Individual differences
Individual differences in human functioning and their assessment.
The essentials
No two people are exactly alike. Psychology studies how and why people differ in intelligence, personality, interests, values and aptitudes. Individual differences refer to the distinctiveness and variations among people in their characteristics and behaviour patterns. Some psychologists argue that behaviour depends largely on the situation (situationism), but most accept that behaviour is the result of an interaction between personal characteristics and the situation.
A psychological attribute is a relatively stable characteristic that can be measured, such as intelligence, aptitude, interest, personality and values. These attributes are not directly observable; they are inferred from behaviour.
Key points
- Intelligence: global capacity to understand the world, think rationally and use resources effectively when faced with challenges.
- Aptitude: an individual's potential to acquire skills with training.
- Interest: preference for engaging in one or more specific activities.
- Personality: relatively enduring characteristics that make a person distinct.
- Values: enduring beliefs about an ideal mode of behaviour.
- Methods of assessment: psychological test (standardised, objective measure of a mental or behavioural characteristic), interview (seeking information through one-to-one conversation), case study (in-depth study of one person), observation (systematic, organised and objective recording of phenomena) and self-report (the person provides factual information about himself or herself).
Exam tips
- Know the difference between attributes: aptitude is about future potential, while achievement is about what has already been learnt.
- A good test is reliable (consistent), valid (measures what it claims) and standardised (uniform procedure and norms).
Common mistakes
- Treating situationism as denying individual differences entirely; it only stresses the power of the situation.
- Confusing a case study (depth on one person) with a survey or test (many people, standard questions).