Personality Assessment ad Theory

Personality assessment aims to describe systematic differences between people in affect, cognition, and behavior, across situations and over time, usually with a predictive end point in sight. These (operational) measurements are tied to underlying (latent) constructs, although their relationships are often not explicitly articulated. These relationships are not merely conceptual with little practical utility; instead, they go to the very heart of the validity of personality assessment. In our discussion of these matters, we consider two germane problems: the distinction between two major levels of explanation (surface traits and source processes); and, related to this issue, the different sources of variance that comprise what is contained in even the simplest forms of personality assessment. We attempt to resolve these problems with reference to generalisability theory, and we conclude with specific recommendations for a more sophisticated approach to personality assessment to move forward this important field of psychology