Running head: CHECKPOINT: PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT AND THEORIES.

CheckPoint: Personality Assessment and Theories

Tiffany Nicole Cooper

University of Phoenix

BEH

225

Joan Mason

November 17, 2010

 CheckPoint: Personality Assessment and Theories

When talking about how personality assessments and personality theories correspond,

first we will discuss the psychodynamic theory. The psychodynamic theories “roots” are in the

unconscious thoughts, feelings, motives, and conflicts. This can all stem from repressed

problems from early childhood. In order to assess the psychodynamic personality, projective

tests, and personal interviews are made.

When talking about the humanistic view of the personality theories, according to Morris,

C.G., & Maisto, A.A. (2002), “this is a drive towards personal growth and higher levels of

functioning.” In order to assess the humanistic personality, objective tests, and personal

interviews are made.

When talking about the trait theories, “this is a relatively permanent disposition within

the individual that cause the person to think, act, and feel in characteristic ways”. (Morris, C.G.,

& Maisto, A.A. (2002.) In order to assess the trait personality, the only thing that one can do is

take objective tests.

When talking about the cognitive-social learning theories, “this is determined by past

reinforcement and punishment, and also by seeing what happens to other people.” (Morris, C.G.,

& Maisto, A.A. (2002.) In order to assess the social learning theories, there are three different

ways to go about getting an assessment; interviews, objective tests, and observation.

When discussing the test provided at: http://similarminds.com/jung_word.html, I found

that the test was an objective test. It was a series of questions that asked me how I would rate

myself on the scale. It was a standardized test that can allow an interviewer to examine many

people in a short amount of time. This test can be inaccurate if the person taking the test does not
want to take the test. They can give unreliable answers just to hurry up and finish their

unpleasant test. Also if the person does not know themselves well or if they do not understand

the words they may answer inaccurately.

When the accuracy of this test is discussed, I found that it said: I am an “ENFJ –

"Persuader". It says I can be an outstanding leader of groups, that I can be aggressive at helping

others to be the best that they can be 2.5% of total population. I am not much of a leader because

I have always been more apt to find my own way, and I can lead under those conditions. Some of

the questions asked, I really did not know what the word meant and wasn’t really interested in

taking it, so that can defiantly be the reason the information was so inaccurate.

I think the most reliable and the one test that assesses personality and has the most

advantages is the projective tests. Since these tests are flexible and can be treated as games or

puzzles, people can relax more while taking them. Projective tests are when people are shown

meaningless materials or pictures and then they are asked to interpret or explain what the

material means to them, or how it makes them feel.

Now when it comes to the validity of interviews and observations versus objective or

projective tests, there are a few differences. When a person is doing an interview, there is one

purpose; to obtain information about the one being interviewed. In interviews, the questions are

set, and the interviewer sticks to the set questions. Direct observation is when a person’s

everyday actions are watched over a period of time. Unfortunately, a person observing can be

biased as to how they view the situation. Objective tests are usually “yes” and “no” answers.

There are many known tests like the NEO-PI-R test, or the MMPI (part one or two) in this field.

These tests are pretty accurate. Projective tests can have biased information as well. When the

interviewer is asking “how does that make you feel…” they can interpret the information given
to them differently then what the person was meaning it to sound like, but this test has several

advantages (as mentioned before) for testing personality.

Reference Page:

Morris, C.G., & Maisto, A.A. (2002). Psychology: An Introduction (12th ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall.