Personality assessment means systematically evaluating someone’s distinct characteristics with standardized psychological tests. Psychologists lean mainly on objective self-report measures and ambiguous projective tests to infer both conscious traits and unconscious motives. For these measurements to mean anything, a test must produce consistent results and genuinely measure what it claims to measure.
Exams love testing reliability and validity, so keep it simple: reliability is consistency, validity is accuracy. Students often mix up objective and projective tests, so link the MMPI and 16 PF to self-report questionnaires, and link the Rorschach and TAT to ambiguous projective methods. One more tip: the MMPI contains special "validity scales" built to catch test-takers who are lying or faking to make themselves look good.
Part of Basic Psychology, module “Personality”. Sign in (free) to read the full notes, flashcards and the lesson quiz.