Psychology 3580F-001 (Online for 2020-21)

Research in Personality Assessment

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

1.0    CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

Addresses reliability and validity issues as well as several contemporary topics in assessment such as multitrait-multimethod analysis, personality testing in personnel selection, and control of dissimulation or "faking" of personality test responses. The course includes a hands-on research component.

Prerequisites: Psychology 2800E and Psychology 2810, plus registration in third or fourth year Honours Specialization in Psychology or Honours Specialization in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. Third or fourth year Psychology Majors and Psychology Special Students who earn 70% or higher in Psychology 2820E (or 60% or higher in Psychology 2800E and Psychology 2810) also may enrol in this course 

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

 

2 lecture hours, 2 laboratory hours; 0.5 course 

2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor:                                  Richard (Rick) Goffin, Ph.D.; goffin@uwo.ca

Course Format:                          Virtual (online) --  synchronous

Office and Phone Number:        Rm. SSC8406; 519-661-2111, Ext.84641

Office Hours:                             Just email to arrange a virtual meeting.

T.A./Lab Instructor:                   Cullen McCurrach, M.Sc. Candidate; cmccurra@uwo.ca

Office Hours:                             Just email to arrange a virtual meeting.

Time of Lectures:                       Tues. 9:30-11:30am

Time of Labs:                             Thurs. 9:30-11:30am

                                                                                   

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western

http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.

3.0  TEXTBOOK

No specific textbook is required but readings will be assigned on a weekly basis in accordance with the lecture schedule in this document.

 

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course familiarizes the student with research on several key topics in the assessment of individual differences such as the use of personality assessment in pre-employment testing; “faking” of personality test responses and control of “faking” of personality test responses; multitrait-multimethod analysis. In so doing, this course will improve skills in evaluating research in the assessment of individual differences and developing research ideas. The lab component of the course is designed to develop applied and conceptual skills relevant to the assessment of individual differences

   4.1    STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

describe and explain  important personality traits that underlie performance in a variety of jobs

Lecture, Lab, Readings, Class Exercises, Narrated Presentation/Discussion

Test, Essay, Lab Assignments, Class & Lab Participation, Narrated Presentation/Discussion.

generate new testable hypotheses regarding the assessment of personality

Lecture, Lab, Readings, Lab Exercises, Research for Essay and  Narrated Presentation

Essay, Lab Assignments, Class & Lab Participation, Narrated Presentation

design research to test hypotheses regarding the assessment of personality

Lecture, Readings, Lab Exercises, Research for Essay and Narrated Presentation

Test, Essay, Class & Lab Participation, Lab Assignments, Narrated Presentation

identify and describe important measurement issues relevant to the assessment of personality

Lecture, Lab, Readings, Lab Exercises

Test, Class & Lab Participation, Lab Assignments.

apply concepts and theories from personality assessment to real world problems

Lecture, Lab, Readings, Lab Exercises, Research for Essay

Test, Essay, Lab Assignments, Class Participation

 

5.0     EVALUATION

Test. There will be one test of up to 2 hours in length, consisting of essay questions. The test will be administered during the regular lecture time slot (synchronously) and will draw from all the lectures, labs, and assigned readings up to that point. The test will be “open book” and unproctored but students must work independently. The test will be worth 20% of the final course grade.

 

Essay. An APA-formatted essay of 2500 words (not counting references) must be completed by each student. More details on the content, structure, and grading of the essay, and late penalties, will be provided early in the semester. The essay will be worth 30% of the final course grade.

 

Narrated Presentation/Discussion. A narrated Powerpoint presentation of their essay topic will be created, narrated, and recorded by each student. The narrated presentation will be played to the class by the instructor at a scheduled time during the last 4 weeks of the semester. Each student will have an assigned period of time after their narrated presentation is played to the class during which they must lead and engage the class in a brief discussion of their topic. More details on the content, structure, length and grading of the narrated presentation/discussion, and late penalties, will be provided early in the semester. The combined narrated presentation and discussion will be worth 10% of the final course grade.

Participation. It is expected that students will become actively involved in classes and will prepare for lectures by doing the assigned readings and reflecting upon them. Active participation is also expected in the laboratory sessions. A total of 10% of the final course grade will be accounted for by participation (5% from participation during lectures plus 5% from participation during labs).

 

Laboratory Component. The laboratory component of the course will be worth 30% of the final course grade (in addition to the 5% for laboratory participation mentioned above). Further details on the breakdown of the laboratory grade will be provided early in the semester. No single assessment within the laboratory component will be worth more than 14% of the final grade.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.

 

This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least three full days before the date of the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty.

As per Department policy, grades will NOT be rounded.

 

Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:

70%     1000-level and 2000-level courses
72%     2190-2990 level courses
75%     3000-level courses
80%     4000-level courses
   
The Psychology Department follows Western's grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):

A+  90-100      One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A    80-89        Superior work that is clearly above average
B    70-79        Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C    60-69        Competent work, meeting requirements
D    50-59        Fair work, minimally acceptable
F    below 50    Fail


6.0  ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE

Test.  The test will take place on Tuesday, November 10 during the regular lecture time slot.

 

Essay. The essay must be submitted through the “assignments” section of the OWL site by Thursday, December 10 at 11:55p.m.

 

Narrated Presentation/Discussion. Each student’s narrated presentation/discussion will take place during the last 4 weeks of class. Each student will be informed of their scheduled presentation/discussion date early in the semester. The narrated presentation must be submitted through the “assignments” section of the OWL site by 11:55p.m on the Friday before the student’s scheduled presentation date. The narrated presentation will be played to the class by the instructor on the student’s scheduled presentation/discussion date. The student will have an assigned period of time immediately after their narrated presentation is played to the class during which they will be expected to lead and engage the class in a short discussion of their topic.

 

Participation. Participation is expected in all lectures and labs throughout the semester unless otherwise indicated by the instructor or TA.

 

Laboratory Component. Details on the scheduling of the lab components will be provided early in the semester. 

7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

The list and ordering of topics follows. Readings for each topic are indicated, but may be modified as necessary on an ongoing basis. Some of the listed readings may be designated as optional by the instructor in advance of the respective class. Any modifications to the lecture schedule will be announced in the lecture or lab or via OWL. A schedule for the lab component of the course will be provided early in the semester. Unless otherwise indicated by the instructor or TA, all readings are available through Resources/Readings in OWL.

 

  1. September 15: Course Overview

 

  1. September 22: Essential Measurement Issues in Personality Assessment: Reliability

 

Murphy, K.R., & Davidshofer, C. O. (2005). Psychological testing: Principles and Applications (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Chapters 6 and 7 (pp. 116-152). Note: Do not bother to read the sections on “Reliability of Difference Scores,” “Reliability of Composite Scores,” and “Reliability of Criterion-Referenced Tests.”

 

  1. September 29: Essential Measurement Issues in Personality Assessment: Validity

 

Murphy, K.R., & Davidshofer, C. O.  (2005). Psychological testing: Principles and Applications (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Chapters 8 and 9 (pp. 153-201). Note: Do not bother to read the section on “Tests and Decisions” or the material on pages 192-198.

 

  1. October 6: Personality Assessment and Pre-employment Testing: Basic Issues

 

Hughes, D.J., & Batey, M. (2017). Using personality questionnaires for selection. In Goldstein, H.W., Pulakos, E.E., Passmore, J. & Semedo, C. (Eds.) The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Recruitment, Selection and Employee Retention. Malden, MA: Wiley. pp. 151-181.

 

Raymark, P. H., Schmit, M. J., & Guion, R. M. (1997). Identifying potentially useful personality constructs for employee selection. Personnel Psychology, 50, 723-736.

 

Tett, R. P., Jackson, D. N., & Rothstein, M., (1991). Personality measures as predictors of job

performance: A meta-analytic review. Personnel Psychology, 44, 703-742.

 

 

  1. October 13 and 20: Personality Assessment and Pre-employment Testing: The “Faking” of Personality Test Responses

Blasberg, S.A., Rogers, K.H., & Paulhus, D.L. (2013). The Bidimensional Impression Management Index (BIMI): Measuring agentic and communal forms of impression management. Journal of Personality Assessment, 96, 523-531.

 

Christiansen, N. D., Goffin, R.D., Johnston, N. G., & Rothstein, M. G. (1994). Correcting the 16PF for faking: Effects on criterion‑related validity and individual hiring decisions. Personnel Psychology, 47, 847-860.

 

Dwight, S.A., & Donovan, J.J.  (2003). Do warnings not to fake reduce faking?  Human Performance, 16, 1‑23.

 

Fan, J., Gao, D., Carroll, S. A., Lopez, F. J., Tian, T. S., & Meng, H. (2012). Testing the efficacy of a new procedure for reducing faking on personality tests within selection contexts. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(4), 866–80.

 

Goffin. R.D., & Boyd, A.C. (2009). Faking and personality assessment in personnel selection: Advancing models of faking. Canadian Psychology, 50, 151-160.

 

Goffin, R.D., Jang, I., & Skinner, E. (2011). Forced-choice and conventional personality assessment: Each may have unique value in pre-employment testing. Personality and Individual Differences, 51, 840-844.

 

Jackson, D. N., Wroblewski,V. R., & Ashton, M. C. (2000). The impact of faking on employment tests: Does forced choice offer a solution? Human Performance, 13,  371‑388.

 

Jeong, Y. R., Christiansen, N. D., Robie, C., Kung, M.-C., & Kinney, T. B. (2017). Comparing applicants and incumbents: Effects of response distortion on mean scores and validity of personality measures. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 25(3), 311–315.

 

Rosse, J. G., Stecher, M. D., Miller, J. L., & Levin, R. A. (1998). The impact of response distortion on preemployment personality testing and hiring decisions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83, 634-644.

 

  1. October 27: Conclusion of Personality Assessment and Pre-employment Testing and Review for Test

 

November 2 to November 8: Fall Reading Week                                                                                                

 

  1. November 10: Test

 

  1. November 17, November 24, December 1, & December 8: Student presentations and student-led discussions.

8.0     STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

 

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offences. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com).

 

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

 

In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.

 

Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

 

9.0  POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12

 

The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf

 

If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:

  • Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
  • For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
  • For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form must be submitted before the exam/coursework deadline in order to be valid. It may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html

 

10.0 CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR RETURN TO LOCKDOWN

In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence during the course that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online as determined by the course instructor. Note: Because Psychology 3580F is already being taught in an online format with all assessments also being online, it is not anticipated that a return to lockdown would affect this course.

 

11.0 STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE

In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:

  • please “arrive” to class on time
  • please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
  • please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
  • to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
  • In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak.
  • In classes of 30 students or fewer where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
  • Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting

 

The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants.  To participate please consider the following:

  • If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
  • Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
  • Self-identify when speaking.
  • Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).

 

General considerations of “netiquette”:

  • Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
  • Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
  • Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
  • Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.

 

Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.

 

 

12.0 OTHER INFORMATION

Office of the Registrar: http://registrar.uwo.ca 

 

Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca

 

Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:

http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html

 

- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct

- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations

- Policy on Attendance

- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines

- Policy for Assignments

- Short Absences

- Extended Absences

- Documentation

- Academic Concerns

- 2020-2021 Calendar References

 

Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.

 

Maintaining a Complete Set of Notes is Your Responsibility

Through no fault of your own, you may, occasionally, miss a class. In order to avoid having an incomplete set of lecture notes when it’s time to prepare for the test, I recommend finding two or three classmates early on in the semester whom you are comfortable sharing notes with in the event that one of you should miss a lecture or lab. Remember to get contact information from these classmates so that you can get in touch with them on short notice if need be. If you miss a class, be sure to contact these colleagues ASAP so that you can get caught up and not be confused by later lectures or labs that may well presume that you are already familiar with the material that was covered in the class that you missed. Please be advised that I do not lend lecture notes or post complete lectures, and it is simply not feasible for me to repeat lectures for individual students, even if the test is the next day!

 

Learn and Study Productively

If you feel that your progress in this course, or at Western in general, is not what it should be as a result of your study skills, habits, or personal problems, you may wish to utilize the Student Development Centre (SDC):  http://www.sdc.uwo.ca . A wide range of helpful services are offered there, including learning skills services, which you can find out more about through this link: www.sdc.uwo.ca/learning/ .

Additionally, the academic counsellors in your Dean’s office may be able to help you with a variety of issues.

 

“Turnaround Time” for Grading

Assessment  results will ordinarily be provided to you two weeks after the assessment due date.

 

Instructor Expectations: Psychology 3580F Zoom Classroom**

Although lectures and labs will take place online via the Zoom platform, they are still academic gatherings intended to replace the traditional in-class setting. Therefore, the expectation is that you regularly attend class, and come prepared to engage in the material.

  • Please sign-in and participate with your camera on and microphone muted but prepared to participate through discussion and questions when appropriate.
  • To eliminate possible distractions, your microphone should remain muted throughout the class, unless participating in discussion or asking questions.
  • If you have questions during lecture, please use the “Raise Hand” feature in Zoom, and you will be called upon.
  • At times, the “Chat” feature may be used in the lecture and/or lab; please follow any specific instructions provided at that time.
  • For those new to Zoom, here is a resource video that briefly reviews the basics of the In-Meeting features:

Zoom 101: In-Meeting Controls (Basics)

 

Technical Difficulties. ** If you find yourself unable to complete/submit an assignment on time due to technical difficulties, a screenshot of your screen is required. Ensure that the error message or problem, as well as the date & time, are visible on the screen when you take the screenshot. You must send this screenshot along with an email to me and or the TA in order to be eligible for an extension for submission.

__________________________

*The dates mentioned in this outline could be changed by the instructor. Sufficient notice will be given for any such changes and they will be announced in class or lab or on the course’s OWL website.

**Thanks to Sarah Babcock for composing these sections