Personality Measures – Validity and Reliability
You textbook describes different types of personality measures, such as subjective, objective, and projective. Examples of subjective measures are observations, interviews, and situational tests. Examples of objective measures are questionnaires, such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator, and various questionnaires that measure the “big five” personality traits of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Examples of projective measures are the Rorschach inkblot test and the thematic apperception test. Each type of measure has strengths and limitations.
Personality measures vary widely in how valid and reliable they are. In objective measures, we see those that range from highly invalid and reliable, such as a quiz in a fashion magazine, to measures that show high reliability and validity, such as the MMPI-2.
In your text in the Unit 6 studies, you read definitions of “reliability” and “validity.” For this discussion, describe your understanding of the two terms in your own words. Describe why it is important to consider reliability and validity when using a personality measure for practices such as counseling and job placement.
Personality – Measuring TraitsVarious personality measures are intended to measure different aspects of our personalities, as no test measures all aspects. For example, the “big five” measures the traits of openness, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. The MMPI-2 measures adult psychopathology.
For this discussion, take an online personality measure of your choice, and review the results (you are not required to reveal the results in your post). Answer the following:
- How well did the measure describe the traits in you that it was intended to measure?
- What reliability and validity information did you find for your measure? If you cannot find reliability and validity information for the measure, what might that mean about the measure?
- Describe some of the strengths and limitations of using personality measures for various purposes, such as marriage counseling, team building, and matching people with jobs.
