TYPES OF PERSONALITY TESTS

BYDR.SHAZIA ZAMIR

PersonalityThe relatively stable and distinctive patterns of behavior that characterizes an individual and his or her reactions to the environment.

Personality tests An attempt to measure personality traits, states, types, and other aspects of personality (such as self concept).Emotional intelligence testSelf concept inventoryThe big five inventoryKeirsey temperament sorter etc

IntroductionThe first personality tests were developed in 1920s and were intended to ease the process of personnel selection, particularly in the armed forces. Since these early efforts of these test, a wide variety of personality tests have been developed like MBTI, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Personality tests have become an industry and are used in a range of contexts, including individual and relationship counseling, career planning, employee selection and development, and customer interaction management.

Big Five personality dimensions Openness to Experience(intellect, imagination, curiosity, creativity) Conscientiousness(order, duty, deliberation, self-discipline) Extraversion(sociability, assertiveness, activity, positive emotions) Agreeableness(trust, nurturance, kindness, cooperation) Neuroticism(anxiety, depression, moodiness,vulnerability to stress)

Internal and External Locus of Control

Type and Trait Approaches Describe Behavioral Dispositions

“Personality Types” are distinct categories into which we place people.

Personality “traits” are dispositional: they predispose persons to behave, think, and feel in enduring patterns across situations

Occupational Personality Types

By Holland

HOLLAND’S THEORY Classification of Personalities

◦Realistic Manual and mechanical competencies and interaction with machines,

tools and objects.

◦ Investigative Analytical, technical, scientific, and verbal competencies.

◦Artistic Innovation or creative ability.

◦Social Interpersonal competencies and skill in treating, healing or teaching

others.

◦Enterprising Skills in the persuasion and manipulation of other people.

◦Conventional Clerical skills or skills in meeting precise standards for performance.

Example of Personality Type

A Little Exercise

See in class!

TRAIT THEORIES

Interpreting the Briggs-Myer

Extraversion: sociability, energized by people, lonely when alone (75%)

Sensation: practical, trusts facts; learns through ex-perience; wants to deal with what’s real

Thinking: prefers the objective, logical, analytical

Judging: prefers closure, wants deadlines, feels more comfortable once a decision has been made.

Intraversion: territorial, enjoys being alone, private, drained by people (25%)

Intuition: innovative, fantasizes; future more attractive than the present

Feeling: prefers the subjective, personal, values

Perceiving: resists closure, wants more & more data; values the open-ended; pressure to decide stressful

Scoring the Briggs-Myers

See in class!

Assessment of Personality

Objective Tests of Personality

Projective Tests of Personality

Evaluation of Projective Tests

Objective Tests of Personality

Objective personality tests measure personality in a multiple choice or a true or false format◦Allows for objective scoring of the

test◦MMPI

Projective Tests of PersonalityProjective tests unstructured personality measures in

which a person is shown a series of ambiguous stimuli, such as pictures, inkblots, or incomplete drawings.◦ Rorschach Inkblot Test◦ The Thematic Apperception Test

Projective Tests

Psychological tests that use ambiguous or unstructured stimuli; person needs to describe the ambiguous stimuli or make up stories about them.

Rorschach Technique: Developed by Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach; contains 10 standardized inkblots (the “inkblot” test).

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT): Developed by Henry Murray, personality theorist; projective device consisting of 20 drawings (black and white) of various situations; people must make up stories about the people in it.

Projective Tests of Personality

An Inkblot Similar to One of the Blots that Appear in the Rorschach Inkblot Test

Assessing the Unconscious

More blots

Thematic Apperception Test

Thematic Apperception Test

Evaluation of Projective Tests

Although these are widely used but they have low reliability and validity

It is assumed that one will project aspects of their personalities into their responses.

Personality Assessment

Interview: Face-to-face meeting designed to gain information about someone’s personality, current psychological state, or personal history◦ Unstructured Interview: Conversation is

informal, and topics are discussed as they arise

◦ Structured Interview: Follows a prearranged plan, using a series of planned questions

Halo Effect: Tendency to generalize a favorable or unfavorable first impression to an entire personality (make a good first impression)

Direct Observation: Looking at behavior

Other Types of Personality AssessmentsBehavioral Assessment: Recording the

frequency of specific behaviorsSituational Test: Real life situations are

simulated so that someone’s spontaneous reactions can be recorded