning the body to rest when danger is past (parasympathetic nervous system)
• Arousal can be measured by: • heart rate • blood pressure • cold hands • sweating • muscular tension (especially in the forehead).
• Personality Characteristics • High Emotionality = low activation thresholds = difficulty inhibiting or control their
emotional reactions • Easily nervous or upset and experience negative affect in the face of very minor stressors.
• Emotionally stable individuals have high activation thresholds = good emotional control
• Calm and collected under pressure; experience negative affect only in the face of very major stressors
• Evaluation • A relationship between negative affect and sensitivity has been well documented.
• Most of us vary in Emotionality under different circumstances linked to our nurture and experience.
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AGREEABLENESS
(opposite = AUTHORITY/TOUGH MINDEDNESS)
• The agreeable person is sympathetic to others and eager to help and believe that others will be equally helpful in return.
• They are cooperative and value social harmony.
• High agreeableness is linked to being trustworthy and having a tendency to trust others.
• They are likely to be warm and considerate and go out of their way to help others.
• This can become a problem with extreme scores.
• By contrast, the Tough-Minded person (AUTHORITY in the Orpheus scale) is likely to be egocentric and competitive rather than co-operative. They like being in charge, getting their own way and are interested in achieving their own goals.
• They are generally less concerned with others' well-being and report having less empathy.
• Low agreeableness/high authority is often characterised by skepticism about other people's motives, resulting in suspicion.
• This may appear as unfriendliness.
• People very low on agreeableness have a tendency to be manipulative in their social relationships.
• Their agenda is always for their own profit
• However the readiness to fight for one’s own interests is often advantageous and agreeableness is not a virtue on the battlefield or in the courtroom.
• Sceptical and critical thinking contributes to accurate analysis in the sciences!
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CONSCIENTIOUSNESS (DETAIL)
• The highly conscientious person is likely to be efficient, organised, neat, and systematic in at least some areas of their lives.
• They are are generally scrupulous, punctual and reliable.
• They are likely to be self-disciplined, careful and thorough in their work, often to the point of punctiliousness. They are interested in the DETAIL.
• The term ‘exacting’
• A highly conscientious individual is thorough, self-organised and deliberate in action. They like a structured working environment where detail is important.
• High Conscientiousness has been linked to the need for achievement; being goal oriented
• And this has been associated with academic and occupational achievement.
• It may be a challenge for someone with very high conscientiousness to see the bigger picture.
• Excessive conscientiousness may also lead to annoying fastidiousness, compulsive neatness or workaholic behaviour.
• Low Conscientiousness scorers are not necessarily lacking in moral values but they more relaxed are less exacting (demanding) in applying such principles.
• They are less goal-oriented and less driven by success and more concerned with the here and now.
• Low levels of Conscientiousness have been related to procrastination.
• There is some research evidence that individuals low in C are more hedonistic and pleasure seeking (McCrae, Costa & Busch, 1986).
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OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE
(opposite = CONFORMITY)
• High Openness is typified by an active imagination, aesthetic sensitivity, attentiveness to inner feelings,
preference for variety, intellectual curiosity and independence of judgement.
• Open individuals are curious about both inner and outer worlds and their lives are experientially richer for that
reason.
• They are willing to entertain novel ideas and unconventional values and they experience both positive and
negative emotions more keenly than closed individuals.
• Openness is especially related to aspects of intelligence, such as divergent thinking, that contribute to
creativity.
• The individual high in Openness will be comfortable with abstract thinking, which can be considered a form of
creativity.
• Open individuals are unconventional, willing to question authority and prepared to entertain new ethical, social
and political ideas.
• Openness is also related construct of ‘absorption’ and can mean a person is more likely to respond to
hypnotism.
• People who score low on Openness tend to be more conventional in behaviour and conservative in outlook.
• Some scales relate Openness to political leanings for this reason!
• They are more prone to CONFORMITY as they prefer the familiar, rather than the novel, and enjoy security
more than variety.
• They are more comfortable with routine and stability in their lives.
• The individual low in Openness/high in Conformity will place less value on the abstract and more value on
practical solutions and answers.
• They prefer tried and tested ways of doing things and are comfortable following strict procedures and methods.
• The value of Openness/Conformity depends on the requirements of the situation and both open and closed
individuals perform useful functions in society.
• It might be hard to be an Entrepreneur without high Openness, but most creative and structured careers like
teaching would require average Openness. Why do you think that is?
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PSY4046 - The consultant’s interpretation
• The consultant should write about their client using their first name
only – this is the convention in psychometrics. • Do not give the full name.
• This report is actually about YOURSELF, but you must write as if you
were the consultant.
• For each factor you must present what the score means in terms of
the client’s proposed behaviour.
• The consultant’s interpretation is based on the evidence of the
SCORE alone – so be careful not to make comments that come from
your own self-knowledge • That comes in the client’s reply.
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PSY3018 - Profiling – How does it work?
• What is the difference between a profile and the client comment in terms of a psychometric report ?
• Profile = proposed personality, based on score and the underlying TRAIT TERMS
• Client comment = observed behaviour
• What is the evidence for the client’s proposed personality in the profile?
• Supporting evidence in psychometrics comes from the SCORE itself and the consultant’s expertise in interpretation
• What is the evidence for the client’s reported personality?
• Supporting evidence comes in the form of anecdotal accounts, as provided by the client.
• You will need to explain this process, and lead in to your interview of the client about their experience of the process 22
PSY4046 - The client’s evidence
• Your client will have been interviewed and the profile presented.
• Your client will have been encouraged to discuss the results, and provide
anecdotal evidence of their characteristic behaviour.
• You as consultant will then need to write a short statement saying whether your
client (you) supports or disagrees with each of the results, making sure that you
use their examples as evidence.
• DON’T simply write “(…..) was not happy about her score for
…………”.
• This is not helpful or telling us anything.
• DO give a reason: “(…..) was not happy about her score for ……..
because she felt that on many occasions she would ……………..”
This gives you information about why and how the client disagrees.
• Your client may, for example, feel that they are more agreeable and
cooperative in the workplace than their scores would suggest.
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✗
✔
PART 2 – DISCUSSING PERSONALITY
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The consultant’s interpretation –GROUP TASK 1
• In different groups, look at the area of Emotionality. • What could you say about a person in terms of
PREDICTED BEHAVIOUR or UNDERLYING TRAITS if they were:
• Average • High average • High • Low average • Low
1 profile per group 5 minutes
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Trait words
(NEO-Pi)
Anxiety
Hostility
Depression
Self-Consciousness
Impulsiveness
Vulnerability to Stress
TIPS
• Each factor of the profile must have a heading that includes the score.
• The profile must relate the client’s personality to other psychology undergraduates
• The profile should use use ‘qualifiers’ rather than direct comments
• So the person ‘may’ ‘is likely to’ or ‘could sometimes’ rather than ‘does’, ‘will’ or ‘always’
• This reflects the fact that a profile presents LIKELY BEHAVIOUR – not observed behaviour
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EXAMPLE PROFILE
EMOTIONALITY: Score = 56: High Average Janeen’s score for Emotionality suggests that she is amongst the more
sensitive of her peers to negative emotions like guilt and embarrassment.
She may find some pressured workplace situations more stressful than the
average person. For example although she generally copes with life’s
demands she many sometime feel irrationally anxious about outcomes and
be prone to negative thinking. She may also find herself feeling angry or
hostile when upset by others, but this is not an extreme problem and she is
generally able to handle these impulses.
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You will need to write like this about every factor of Personality.
Client reply Janeen accepts that occasions she finds herself more affected by worry and
anxieties than those around her, for example ………..…………………. etc
Heading for each section
CHECKING IN…
• Words were: Anxiety, hostility, depression, self- consciousness, impulsiveness, vulnerability to stress.
• AVERAGE: (Janeen)’s average score suggests a profile much like other similarly educated people: she is generally emotionally stable. Like most people she can at times be impulsive and experience negative or hostile thinking but is generally able to cope well with stressors and her anxiety is not above typical levels, even in times of stress or workplace pressure.
28 How might this aspect of personality manifest as a strength in a working environment?
CHECKING IN…
• Words were: Anxiety, hostility, depression, self- consciousness, impulsiveness, vulnerability to stress.
• HIGH: (Janeen)’s high score for Emotionality suggests she is highly focused and motivated but also emotionally sensitive but may at times be over-sensitive and experience negative or hostile impulses, particularly in a very heavily-pressured working environment. Janeen is likely to be more vulnerable than her peers to anxiety and stress, even in everyday circumstances. This means she needs to develop coping strategies particularly in a stressful working environment.
29 What would be the impact for Janeen in terms of career choice?
CHECKING IN…
• Words were: Anxiety, hostility, depression, self- consciousness, impulsiveness, vulnerability to stress.
• LOW: (Janeen)’s low score suggests she is more emotionally stable than most people she is likely to work with. Less vulnerable than her colleagues to anxiety and stress she is likely to handle challenging deadlines and environmental stressors. With a stable emotional base Janeen is unlikely to suffer from negative impulses and thinking and finds positive thinking easier than many – however her relaxed response to stress may mean she needs at times concentrate on remaining motivated and focused.
30When might this be an advantage and when a disadvantage?
CHECKING IN…
• Words were: Anxiety, hostility, depression, self-consciousness, impulsiveness, vulnerability to stress.
• LOW AVERAGE: (Janeen)’s low-average score suggests she is amongst the more emotionally stable of her peers. Janeen is unlikely to suffer much from negative or hostile impulses and copes at least as well as most of her peers with stressful situations. Although she may occasionally feel self-conscious and experience negative feelings this is not a regular occurrence and she generally copes well with workplace stressors and in challenging circumstances.
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CHECKING IN…
• Words were: Anxiety, hostility, depression, self- consciousness, impulsiveness, vulnerability to stress.
• HIGH AVERAGE: (Janeen)’s high-average score suggests she is amongst the more emotionally sensitive of her peers; vulnerable to anxiety she may feel somewhat overwhelmed with stress when there is a lot of pressure. Janeen may sometimes feel hostile and experience unhelpful negative emotional impulses and although this is within an expected range she may occasionally need to rationalise with these unhelpful feelings in order to perform at her best in the workplace.
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OVER TO YOU
• Group work – consider profiles • If possible, 4 groups – a factor of personality each; report back to
the whole class • Think of someone in a profession, and what might be required of
them – e.g. • Nurse • Salesman • Social Worker • Traffic warden • Lawyer or Barrister • Clinician
• Choose one or maybe two, ranges to interpret – one where characteristics are a STRENGTH for the profession, one where they do not.
• When you report back, explain why the range is either helpful or non-helpful, to that career. 33
TIPS • Profiles are always directed towards the positive.
• Think about what the client would want to be in the public domain when reporting their response to the profile – don’t include inappropriate personal information.
• Try not to use negative terms – think about selling a car; you wouldn’t describe all the problems first, but try to make it sound good ☺
• Profiles should never contain information only the client would know (that’s for the client reply); remember the consultant does not know your thoughts!
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The consultant’s interpretation
• EXTRAVERSION
• Warmth
• Gregariousness (outgoing, adventurous)
• Assertiveness
• Activity
• Excitement Seeking
• Positive Emotion
• The AVERAGE profile
• The HIGH AVERAGE profile
• The HIGH profile
• The LOW AVERAGE profile
• The LOW profile 35
The consultant’s interpretation
• AGREEABLENESS
• Trust
• Straightforwardness
• Altruism
• Compliance
• Modesty
• Tender-mindedness
• The AVERAGE profile
• The HIGH AVERAGE profile
• The HIGH profile
• The LOW AVERAGE profile
• The LOW profile 36
The consultant’s interpretation
• OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE
• Fantasy
• Aesthetics
• Feelings
• Actions
• Ideas
• Values – stability or variety
• The AVERAGE profile
• The HIGH AVERAGE profile
• The HIGH profile
• The LOW AVERAGE profile
• The LOW profile 37
The consultant’s interpretation
• CONSCIENTIOUSNESS
• Competence
• Order
• Dutifulness
• Achievement Striving
• Self-Discipline
• Deliberation
• The AVERAGE profile
• The HIGH AVERAGE profile
• The HIGH profile
• The LOW AVERAGE profile
• The LOW profile 38
References relating to the report
• Allport, G. W. (1937). Personality: A Psychological Interpretation. New York: Holt. • Allport, G. W. & Odbert, H. S. (1936). Trait names: A Psychological study. Psychological
Monographs, 47, (1, Whole No. 211). • Cattell R. B. (1966). The Scientific Analysis of Personality. Chicago: Aldine. • Eysenck H.J. & Eysenck M.W. (1985). Personality and Individual Differences: A Natural
Science Approach. New York: Plenum. • Goldberg, L.R. (1999) A Broad-Bandwidth, Public-Domain, Personality Inventory Measuring
the Lower-Level Facets of Several Five-Factor Models. In I. Mervielde, I. Deary, F. De Fruyt, & F. Ostendorf (Eds.), Personality Psychology in Europe, Vol. 7. (pp. 7-28). Tilburg, The Netherlands: Tilburg University Press.
• Goleman D (1998) Working with Emotional Intelligence. London: Bloomsbury. • Goleman D (1995) Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. London:
Bloomsbury. • Meredith, J. (2019) Standardisation of a new measure of Emotional Competency. In
progress. • McCrae R.R. & Costa P.T. (1987). Validation of the Five Factor Model of Personality Across
Instruments and Observers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 52, 81-90. • McCrae R.R. & Costa P.T. (1992). An Introduction to the Five Factor Model and its
Applications. Journal of Personality. 60, 175-215.
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NEXT WEEK
• Reading week
• No classes
• There will be a short presentation on MOODLE to work through to NORMALISE your scores for the WECQ. Important as we will be looking at these scores in Week 18.
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