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Block 4 Unit 3 Behavioural Assessment

1. Define case history method.

The case history method involves a detailed study of a single individual’s behaviour over an extended period. It is used to achieve an understanding of a person's life experiences and behaviour patterns, through recollections, interviews, documents and psychological tests.

2. Differentiate between structured interview and unstructured interview as a measure of personality assessment.

In a structured interview, there is a systematic procedure for collecting information, with specific questions asked in a set order. In an unstructured interview, the interviewer has flexibility in the questions asked and the order in which questions are asked, allowing the interviewer to dig deeper to gain a more detailed understanding.

3. Give a general overview of the merits and demerits of case history method.

Case History Method: Merits and Demerits

The case history method, also known as a case study, involves a detailed examination of an individual's personality over an extended period. This method is particularly useful in clinical settings for diagnosing and treating individuals with psychological issues.

• Merits of the Case History Method:

  • Provides an account of the complexities and unique aspects of an individual's personality, which is not possible through other methods.
  • Allows for the study of processes within one or a few individuals, especially their coping mechanisms with life experiences.
  • Offers the only way to study rare occurrences of a phenomenon.
  • Can provide rich information and insights about a particular phenomenon.
  • Serves as a preliminary research strategy that can offer intriguing hypotheses about human personality.
  • Case histories made by clinicians have played a crucial role in the development of certain personality theories and clinical thinking.
  • The method enables a deep understanding of a person's life experiences and behaviour patterns, using a variety of sources like personal recollections, interviews, and psychological tests.
  • Can be used to support theoretical claims.
  • The method influenced an entire generation of researchers by directing their attention to the whole person, to the importance of environment, and to the need for comprehensive assessment.

• Demerits of the Case History Method:

  • Researchers cannot be entirely certain about cause-and-effect relationships because they lack control over factors that may affect the events observed.
  • The results have limited generalisability because the method focuses on one individual.
  • Data can be retrospective or second-hand and thus distorted by time.
  • Conclusions may reflect the personal biases of the investigator.

4. What are some of the advantages offered by interview method?

The interview method is a widely used technique for gathering information about a person's personality, involving a face-to-face dialogue between an interviewer and a respondent.

• Provides a rich source of personality data.
• Can provide information about communication skills, self-perception, anxiety levels, future plans and job satisfaction.
• Can be used in hypothesis-testing research.
• Allows for a flexible approach and enables the interviewer to probe deeper into the respondent’s thoughts and feelings.
• Unstructured interviews are preferred by clinical psychologists because they allow more freedom for the respondent to express themselves.
• Structured interviews provide a systematic approach for collecting data and are preferred in research settings.
• A well-planned interview, when conducted by a skilled interviewer, can yield extremely valuable information regarding an individual's personality and life circumstances.

5. Describe the case history method for assessing personality. What are some of the strengths and limitations of case history method?

Description of the Case History Method

The case history method involves an in-depth study of a single individual’s behaviour over an extended period. It is commonly used in clinical and medical settings to diagnose and treat individuals with psychological issues. This method relies on a variety of sources including the person's own recollections, interviews with others, autobiographical and biographical documents, and psychological test data. The goal is to understand the person's life experiences and patterns of behaviour. Case studies can be either individual or community-based. Individual case studies involve a single person, while community case studies focus on a group living in a geographical area.

6. Point out the major sources of error in interview.

Major Sources of Error in Interviews

Interviews, while useful, are subject to several sources of error:

• Subjectivity: Data obtained is subjective and may reflect the theoretical biases of the interviewer.
• Interviewer bias: The interviewer's personality can subtly influence the respondent’s behaviour, leading to the withholding or distorting of information.
• Social desirability: Interviewees may be inclined to respond in a way that they think the interviewer desires rather than answering truthfully.
• Halo effect: The interviewer's first impression of a person might influence how they perceive and interpret subsequent information.
• Misinformation: Interviewees may misinform, lie, or distort the actual facts.

7. Briefly describe the current methods being used by psychologists for personality assessment.

Current Methods Used by Psychologists for Personality Assessment

Psychologists use a variety of methods for personality assessment, including:

• Self-report inventories: Questionnaires in which individuals describe their own feelings, environment, and reactions. These can be single-trait tests, which measure specific aspects of personality or multi-dimensional tests, which can measure several personality dimensions simultaneously, and include validity scales to detect dishonesty or biases.
  • Examples: MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), 16PF (Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire), NEO-PI (Neuroticism/Extraversion/Openness Personality Inventory), MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator).
• Projective techniques: These methods utilise ambiguous stimuli to uncover unconscious conflicts and feelings..
  • Examples: The Rorschach Inkblot Test and the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT).
• Behavioural assessments: Direct observation, rating scales, frequency counts, and situational tests are used to measure behaviour in natural and controlled settings.
• Interviews: Structured or unstructured dialogues used to gather information.
• Case studies: In-depth investigations of a single individual over an extended period.

8. What other measures of personality do psychologists currently use?

Other Measures of Personality

Psychologists also employ other measures, including:

• Experience sampling: Studying daily experiences and events to understand personality in real-time.
• Biological measures: Investigating the physiological and neurological bases of personality, such as cortical arousal and visceral activation.
• Apperception tests: Tests that explore an individual's perceptions and interpretations of ambiguous stimuli, such as the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and the Children Apperception Test (CAT).
• Choice techniques: Where individuals are asked to choose from or order stimuli.
• Objective tests: These tests include self-report measures as well as other tests where the response format, administration, and scoring features are standardised.