Personality

Determinants of Personality
 Personality Theories

Trait Theory - understand individuals by breaking down behavior

patterns into observable traits

Psychodynamic Theory - emphasizes the unconscious determinants

of behavior

Humanistic Theory - emphasizes individual growth and

improvement

Integrative Approach - describes personality as a composite of an

individual’s psychological processes
MBTI Preferences
Big Five Personality Traits
 Big Five as a Selection Tool

• Can be a useful part of a portfolio of tools

• Provide useful predictions of future job performance
• Also need to do an in-depth job analysis
• Analysis of which traits support specific job performance
The Dark Triad

 Machiavellianism: the degree to which an individual is

pragmatic, maintains emotional distance, and believes that
ends can justify means.
 Narcissism: the tendency to be arrogant, have a grandiose
sense of self-importance, require excessive admiration, and
have a sense of entitlement.
 Psychopathy: the tendency for a lack of concern for others
and a lack of guilt or remorse when their actions cause
harm.
CSE, Self-Monitoring, and Proactive Personality

 Other Personality Traits Relevant to OB

 Core Self-Evaluation: bottom line conclusions individuals
have about their capabilities, competence, and worth as a
person.
 Self-Monitoring: measures an individual’s ability to adjust
his or her behavior to external, situational factors.
 Proactive Personality: people who identify opportunities,
show initiative, take action, and persevere until meaningful
change occurs
The Situation, Personality, and Behavior

 Situation strength theory: indicates that the way personality

translates into behavior depends on the strength of the
situation.
 The degree to which norms, cues, or standards dictate
appropriate behavior.
 Clarity
 Consistency
 Constraints
 Consequences
 Trait Activation Theory: Jobs in Which Certain Big Five
Traits Are More Relevant [ Table given in your book]
Type A Vs Type B personality
 Type ”A” Personality

 Highly Competitive
 Strong Personality
 Restless when inactive
 Seeks Promotion Punctual
 Thrives on deadlines
 Type “B” Personality

 Works methodically
 Rarely competitive
 Enjoys leisure time
 Does not anger easily
 Does job well but doesn’t need recognition
 Easy-going
 Psychoanalytic approach

 Theory given by Sigmund Freud

 Mind has three components- Conscious, Preconscious and
Unconcious.
Humanistic theory of Psychology

Mainly arose against the psychoanalytic

theory

Carl Rogers- True self. Ideal self

Unconditional positive regard

Social Learning theory of personality

People learn from one another, via This theory is a bridge between
observation, imitation, and modeling. behaviorist and cognitive learning
theories because it encompasses
attention, memory, and motivation
 How is Personality Measured?

Projective Test - elicits an individual’s response to abstract stimuli

Behavioral Measures - personality assessments that involve observing an

individual’s behavior in a controlled situation

Self-Report Questionnaire - assessment involving an individual’s responses to

questions
Assessing personality

Objective Self report techniques

 Cattel’s 16 PF

 Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI,

MMPI-2)
16 PF

1. Abstractedness: Imaginative Vs practical

2. Apprehension: Worried Vs confident
3. Dominance: Forceful Vs submissive
4. Emotional Stability: Calm Vs high strung
5. Liveliness: Spontaneous Vs restrained
6. Openness to Change: Flexible Vs attached to the familiar
7. Perfectionism: Controlled Vs undisciplined
8. Privateness: Discreet Vs open
9. Reasoning: Abstract Vs concrete
10. Rule Consciousness: Conforming Vs non-conforming
11. Self-Reliance: Self-sufficient Vs dependent
12. Sensitivity: Tender-hearted Vs tough-minded.
13. Social Boldness: Uninhibited Vs shy
14. Tension: Impatient Vs relaxed
15. Vigilance: Suspicious Vs trusting
16. Warmth: Outgoing Vs reserved
 Projective Techniques

 Rorschach Ink Blot Test- The Rorschach is the most commonly used
projective technique.  Rorschach
 Set of 10 white cards with blots of ink on them in either black, black
and red, or multi colored. 
  
 Thematic Apperception Test- The TAT consists of numerous cards
with black and white and grayscale pictures
 People express their inner motives through the stories they make
up about ambiguous scenes
 House-Tree-Person- The House-Tree-Person test (H-T-P) requires
no specific materials and is not standardized at all.  The assessor
tells the individual to draw a picture of a house, a tree, and a
person.  Once completed, he may ask the individual to tell a story
related to each picture, including the who, what, where, how, and
why's of each. 
 Free Association- This was one of Freud's favorite techniques and
on the surface sounds quite simple to use.  Freud would sit in his
chair behind the patient so as not to allow any projection to occur. 
He would then allow the patient to talk, without interruption or
guidance, for an extended period.  Freud would take notes, analyze
themes, and piece together aspects of the unconscious that peak
out.
 Dream Analysis- Another favorite of Psychoanalytic
therapists, dream interpretation allows the assessor to find
themes and hidden meaning in the patients dreams.  Freud
believed that all dreams consist of manifest, or obvious
content, and latent, or hidden content.
 Word Association -Word Association tests can take many
forms as there is no single accepted list of words.
 Freudian Slips: an inadvertent mistake in speech or writing
that is thought to reveal a person's unconscious motives,
wishes, or attitudes.
 Incomplete Sentences- This assessment can take numerous form
but the main idea behind it is the completion of partially
completed sentences.  Items on such a test might look like the
following:
1. A best friend ____________________________.
2.  Mothers ____________________________.
3. My worse childhood experience was ________.
 Obviously a test such as this is somewhat simple to manipulate,

and that is a recognized negative

 Holland’s Personality Typology Or

Personality - Job Fit theory

It is concerned with job-specific personality types

Occupational Groups Preferred mode Personality types

Mechanics, Operators, assembly Physical, require strength and Realistic
line workers, farmers co-ordination
Biologist, economist, Thinking, understanding and Investigative
mathematician, news reporters organizing
Teachers, social workers, Helping and developing Social
counselors, clinical psychologist people
Accountants, managers, bank Precise, orderly, rule and Conventional
workers , clerks regulated
Lawyers, real estate agents, PRO’s Verbal, impacting people Enterprising
and small entrepreneurs

Painters, musicians, interior Imaginative, emotional, Artistic

designers, decorators, writers ambiguous
Personality-Job Fit:Holland’s Hexagon

 Job satisfaction and turnover depend on congruency between

personality and task

 Fields adjacent are similar

 Field opposite are dissimilar

• Vocational Preference Inventory Questionnaire