Boyle, Gregory J., and Helmes, Edward (2009) Methods of personality assessment. In: Corr, Philip J., and Matthews, Gerald, (eds.) The Cambridge Handbook of Personality Psychology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 110-126.

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Abstract

[Extract] This chapter cannot provide an exhaustive review of the many approaches to personality assessment that are in common use because of the size of the area. With entire books devoted to individual tests, a chapter such as this is necessarily limited in its scope. In particular, the chapter will not address methods of projective personality assessment. Those interested in an introduction to such methods can consult the relevant chapters in Groth-Marnat (2003), and by Weiner (1997) and the following commentaries in the Journal of Personality Assessment for the use of the Rorschach. For a more critical perspective, readers can consult Hunsley, Lee and Wood (2003). The approach being taken is in part a focus on contrasting the multidimensional personality assessment instruments constructed using factor analysis by Raymond B. Cattell and his colleagues and those multidimensional scales developed using other approaches to assessing people, notably the construct-oriented methods advocated by Douglas Jackson. Despite its known limitations, the self-report questionnaire has become the dominant method for assessing personality. Even though other approaches to assessment remain in use, self-report instruments, whether administered on a computer screen and scored online (e.g., Drasgow and Olson-Buchanan 1999) or through a traditional answer sheet and question booklet or combined question and answer sheet, remain the dominant form of assessment. Their economy, apparent ease of use and interpretation, and freedom of the need for trained interviewers (or even third parties in some cases) provide advantages that often outweigh benefits of other approaches to assessment. Such other methods will be mentioned briefly, but the bulk of this chapter will be on self-report techniques.

Item ID:	7949
Item Type:	Book Chapter (Research - B1)
ISSN:	978-0-521-86218-9
Keywords:	mental health; psychological methodology; personality assessment; design and analysis; expanding knowledge in psychology and cognitive sciences
Date Deposited:	24 Feb 2010 04:36
FoR Codes:	17 PSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITIVE SCIENCES > 1701 Psychology > 170110 Psychological Methodology, Design and Analysis @ 100%
SEO Codes:	92 HEALTH > 9204 Public Health (excl. Specific Population Health) > 920410 Mental Health @ 50% 97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970117 Expanding Knowledge in Psychology and Cognitive Sciences @ 50%
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