Learning Objectives
- To discuss and reflect on the difference between traits and states, and how both relate to the study of personality.
- To experience the intuition behind factor analysis.
- To become familiar with survey methods and the popular Big Five model of personality.
Materials
- Laminated cards containing items from a Big Five assessment.
Overview
Students experiment with factor analysis intuitively before discussing how it would be done in a data-driven way. The lab also examines the uses and limitations of survey methods in Psychology.
Time Allocation
| Activity | Time |
|---|---|
| Introduction | 5 min |
| The Mixer | 15 min |
| Class discussion | 5 min |
| Group comparison | 5 min |
| Personality tests | 10 min |
| Wrap-up | 5 min |
| Question submission | 5 min |
The Mixer
Students receive items from a personality questionnaire and organize them into “factors” containing items which appear to measure the same or similar things.
Do not tell students that the items were designed around the Big Five. The goal is not to force five groups or imply that there is a single correct way to arrange them. Depending on class size, students can each carry an item and sort themselves by talking, or groups can sort a stack at their table.
Class discussion
- If 100 participants rated each item, how could you check whether the items grouped together actually measure the same thing?
- Were there items which were difficult to place? Why?
Group comparison
Reveal that factor analyses of these items often produce five reliable factors. Compare the groupings created in the room with the data-driven Big Five solution.
Personality tests
Use the final portion of the lab to critically examine the uses and limitations of survey methods in Psychology, specifically in the context of personality tests.
Take-home message
- Factor analysis can uncover structure in a complex data set by examining how items correlate across participants.
- Such tools repeatedly reveal five factors in personality survey data: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.
- States are transient, while personality traits are relatively stable across time.
Final submission
What surprised you most about how you arranged the items and the data-based clusters?