CAS PS 251 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Caffeine, Effect Size, Statistical Significance
9 Aug 2018
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First argument:
Upper limit on how well one can predict what a person will
do or how they will act based on personality traits:
0.4, which is blved to be low
o Response: the reiveiw by Michel was unfair and
selective, poor methodology and empirical flaw, as
researchers we can all do better:
Improve methodology
Get out of lab
Study individual consistency (self-monitoring)
Use moderators
Use aggregation method
Low self vs high self
0.4 is not small, pretty good indicator
Second argument:
Situations are more important than personality in
determining behavior
o Response: situation predicts 0.36 to 0.42, which
according to them should be small, so instead of saying
both are small, one should conclude that both influence
behavior.
Third
Practicing personality assessments is a waste of time and
everyday intuitions about ppl are fundamentally flawed and
inaccurate
o Response: third argument falls a part bc by responding
to 1 and 2, 3 is wrong
The response to the First Situationist Argument: Predictability
Her findings:
personality was not that strong of a relationship
Personality does not predict behavior, only goes to 0.4
Unfair, selective literature review by Mischel
o Studies with poor methodology; she did not do well enough,
critics say that they think there is a stronger relationship
We can do better!
o Methodology
o Get out of lab, get into the field in real life, it will probably be
a better predictor
o Study individual consistency (self-monitoring)
Moderator: variable that changes the nature of the
relationship; strengthens or weakens the relationship
Ex: gender as a moderator
Self esteem vs academic performance
The relationship is stronger in women then
men, so gender moderates this relationship
Ex: age
Caffeine in younger vs older ppl is dif
Some people are very high self monitors or low,
and If you are high you will make adjustments to
environment to adhere to norm
Low self –mon do not change for the env bc
they don’t care what other ppl think, or care
to adjust, so their personality shines
Document Summary
Upper limit on how well one can predict what a person will do or how they will act based on personality traits: 0. 4, which is blved to be low: response: the reiveiw by michel was unfair and selective, poor methodology and empirical flaw, as researchers we can all do better: 0. 4 is not small, pretty good indicator. Situations are more important than personality in determining behavior: response: situation predicts 0. 36 to 0. 42, which according to them should be small, so instead of saying both are small, one should conclude that both influence behavior. Practicing personality assessments is a waste of time and everyday intuitions about ppl are fundamentally flawed and inaccurate: response: third argument falls a part bc by responding to 1 and 2, 3 is wrong. The response to the first situationist argument: predictability. Her findings: personality was not that strong of a relationship. Personality does not predict behavior, only goes to 0. 4.
