Personality psychology is one of the largest and most popular branches of psychology.

Your unique
personality makes you who you are and influences everything from your relationships to the way you
live. Personality is something that you might be able to describe. Psychologists look at how personality
varies among individuals as well as how people are similar. They also assess, diagnose, and treat
personality disorders. Many factors contribute to the person you are today, including genetics, your
upbringing, and your life experiences. Personality encompasses all of the thoughts, behavior patterns,
and social attitudes that impact how we view ourselves and what we believe about others and the world
around us. Understanding personality allows psychologists to predict how people will respond to certain
situations and the sorts of things they prefer and value.

Influential personality theories- A number of theories have emerged to explain the aspects of
personality. Some are focused on explaining how personality develops, while others are concerned with
individual differences in personality.

Trait Theories of Personality

The trait theories of personality center on the idea that personality is comprised of broad traits or
dispositions. Various theories have been proposed to identify which attributes are key components in
personality, as well as attempts to determine the total number of personality traits.

In his dispositional perspective, Psychologist Gordon Allport suggested that there are different kinds of
traits: common, central, and cardinal. Allport was one of the first to describe personality in terms of
individual traits. Common traits are shared by many people within a particular culture. Central traits are
those that make up an individual's personality. Cardinal traits are those that are so dominant that a
person becomes primarily known for those characteristics. An example of a cardinal trait is Mother
Teresa. She was so well-known for her charitable work that her name became almost synonymous with
providing service to those in need. Allport suggested that there were as many as 4,000 individual traits.
Psychologist Raymond Cattell proposed that there were 16. Cattell also believed that these traits exist
on a continuum and that all people possess each trait in varying degrees. A psychologist named Hans
Eysenck would narrow the list of traits further, suggesting there were only three: extroversion,
neuroticism, and psychoticism.

Today, the "Big Five" theory is perhaps the most popular and widely accepted trait theory of personality.
The theory proposes that personality is made up of five broad personality dimensions:

Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Neuroticism, Openness

For example, you might be high in extroversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness, but somewhere
in the middle for openness and neuroticism.

How Personality Develops and Changes through Life- Freud's theory of psychosexual development is one
of the best-known personality theories—but also one of the most controversial. According to Freud,
children progress through a series of stages of personality development. At each stage, libidinal energy
(the force that drives all human behaviors) becomes focused on specific erogenous zones. Successful
completion of a stage allows a person to move on to the next phase of development. Failure at any
stage can lead to fixations that can impact someone's adult personality.
Erik Erikson, another psychologist, described eight psychosocial stages of life. With Erikson's theory,
each stage plays a significant role in the development of a person's personality and psychological skills.
During each psychosocial stage, an individual will face a developmental crisis that serves as a turning
point in their development. Successfully completing each stage leads to the development of a healthy
personality. Erikson was more interested in how social interactions influenced the development of
personality. He was primarily concerned with the development of what he called ego identity. While
Freud's theory suggested that personality is primarily formed and set in stone at an early age, Erikson
believed that personality continued to develop throughout life.

How Personality Is Tested

To study and measure personality, psychologists have developed personality tests, assessments, and
inventories. The tests are widely used in a variety of settings. For example, the famous Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator (MBTI) is frequently used as a pre-employment screening assessment.

Other assessments can be used to help people learn more about different aspects of their personalities.
Some tests are used as screening and evaluation tools to help diagnose personality disorders.

Gaining a better understanding of your personality can be helpful in many aspects of your life. For
example, relationships with friends, family, and coworkers might improve when you become aware that
you work well with others or that you need to make time to be alone.

You have probably encountered a selection of personality tests online (for example, an online quiz that
tells you whether you are extroverted or introverted). Some of these tests purport to reveal the "real
you," while others are clearly meant only for entertainment.

Personality assessments that you take online should be taken with a grain of salt. Informal tools can be
fun and might offer some insight into your preferences and characteristics, but only personality tests
administered by trained and qualified professionals should be used as formal assessments or to make a
diagnosis.

Personality Disorders

Personality psychologists are also interested in studying problems with personality that may arise.
Personality disorders are characterized as chronic and pervasive mental disorders that can seriously
impact a person's thoughts, behaviors, and interpersonal functioning.

The current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5 ) lists 10
personality disorders, including antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder,
narcissistic personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) reports that approximately 9.1% of the adult population in
the United States experiences symptoms of at least one personality disorder each year.

Being diagnosed with a personality disorder can be distressing, but you should know that there are
treatments. Working with a mental health professional, you can learn to recognize the difficulties that
these disorders can cause and explore new coping strategies.
It is OK to feel frightened and concerned about what the future might hold but remember that you do
not have to face it alone. There are people who are trained, skilled, and ready to help you take the next
steps in your treatment.

Depending on your specific diagnosis, your doctor might recommend psychotherapy, skills training,
medication, or a combination of all three. Work closely with your healthcare team to develop a
treatment plan that focuses on your needs and goals.

Personality is a broad subject that touches on nearly every aspect of what makes people who they are.
There are many ways to think about personality. There are some theories that focus on individual traits
and those that consider the different developmental stages that take place as personality emerges (and
sometimes changes) over time.

Psychologists are not only interested in understanding normal human personality, but in recognizing
potential personality disturbances that might lead to distress or difficulty in key life areas. By being able
to identify problems people have at home, school, work, or in their relationships, psychologists are
better able to help people develop skills to cope and manage the symptoms of personality disorders.

A number of theories have emerged to explain the aspects of personality. Some are focused on
explaining how personality develops, while others are concerned with individual differences in
personality.