PERSONALITY

TEST

PERSONALITY TEST
INTRODUCTION:

The term personality is derived from the word persona or the mask which the Roman and
Greek actors used to wear in ancient times, to indicate to the audience.

Personality is the total quality of individual’s behavior as it is shown in his habits of thinking,
in his attitude, interests, his manner of acting and his personal philosophy of life.

DEFINITION

The aggregate of the physical and mental qualities of an individual which will interact and
function in characteristic fashion with the environment. Taylor (1982)

Personality is the ‘mask’ i.e. provides external circumstances for the individual character.
“persona” mask but personality is known as individual behavior pattern with his/her
environment. According to Dunn, personality means once inner or outer circumstance
suitable with his environment.

Personality Determinants

 Heredity
 Environment
 Nature

CHARACTERSTICS OF PERSONALITY

Personality has certain important characteristics. They are:

 Personality is always dymamic.
 Personality determines our thinking, reasoning and actions.
 Personality is both physical and psychological ( outer and inner )
 Personality develops through social interaction.
 Every personality refers to the process of adjustment to our environment.
 Personality is self conscious.

METHODS OF MEASUREMENT

According to Dr Saul Rosinawing methods of investigating and assessing personality can be

divided into the following categories

1. Subjective methods
2. Objective methods
3. Projective method
4. Psycho-analytical method
5. Physical test methods or physiological methods

SUBJECTIVE METHOD

The subjective methods are those in which the individual is permitted to disclose what he
knows about himself as an object of observation. They are based on what the subject
 himself has to say about his traits, attitudes, personal experiences, aims, needs and
interests. In important subjective methods are:

A. AUTOBIOGRAPHY

The autobiography is the narration by the individual, given either freely or

according to certain subject headings provided by the examiner of his experiences
throughout life of his present aims, purpose, interest and attitudes like” experiment
with truth” by MK Gandhi. Revel about his character, thoughts and personality.

Mr John K is not performing well in job. He is complaining of absenteeism, late

coming, not responding to co-workers. Psychologist may give him to write about
experience in job which will reveal the internal feeling and psychologist will be
able to recognize personality type.

ADVANTAGES

 Help to get detail information of situation .

DISADVANTAGES

 Not applicable in all cases.

 Subject may hide his feelings.

B. CASE HISTORY
In a case history we integrate the information that be obtain from various sources about the
individual. This requires many interviews with individual and other persons who know the
individual. This method is more useful in understanding the personality patterns of an
individual who is in a problem or is maladjusted. like child is unable to develop good rapport
with the class mates and teachers and use to be solitary. The psychologist collect the history
of the child by parents, teachers, class mates and interpret the personality type.

C.INTERVIEW

The interview is the most common method of judging personality. From what individual says
the interview knows about his interests, problems, assets and limitation. E.g.

What you often do, when you get time?

How you often feel, when you are alone?

Advantages
The interviewers can evolutes personality traits not only from the content of answer to
questions asked, but also from the dogmatism with which the news are expressed.
Limitation
The method is subjective and less valid than one belies it to be.

D. QUESTIONNAIRES
Questionnaires are a series of printed or written questions which the individual is supposed to
answer. The subject is supposed to answer. The subject is supposed to answer. The subject is
expected to answer each question by yes or no. the investigator counts the number of yes or
no and is in a position to state whether a certain individual possesses certain traits or not.
E.g. Bell adjustment inventory
This inventory is available in two forms one for adults and another for students. In its
construction, 223 items, it measured adjustment under four categories
I. Home adjustment
II. Health adjustment
III. Social adjustment
IV. Emotional adjustment

JUNG TEST

1. As a rule current preoccupations worry you more than your future plans

YES NO

2. You find it difficult to talk about your feelings

YES NO

3. You feel at ease in a crowd

YES NO

4. You do your best to complete a task on time

YES NO

5. You are strongly touched by the stories about people’s troubles

YES NO

Limitation

The subject may not be willing to reveal to reveal correct facts about himself or may not be in
conscious possession of these facts.

OBJECTIVE METHODS

The objective method do not depend on the subject’s own statements about his self but on his
overt behavior as revealed to others who serve as observers, examiners or judgers. The
subject is observed or studied in certain life situation. Some of the objective method are:

A. MINIATURE LIFE SITUATION

In miniature life situations, situations are created and the subject’s reactions and behavior are
observed and evaluated. Situations involving honesty, cooperation, persistence and team
work. Like assuming question asked e.g. you are a manager in a company ang getting
continues complains of a employ, who is your relative also. What action you will take?

Advantages

Selection of leaders in the army

Limitation

Method is expensive and cannot be used in every case.

B. OBSERVATION

The method of unobserved observation is quite popular in child development centre of

guidance clinics. In this method the observant may be aware about his observation.

 Direct
 Indirect

Techniques used in observation

Time observation: in this technique the observant is observed for a particular time of the day
like child is observed only particular time of school to observe his behavior towards his
classmates.

Event observation: in this technique the observant is observed for a particular event
performing time like person is observed at over burden working time to know behavior
change at time of tension.

Situation observation: the individual is asked to perform some task and his behavior is
observed through a one way mirror. i.e. child is left with the numbers of blocks and told to
build structure in a particular manner. Then child is looked from the one way mirror
regarding his/her activities e.g. puzzled, confuses, irritate, worried or non reactive.

Essential of good observation

 Possession of efficient sense organs

 Alertness
 Skill for accurate estimate without the help of instruments
 Ability to perceive accurately
 Freedom from various pathological states
 Freedom from prejudice
Limitation

 Before observation is started, certain decisions must be arrived as to what to observe.

 Different observes may give different reports and interpret the same fact differently of
the same situation.
C. RATING SCALES

In rating scales we rate an individual of the possession of absence of certain traits on a

certain scale. The individual is given a place on the scale or score which indicates the degree
to which a person possesses a given behavior trait.

Types of rating scale

 Numerical
 Graphic
 Standard
For example, Numerical scale, while evaluating beauty

1) Most beautiful
2) Very beautiful
3) Beautiful
4) Average
5) Ugly
6) Very ugly
7) Ugliest possible

GRAPHIC SCALE ( LIND’S PERSONAL INVENTORY )

Like in social conversation how have you been?

1) Refrained from talking

2) Preferred listening
3) Talked when necessary
4) An easy talker
5) Talkative

5 4 3 2 1

STANDARD SCALE
How would you rate the subject’s emotion control?
 Very low Below average Average Above average Very high

Utility of rating

 Rating aids in administration

 Rating helps to make judgments analytical
 Ratings are useful in research

PROJECTIVE METHODS

In projective methods or techniques, the subject is requested to behave in an imaginative way

i.e. by ink blots or constructing some objects out of plastic material and drawing what he
wants. Thus the subject is encouraged to “project” or throw his thoughts, emotions, wishes
and other reactions freely in some situation which are provided. The some of the important
projective techniques are:

A. Rosscchah ink blot test

This test was developed by a Swiss psychologist Herman Rorschach ( 1921 ) consist of 10
ink blots having symmetrical designs, five of these cards are black and white, two with
splashes of red and three in other colors.

The test is administered individually, when the card is shown to the client he is asked to tell
what he sees in the inkblot or what it means to him/her or what this might be. In the second
phase, he‘s asked what and how he sees it, in the third phase called “testing the limits”
observe respond to colors, shading and other meaningful aspects of the inkblots. All these
responses are then subjected to a scoring system, designed by Beek or Klopfer and Kelley. It
content in:

 Location
 Determinant color, shading and texture.
 Contents

The first of the ten cards in Rorschach inkblot test

For example person may respond as:
 a) A bat
b) Two ladies back to back
c) Face of an owl
d) A patch of cloud

It reveals the following information

 Emotional aspects
 Creative and imaginative capacities
 Phobia, psychological disorders
B. Thematic Apperception test ( TAT )

The test is developed by Murray and Morgan ( 1935 ) consists of a series of 20 pictures. The
person is asked to tell a story that each one suggest to him. Through projective technique, the
covert or unconscious behavior. It suits for adolescents and adults.
 20 sketches depicting various senses and life situations.
 TAT consists of three sets of pictures, one set is used with both man and women and a
second set only for men and third only for women.
e.g. she has prepared the room for someone’s arrival and is opening the door for last general
lool over the room. She is probably expecting her son. She tries to place everything as it was
when he left. Although the original picture show only a woman standing in an open road.
This test reveals the:
  Family relationships
 Social relationships
 Emotional conflicts
 Attitude to work

Advantages
Can be applied in Indian conditions

Limitations
 Highly trained person is required
 Time consuming

Some other pictures are:

C. CHILDREN’S APPERECEPTION TEST ( CAT )

This test was constructed by Bellack in 1948. It is used to assess the personality, before
administering test, psychologist establishes rapport with child. He is then shown pictures and
asked to build up stories. On the basis of making an analysis of the child’s behavior.

Advantages: this test brings to light the child’s repressed desires.

Limitation: it has not been found favorable in the Indian environment.

D. PLAY TECHNIQUE

Play techniques are more applicable to children than to adults. The subject is allowed or
encouraged to construct scenes by using dolls, toys, blocks and other building materials. The
technique has both diagnostic and therapeutic values and is frequently used in “child
guidance clinics”

Limitation: not appropriate for adults.

E. INCOMPLETE SENTENCE TECHNIQUE

The incomplete sentence technique was given by Rotter, Stein and many others is a type of
paper and pencil personality inventory which has features of an association test as well as of a
projective technique. In this client is given numbers of incomplete sentences and asked to
complete as he like. It reveals the wishes, anxieties, conflicts, healthy and unhealthy attitudes
e.g.

a) I feel happy when………….

b) I feel sad when……………..

Advantages

 Can apply in literate

 Identify that wishes, desire and inner concepts
 Able to express that own words

4. PSYCHO-ANALYTIC METHOD

This method was propounded by Sigmund Freud. Two types of test in the psycho-analytic
method of investigation of personality are very popular
 Free association test
 Dream analysis method

Free association test is a technique used in psychology, coined by Sigmund Freud. In it

patients are asked to continually relate anything which comes into his/her mind regardless of
how superficially unimportant or potentially embarrassing the memory to be. This technique
assumes that all memories are arranged in a single associative network and that sooner or
later the subject will stumble across the crucial memory.
In the dream analysis, the subject describes his/her dream and without using the mind,
meaning there by the unrestricted state of mind associates freely the dream objects and
activities. The truth of the unconscious mind is expressed.
Limitation

Need of a skilled and experienced psycho analyst

MYER’S BRIGYS PERSONALITY TEST

It is a new method to assess the individual personality it consists of 426 items for assess
introvert theory of extravert and introvert. Extravert means sociable person (express the
feeling). Introvert means self oriented unsociable/uninterested to others feelings. Introvert
people are- self oriented/ aloof and alone.

These two personalities can identify through the Myer’s Brigg’s personality test. This test
only can identify external personality eternal view with his environment or situation but
100% it is not reliable even through this test can be done for psychiatric patient or socialy
maladaptive individual.

Now a day’s though the computers are part of telecommunication and can also be used to
assess the personality. Its known as:

a. Computerized questioner method

b. Computerized interview
 c. Through the online submission method.

Achievement test (teacher made test)

Achievement test otherwise known as teacher made test to find out accomplishment of
educational objectives. Standardized by expert teachers, doctors and psychologists etc to find
out that achievement towards the individual.

Characteristics of achievement test

 Its based on learners ability.

 It shows objectivity of individual performer.
 To identify the teaching and learning process problem and prognosis.
 It produced evidence of improvement.
 Achievement test are developed to identify individual abilities with the supporting
events.

Function of achievement test

 It provides basis in promotion to the next grade.

 It find out where each student stands in various academic area.
 It helps determination about the placement of the student in a particular.
 To motivate the students by a new assignment taken up.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Bhaskara Raj, Bhaskara Nima D. Elakkuvana. Text book of Nursing Education,

EMMESS Medical publishers, 1st edition. Pp 294-290.
 www.16personalities.com
 www.humanmatrics.com
 http://www.41q.com