PSYB30H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Internal Consistency, Naturalistic Observation, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory
Document Summary
How do psychologists study personality: scientific method, observational studies and personality questionnaires, correlational and experimental designs. Scientific method: describe how to make and test observations, draw conclusions, minimize errors and reduce confounding variables, publish results. Research designs in personality: experimental methods. Used to determine causality whether one variable causes another. Random assignment ensuring that participants in each experimental condition are equivalent to each other: correlational studies. Correlation is a statistical procedure for determining whether there is a relationship between two variables. Designed to identify what goes with what in nature, and not designed to identify causal relationships. Major advantage is that it allows us to identify relationships among variables as they occur naturally. Correlation coefficient varies from 1 (perfect negative relationships) through 0 (no relationship) to +1 (perfect positive relationship) In-depth examination of the life of one person (idiographic) Can find out about personality in great detail.
