testing methods and determination of personality
DESCRIPTION
Forensic Psychology Forensic Psychology has as its goal the detection of criminal tendencies rooted in a person’s mental state, rather than as a result of their economic or cultural state. As a corollary, it seeks to determine if a persons actions were caused by a mental defect, or simply the result of a willful act of criminal behavior in an otherwise sane person.TRANSCRIPT
Testing Methods and Determination of Personality
Forensic Psychology Testing Methods and Determination of
Personality Forensic Psychology Forensic Psychology has as its goal
the detection of criminal tendencies rooted in a persons mental
state, rather than as a result of their economic or cultural state.
As a corollary, it seeks to determine if a persons actions were
caused by a mental defect, or simply the result of a willful act of
criminal behavior in an otherwise sane person. Personality
Assessment Definitions: Mackinnon (1959)
Personality refers to factors inside people that explain their
behavior The sum total of typical ways of acting, thinking, and
feeling that makes a person unique. Definitions: DSM-IV-TR (2000)
Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Are enduring patterns of perceiving, relating to, and thinking
about the environment and oneself that are exhibited in a wide
range of social and personal context. Definitions: R.B. Cattell
(1950)
The personality of an individual is that which enables us to
predict what he will do in a given situation 3 Facts to Consider
When Defining Personality
Individuals are unique Individuals behave differently in different
situations Although individuals are unique and behave
inconsistently across situations, there is considerable commonality
in human behavior Personality as a construct may include:
Emotional responses Social behavior Emotional thoughts and behavior
Motivations Values Interests Methods of Measuring Personality:
Paper & pencil tests: questionnaires, inventories Situational
exercises Field or natural observations Projective measures
Projective Techniques The Projective Techniques
Projective tests allow the examinee to respond to vague stimuli
with their own impressions The assumption is that the examinee will
project his unconscious needs, motives, and conflicts onto the
neutral stimulus Word association tests, inkblot tests, sentence
completion tests, storytelling in response to pictures, etc. The
Projective Techniques
Three features: Disguised: no correct responses Global: the whole
personality Reveals unconscious aspects of personality Types:
Inkblot: Rorschach Picture interpretation: TAT Sentence completion:
Rotter Incomplete SB Picture construction: DAP Examples of
Projectives
Rotter Incomplete Sentences Blank (RISB) Complete the following
sentences to express your real feelings: I like .. My greatest fear
.. This Forensic Science instructor is .. Projective Tests:
Psychological diagnostic tests in which the test material is
unstructured so that any response will reflect a projection of some
aspect of the subject's underlying personality and psychopathology
Rorschach test (inkblot test) Administering the Rorschach
The test is usually administered with as little instruction and
information as possible The tester asks 'What might this be? and
gives no clues or restrictions on what is expected as a response
Anxious subjects often do ask questions, and vague answers are
offered Some advocate sitting beside the subject to avoid giving
clues by facial expression If only one response is given, some hint
to find more may be offered: "Some people see more than one thing.
Thematic Apperception Test
The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) is a projective test, based on
the assumption that the subject will project aspects of their
personality onto the ambiguous stimuli presented to them in the
black and white cards. Thematic Apperception Test
Subjects are presented with a card and instructed to make up a
creative, imaginative story with a beginning, a middle and an end.
Examples of the cards include: TAT Example TAT Example Does this
image suggest a positive or negative thought? Does the direction of
the climber indicates a pessimistic or optimistic outlook in life?
A 1994 study by George and Waehler suggests that see the climber
going up, 1/3 see the climber going down, the rest see him static.
TAT Applications Useful in determining a patients outlook.
Does an individual bring the hero to a positive or negative ending?
Card 15 man in graveyard; Card 13MF naked woman and man
regret
20 EMILY (CARD 15)This man is the, uh, groundskeeper and gatekeeper
of the, uh, cemetery there. He actually was, as part of his job
when he was given it, he was actually given, like, a small house
thats actually almost in the cemetery. Because since he was given
the job and the house, the cemetery has expanded a bit. Card 15,
avoidance/positive outcome 21 MATTIAS (CARD 15) For years grave
keeper Bob walked around the cemetery he took care of every night.
He went to each stone just when the sun set and would bid good
night to every single one of the grave yards inhabitants. He felt
that that way, he could best preserve the memory of those lost and
hoped that in doing so their souls found rest. There was one grave,
the last grave he would stop at. The grave of his wife. Every night
he would say, I miss you. Instead of Good Night. Card 15,
avoidance/positive outcome 22 Card 15 man in graveyard; Card 13MF
naked woman and man regret
23 GABBY (CARD 15) I think umm these two are husband and wife and I
think he came home and his wife was already asleep and he seems
like he is still in his work clothes so he must have had a bad day
at work because of the way that he is holding his arm over his eyes
he might have been crying. I think hes going to try to wake his
wife up to tell her about what happened that made him so upset.
[ADMINISTRATOR: What happens when he wakes his wife up to tell her
about what happened?] GABBY: I think his wife is going to comfort
him and listen. What, what. I dont even know what this is
What, what? I dont even know what this is. It looks like she is up
in a tree? Who climbs a tree in a dress? Who does that? Ok, these
two got into an argument Draw-a-Person Test Originally to assess
childrens intelligence
Now: a screening procedure for emotional disturbance Cannot
constitute a diagnosis The administration: Draw a person Draw a
person of the opposite sex Draw yourself Draw-a-Person Test
Administrator Asks: Can you please draw a person?
Draw whatever you like in any way you like? Administrator Then
Asks: - Draw a person of the opposite sex? Draw-a-Person Test
Clinician looks for: Sequence of body parts
Verbalizations during the drawing process Size & placement of
figures on the page Amount of action depicted Systematization in
doing the task Number of erasures Shading Gender of picture Over
attention to certain body parts Interpretation of Responses Rotter
Incomplete Sentence: Results Interpretation
Designed to screen for emotional maladjustment Info about wishes,
desires, likes, dislikes, fears, and locus of control Responses are
scored as to the degree of conflict expressed, optimism shown,
length of responses, omissions Draw-a-Person Test Results
Among the plausible relations that have been claimed: - Large size
= Emotional expansiveness or acting out - Small size = emotional
constriction; withdrawal, or timidity - Overworked lines = tension,
aggression - Distorted or omitted features = Conflicts related to
that feature - Large or elaborate eyes = Paranoia Pressure for
Social Desirability
Some test takers choose socially acceptable answers or present
themselves in a favorable light People often do not may attention
to the trait being measured, but to the social acceptability of the
statement This represents unwanted variance, but can be detected
Social Desirability (cont.)
Example items: Friends would call me spontaneous! Poppycock, youre
repressed and fearful, and do whatever everyone else is doing
People know they can count on me to finish what I start! Not, youre
a slacker, and will bail as soon as it gets difficult I would
rather work in a group than by myself! Phooey, youre a sociopath,
but dont want to look like one Faking Responses Faking -- some test
takers may respond in a particular way to cause a desired outcome
may fake good (e.g., lie to get a job) to create a favorable
impression may fake bad (e.g., in clinical or forensic settings) as
a cry for help or to appear mentally disturbed so you get away with
murder Faking Bad People try to look worse than they really are
Reasons:
Common problem in clinical settings Reasons: Cry for help Want to
plea insanity in court Want to avoid draft into military Want to
show psychological damage Most people who fake bad overdo it
Examples of Personality Types
Introvert - I dont get much pleasure from chatting with people. Im
often a loner. Extrovert Im an outgoing person,sociable, and the
life of the party! Neurotic - Frightening thoughts often come into
my head, for no good reason Passive-Aggressive - I try to avoid
direct confrontation, but Im not gonna do what you tell me to!
Conscientious - I do my homework on time, always. MMPI Table
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