How were factor analysis and the lexical hypothesis employed during the development of the Big Five model?
What will be an ideal response?
A good answer would include the following key points:
- Factor analysis is a way of analyzing responses that are correlated with each other to see which items form clusters. This statistical technique was used by researchers to determine the Big Five traits.
- The development of the Big Five also was guided by the lexical hypothesis, which is the idea that traits important for survival and reproduction became embedded in our language as single words. The larger the number of trait words used to describe a trait, the more important the trait should be.
- Researchers recorded all of the adjectives in the English-language dictionary that could be used to describe people, screening out words referring to temporary stages or social evaluations. They then had people rate themselves on these adjectives.
- Using factor analysis, they analyzed which words correlated with each other and formed clusters of adjectives-hence the Big Five.
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Indicate whether the statement is true or false
Ngozi wants to study how children defend themselves from school bullies. If he uses naturalistic observation to do his research, he will be most likely to
A) ask several children how they handle bullies. B) sit on a bench near the school playground and watch the children at recess. C) pay a child to bully some other children and report on what they do. D) have a representative sample of children interact with school bullies in his laboratory.
What are two types of prenatal experience associated with increased risk of schizophrenia?
What will be an ideal response?
Does research support the thinking that there is a "schizophrenia gene"?
A) No: schizophrenia is probably a polygenic disorder, and researchers have not pinpointed the exact gene yet. B) No: schizophrenia is a polygenic disorder, and we know the exact genes. C) Yes: schizophrenia is a monogenic disorder, although we don't know the exact gene yet. D) Yes: schizophrenia is a monogenic disorder, and we know the exact gene.