question_answer

How personality can be assessed through behavioural analysis?                                             (Delhi Board 2010)

Answer:

Ans.     Personality of a person can be assessed though behavioural analysis by using observational report which contains data from the following.

1.         Interview:

It involves interacting with the person being assessed and asking certain questions.

It is of two types—unstructured interview and structure interview.

The interviewer asks certain amount of questions and develops an impression.

The answers given by the person are assessed and tell quite a lot about the personality of the person.

The interviewer asks certain specific questions and it is done in a set procedure.

This is done to make objective comparison of the people being interviewed.

2.         Observation:

It is a sophisticated method and cannot be carried out by untrained people. It requires careful training of the observer. Even though the technique is frequently used but has its own limitations.

Limitations of Observation

It is professional training is required for collection of data.

It is a time-consuming method.

Maturity of the psychologist is required for obtaining valid data.

Presence of the observer may contaminate results thus leading to manipulation of information.

3.         Behavioural Ratings:

Behavioural rating are used to assess personality in educational and industrial settings.

They put people in categories in terms of their behavioural qualities which may involve different numbers or descriptive terms.

These are device by which a rater can record his judgment of another person or of himself on the traits defined by the scale.

The statements rating scales may create confusion therefore traits should be clearly defined.

For the success of raters familiarity of the event is important.

Limitations:

(a) Italo effect: People have tendency to think that a target person who has one set of positive qualities must also be having specific positive qualities that are associated with first set.

(b) Extreme Response bias: Providing middle categories on the scale.

(c) Middle Category bias: Placing the person is the middle avoiding extreme position.

4.         Nomination:

Nomination is used to obtain peer assessment.

Here each person is asked to choose one or more persons of the group with whom he/she likes to work, study, play, etc.

The choosers are asked reasons for his/her choice.

This is highly reliable method and thus tells us about the behavioural qualities of the person.

5.         Situational Tests:

Most common is the situational stress test which provides information about how a person behaves in a particular situation in stressful situation.

This test involves role playing.

The situation given may be a realistic or a created one through a video play.