How Does Neuroticism Impact Emotional Well-being and Relationships?

One benefit of using the HEXACO is that of the facet of neuroticism within the factor of emotionality: trait neuroticism has been shown to have a moderate positive correlation with people with anxiety and depression. The identification of trait neuroticism on a scale, paired with anxiety, and/or depression is beneficial in a clinical setting for introductory screenings some personality disorders. Because the HEXACO has facets which help identify traits of neuroticism, it is also a helpful indicator of the dark triad.[35][36]

Temperament Assessment

In contrast to personality, i.e. the concept that relates to culturally- and socially-influenced behaviour and cognition, the concept of temperament' refers to biologically and neurochemically-based individual differences in behaviour. Unlike personality, temperament is relatively independent of learning, system of values, national, religious and gender identity and attitudes. There are multiple tests for evaluation of temperament traits (reviewed, for example, in,[37] majority of which were developed arbitrarily from opinions of early psychologists and psychiatrists but not from biological sciences. There are only two temperament tests that were based on neurochemical hypotheses: The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and the Trofimova's Structure of Temperament Questionnaire-Compact (STQ-77).[38] The STQ-77 is based on the neurochemical framework Functional Ensemble of Temperament that summarizes the contribution of main neurochemical (neurotransmitter, hormonal and opioid) systems to behavioural regulation.[37][39][40] The STQ-77 assesses 12 temperament traits linked to the neurochemical components of the FET. The STQ-77 is freely available for non-commercial use in 24 languages for testing in adults and several language versions for testing children [41]

Pseudopsychology (pop psychology) in assessment

Although there have been many great advancements in the field of psychological evaluation, some issues have also developed. One of the main problems in the field is pseudopsychology, also called pop psychology. Psychological evaluation is one of the biggest aspects in pop psychology. In a clinical setting, patients are not aware that they are not receiving correct psychological treatment, and that belief is one of the main foundations of pseudopsychology. It is largely based upon the testimonies of previous patients, the avoidance of peer review (a critical aspect of any science), and poorly set up tests, which can include confusing language or conditions that are left up to interpretation.[42]

Pseudopsychology can also occur when people claim to be psychologists, but lack qualifications.[43] A prime example of this is found in quizzes that can lead to a variety of false conclusions. These can be found in magazines, online, or just about anywhere accessible to the public. They usually consist of a small number of questions designed to tell the participant things about themselves. These often have no research or evidence to back up any claims made by the quizzes.[43]

Ethics

Concerns about privacy, cultural biases, tests that have not been validated, and inappropriate contexts have led groups such as the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) to publish guidelines for examiners in regards to assessment.[9] The American Psychological Association states that a client must give permission to release any of the information that may come from a psychologist.[44] The only exceptions to this are in the case of minors, when the clients are a danger to themselves or others, or if they are applying for a job that requires this information. Also, the issue of privacy occurs during the assessment itself. The client has the right to say as much or little as they would like, however they may feel the need to say more than they want or even may accidentally reveal information they would like to keep private.[9]

Guidelines have been put in place to ensure the psychologist giving the assessments maintains a professional relationship with the client since their relationship can impact the outcomes of the assessment. The examiner's expectations may also influence the client's performance in the assessments.[9]

The validity and reliability of the tests being used also can affect the outcomes of the assessments being used. When psychologists are choosing which assessments they are going to use, they should pick one that will be most effective for what they are looking at. Also, it is important for the psychologists are aware of the possibility of the client, either consciously or unconsciously, faking answers and consider use of tests that have validity scales within them.[9]