Measures of Personality Research Assignment Essay

Measures of Personality Research Assignment - Essay Example e and practical rather than the abstract and theoretical, and finally Judgment-Perception (J-P) measuring someones preference for order and rules, rather than spontaneity and flexibility. All participants are tested through a series of questionnaires and their relative position on each of the four axes is mapped to get a complete 4-dimensional map of his or her personality. b. Circumstances under which the test is indicated : The test is used for predicting innate preferences for people for certain types of careers, and is used by recruitment agencies, the government and companies to assess the natural preferences for candidates or workers. In addition the test is widely used in education to assess the natural preferences and suitability of applicants for various courses, and in advising and counselling young people regarding a career choice. In addition, numerous people administer the test to themselves, to discover more about themselves, and it has been used in finding the right psychological type of partner by professional dating and matchmaking agencies. c. Reliability and validity : The MBTI has been studied by numerous researchers with regards to objectivity and validity, and most researchers have found that the eight preference poles correspond in practice to theory for most people. (Hammer, 1996). Tzengs (1984) factor analysis of 125 students confirmed the validity of the four axes based on the MBTI. d. Factors to be considered by user: Users often find that the test is more reliably scored when someone administers it rather than when they self-test it. In addition, the test indicators do not mean that users cannot progress in areas where the test has not shown them to have a natural preference – by training and trying hard, they can still progress. e. My own opinion of the usefulness. The test is essentially a psychological tool for assessing how people prefer things naturally. However its practical utility in the real world is severely limited as

Spare the Rod, Spoil the Parenting by Leonard Pitts Essay

Spare the Rod, Spoil the Parenting by Leonard Pitts - Essay Example This research will begin with the biography of Leonard Pitts Jr. He was born in the United States and is a famous commentator, journalist, and an author. Leonard Pitts in his popular op-ed essay â€Å"spare the rod, spoil the parenting’’ makes use of a range of rhetorical or persuasive strategies to strengthen and support his opinions on the use of physical punishment to discipline children. The title of the story seems to be inspired from ‘He that spareth is a rod, hateth his son’ which is a biblical proverb. The proverb clearly portrays the importance of punishment. Leonard Pitt strives to persuade and educate parents regarding the importance that physical punishment has in the mental and intellectual development of children. Pitt tries to persuade his audiences to accept the fact that spanking and other forms of corporal punishments are necessary for forcing children to maintain discipline. Throughout the open format of the essay, Leonard Pitt uses a sa rcastic and blunt approach to not only spark reader’s interest but also to persuade them to accept his views. Therefore, the author tackles a sensitive topic in a casual yet authoritative manner which keeps his audiences intrigued till the very last line. The author’s strategy to use blunt diction and vocabulary to attract reader’s sympathy works phenomenally. In addition, Leonard Pitt argues and clearly points out the differences between corporal punishment ways and physical abuse, this argument forms the center of foci in his essay.... Pitt attempts to seek reader’s sympathy and understanding by stating that like most kids, his children are spoiled brats as well. Leonard makes use of his personal experience to convey to the readers that he is a parent who is capable of recognizing his children’s faults. In addition this strategy prevents the reader from thinking that the author is being judgmental towards others. The essay has an open format which makes the reader feel as if they are having a conversation with their best friend. Perhaps this is one of the most powerful rhetorical strategies used by the author throughout the essay. This allows the reader to take in and accept the information being conveyed by the author, without being intimated. Leonard maintains the strategy of having a conversation with his reader by asking questions such as ‘who is teaching whom?’ and ‘who is the in charge here?’This strategy not only ensures reader’s interest but also makes the read er realize that the author is not targeting a particular group of parents but in fact he is targeting the faults of all parents including him. He portrays the negative attributes of children by pointing out that they are ‘overindulged’ ‘spoiled’ and ‘materialistic brats’. Furthermore, the author blames his children to be bad and spoiled. This strategy forces the readers to sympathize with the author and realize that children need to be rewarded with a spank every time they misbehave. However, the author would never have been able to persuade the parents about the importance of corporal punishment if he had portrayed children as being good. Therefore, the author quotes ‘the screaming five year old’ and ‘misbehaving backside’ to reinforce his point that parents