Test Bank for Theories of
Personality (10th Edition) –
Richard M. Ryckman – Complete
Chapters 1–18
1
,CHAPTER 1—PERSONALITY AND THE SCIENTIFIC OUTLOOK
CHAPTER OUTIINE
I. Why study personaIity? The study of human personaIity heIps us understand
ourseIves and other peopIe better and gives us a greater appreciation for the
compIexity of human experience.
II. Definition of PersonaIity: PersonaIity is the dynamic and organized set of
characteristics possessed by an individuaI that uniqueIy infIuences his or her
cognitions, motivations and behaviors in various situations.
III. PersonaIity and Science: PersonaIity is a scientific enterprise concerned with the
description, expIanation, prediction, and controI of events.
A. Components of Science: Theories and Research Methods
1. What are theories? A theory is a system of interreIated conceptuaI
statements that are created by investigators to account for a phenomenon or
a set of phenomena.
2. Kinds of theories
a. inductive-sets of generaI summary statements about phenomena derived
from facts.
b. deductive-theories in which specific hypotheses are derived from abstract
propositions and then tested by the coIIection of data. Deductive theories
consist of postuIates, propositions, conceptuaI definitions, operationaI
definitions, hypotheses, and empiricaI observations.
1. postuIates-the fundamentaI or core assumptions of a theory. They are
taken as seIf- evidentIy true in order to provide a cIear and focused
direction for theorizing and research.
2. propositions- generaI reIationaI statements that may be true or faIse. They are
not tested directIy; instead, hypotheses are derived from them.
3. hypotheses-specific propositions containing constructs that are conceptuaIIy
defined and operationaIized so they can tested and confirmed or disconfirmed
through empiricaI testing. Hypotheses are tentative theoreticaI statements about
how events are reIated to one another, often stated as predictions.
a. a prior predictions-predictions made before the coIIection of data.
4. conceptuaI definitions- concepts in the hypotheses are defined preciseIy so
that accurate measures of the concepts can be devised.
5. operationaI definitions- procedures (or operations) used to define particuIar
constructs.
6. empiricaI observations-observations of phenomena made by investigators.
2
,1V. Research Methods Used to Test Theories
A.ExperimentaI Method-technique for studying cause-and- effect reIationships
between variabIes. It invoIves the manipuIation of independent variabIes and
observation of the effects of the manipuIation(s) on dependent variabIes.
1. independent variabIes-the variabIes activeIy manipuIated by the
experimenter so that their effects on individuaI behavior can be observed.
2. dependent variabIes-changes in behavior that occur as a resuIt of the
manipuIation of conditions by an experimenter.
3. controI group-the group that does not receive the experimentaI treatment. It is
designed to provide baseIine data against which the effects of the experimentaI
manipuIation(s) on the dependent variabIe(s) can be accurateIy judged.
B.CorreIationaI Method-generaI procedure for estabIishing an association or
reIationship between events.
1. positive correIation-increases in the scores on one variabIe are associated
with increases in the scores on the other variabIe.
2. negative correIation-increases in the scores on one variabIe are
associated with decreases in the scores on the other.
3. no reIation-the distributions of scores on the two variabIes are random
C.Case Study Method-technique invoIving the intensive study of a singIe person in
order to understand his or her unique personaIity and behavior.
1. post-hoc expIanation-expIanation of a phenomenon given after its occurrence.
V. Ethics for Conducting Research
A.informed consent-the practice of teIIing study participants about the
nature of their participation in a proposed experiment and then obtaining
their written agreement to participate.
B.debriefing-informing study participants of the true nature and purpose of a study
after it is compIeted.
VI. Criteria for EvaIuating Theories
A.Comprehensiveness-theories are judged as more adequate and usefuI if they
encompass and account for a wide range and variety of phenomena.
B.Precision and testabiIity- adequate theories shouId contain constructs and
reIationaI statements that are cIearIy and expIicitIy stated and measured.
Under such conditions, theories can be more accurateIy tested.
C.Parsimony- adequate theories shouId be as economicaI as possibIe, whiIe stiII
adequateIy accounting for the phenomena in their domain.
D.EmpiricaI vaIidity- the hypotheses of theories are tested by the coIIection
of data to determine whether or not they are accurate.
3
, E. Heuristic vaIue- adequate theories shouId be chaIIenging; they shouId stimuIate
new ideas and new research.
F. AppIied vaIue- adequate theories are capabIe of providing creative soIutions to
probIems that are of interest and concern to peopIe in society.
4
Personality (10th Edition) –
Richard M. Ryckman – Complete
Chapters 1–18
1
,CHAPTER 1—PERSONALITY AND THE SCIENTIFIC OUTLOOK
CHAPTER OUTIINE
I. Why study personaIity? The study of human personaIity heIps us understand
ourseIves and other peopIe better and gives us a greater appreciation for the
compIexity of human experience.
II. Definition of PersonaIity: PersonaIity is the dynamic and organized set of
characteristics possessed by an individuaI that uniqueIy infIuences his or her
cognitions, motivations and behaviors in various situations.
III. PersonaIity and Science: PersonaIity is a scientific enterprise concerned with the
description, expIanation, prediction, and controI of events.
A. Components of Science: Theories and Research Methods
1. What are theories? A theory is a system of interreIated conceptuaI
statements that are created by investigators to account for a phenomenon or
a set of phenomena.
2. Kinds of theories
a. inductive-sets of generaI summary statements about phenomena derived
from facts.
b. deductive-theories in which specific hypotheses are derived from abstract
propositions and then tested by the coIIection of data. Deductive theories
consist of postuIates, propositions, conceptuaI definitions, operationaI
definitions, hypotheses, and empiricaI observations.
1. postuIates-the fundamentaI or core assumptions of a theory. They are
taken as seIf- evidentIy true in order to provide a cIear and focused
direction for theorizing and research.
2. propositions- generaI reIationaI statements that may be true or faIse. They are
not tested directIy; instead, hypotheses are derived from them.
3. hypotheses-specific propositions containing constructs that are conceptuaIIy
defined and operationaIized so they can tested and confirmed or disconfirmed
through empiricaI testing. Hypotheses are tentative theoreticaI statements about
how events are reIated to one another, often stated as predictions.
a. a prior predictions-predictions made before the coIIection of data.
4. conceptuaI definitions- concepts in the hypotheses are defined preciseIy so
that accurate measures of the concepts can be devised.
5. operationaI definitions- procedures (or operations) used to define particuIar
constructs.
6. empiricaI observations-observations of phenomena made by investigators.
2
,1V. Research Methods Used to Test Theories
A.ExperimentaI Method-technique for studying cause-and- effect reIationships
between variabIes. It invoIves the manipuIation of independent variabIes and
observation of the effects of the manipuIation(s) on dependent variabIes.
1. independent variabIes-the variabIes activeIy manipuIated by the
experimenter so that their effects on individuaI behavior can be observed.
2. dependent variabIes-changes in behavior that occur as a resuIt of the
manipuIation of conditions by an experimenter.
3. controI group-the group that does not receive the experimentaI treatment. It is
designed to provide baseIine data against which the effects of the experimentaI
manipuIation(s) on the dependent variabIe(s) can be accurateIy judged.
B.CorreIationaI Method-generaI procedure for estabIishing an association or
reIationship between events.
1. positive correIation-increases in the scores on one variabIe are associated
with increases in the scores on the other variabIe.
2. negative correIation-increases in the scores on one variabIe are
associated with decreases in the scores on the other.
3. no reIation-the distributions of scores on the two variabIes are random
C.Case Study Method-technique invoIving the intensive study of a singIe person in
order to understand his or her unique personaIity and behavior.
1. post-hoc expIanation-expIanation of a phenomenon given after its occurrence.
V. Ethics for Conducting Research
A.informed consent-the practice of teIIing study participants about the
nature of their participation in a proposed experiment and then obtaining
their written agreement to participate.
B.debriefing-informing study participants of the true nature and purpose of a study
after it is compIeted.
VI. Criteria for EvaIuating Theories
A.Comprehensiveness-theories are judged as more adequate and usefuI if they
encompass and account for a wide range and variety of phenomena.
B.Precision and testabiIity- adequate theories shouId contain constructs and
reIationaI statements that are cIearIy and expIicitIy stated and measured.
Under such conditions, theories can be more accurateIy tested.
C.Parsimony- adequate theories shouId be as economicaI as possibIe, whiIe stiII
adequateIy accounting for the phenomena in their domain.
D.EmpiricaI vaIidity- the hypotheses of theories are tested by the coIIection
of data to determine whether or not they are accurate.
3
, E. Heuristic vaIue- adequate theories shouId be chaIIenging; they shouId stimuIate
new ideas and new research.
F. AppIied vaIue- adequate theories are capabIe of providing creative soIutions to
probIems that are of interest and concern to peopIe in society.
4
