Dr.

Anita Kumar
An individual’s distinct and relatively enduring pattern of thoughts,
feelings, needs, motives values, attitudes and behavior. It excludes race,
gender and physical attractiveness.
The personality of an individual is that which enables us to predict

what he will do in a given situation” R.B. Cattell

A more or less stable and enduring organization of person’s character,

temperament, intellect and physique which determines unique

adjustment to the environment. - Eysenck

 Characteristics of Personality
❖Whole rather than part - physical and psychological components

❖Unique

❖ Dynamic - behave differently in different situations - adaptive to situations

❖Enduring - Its main features do not easily change with time.

❖It is an abstraction
Ancient Greece
physician Hippocrates
believed that the body contains fluids called humors
Hippocrates believed that personality traits are a result of different
combinations of these bodily fluids
Yellow bile: Choleric: Quick tempered disposition
Blood: Sanguine: Warm, cheerful temperament
Phlegm: Phlegmatic: Sluggish, cool disposition
Black bile: Melancholic: Thoughtful disposition
 Phineas Gage (1848)

After the accident—suddenly he could not keep appointments, showed little respect or compassion for others, and
uttered “the grossest profanity.” He died in 1860 after suffering from a series of seizures (twomey, 2010).
First case that was widely recognized as clear evidence of a link between the physical brain and personality
Interest in the psychological conception of personality spiked
FOUR MAJOR PERSPECTIVES ON PERSONALITY

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 1. PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVES
FREUD JUNG ADLER ERIKSON
Personality is set by age 5 or 6.

➢ Id – Pleasure Principle – Unconscious mind

➢ Ego – Reality Principle –Sub-Conscious mind

➢Superego – Conscience – Conscious mind

 2. Behavioral Perspectives

Personalities evolve from a series of rewards and punishments.

Pavlov
Present behavior = learning from past experiences.
Skinner Behavior = reinforcements + modeling behavior after others.

Bandura CLASSICAL CONDITIONING,

OPERANT CONDITIONING,

OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING.
 3. Humanistic Perspective
Emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, especially their free
will and their potential for personal growth”
CARL Self Concept : Central feature of personality (+ / - )
ROGERS ❖Each person is unique
❖ People are basically good with potential to be self-
actualized
❖Given the right environmental conditions, they will
develop to their full potential
ABRAHAM ❖Genuineness, Acceptance +Empathy
MASLOW ❖Emotionally and socially mature individual
❖Well adjusted personality
❖Strive for their ideal self + to be fully functioning.
• A characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act, as
assessed by self-report inventories and peer reports

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 Trait Theories of Personality
Traits are assumed to be:
1. Defined by their frequency, intensity, Consistency - Stable over time; Stable across
situations;
2. All traits are present in all people, varying in degree from person to person (High vs.
Low) - comparisons can be made between people.
3. Trait approach to personality is focused on differences between individuals
4. 40-60% traits are inherited
5. Relatively independent of each other (e.g. curiosity independent of anxiety);
6. Reflected in emotions, physiology, and thoughts, directly influence behavior
7. Have predictive value for personality.
8. Trait theorists typically talk very little about development.
9. most traits form a normal distribution
Traits are characteristics that lead people to behave in more or less distinctive and
consistent ways across situations. Is something that really exists but is invisible.
• The Big Five brings us right up to the current era in personality
research.

• Conceptualizing traits on a spectrum instead of as dichotomous

variables;

• Contextualizing personality traits (exploring how personality shifts

based on environment and time);

• Emphasizing the biological bases of personality and behavior.

Focuses on the comfort level of an individual in interpersonal relations
with others

• Assertive , Outgoing
• talkative, enthusiastic, ▪ Moves easily from ▪ Low threshold for noise
• sociable, fun loving. working with others and stimulation
to working alone ▪ Likes working alone
• Likes to be in the thick
▪ Is serious, quiet, timid
of action
▪ Moderate threshold ▪ private person
• Prefers to be with other
people for sensory ▪ Usually considered as
• May not be a good stimulation and may loner by others
listener tire of it after some ▪ Reserve
• Tends to dominate the time
conversations
One’s ability to accommodate, negotiate, adapt.

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• Gentle Good Natured
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• Cooperative
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• Trusting
• Sympathetic, tolerant
• Kind, humble
• Appreciative,
• Forgiving
• Accommodates the
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wishes and needs of
others
• May be considered as •
naïve, submissive and
conflict aversive
Tendency to control impulses and act in socially acceptable ways.
The extent to which individuals show consistent & reliable behavior while working
in the organization

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One’s need for stability or negative emotionality. The ability to control
one’s emotions at the time of crisis
High Moderate Low
Reactive Responsive ResilientNervous

• Calm
• Nervous
• Self-Confident
• Depressed
• Responsive and tends to be • Secure
• Insecure
calm • Stable
• Fearful
• Secure and steady under • Contented
• Moody
normal circumstances • Relatively unaffected by
• Tense
• Moderate threshold for stress
• Prefers a stressfree
handling workplace stress • Can take tremendous
workplace
amount of stress before
• Can’t take much stress
showing signs
 Open to any new experiences
High Low
Moderate Preserver
Explorer

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 LIMITATIONS

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• Doesn’t really explain where personality comes from, simply

describe the behaviors

• Fails to address how issues such as motives, unconscious, or beliefs

about self affect personality development

Self- Administration (Practice Session)
1. Read instructions carefully
2. Conduct the test on yourself for practice
3. Understand the scoring procedure properly and interpretation
 Conducting test on Others
1. Keep the material required for conduction of the test

2. Establish rapport with the subject

3. Assure the subject that data will not be shared with anyone and
confidentiality will be maintained.

4. Read out the instructions given in the test to the subject.

5. Once the test is done, debrief the subject

6. Score and interpret the responses as per the norms indicated in the test.

7. Prepare a report in word document

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• Scoring and Interpretation – Score and interpret as per the norms given in the test
• Discussion - discuss the result based on the interpretation. It may be further analyzed
• in the light of the introspective report.
• Conclusion: Under this heading, conclude the findings of the test.
• References: The books, websites and the manual referred to by the learner are
mentioned in American Psychological Association (APA) format.
• References (APA style): References have to be written in APA format.
These should be alphabetically listed.
 Quick Personality Test- By Psych Central Research Team
Instructions: Here are a number of personality traits that may or may not apply
to you. Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with that
statement. You should rate the extent to which the pair of traits applies to you,
even if one characteristic applies more strongly than the other. Answer all
questions for the most accurate result.
I am a ___year old , Male___/ Female___
 6. I see myself as reserved, quiet.
Disagree strongly
I see myself as extraverted, enthusiastic.
.
Disagree moderately
Disagree strongly
Disagree moderately Disagree a little
Disagree a little Neither agree nor disagree
Neither agree nor disagree Agree a little
Agree a little Agree moderately
Agree moderately
Agree strongly Agree strongly
2. I see myself as critical, quarrelsome. 7. I see myself as sympathetic, warm.
Disagree strongly Disagree strongly
Disagree moderately Disagree moderately
Disagree a little Disagree a little
Neither agree nor disagree
Agree a little Neither agree nor disagree
Agree moderately Agree a little
Agree strongly Agree moderately
3. I see myself as dependable, self-disciplined. Agree strongly
Disagree strongly
Disagree moderately 8. I see myself as disorganized, careless.
Disagree a little Disagree strongly
Neither agree nor disagree Disagree moderately
Agree a little Disagree a little
Agree moderately
Agree strongly Neither agree nor disagree
4. I see myself as anxious, easily upset. Agree a little
Disagree strongly Agree moderately
Disagree moderately Agree strongly
Disagree a little 9. I see myself as calm, emotionally stable.
Neither agree nor disagree
Agree a little Disagree strongly
Agree moderately Disagree moderately
Agree strongly Disagree a little
5. I see myself as open to new experiences, complex. Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree strongly
Disagree moderately Agree a little
Disagree a little Agree moderately
Neither agree nor disagree Agree strongly
Agree a little 10. I see myself as conventional, uncreative.
Agree moderately Disagree strongly
Agree strongly
Disagree moderately
Disagree a little
Neither agree nor disagree
Agree a little
Agree moderately
Agree strongly
• Based upon the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI).
• Gosling, S. D., Rentfrow, P. J., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2003). A Very Brief
Measure of the Big Five Personality Domains. Journal of Research in
Personality, 37, 504-528.
Personality Trait Opposite Strength Similar Strength

Extraversion: 3.00

Agreeableness: 4.50

Conscientiousness:
4.50

Emotional Stability:
2.00

Openness to
Experiences: 5.00
Here is how you rated on each of the Big 5 Personality traits -- extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional
stability and openness to experiences.

Below you will find a brief interpretation of each personality trait and what your score relative to that trait may indicate about
you. Because this is such a brief quiz, however, please keep in mind that the below discussion may not be entirely accurate
or completely apply to you. These "Big 5" personality traits are broad traits, and a brief personality test such as this one
cannot provide a detailed interpretation of your scores.
Extraversion
You appear to be somewhat more introverted than most people. Introverts lack the exuberance, energy, and activity levels of
extraverts. They tend to be quiet, low-key, deliberate, and less involved in the social world. Their lack of social involvement
should not be interpreted as shyness or depression. Introverts simply need less stimulation than extraverts and more time
alone.
Agreeableness
You appear to hold a generally neutral view of humanity and others -- you appear to be somewhat compassionate and
cooperative, but also at times suspicious about other people's motivations. While you see the value of getting along with
others, you'll speak your mind when you feel like it. You probably hope that most people are honest, but are pragmatic
enough to realize many are not.
Conscientiousness
You appear to hold a neutral level of conscientiousness, being able to exert self-discipline from time to time, but also
occasionally being impulsive.
Emotional Stability
You have scored quite low in emotional stability and likely tend to experience negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or
depression frequently. You may be more emotionally reactive and vulnerable to stress than most others. People who score
low in emotional stability are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly
difficult. Their negative emotional reactions tend to persist for unusually long periods of time, which means they are often in a
bad mood. These problems in emotional regulation can diminish a person's ability to think clearly, make decisions, and cope
effectively with stress.
• APA Reference
Research Team, P. (2020). Quick Personality Test. Psych Central.
Retrieved on September 27, 2020, from
https://psychcentral.com/quizzes/personality-test/
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