Personality test – types, course. What is the personality test? [WE EXPLAIN]

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The personality test is a useful tool that allows you to classify a person to a specific personality type. The personality test can be used by a psychologist during therapy or it can be performed by the person concerned. Personality tests are constructed in such a way that by providing honest answers to the questions, we will find out what type of personality we are or to which type we are closest to.

What is personality?

Personality is an internal system that performs the task of both adapting and integrating thoughts, feelings and behavior in specific situations and circumstances. Personality is also defined as relatively persistent traits and behavioral (resulting in taking such and not other actions) and mental dispositions (manifested by a given mood or emotions) of an individual, distinguishing them from other individuals or groups. Simply put, personality is a set of characteristics that determine the reactions and behavior of an individual under given circumstances.

Theories about the genesis of personality are divided. Proponents of treating personality as innate features of a given individual point to the genetic basis of the formation of such and not other reactions to stimuli coming from the environment.

Other psychologists emphasize the influence of the environment on the formation of a specific type of personality. Certainly, biological conditions do have an influence on personality, however, the influence of the environment also plays a significant role in shaping it.

Personality is something we informally evaluate and describe every day. When we talk about ourselves and others, we often refer to the different personality traits of an individual. Psychologists do the same when assessing personality, but on a more systematic and scientific level.

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Personality types and theories

Psychology distinguishes several basic personality types, for example, personality introverted, extroverted and prone to ambivalence (a combination of introversion and extroversion). In addition, it is said about disturbed personalities, such as schizoid, psychotic or borderline personality.

The following personality theories are also known in psychology:

1. type theory, which distinguishes four types of personality – sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholic and choleric,
2. trait theory, which says that personality is a set of traits such as openness / introversion, optimism / pessimism,
3. psychodynamic theory according to which personality is shaped by life events and experiences,
4. the humanistic theory, according to which personality is shaped by the subjective experiences of an individual,
5. the theory of social learning, according to which personality is shaped in the processes of social interactions,
6. the theory of interactionism, which is a combination of all the above theories.

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What is the personality test?

The personality test is a tool for assessing a person’s personality. Personality testing and assessment refer to techniques designed to measure the characteristic patterns of trait that people exhibit in different situations. A personality test can help clarify a clinical diagnosis, target therapeutic interventions, and help predict how people might react in a variety of specific situations.

Personality tests are performed for a number of different purposes, including:

1. personality assessment,
2. assessment of the effectiveness of therapy,
3. diagnosing psychological problems,
4. assessment of personality changes,
5. examining job applicants.

Personality tests are also used in forensics to conduct risk assessments, determine competencies, and in child custody disputes. Other places where personality tests may be used are school psychology, career counseling, relationship counseling, clinical psychology, and employment testing.

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The history of personality tests

One of the earliest forms of personality testing, known as phrenology, appeared in the late XNUMXth century and was popularized in the XNUMXth century. This approach involved measuring nodules on the human skull, which were then attributed to specific personality traits.

Later, psychologists began to try to determine how many different personality traits there were. For example, Gordon Allport proposed that there were over 4000. Psychologist Raymond Cattell used a statistical technique known as factor analysis to narrow the list down to 16 different personality factors, while Hans Eysenck narrowed the list down to just three.

One of the most popular approaches to personality today is known as the Big Five personality theory. This theory suggests that personality consists of five broad dimensions: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness.

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There are two basic types of personality tests: self-report inventories and projection tests:

1. Self-Assessment Inventories – This is where the test subjects read the questions and then evaluate how well the question or statement relates to them,
2. projective tests – they consist in presenting the examined person with an unclear scene, object or scenario, and then asking them to present their interpretation of the test subject. 

The biggest advantage of self-report inventories is that they can be normalized and set standards applied. Own inventories are also relatively easy to manage and have much higher reliability and validity than projection tests.

On the other hand, projection tests are most often used in psychotherapy settings and allow the therapist to quickly gather a large amount of information about the patient.

For example, the therapist may look not only at a person’s reaction to a particular test item, but may also take into account other qualitative information such as tone of voice and body language. All of this can be explored as you progress through the therapy sessions.

How to do a personality test?

There is no way to prepare for a personality test, but there are a few things you can do to make sure your results best reflect your personality:

1. first of all be honest – don’t try to present your “perfect” version of yourself. Instead, try to respond in a way that reflects who you are and how you are feeling.
2. read the test instructions – your results may not accurately reflect you if you do not understand the tips or questions
3. Don’t try to beat the test – avoid guessing what you think might be perceived as the “perfect” answer. Just answer honestly.

Once you start looking at all the personality tests available, you’ll likely notice one thing quickly: there are many “informal” tests!

A simple internet search is enough to display a huge number of quizzes and tests designed to say something about your personality. But remember, online personality tests are usually not formal, scientific personality tests.

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