CHAPTERm1—PERSONALITYmANDmTHEmSCIENTIFICmOUTLOOK
CHAPTERmOUTLINE
I. Whymstudympersonality?m Themstudymof mhumanmpersonalitymhelpsmusmunderstand mourselvesma
nd mothermpeoplembettermand mgivesmusmamgreatermappreciationmformthemcomplexitymof mhumanme
xperience.
II. Definitionm of mPersonality:mPersonalitymismthemdynamicmand morganized mset mof mcharacteristi
csmpossessed mbymanmindividualmthat muniquelyminfluencesmhismormhermcognitions,mmotivation
smand mbehaviorsminmvariousmsituations.
III. Personalitymand mScience:mPersonalitymismam scientificmenterprisemconcerned mwithmthemdescriptio
n,mexplanation,mprediction,mand mcontrolmof mevents.
A.mComponentsmof mScience:mTheoriesmand mResearchmMethods
1. What maremtheories?m Amtheorymismamsystemmof minterrelated mconceptualmstatementsmthat ma
remcreated mbyminvestigatorsmtomaccount mformamphenomenonmormamset mof mphenomena.
2. Kindsmof mtheories
a. inductive-setsmof mgeneralmsummarymstatementsmabout mphenomenamderived mfrommfacts.
b. deductive-
theoriesminmwhichmspecificmhypothesesmaremderived mfrommabstract mpropositionsmand mthen
mtested m bymthemcollectionmof mdata.mDeductivemtheoriesmconsist mof mpostulates,mpropositio
ns,mconceptualmdefinitions,moperationalmdefinitions,mhypotheses,mand mempiricalmobservat
ions.
1. postulates-
themfundamentalmormcoremassumptionsmof mamtheory.mTheymaremtakenmasmself-
mevidentlymtrueminmordermtomprovidemamclearmand mfocused mdirectionmformtheorizingman
d mresearch.
2. propositions-
mgeneralmrelationalmstatementsmthat mmaymbemtruemormfalse.mTheymaremnot mtested mdirectly;min
stead,mhypothesesmaremderived mfrommthem.
3. hypotheses-
specificmpropositionsmcontainingmconstructsmthat maremconceptuallymdefined mand moperationa
lized msomtheymcanmtested mand mconfirmed mormdisconfirmed mthroughmempiricalmtesting.mHyp
othesesmaremtentativemtheoreticalmstatementsmabout mhowmeventsmaremrelated mtomonemanothe
r,moftenmstated masmpredictions.
a. ampriormpredictions-predictionsmmadembeforemthemcollectionmof mdata.
4. conceptualmdefinitions-
mconceptsminmthemhypothesesmaremdefined mpreciselymsomthat maccuratemmeasuresmof mthemconc
eptsmcanmbemdevised.
5. operationalmdefinitions-mproceduresm(ormoperations)mused mtomdefinemparticularmconstructs.
1
,6. empiricalmobservations-observationsmof mphenomenammadembyminvestigators.
2
,1V.mResearchmMethodsmUsed mtomTest mTheories
A.Experimentalm Method-techniquemformstudyingmcause-and-
meffect mrelationshipsmbetweenmvariables.mIt minvolvesmthemmanipulationmof mindependent mv
ariablesmand mobservationmof mthemeffectsmof mthemmanipulation(s)monmdependent mvariables.
1. independentmvariables-
themvariablesmactivelymmanipulated mbymthemexperimentermsomthat mtheirmeffectsmonmindivi
dualmbehaviormcanmbemobserved.
2. dependentmvariables-
changesminmbehaviormthat moccurmasmamresult mof mthemmanipulationmof mconditionsmbymanme
xperimenter.
3. controlmgroup-
themgroupmthat mdoesmnot mreceivemthemexperimental mtreatment.mIt mismdesigned mtomprovidemb
aselinemdatamagainst mwhichmthemeffectsmof mthemexperimentalmmanipulation(s)mon mthemdepe
ndent mvariable(s)mcanmbemaccuratelymjudged.
B. Correlationalm Method-
generalmproceduremformestablishingmanmassociationmormrelationshipmbetweenmevents.
1. positivemcorrelation-
increasesminmthemscoresmonmonemvariablemaremassociated mwithmincreasesm inmthemscoresmonmth
emothermvariable.
2. negativemcorrelation-
increasesminmthemscoresmonmonemvariablemaremassociated mwithmdecreasesminmthemsc
oresmonmthemother.
3. nomrelation-themdistributionsmof mscoresmonmthemtwomvariablesmaremrandom
C. Casem StudymMethod-
techniqueminvolvingmthemintensivemstudymof mamsinglempersonminmordermtomunderstand mhismormh
ermuniquempersonalitymand mbehavior.
1. post-hocmexplanation-explanationmof mamphenomenonmgivenmaftermitsmoccurrence.
V.mEthicsmformConductingmResearch
A.informedm consent-
thempracticemof mtellingmstudymparticipantsmabout mthemnaturemof mtheirmparticipationminma
mproposed mexperiment mand mthenmobtainingmtheirmwrittenmagreement mtomparticipate.
B. debriefing-
informingm studymparticipantsmof mthemtruemnaturemand mpurposemof mamstudymaftermit mismcomplet
ed.
VI.mCriteriamformEvaluatingmTheories
A.Comprehensiveness-
theoriesm aremjudged masmmoremadequatemand musefulmif mtheymencompassmand maccount mformam
widemrangemand mvarietymof mphenomena.
B. Precisionm andmtestability-
madequatemtheoriesmshould mcontainmconstructsmand mrelationalmstatementsmthat maremclear
lymand mexplicitlymstated mand mmeasured.mUndermsuchmconditions,mtheoriesmcanmbem morem
3
, accuratelymtested.
C. Parsimony-
m adequatemtheoriesmshould mbemasmeconomicalmasmpossible,mwhilemstillmadequatelymaccountin
gmformthemphenomenaminmtheirmdomain.
D.Empiricalm validity-
mthemhypothesesmof mtheoriesmaremtested mbymthemcollectionmof mdatamtomdeterminemwhethe
rmormnot mtheymaremaccurate.
4
CHAPTERmOUTLINE
I. Whymstudympersonality?m Themstudymof mhumanmpersonalitymhelpsmusmunderstand mourselvesma
nd mothermpeoplembettermand mgivesmusmamgreatermappreciationmformthemcomplexitymof mhumanme
xperience.
II. Definitionm of mPersonality:mPersonalitymismthemdynamicmand morganized mset mof mcharacteristi
csmpossessed mbymanmindividualmthat muniquelyminfluencesmhismormhermcognitions,mmotivation
smand mbehaviorsminmvariousmsituations.
III. Personalitymand mScience:mPersonalitymismam scientificmenterprisemconcerned mwithmthemdescriptio
n,mexplanation,mprediction,mand mcontrolmof mevents.
A.mComponentsmof mScience:mTheoriesmand mResearchmMethods
1. What maremtheories?m Amtheorymismamsystemmof minterrelated mconceptualmstatementsmthat ma
remcreated mbyminvestigatorsmtomaccount mformamphenomenonmormamset mof mphenomena.
2. Kindsmof mtheories
a. inductive-setsmof mgeneralmsummarymstatementsmabout mphenomenamderived mfrommfacts.
b. deductive-
theoriesminmwhichmspecificmhypothesesmaremderived mfrommabstract mpropositionsmand mthen
mtested m bymthemcollectionmof mdata.mDeductivemtheoriesmconsist mof mpostulates,mpropositio
ns,mconceptualmdefinitions,moperationalmdefinitions,mhypotheses,mand mempiricalmobservat
ions.
1. postulates-
themfundamentalmormcoremassumptionsmof mamtheory.mTheymaremtakenmasmself-
mevidentlymtrueminmordermtomprovidemamclearmand mfocused mdirectionmformtheorizingman
d mresearch.
2. propositions-
mgeneralmrelationalmstatementsmthat mmaymbemtruemormfalse.mTheymaremnot mtested mdirectly;min
stead,mhypothesesmaremderived mfrommthem.
3. hypotheses-
specificmpropositionsmcontainingmconstructsmthat maremconceptuallymdefined mand moperationa
lized msomtheymcanmtested mand mconfirmed mormdisconfirmed mthroughmempiricalmtesting.mHyp
othesesmaremtentativemtheoreticalmstatementsmabout mhowmeventsmaremrelated mtomonemanothe
r,moftenmstated masmpredictions.
a. ampriormpredictions-predictionsmmadembeforemthemcollectionmof mdata.
4. conceptualmdefinitions-
mconceptsminmthemhypothesesmaremdefined mpreciselymsomthat maccuratemmeasuresmof mthemconc
eptsmcanmbemdevised.
5. operationalmdefinitions-mproceduresm(ormoperations)mused mtomdefinemparticularmconstructs.
1
,6. empiricalmobservations-observationsmof mphenomenammadembyminvestigators.
2
,1V.mResearchmMethodsmUsed mtomTest mTheories
A.Experimentalm Method-techniquemformstudyingmcause-and-
meffect mrelationshipsmbetweenmvariables.mIt minvolvesmthemmanipulationmof mindependent mv
ariablesmand mobservationmof mthemeffectsmof mthemmanipulation(s)monmdependent mvariables.
1. independentmvariables-
themvariablesmactivelymmanipulated mbymthemexperimentermsomthat mtheirmeffectsmonmindivi
dualmbehaviormcanmbemobserved.
2. dependentmvariables-
changesminmbehaviormthat moccurmasmamresult mof mthemmanipulationmof mconditionsmbymanme
xperimenter.
3. controlmgroup-
themgroupmthat mdoesmnot mreceivemthemexperimental mtreatment.mIt mismdesigned mtomprovidemb
aselinemdatamagainst mwhichmthemeffectsmof mthemexperimentalmmanipulation(s)mon mthemdepe
ndent mvariable(s)mcanmbemaccuratelymjudged.
B. Correlationalm Method-
generalmproceduremformestablishingmanmassociationmormrelationshipmbetweenmevents.
1. positivemcorrelation-
increasesminmthemscoresmonmonemvariablemaremassociated mwithmincreasesm inmthemscoresmonmth
emothermvariable.
2. negativemcorrelation-
increasesminmthemscoresmonmonemvariablemaremassociated mwithmdecreasesminmthemsc
oresmonmthemother.
3. nomrelation-themdistributionsmof mscoresmonmthemtwomvariablesmaremrandom
C. Casem StudymMethod-
techniqueminvolvingmthemintensivemstudymof mamsinglempersonminmordermtomunderstand mhismormh
ermuniquempersonalitymand mbehavior.
1. post-hocmexplanation-explanationmof mamphenomenonmgivenmaftermitsmoccurrence.
V.mEthicsmformConductingmResearch
A.informedm consent-
thempracticemof mtellingmstudymparticipantsmabout mthemnaturemof mtheirmparticipationminma
mproposed mexperiment mand mthenmobtainingmtheirmwrittenmagreement mtomparticipate.
B. debriefing-
informingm studymparticipantsmof mthemtruemnaturemand mpurposemof mamstudymaftermit mismcomplet
ed.
VI.mCriteriamformEvaluatingmTheories
A.Comprehensiveness-
theoriesm aremjudged masmmoremadequatemand musefulmif mtheymencompassmand maccount mformam
widemrangemand mvarietymof mphenomena.
B. Precisionm andmtestability-
madequatemtheoriesmshould mcontainmconstructsmand mrelationalmstatementsmthat maremclear
lymand mexplicitlymstated mand mmeasured.mUndermsuchmconditions,mtheoriesmcanmbem morem
3
, accuratelymtested.
C. Parsimony-
m adequatemtheoriesmshould mbemasmeconomicalmasmpossible,mwhilemstillmadequatelymaccountin
gmformthemphenomenaminmtheirmdomain.
D.Empiricalm validity-
mthemhypothesesmof mtheoriesmaremtested mbymthemcollectionmof mdatamtomdeterminemwhethe
rmormnot mtheymaremaccurate.
4
