Differential psychology studies the ways in which individuals differ in their behavior and the processes that underlie it. This is a discipline that develops classifications (taxonomies) of psychological individual differences. This is distinguished from other aspects of psychology [1][2] in that although psychology is ostensibly a study of individuals, modern psychologists often study groups, or attempt to discover general psychological processes that apply to all individuals.[3] This particular area of psychology was first named and still retains the name of "differential psychology" by William Stern in his book (1900).
While prominent psychologists, including Stern, have been widely credited for the concept of individual differences, historical records show that it was Charles Darwin (1859) who first spurred the scientific interest in the study of individual differences. His interest was further pursued by his half-cousin Francis Galton in his attempt to quantify individual differences among people.[4]
For example, in evaluating the effectiveness of a new therapy, the mean performance of the therapy in one treatment group might be compared to the mean effectiveness of a placebo (or a well-known therapy) in a second, control group. In this context, differences between individuals in their reaction to the experimental and control manipulations are actually treated as errors rather than as interesting phenomena to study. This approach is applied because psychological research depends upon statistical controls that are only defined upon groups of people.
Importantly, individuals can also differ not only in their current state, but in the magnitude or even direction of response to a given stimulus.[5] Such phenomena, often explained in terms of inverted-U response curves, place differential psychology at an important location in such endeavours as personalized medicine, in which diagnoses are customised for an individual's response profile.[citation needed]
To study individual differences, psychologists use a variety of methods. The method is to compare and analyze the psychology and behaviour of individuals or groups under different environmental conditions. By correlating observed psychological and behavioral differences with known accompanying environments, the relative roles of different variables in psychological and behavioral development can be probed. Psychophysiological experiments on both humans and other mammals include EEG and ERPs[7], PET-scans, MRI, functional MRI, neurochemistry[8][9] experiments with neurotransmitter and hormonal systems, caffeine and controlled drug challenges. These methods can be used for a search of biomarkers of consistent, biologically based behavioural patterns (temperament traits and symptoms of psychiatric disorders). Other sets of methods include behavioural experiments, to see how different people behave in similar settings. Behavioural experiments are often used in personality and social psychology, and include lexical and self-report methods where people are asked to complete paper-based and computer-based forms prepared by psychologists.
^Fisher, A.J.; et al. (2018). "Lack of group-to-individual generalizability is a threat to human subjects research". PNAS. 115 (27): 6106–6115. Bibcode:2018PNAS..115E6106F. doi:10.1073/pnas.1711978115. PMC6142277. PMID 29915059.
^Cohen, R., Swerdlik, M. and Sturman, E., 2013. Psychological Testing And Assessment. 7th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
^Larsen, Randy J.; Diener, Ed (1987-03-01). "Affect intensity as an individual difference characteristic: A review". Journal of Research in Personality. 21 (1): 1–39. doi:10.1016/0092-6566(87)90023-7. ISSN 0092-6566.
^Revelle, William; Wilt, Joshua; Condon, David M. (2013-03-12), "Individual Differences and Differential Psychology", The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Individual Differences, Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 1–38, doi:10.1002/9781444343120.ch1, ISBN9781444334388, retrieved 2023-02-15
^Clayson, Peter E. (2024). "The psychometric upgrade psychophysiology needs". Psychophysiology. 61 (3). doi:10.1111/psyp.14522. ISSN 0048-5772.
Richters, J. E. (2021). "Incredible utility: The lost causes and causal debris of psychological science". Basic and Applied Social Psychology. 43 (6): 366–405. doi:10.1080/01973533.2021.1979003. S2CID 236565514.
Introduction to Individual Differences (Wilderdom)
Maltby, J.; Day, L. & Macaskill, A. (2007). Personality, Individual Differences and Intelligence. London: Pearson Education.
Buss, D.M. & Greiling, H. (1999). "Adaptive Individual Differences" (PDF). Journal of Personality. 67 (2): 209–243. CiteSeerX10.1.1.387.3246. doi:10.1111/1467-6494.00053.
Chamorro-Premuzic, T. & Furnham, A. (2006). (PDF). Review of General Psychology. 10 (3): 251–267. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.10.3.251. S2CID 146278640. Archived from the original on March 19, 2009.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
Kanai, R. & Rees, G. (2011). "The structural basis of inter-individual differences in human behaviour and cognition". Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 12 (4): 231–241. doi:10.1038/nrn3000. PMID 21407245. S2CID 7103414.
Tyler, L.E. (1965). The psychology of human differences. New York: Appleton Century Crofts.
differential, psychology, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, . This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations February 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Differential psychology news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message Differential psychology studies the ways in which individuals differ in their behavior and the processes that underlie it This is a discipline that develops classifications taxonomies of psychological individual differences This is distinguished from other aspects of psychology 1 2 in that although psychology is ostensibly a study of individuals modern psychologists often study groups or attempt to discover general psychological processes that apply to all individuals 3 This particular area of psychology was first named and still retains the name of differential psychology by William Stern in his book 1900 While prominent psychologists including Stern have been widely credited for the concept of individual differences historical records show that it was Charles Darwin 1859 who first spurred the scientific interest in the study of individual differences His interest was further pursued by his half cousin Francis Galton in his attempt to quantify individual differences among people 4 For example in evaluating the effectiveness of a new therapy the mean performance of the therapy in one treatment group might be compared to the mean effectiveness of a placebo or a well known therapy in a second control group In this context differences between individuals in their reaction to the experimental and control manipulations are actually treated as errors rather than as interesting phenomena to study This approach is applied because psychological research depends upon statistical controls that are only defined upon groups of people Contents 1 Importance of individual differences 2 Areas of study 3 Methods of research 4 See also 5 ReferencesImportance of individual differences editImportantly individuals can also differ not only in their current state but in the magnitude or even direction of response to a given stimulus 5 Such phenomena often explained in terms of inverted U response curves place differential psychology at an important location in such endeavours as personalized medicine in which diagnoses are customised for an individual s response profile citation needed Areas of study editIndividual differences research typically includes personality temperament neuro chemically based behavioural traits motivation intelligence ability IQ interests values self concept self efficacy and self esteem to name just a few Although the United States has seen a decrease in individual differences research since the 1960s researchers are found in a variety of applied and experimental fields 6 These fields include clinical psychology psychophysiology educational psychology Industrial and organizational psychology personality psychology social psychology behavioral genetics and developmental psychology programs in the neo Piagetian theories of cognitive development in particular Methods of research editTo study individual differences psychologists use a variety of methods The method is to compare and analyze the psychology and behaviour of individuals or groups under different environmental conditions By correlating observed psychological and behavioral differences with known accompanying environments the relative roles of different variables in psychological and behavioral development can be probed Psychophysiological experiments on both humans and other mammals include EEG and ERPs 7 PET scans MRI functional MRI neurochemistry 8 9 experiments with neurotransmitter and hormonal systems caffeine and controlled drug challenges These methods can be used for a search of biomarkers of consistent biologically based behavioural patterns temperament traits and symptoms of psychiatric disorders Other sets of methods include behavioural experiments to see how different people behave in similar settings Behavioural experiments are often used in personality and social psychology and include lexical and self report methods where people are asked to complete paper based and computer based forms prepared by psychologists See also editEducational psychology Intelligence Temperament Personality psychology Behavioral geneticsReferences editJarl Vidkunn Coucheron 1958 Historical Note on the Term Differential Psychology Nordisk Psykologi 10 2 114 116 doi 10 1080 00291463 1958 10780375 Psicologa sp Brief therapy Fisher A J et al 2018 Lack of group to individual generalizability is a threat to human subjects research PNAS 115 27 6106 6115 Bibcode 2018PNAS 115E6106F doi 10 1073 pnas 1711978115 PMC 6142277 PMID 29915059 Cohen R Swerdlik M and Sturman E 2013 Psychological Testing And Assessment 7th ed New York NY McGraw Hill Larsen Randy J Diener Ed 1987 03 01 Affect intensity as an individual difference characteristic A review Journal of Research in Personality 21 1 1 39 doi 10 1016 0092 6566 87 90023 7 ISSN 0092 6566 Revelle William Wilt Joshua Condon David M 2013 03 12 Individual Differences and Differential Psychology The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of Individual Differences Oxford UK Wiley Blackwell pp 1 38 doi 10 1002 9781444343120 ch1 ISBN 9781444334388 retrieved 2023 02 15 Clayson Peter E 2024 The psychometric upgrade psychophysiology needs Psychophysiology 61 3 doi 10 1111 psyp 14522 ISSN 0048 5772 Brady ST Siegel GJ Albers RW Price DL 2012 Basic Neurochemistry McGill Press a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Kandel ER Schwartz JH Jessell TM 2000 Principles of Neural Science fourth edition McGraw Hill Companies Richters J E 2021 Incredible utility The lost causes and causal debris of psychological science Basic and Applied Social Psychology 43 6 366 405 doi 10 1080 01973533 2021 1979003 S2CID 236565514 Introduction to Individual Differences Wilderdom Maltby J Day L amp Macaskill A 2007 Personality Individual Differences and Intelligence London Pearson Education Buss D M amp Greiling H 1999 Adaptive Individual Differences PDF Journal of Personality 67 2 209 243 CiteSeerX 10 1 1 387 3246 doi 10 1111 1467 6494 00053 Chamorro Premuzic T amp Furnham A 2006 Intellectual competence and the intelligent personality A third way in differential psychology PDF Review of General Psychology 10 3 251 267 doi 10 1037 1089 2680 10 3 251 S2CID 146278640 Archived from the original on March 19 2009 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint unfit URL link Kanai R amp Rees G 2011 The structural basis of inter individual differences in human behaviour and cognition Nature Reviews Neuroscience 12 4 231 241 doi 10 1038 nrn3000 PMID 21407245 S2CID 7103414 Tyler L E 1965 The psychology of human differences New York Appleton Century Crofts Timeline of researchers and brief biographies Portal nbsp Psychology Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Differential psychology amp oldid 1206533402, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
