Q.Discuss the main observational methods used in personality assessment. What problems do we face in using these methods?
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Observation-based (behavioural analysis) methods of personality assessment include interview, observation, behavioural ratings, nomination and situational tests. They face problems of demanding training, observer influence (reactivity), and rating biases such as the halo effect and middle/extreme response bias.
Observational (behavioural analysis) methods
A person's behaviour in a variety of situations provides meaningful information about her or his personality, and observation of behaviour is the basis of behavioural analysis. An observer's report may contain data obtained from interview, observation, ratings, nomination and situational tests.
- Interview — a commonly used method that involves talking to the person and asking specific questions. Diagnostic interviewing goes beyond the replies given (in-depth). Interviews may be unstructured (the interviewer forms an impression by asking a number of questions; how the person presents herself is itself revealing) or structured (very specific questions following a set procedure, often with rating scales to make objective comparisons).
- Observation — a sophisticated procedure that cannot be carried out by untrained people. It requires careful training of the observer and a detailed guideline for analysing behaviour. For example, a clinical psychologist may observe a client's interaction with family members and home visitors to gain insight into the client's personality.
- Behavioural ratings — frequently used in educational and industrial settings; taken from people who know the assessee intimately and have observed her over time, to place individuals into categories on their behavioural qualities. To be effective, traits should be clearly defined in terms of stated behavioural anchors.
- Nomination — used to obtain peer assessment among people in long-term interaction. Each person is asked to choose one or more persons with whom she would like to work, study or play, and may state the reasons. Nominations are then analysed to understand personality. It is highly dependable, though it can be affected by personal biases.
- Situational tests — assess how a person behaves in a devised situation. The most common is the situational stress test, which requires a person to perform a task with others who are instructed to be non-cooperative and interfering; it involves role-playing, and the situation may be realistic or created through a video play.
Problems faced in using these methods
Despite their frequent and widespread use, these methods have important limitations:
- Demanding professional training — the professional training required to collect useful data through observation and interview is quite demanding and time-consuming.
- Maturity of the psychologist — the maturity of the psychologist is a precondition for obtaining valid data. …
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