Introduction

Personality, a characteristic way of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Personality

embraces moods, attitudes, and opinions and is most clearly expressed in interactions
with other people. It includes behavioral characteristics, both inherent and acquired, that
distinguish one person from another and that can be observed in people’s relations to
the environment and to the social group.

The word personality comes from the Latin word persona. In the ancient world, a
persona was a mask worn by an actor. While we tend to think of a mask as being worn
to conceal one’s identity, the theatrical mask was originally used to either represent or
project a specific personality trait of a character.
Definition
Personality describes the unique patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that
distinguish a person from others. A product of both biology and environment, it remains
fairly consistent throughout life.

Examples of personality can be found in how we describe other people's traits. For
instance, "She is generous, caring, and a bit of a perfectionist," or "They are loyal and
protective of their friends."

Main body test

Personality test
A personality test is a tool used to assess human personality. Personality
testing and assessment refer to techniques designed to measure the
characteristic patterns of traits that people exhibit across various situations.
Personality tests can be used to help clarify a clinical diagnosis, guide
therapeutic interventions, and help predict how people may respond in
different situations.
 History of Personality Tests
One of the earliest forms of personality testing, known as phrenology,
emerged during the late 18th century and was popularized during the 19th
century. This approach involved the measurement of bumps on the human
skull, which were then attributed to specific personality characteristics.

Later, psychologists began attempting to determine how many different

personality traits there were. Gordon Allport, for example, proposed that
there were more than 4,000. Psychologist Raymond Cattell used a
statistical technique known as factor analysis to whittle this 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 theory of personality. This theory suggests that personality is
composed of five broad dimensions: extroversion, agreeableness,
conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness.
Types of Personality Tests
Personality testing is designed to elicit responses from participants about
their behaviors, preferences, emotional responses, interactions, and
motivations in order to evaluate personality characteristics and patterns.

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

 Self-report inventories involve having test-takers read questions

and then rate how well the question or statement applies to
them.  One of the most common self-report inventories is
1

the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI).

 Projective tests involve presenting the test-taker with a vague
scene, object, or scenario and then asking them to give their
interpretation of the test item. One well-known example of a
projective test is the Rorschach Inkblot Test.2

The greatest benefit of self-report inventories is that they can be

standardized and use established norms. Self-inventories are also
relatively easy to administer and have much
higher reliability and validity than projective tests. Projective tests, on
the other hand, are most often used in psychotherapy settings and allow
therapists to quickly gather a great deal of information about a client.
 Uses of Personality Tests
Personality tests are administered for a number of different purposes, including:
1. Assessing theories
2. Evaluating the effectiveness of therapy
3. Diagnosing psychological problems
4. Looking at changes in personality
5. Screening job candidates
Personality tests are also sometimes used in forensic settings to conduct risk
assessments, establish competence, and in child custody disputes. Other settings
where personality testing may be used are school psychology, career and occupational
counseling, relationship counseling, clinical psychology, and employment testing.
Impact of Personality Tests

These tests can help you learn more about yourself and better understand both your
strengths and weaknesses. And while all personality tests are different, learning that
you might be high on a specific trait can help you gain greater insight into your own
behavioral patterns.

For example, your results on a personality test might indicate that you rate high on the
personality trait of introversion. This result suggests that you have to expend energy in
social situations, so you need to find time alone to recharge your energy. Knowing that
you have this tendency can help you recognize when you are getting drained from
socializing and set aside quiet moments to regain your equilibrium.
Tips for Taking a Personality Test
There is no way to prepare for a personality test, but there are some things that
you can do to make sure that your results are the best reflection of your
personality:

 Be honest. Don't try to present an "ideal" version of yourself. Instead, try to

just answer in a way that reflects who you are and how you feel.
 Read the instructions. Your results might not be an accurate reflection of
you if you don't understand the guidelines or questions.
 Don't try to "beat the test." Avoid trying to guess what you think might be
seen as the "ideal" answer. Just respond honestly.

As you start looking at all of the different personality assessments that are
available, you will probably notice one thing quite quickly: There are a lot of
"informal" tests out there! Just a simple online search will turn up an enormous
range of quizzes and tests designed to tell you something about your personality.

The vast majority of quizzes that you'll encounter online are just for fun. They can
be entertaining and they might even give you a little insight into your personality,
but they are in no way formal, scientific assessments of personality.