Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

a. Cross-sectional tests
b. Projective tests
c.
Achievement tests
d. Self-report tests
4. A person shown a picture and asked to make up a story 
about it would be taking a ______________________ per-
sonality test.
R E T H I N K
1.
Should personality tests be used for personnel decisions? 
Should they be used for other social purposes, such as 
identifying individuals at risk for certain types of person-
ality disorders?
2.
From the perspective of a politician: Imagine that you had to 
vote on a law that would require institutions and organi-
zations to perform race norming procedures on standard-
ized performance tests. Would you support such a law? 
Why or why not? In addition to race, should norming pro-
cedures take other factors into account? Which ones and 
why?
 Answers to Evaluate Questions 
1. r
eliability , validity; 
2.
norms; 3.
d; 
4.
pr
ojective
In sum, it is important to keep in mind the complexity of human behavior—particularly 
your own. No single test can provide an understanding of the intricacies of someone’s 
personality without considering a good deal more information than can be provided in a 
single testing session (Gladwell, 2004; Paul, 2004; Hogan, Davies, & Hogan, 2007).
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Looking
Back
 
Psychology on the Web
1. Sigmund Freud is one of the towering fi gures in psychology. His infl uence extends far 
beyond his psychoanalytic work. Find information about Freud on the web. Pick one 
aspect of his work or infl uence (for example, on therapy, medicine, literature, fi lm, or 
culture and society) and summarize in writing what you have found, including your 
attitude toward your fi ndings.
2. Find a website that links to personality tests and take one or two tests. Remember to 
take them with skepticism. For each test, summarize in writing the aspects of person-
ality that were tested, the theoretical approach the test appeared to be based on, and 
your assessment of the trustworthiness of the results.
We have discussed the diff erent ways in which psycholo-
gists have interpreted the development and structure of 
personality. The perspectives we examined ranged from Freud’s analysis of personality 
based primarily on internal, unconscious factors to the externally based view champi-
oned by learning theorists of personality as a learned set of traits and actions. We also 
noted that there are many ways to interpret personality; by no means does a consensus 
exist on what the key traits are that are central to personality. 
Return to the prologue and consider the case of convicted swindler Bernie Madoff . 
Use your understanding of personality to consider the following questions.