Scientific Study of Personality

Scientific Study of Personality Paper

PSY 504

April 7, 2012

David Dawson, PhD., CRC

Scientific Study of Personality Paper

The study of personality encompasses quite a number of different methods; the three most common method being correlation designs, experimental designs (or true experiments) and case study (Cerone & Pervin, 2010). In attempting to define personality many people face challenges as psychologists have discovered that there is a distinct relationship between personality and the study of psychology (Cerone & Pervin, 2010). Ongoing research has allowed this research to be developed and modified over time which makes it extremely important in the understanding of personality.

The scientific study of personality involves several different variables; and depending on these variables a definition of what is personality is then formulated (Cerone & Pervin, 2010). Some psychologists will define personality as the qualities that are psychological in nature which will contribute to the patterns of thinking, of behavior and of feelings, that exist in an individual (Cerone & Pervin, 2010). Personality is also considered as being all inclusive as it refers to the person on a whole; to include their mental abilities, their emotional experiences and their social behavior (Cerone & Pervin, 2010). Personality traits are also looked at when psychologists are attempting define what personality is; for example whether an individual is an introvert or an extrovert or whether they are soft spoken or outspoken or whether they are outgoing or conservative will allow the psychologist to better understand the reactions of that individual.

Other factors that comes into play when attempting to define personality are the who, the what, the when, the where, the why and the how of the individuals behavior. Being able to identify this information from the subject, the researcher will be better able to understand their personality (Cerone & Pervin, 2010). This information will also allow the researcher to understand the motivating factor that is behind the behavior of that individual which will enable them to understand their personality even more (Cerone & Pervin, 2010).

Personality is difficult to define and it is also difficult to measure (Cerone & Pervin, 2010). Data collected when assessing personality can vary depending on the method, the target population and the individuals themselves. Analyzing data from different sources in order to understand how they relate to each other and how they differ is very important in personality research. It is also important to determine whether the data being collected in reliable or is it valid (Cerone & Pervin, 2010). In personality research the general approaches are case studies and clinical research, laboratory studies and experimental research, and co relational research and personality questionnaires (Cerone & Pervin, 2010).

Case Study and Clinical Research

Many psychologists believe that the method of case study and clinical research is by far the best method when it comes