Unit 8 Assignment: Personality Analysis

Alyssa K Stephen
Unit 8 Assignment: Personality Assessment and Test Classification
October 20, 2015
Kaplan University
PS505: Testing, Measurements and Assessment

For decades psychologists have used the terms objective and projective to classify different personality tests (Meyer & Kurtz, 2006). Psychologists who are not in favor of using these terms have done studies that have changed the way we today perceive and utilize personality assessments. Tests that are administered by paper and pencil, or by computer are objective methods of personality assessments that contain many short answer items that the individual chooses from two or more provided (Cohen, Swerdlik & Sturman 2013). The term objective became popular with psychologists

The test contained ten cards with inkblots in the middle of the card. Each card gets administered to the test taker one by one. The individual was asked what they thought the card was. The person administering the test would write down the responses as well as non-verbal gestures, length of time for the responses etc. Once the test taker gave responses to all ten cards, they were again administered a second time to discuss why the individual thought the card was what they responded with. In doing this, the examiner learns what aspects were most important in forming the perception and also learn how well the test taker remembers how they have responded to the prior cards, and if they have come with any new perceptions the second time around (Cohen et al.,

Pictures used most often within these tests are photos of real people, animals, or any objects. Morgan and Murray designed the Thematic Apperception Test in 1935. It was designed as an aid to eliciting fantasy measurable material from patients in psychoanalysis (Cohen et al., 2013). The stories the individual told, the manner in which they have responded, and the behavior and verbalization of the examinee are some of the data that is collected and used from this test. This data helps to form conclusion about the individual’s personality. The Thematic Apperception Test is generated to believe that the responses given from the stories reflect concerns, hopes, fears and desires within them (Cohen et al., 2013). Another projective test is the hand test, which consists of nine cards to reflect what the hands are doing and also the famous Rozenzweig Picture- Frustration study that consists of cartoons depicting frustrating situations. The responses are scored based upon the type of reactions triggered and the hostility expressed (Cohen et al., 2013). Both objective and projective tests can be confusing when applied to personality assessment instruments. Kurtz and Meyer (2006) argue that if self-report scales were actually objective than there would be more experimenting of the various forms of response styles that effect cores that come from these instruments. Another issue applying the