Activity Instructions:

Conduct a personality investigation of a character from a feature-length film or a novel. (Tip: You should choose a film/novel with a strong, central character!) To do so, begin with a sheet of paper divided into three sections, labeled “Self-Report Data,” “Informant Data,” and “Behavioral Data.” Then, as you view the film (or read the novel), record the “clues” that you find about the character’s personality in the corresponding area(s). Be careful to record your “clues” only in the appropriate areas. For example, only data from your observations should be recorded under “Behavioral Data,” as opposed to things characters say about themselves (“Self-Report Data”) or what others say about them (“Informant Data”).

Write-Up Instructions:

Your write-up for this assignment should include the following sections:

Description: Summarize the data from each area separately from the other data sources. What kind of picture do you get from the self-report data alone? Informant data? Behavioral data? For this part, treat each section as a completely independent representation of the character’s personality. Because some clues may occur in multiple categories, you should expect some redundancy between sections. (appr. 1-2 paragraphs for each data type)
Analysis: Give an integrative assessment of the character’s personality. What overall picture emerges? In this section, you should justify the inclusion or exclusion of clues from the various data sources. For example, were certain clues corroborated across multiple data sources? Did you include any clues on the basis of a single source? If so, how did you justify doing so? Did any clues contradict one another, either between or within any of the three categories? If so, how did you go about resolving these contradictions? (appr. 1-2 paragraphs)
Reflection: In a final section, discuss the value of the various data sources. Which data source(s) did you rely on most or least, and why? Did you learn anything about the usefulness of the various data sources, or anything else significant about the challenges of conducting personality assessments? (appr. 1-2 paragraphs)