| Abstract: | Most "psychologists have tended to regard the domains of personality and ability as separate. This unfortunate separation has resulted in a necessary confounding of 2 important response properties in personality research, i.e., response predisposition and response capability… . In the measurement of abilities, attempts are made to elicit indices of maximal performance under optimal conditions of measurement." On the other hand, personality tests based on "psychoanalytic notions of projection would imply the more ambiguity the better." Predisposition conceptions of personality "can lead to operations which are clearly at odds with those demanded by an abilities conception." From an abilities conception, "the usefulness of any measuring instrument would decrease as ambiguity in the measuring instrument is increased." The choice, to search for man "as he really is" or in terms of those things "of which he is capable" is of utmost importance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
