Assessment of Personality

Subject: Behavioral Science

Overview

The most popular method of assessing personality is through an interview, but other methods include observation, projective technique, and a sentence completion test. To acquire a clear image of the person, the interviewer either asks questions or lets the interviewee talk at length. An individual is seen in numerous scenarios over the course of several days to draw conclusions using the observation technique. Instead of focusing on what can be rescued in a person's behaviour, projective exams examine what is inside a person. A sentence completion exam consists of a list of blank or unfinished sentences that must be filled in with one or more words by the subject.

Interview

The most popular technique for determining personality is this one. To get a clear picture of the person, the interviewer either asks questions or lets the interviewee speak at length. The interviewer learns about the client's interests, issues, possessions, limitations, etc. from what he or she says.

Observation

Over the course of several days, the person is observed in a variety of circumstances, and some conclusions are drawn. More than one person observes the client, and their observations are combined.

Projective Technique

Instead of focusing on what can be rescued in a person's behaviour, projective exams examine what is inside a person. These tests, which heavily borrow on Freud's theory of repression, aim to uncover a person's unconscious behavior patterns. These methods are based on the phenomena of projection, which holds that individuals read their own wants and sentiments into ambiguous stimuli that are presented to the subject and requested to be organized anyway he pleases. Thus, he not only displays his inner or private world but also provides a suitable indicator to gauge his overall personality. He does this by unintentionally projecting his desires, hopes, anxieties, suppressed wishes, etc. The following are some crucial projective techniques:

  • Rorschach Test,
  • Thematic Apperception Test,
  • Word Association Test.

Rorschach Test

The Rorschach Inkblot Test was developed in 1921 with the release of Hermann Rorschach's book Psychodiagnostik. It consists of 10 inkblots printed on cards (five in black and white and five in color). The exam became linked with clinical psychology in the 1940s and 1950s. The Rorschach inkblot test was a widely used and interpreted psychological test for the majority of the 20th century. It was used the most frequently in surveys conducted in 1947 (Louttit and Browne) and 1961 (Sundberg), for example, coming in at number four and number one, respectively.

Despite being widely used, it has also generated a lot of debate. Researchers have frequently found it challenging to investigate the test and its outcomes in any systematic way, and the use of several scoring methods for the answers provided for each inkblot has caused considerable confusion.

An inkblot written on a card is shown to someone, and they are prompted, "What may this be?" The replies are often verbatim recorded (often with a recording device these days), as the psychologist will score them afterwards.

An interpretive report is created based on the replies' scoring after a psychologist has correctly categorized each card's responses. One outlier response is unlikely to have an influence on the results of the test as a whole, hence the interpretive report aims to combine the data from across all test responses.

The validity of the test, the subject's capacity for stress, and the resources at their disposal relative to the pressures currently being placed on them will all be reviewed by the psychologist first.

The psychologist will then look at the person's cognitive processes, perceptual accuracy, mental flexibility, capacity to restrain and manage their emotions, goal orientation, self-concept and interest, and interpersonal interactions. There are also a few specialized indices that are used less often to identify depression, schizophrenia, suicidal thoughts, and other issues. Typically, these factors can be evaluated more quickly during a clinical interview, but they may help to clarify any areas of concern in a person about which there are still some unanswered questions.

The Rorschach test does not provide a supernatural view into a person's soul. What it is, therefore, is a projective testing measure supported by almost four decades of contemporary research (on top of the four decades that have already passed since the test's release in 1921). People frequently reveal a little bit more of themselves than their conscious selves may have intended when asked to express what they see in a straightforward set of ten inkblots, which can lead to better insights into the underlying motivations of the person's current issues and behaviors.

Sentence Completion Test

This exam consists of a list of blank or unfinished sentences that must be filled up with one or more words by the subject. The individual is instructed to swiftly go through the list and respond. When a question is posed, the subject is instructed to quickly read through the list and respond. When a subject is asked to complete a task without being given a chance to think about it, it is assumed that he has desires, hopes, conflicts, fears, and other irritations. Examples of the sentences used in the sentence completion test are as follows:

I am worried over…………………….

My hope is……………..

I feel proud when…………………

My hope is …………………

Because the individual may react with more than one word and there is a chance for greater flexibility and diversity of replies, the sentence completion tests are said to be superior than word association tests in terms of tapping more facets of personality.

Personality and Nurse

Being a nurse requires more than just learning nursing procedures and the justifications for them; a successful nurse also develops a likable yet firm personality. Strong personality includes both personal and professional traits such as empathy, understanding, friendliness, gracious manners, kindliness, and adaptability. Professional traits include integrity, dignity, mental alertness, poise, self-confidence, and dependability. Patients value a nurse who uses her talents to provide them with physical comfort and who is willing to comprehend their emotional responses and problems brought on by their condition. In addition to the attributes already listed, several research on the personality types of nurses highlight the significance of excellent health., fresh and neat appearance, a strong purpose and will power, a high standard of values, healthy work habits, sense of humor, teaching as well as managerial abilities and the ability to control one’s emotions and having healthy and friendly interpersonal relationship.
Things to remember
  • Measures including interviews, observations, projective techniques, and sentence completion tests can be used to assess personality.
  • The most popular technique for determining personality is an interview.
  • To acquire a clear image of the person, the interviewer either asks questions or lets the interviewee talk at length.
  • An individual is seen in numerous scenarios over the course of several days to draw conclusions using the observation technique.
  • Instead of focusing on what can be rescued in a person's behaviour, projective exams examine what is inside a person.
  • A sentence completion exam consists of a list of blank or unfinished sentences that must be filled in with one or more words by the subject.
Questions and Answers

Interview

This is the most commonly used method of assessing personality. The interviewer asks questions or allows the individual to speak freely in order to obtain a complete picture of the individual. The interviewer learns about the client's interests, problems, assets, and limitations based on what he says.

Observation

For several days, the individual is observed in various situations, and some conclusions are reached. The client is observed by multiple people, and the observations are combined.

The technique of projection

Projective tests concentrate on what is within a person rather than what can be saved in a person's behaviors. These tests, which are heavily based on Freud's repression, attempt to uncover the individual's unconscious behavior. These techniques are based on the phenomenon of projection, which assumes that people read their own feelings and needs into ambiguous stimuli that are presented to the subject and asked to structure in any way he sees fit. In doing so, he unconsciously projects his desires, hopes, fears, repressed wishes, and so on, revealing not only his inner or private world but also providing a proper clue to estimate his total personality. Here are some useful projective methods:

Thematic Apperception Test Word Association Test Rorschach Test


The Rorschach test
The Rorschach Inkblot Test is a projective psychological test consisting of ten inkblots printed on cards (five in black and white, five in color) that was developed in 1921 with the publication of Hermann Rorschach's Psychodiagnostik. The test was synonymous with clinical psychology in the 1940s and 1950s. The Rorschach inkblot test was a widely used and interpreted psychological test for much of the twentieth century. In surveys conducted in 1947 (Louttit and Browne) and 1961 (Sundberg), for example, it was the fourth and first most frequently used psychological test, respectively.

Despite its widespread use, it has been the subject of much debate. It has frequently proven difficult for researchers to conduct systematic studies of the test and its results, and the use of multiple types of scoring systems for the responses given to each inkblot has caused some confusion.

"What could this be?" a person is asked after being shown an inkblot printed on a card. Because the responses will be scored later by the psychologist, they are usually recorded verbatim (nowadays often with a recording device).

After a psychologist has properly coded each card's responses, an interpretative report is created based on the responses' scoring. The interpretative report attempts to integrate the findings from all of the test responses so that one outlier response does not have an impact on the overall test findings.

The psychologist will first assess the test's validity, stress tolerance, and a variety of resources available to the individual being examined in comparison to the demands placed on the individual at this time.

The psychologist will then examine the individual's cognitive operations, perceptual accuracy, flexibility of ideas and attitudes, ability to temper and control emotions, goal orientation, self-concept and interest, and relationships with others. There are also a few specialized indices that are used less frequently to assess suicidal ideation, depression, schizophrenia, and other issues. Typically, these things can be assessed more quickly through a clinical interview, but they may aid in fleshing out areas of concern in an individual where some questions remain.

The Rorschach test does not provide any magical insight into a person's soul. It is an empirically sound, projective testing measure that has been supported by nearly four decades of modern research (on top of the four decades since the test's publication in 1921). People can often reveal more of themselves than their conscious selves intended by asking them to express what they see in a simple set of ten inkblots, leading to better insights into the underlying motivations of the person's current issues and behaviors.

Test of sentence completion

This test includes a list of incomplete sentences, most of which are open at the end and require the subject to complete in one or more words. The subject is instructed to go through the list as quickly as possible and respond. When asked to go through the list and respond as quickly as possible. When the subject is asked to complete a task without giving him time to think about it, it is assumed that his desires, hopes, conflicts, frustrations, fears, and annoyances are all present. Here are some sentences used in the sentence completion test:

I'm concerned about.....................

My wish is....................

I'm proud of myself when.....................

My wish is.....................

Sentence completion tests are thought to be superior to word association tests because the subject can respond with more than one word and there is the possibility of greater flexibility and variety of responses, allowing more areas of personality to be tapped.

 

Being a nurse entails more than just learning nursing techniques and the rationales behind them; rather, a successful nurse develops a pleasing as well as a strong personality. Professional qualities such as integrity, dignity, mental alertness, poise, self-confidence, and dependability are examples of strong personalities, as are personal qualities such as sympathetic understanding, friendliness, gracious manners, kindness, and adaptability. Patients value a nurse who can provide physical comfort to them while also understanding their emotional reactions and difficulties brought on by illness. Aside from the qualities mentioned above, various studies on the personality patterns of nurses emphasize the importance of good health, a fresh and neat appearance, a strong purpose and will power, a high standard of values, healthy work habits, a sense of humor, teaching and managerial abilities, and the ability to control one's emotions, as well as having healthy and friendly interpersonal relationships.

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