PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Unit 1 | Introduction- Session 1

Dr. Veena N
Department of Psychology
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Session 1: Agenda

Definition & Meaning of Personality

Measurement of Personality: Meaning and Purpose

Objective/Self-report Inventories-16PF, MMPI, BAI, EPQ, BIG FIVE

Evaluation of personality inventories

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Activity

Personality Word Cloud

Ask students to think of words that describe their personality traits and
create a word cloud using an online tool (e.g., WordArt or Word Clouds)

Discuss the most common traits in the class and what they might mean

Give metaphors to your classmates

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Introduction
Personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique
characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s
behaviour
Personality is known by the conduct, behaviour, movements and
everything else concerning the individual
Personality is not a fixed state but a dynamic totality which continuously
changes due to relation with environment
Personality is a set of all those specific qualities acquired by an individual
through socialization
One reason people use the word personality is to convey a sense of
consistency or continuity about a person
A second reason people use the word personality is to convey the sense
that whatever the person is doing (or thinking or feeling) originates from
within
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Introduction

The term personality is also used for another reason. It often conveys the
sense that a few qualities can summarize what a person is like, because
they’re so prominent in that person’s behaviour
Personality derives from the Latin word persona, which refers to a mask
used by actors in a play
It is easy to see how persona came to refer to outward appearance, the
public face we display to the people around us
Based on its derivation, then, we might conclude that personality refers
to our external and visible characteristics, those aspects of us that other
people can see
Our personality would then be defined in terms of the impression we
make on others—that is, what we appear to be
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Definition
“Personality is the dynamic organisation within the individual of those
psychological systems that determine his unique adjustment to his
environment” (Allport)

“Personality is the supreme realisation of the innate idiosyncrasy, of a

living being. It is an act of courage thing in the face of life, the absolute
affirmation of all that constitute the individual, the most successful
adaptation to the universal, conditions of existence, coupled with the
greatest possible freedom of self-determination.” (C.G. Jung)

“It is the more or less stable and enduring organization of a

person’s character, temperament, intellect and physique that determine
his unique adjustment to his environment” (Eysenck, 1952)
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Personality Assessment

Personality assessment is the measurement of personal characteristic.

(Philip S. Holzman, Irwin G.Sarason, 1999)

Assessment is the cultivating stage of gathering information intended to

advance psychological theory and research and to increase the probability
that wise decisions will be made in applied settings. (Philip S. Holzman,
Irwin G.Sarason, 1999)

Personality Assessment is a proficiency in professional psychology that

involves the administration, scoring, and interpretation of empirically
supported measures of personality traits and styles in order to
Refine clinical diagnoses
Structure and inform psychological interventions
Increase the accuracy of behavioural prediction in a variety of contexts
and settings (e.g., clinical, forensic, organizational, educational)
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Personality Assessment
Personality assessment serves two purposes – theoretical and practical
Theoretically personality assessment provides knowledge about
different dimensions and aspects of personality development and
provides information about its nature
It provides impetus to research on personality and help develop new
theories about personality
Practical purposes of personality assessment is to know the strength
and weaknesses of a person
It tells which traits in a person are lacking and what are its implications
for his/her adjustment with the environment
It provides help in developing intervention program for persons who
need help to overcome some of their personality based difficulties
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Purpose of Personality Assessment

 In decision making in clinical, healthcare, forensic, educational and organizational
settings
 To aids in differential diagnosis and treatment planning
 Identification of the strengths and weaknesses of individuals and their adaptive
capacities
 To help in formulating treatment goals and interventions
 Decision making about personality pathologies, insanity assessments and competency
to stand trial in forensic setting
 In educational settings, the results of personality assessments can identify the need to
provide counselling or special educational services for students with conduct or learning
problems
 In organizational settings, personality assessment can prove useful in evaluating
candidates for employment or promotion, and test findings can help determine the
fitness for-duty of persons who have become psychologically impaired or who have
behaved in ways that raised concern about their potential for violence
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Types of Personality Assessment

Interview
Behavioural Observation
Objective Personality Test/Self report Inventories
Projective Tests
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Interview

An interview is a conversation between two or more people where

questions are asked by the interviewer to elicit facts or statements
from the interviewee

Examples:
“Can you tell me about yourself?”
“What are your greatest professional strengths?”
“What do you consider to be your weaknesses?”
“What is your greatest professional achievement?”
“Where do you see yourself in five years?”
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Behavioral Observation
Behaviourists do not want to “look into the mind” of an individual
They assume that personality is merely habitually learned responses to
stimuli in the environment
Preferred method for a behaviourist is to watch that behaviour unfold in
the real world
Behavioural observation is drawing conclusions about an individual's
personality based on observations of his or her behaviours
Example: the psychologist observes the client engaging in ordinary,
everyday behaviour, preferably in the natural setting of home, school,
or workplace
A therapist who goes to the classroom and observes that tantrum
behaviour only happens when a child is asked to do something
involving fine motor abilities (like drawing or writing) might conclude
that the child has difficulty with those skills and throws a tantrum to
avoid the task
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Objective Tests/ Self Report

Inventory
Self rating questionnaires, where the individual describes own feelings,
environment, and reactions of others towards self
The term “self-report” refers to information the person reveals directly about
himself/herself by responding to specific questions or items with a limited
number of prescribed choices (e.g. "Yes”, “No”, “Always”, “Don’t know”)
Self-report inventories are based on the principle that behaviour is the
manifestation of trait and one can find out the presence or absence of a trait by
means of assessing the behaviour
Self-report inventories are most widely used form of personality assessment
These are paper-and-pencil test that ask people to respond to questions
concerning their traits, values, attitudes, motives, feelings, interests, abilities.
Some types of objective personality tests: MMPI, MBTI, 16 PF, BIG Five, EPI, BAI
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Objective Tests/ Self Report

Inventory
General features
Standardisation of response alternatives
Subjects must select either true or false, agree or disagree, an alternative that
varies from 1 (very characteristic of me) to 6, and so on
Objectivity is hence achieved by restricting the degree of freedom in
responding to test items
Standardisation of scoring procedures minimises the risk of personal bias of
the persons scoring the tests
Objective Personality Tests present statements rather than ambiguous stimuli
characteristics of projective tests
Test is used by trained professionals to assist in identifying personality
structure and psychopathology
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Objective Tests/Self Report

 Sixteen Inventory-
Personality Factor Questionnaire16 PF is a multiple-choice
(or 16PF), personality
questionnaire which was developed over several decades of research by Raymond B.
Cattell, Maurice Tatsuoka and Herbert Eber
 Beginning in the 1940s, Cattell used the new techniques of factor analysis (based on
the correlation coefficient) in an attempt to try to discover and measure the
fundamental traits of human personality (Cattell, 1946)
 Using a statistical technique, called factor analysis that looks for groupings and
commonalities in numerical data, Cattell discovered 16 source traits
 Cattell (1995) devised a personality inventory based on these 16 source traits
 These 16 source traits are seen as trait dimensions or continuums, in which there are
two opposite traits at each end with many possible degrees of the traits possible
along the dimension
 Ex: someone scoring near the reserved end of the reserved outgoing dimension
would be more introverted than someone scoring in the middle or at the opposite end
 He later determined there might be another seven source traits to make a total of 23
(Cattell & Kline, 1977)
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- 16 PF

16 PF-Online Test
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- 16 PF
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Applications of 16 PF

The 16PF questionnaire is mainly used by professionals who aim to

evaluate a person’s character, for various purposes
For instance, when used by psychologists and other mental health
scientists, the 16PF serves as a clinical instrument for diagnosis,
prognosis and, of course, therapy for mental health issues
In addition, the 16PF Questionnaire is a valuable tool for HR
professionals who make the most of its insights to assess and filter
candidates; in an effort to find the ideal matches for specific job roles
The 16PF is also commonly used by counsellors and consultants
They may provide vocational guidance and help predict whether an
individual’s personality is suitable for a job profile; and vice versa
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Merits & Demerits of 16 PF

Merits Demerits
 Comprehensive Assessment: The  Complexity and Length: The 16PF
16PF assesses a wide range of consists of 185 questions, which can be
personality traits and characteristics, time-consuming for both the test-taker and
providing a more detailed and nuanced the clinician
picture of an individual's personality  Training and Expertise: Administering
compared to simpler tests and interpreting the 16 PF requires
 Research-Based: The test is grounded specialized training and expertise in
psychometrics and personality assessment.
in extensive research and psychometric Proper training ensures accurate
validation, ensuring its reliability and administration and meaningful
validity in measuring personality traits interpretation of results
 Factor Analytic Approach: The  Cost and Accessibility: Acquiring and
development of the 16 PF was based on using the 16 PF may involve costs
factor analysis, which identifies associated with purchasing the test
underlying dimensions of personality materials and training personnel. This could
traits. This approach enhances the limit its accessibility for smaller clinics or
theoretical and empirical basis of the educational institutions with limited
assessment resources
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Merits & Demerits of 16 PF

Merits Demerits
 Wide Applicability: The 16 PF can be used • Cultural and Linguistic Bias: The test
across various settings, including clinical items and scoring may be influenced by
psychology, counselling, educational psychology,
and organizational psychology, making it cultural and linguistic factors, potentially
versatile in assessing different aspects of leading to biases in assessment results
personality across different cultural or language groups
 Predictive Validity: The test has demonstrated • Limited Insight into Dynamic Aspects:
predictive validity in various contexts, such as While the 16 PF provides a detailed snapshot
predicting job performance, academic of an individual’s personality traits, it may
achievement, and interpersonal relationships offer limited insight into dynamic aspects of
 Normative Data: Norms for the 16 PF are well- personality development, such as changes
established, allowing for comparisons of an over time or situational influences
individual’s scores to those of a normative group • Self-Report Nature: Like many self-report
to interpret their personality profile effectively
inventories, the 16 PF relies on individuals’
 Usefulness in Counselling and Therapy: The self-perceptions and may be subject to
16 PF can provide valuable insights into clients’ response biases or inaccuracies in self-
personality traits, helping therapists tailor reporting
interventions and counselling approaches to suit
individual needs
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- MMPI
 Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory 2 (MMPI) is one of the most common
self-report inventories
 Developed in 1937 by clinical psychologist Starke R. Hathaway and
neuropsychiatrist J. Charnley McKinley at the University of Minnesota
 It is the most widely used personality inventory for both clinical and non-clinical
population and commonly used to help with the diagnosis of personality disorder
 It was first published in 1943 with 504 true/false questions, An updated version
including 567 questions was released in 1989,and is known as MMPI-2
 A version for adolescents MMPI-A was published in 1992, An alternative version
of the test, the MMPI-2 restructured form MMPI-2-RF, published in 2008
 It asks a series of true/false questions that are designed to provide a clinical
profile of an individual) ex: “I am very often tense”. Person taking the test must
answer “true”, “false”, or “cannot say”)
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- MMPI
 It takes approximately 60 to 90 minute to complete
 This test is useful in measuring the anxiety, hostility, hallucinations,
phobias and suicidal impulses. It has 10 clinical scales and 8 validity
scales in addition to numerous subscales
 Responses are scored to produce a clinical profile composed of 10
scales: Hypochondriasis, Depression, Hysteria, Psychopathic Deviance,
Masculinity versus femininity, Paranoia, Psychasthenia, Schizophrenia,
Hypomania and social Introversion
 It is used for occupational screening for career like law enforcement,
college and marital counselling
 The behaviour patterns include relatively mild personality problems
such as excessive worrying and shyness as well as more serious
disorders such as schizophrenia and depression
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- MMPI
MMPI-2: The revised edition of the test was released in 1989 as the MMPI-2. The
test received revision again in 2001 and updates in 2003 and 2009, and it's still
in use today as the most frequently used clinical assessment test for adults
MMPI-2-RF: Another edition of the test, published in 2008, is known as the
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF),
an alternative to the MMPI-2
MMPI-A: There is also an MMPI, published in 1992, that's geared toward
adolescents aged 14 to 18 years old called the MMPI- A With 478 questions, it
takes about an hour to complete
MMPI-A-RF: In 2016, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-
Adolescent-Restructured Form (MMPI-A- RF) was published. Like the MMPI-2-RF,
it's shorter, with just 241 questions that take 25 to 45 minutes to answer
MMPI-3: The latest version of the instrument, MMPI-3, was released in 2020.
The test takes 25 to 50 minutes to complete and is available in English, Spanish,
and French for Canada formats
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- MMPI

MMPI- 2 (Online Test)

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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- MMPI
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- MMPI
MMPI-2 and MMPI-A have 10 clinical scales that are used to indicate different
psychological conditions

Scale 1—Hypochondriasis (32 Items) Measures neurotic concern over

bodily functioning
The items on this scale concern physical symptoms and well-being. It
was originally developed to identify people displaying the symptoms of
hypochondria, or a tendency to believe that one has an undiagnosed
medical condition

Scale 2—Depression (57 Items) Measures satisfaction with your own life
This scale was originally designed to identify depression characterized
by poor morale, lack of hope in the future, and general dissatisfaction with
one's own life situation
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- MMPI
Scale 3—Hysteria (60 Items) Evaluates stress Reponses
The third scale was originally designed to identify those who display
hysteria or physical complaints in stressful situations

Scale 4—Psychopathic Deviate (50 Items) Measure antisocial

behaviour and attitudes, in addition to compliance or resistance to
authority
Originally developed to identify psychopathic individuals, this scale
measures social deviation, lack of acceptance of authority, and
amorality (a disregard for morality). This scale can be thought of as a
measure of disobedience and antisocial behaviour
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory-
 Scale 5—Masculinity-Femininity MMPI
(56 Items) Elicit information about people’s sexuality
This scale was designed by the original authors to identify what they referred to as
"homosexual tendencies," for which it was largely ineffective. Today, it is used to
assess how much or how little a person identifies how rigidly an individual identifies
with stereotypical male and female gender roles

 Scale 6—Paranoia (40 Items) Evaluates symptoms associated with psychosis

This scale was originally developed to identify individuals with paranoid
symptoms such as suspiciousness, feelings of persecution, grandiose self-concepts,
excessive sensitivity, and rigid attitudes. Those who score high on this scale tend to
have paranoid or psychotic symptoms

 Scale 7—Psychasthenia (48 Items) Measures anxiety, depression, OCD

This scale was originally used to measure excessive doubts, compulsions,
obsessions, and unreasonable fears
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory-
 Scale 8—Schizophrenia (78 Items) IdentifyMMPI
individuals with schizophrenia
It reflects a wide variety of areas including bizarre thought processes and peculiar
perceptions, social alienation, poor familial relationships, difficulties in concentration
and impulse control, lack of deep interests, disturbing questions of self-worth and
self-identity, and sexual difficulties. The scale can also show potential substance
abuse, emotional or social alienation, eccentricities, and a limited interest in other
people

 Scale 9—Hypomania (46 Items) Evaluate the symptoms associated with hypomania
This scale was developed to identify characteristics of hypomania such as elevated
mood, hallucinations, delusions of grandeur, accelerated speech and motor activity,
irritability, flight of ideas and brief periods of depression

 Scale 0—Social Introversion (69 Items) Measures extroversion/introversion

It's designed to assess a person’s shyness and tendency to withdraw from social
contacts and responsibilities
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Objective Tests/Self Report

The 10 Inventory-
Clinical Subscales of theMMPI
MMPI-2, require answering certain
questions on the test in a specific manner:

1. Hypochondriasis – Looks at a wide variety of vague and nonspecific

complaints about bodily functioning
2. Depression – Measures clinical depression, which is characterised by
poor morale, lack of hope in the future, and a general dissatisfaction with
one’s life
3. Hysteria – Primarily measures five components — poor physical
health, shyness, cynicism, headaches and neuroticism
4. Psychopathic Deviate – Measures general social maladjustment and
the absence of strongly pleasant experiences
5. Masculinity/Femininity – Measures interests in vocations and
hobbies, aesthetic preferences, activity-passivity and personal sensitivity
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- MMPI
6. Paranoia – Primarily measures interpersonal sensitivity, moral self-
righteousness and suspiciousness
7. Psychasthenia – Is intended to measure a person’s inability to resist
specific actions or thoughts, regardless of their maladaptive nature
8. Schizophrenia – Measures bizarre thoughts, peculiar perceptions,
social alienation, poor familial relationships, difficulties in concentration
and impulse control, lack of deep interests, disturbing question of self-
worth and self-identity, and sexual difficulties
9. Hypomania – Is intended to measure milder degrees of excitement,
characterized by an elated but unstable mood, psychomotor excitement
(e.g., shaky hands) and flight of ideas (e.g., an unstoppable string of
ideas)
10. Social Introversion – Measures the social introversion and
extroversion of a person
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Objective Tests/Self Report

The MMPI is not a validInventory- MMPI
measure of a person’s psychopathology or behaviour if the
person taking the test does so in a way that is not honest or frank. A person may decide,
for whatever reasons, to overreport (exaggerate) or underreport (deny) the behaviour
being assessed by the test
The four validity scales are designed to measure a persons test-taking attitude and
approach to the test:
 Lie – The Lie scale is intended to identify individuals who are deliberately trying to
avoid answering the MMPI honestly and in a frank manner
 F – The F scale (the “F” does not stand for anything, although it is mistakenly
sometimes referred to as the Infrequency or Frequency scale) is intended to detect
unusual or atypical ways of answering the test items, like if a person were to
randomly fill out the test
 Back F – The Back F scale measures the same issues as the F scale, except only
during the latter half of the test
 K – The K scale is designed to identify psychopathology in people who otherwise
would have profiles within the normal range. It measures self-control, and family
and interpersonal relationships, and people who score highly on this scale are
often seen as being defensive
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Applications of MMPI
MMPI is commonly used in clinical psychology to aid in the diagnosis of
various psychological disorders, including depression, anxiety,
schizophrenia, personality disorders, and other mental health conditions
Clinicians use MMPI results to inform treatment planning, helping tailor
interventions to address the specific needs and issues of each patient
Some organizations use the MMPI as part of pre-employment
assessments, particularly for positions requiring a high level of
emotional stability or specific psychological characteristics
Some school psychologists may use the MMPI to assess students'
psychological well-being and to identify issues that may be impacting
their educational performance
Some individuals may take the MMPI for self-assessment and personal
development, gaining insights into their own personality traits and
emotional states
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Merits & Demerits of MMPI

Merits Demerits
 Extensive Research Base: The MMPI has a
robust research foundation with extensive  Length and Time-Consuming: The
psychometric validation across diverse MMPI-2, for example, consists of 567
populations, enhancing its reliability and validity items, which can be time-consuming for
 Comprehensive Assessment: It assesses a both the test-taker and the clinician
wide range of psychological constructs, including  Limited Cultural Sensitivity: The MMPI
personality traits, psychopathology symptoms,
and clinical syndromes, providing a was developed primarily using a North
comprehensive profile of an individual’s American population, which can limit its
psychological functioning cross-cultural applicability. The items and
 Standardized Administration and Scoring: their interpretation may not be culturally
The MMPI has standardized procedures for relevant for individuals from different
administration and scoring, ensuring consistency backgrounds
in test administration and facilitating reliable  Potential for Faking: While efforts have
interpretation of results
been made to identify and control for
 Clinical Utility: It is widely used in clinical
deception, the MMPI can still be
settings for diagnostic purposes, treatment
planning, and assessing treatment outcomes in
vulnerable to individuals attempting to
various mental health conditions present themselves in a more favourable
or less problematic light
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Merits & Demerits of MMPI

Merits Demerits

 Validity Scales: The MMPI includes  4. Over pathologizing: Some critics

validity scales that assess response argue that the MMPI may over pathologize
styles, test-taking attitudes, and the normal behaviour, leading to false positive
overall validity of responses, helping to identifications of psychological disorders
identify inconsistencies or potential
biases in the respondent’s answers  5. Complex Interpretation: Interpreting
MMPI results can be challenging and
 Predictive Validity: The test has requires specialized training.
demonstrated predictive validity in Misinterpretation of scores could have
predicting behaviour and outcomes in significant consequences in clinical settings
clinical and forensic settings, such as risk
 6. Diagnostic Tool, Not a Standalone
assessment and treatment effectiveness
Assessment: The MMPI should not be
 Cultural Adaptation: Versions of the used as a sole means of diagnosis. It is
MMPI have been adapted and validated typically used in conjunction with other
for use in different cultural and linguistic assessment methods, such as clinical
contexts, improving its applicability interviews and observation
across diverse populations
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- BAI
The Bell's Adjustment Inventory is a self report of the individual's life and
adjustment as they have been experienced
It tries to obtain more realistic information from the individual concerning
what one thinks and feels about their family relationships; one’s bodily
functioning; one's friends and acquaintance outside the home; how aggressive
or retiring they are; how much trust they can have in people around them;
how well they have come to play the roles that the society expects of them. It
also seeks to obtain information about how well the individual understands
and has learned to live with their feelings and emotions
The basic purpose of the Inventory is to provide the clinician with a quick
means of locating the student whose relationship to themselves and their
environment
Bell's Adjustment Inventory-Student Form has 140 questions (35 questions
each): it measures adjustment in 4 areas: Home, Health, Social, Emotional
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory-
 Home Adjustment: This BAI
dimension measures an individual's level of adjustment within
their family or home environment. It assesses the quality of relationships with family
members, satisfaction with the home atmosphere, and how well the individual fits into
their family structure.
Items focus on: Family conflicts, domestic responsibilities, feelings of acceptance, and
perceived support within the household

Sample Items:

"I often feel misunderstood by my family members."

"I find it difficult to talk openly with my parents."
"There are frequent arguments in my home."
"I feel accepted and valued by my family."
"I often wish I lived in a different home environment."
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- BAI
 Health Adjustment: This area assesses the individual’s awareness and management
of their physical health. It measures attitudes towards physical well-being, health habits,
medical concerns, and adjustment to physical conditions or illnesses.
Items focus on: Chronic health issues, stress management, physical exercise, and
personal care.

Sample Items

"I frequently feel tired, even after a good night’s sleep."

"I tend to worry a lot about my health."
"I visit the doctor more often than most people I know."
"I follow a regular exercise routine to stay healthy."
"I often get sick, even when I take precautions."
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Objective Tests/Self Report

 Social Inventory- BAI
Adjustment This dimension measures how well an individual adjusts to social
interactions, relationships, and societal norms. It assesses the person’s ability to form
and maintain friendships, interact in group settings, and adapt to social expectations
Items focus on: Interpersonal relationships, comfort in social situations, friendships, and
social anxiety.

Sample Items

"I find it easy to make new friends."

"I often feel uncomfortable in social gatherings."
"I avoid meeting new people whenever possible."
"I enjoy being part of a group and interacting with others."
"People usually misunderstand my intentions in social situations."
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Objective Tests/Self Report

 Emotional Inventory- BAI
Adjustment: Emotional adjustment refers to an individual's ability to
regulate emotions, cope with stress, and maintain psychological stability. It examines
emotional resilience, mood stability, and overall mental health.
Items focus on: Anxiety, emotional instability, mood swings, self-control, and responses
to emotional stress.

Sample Items

"I often feel anxious for no apparent reason."

"I get upset easily, even over small matters."
"I find it difficult to control my temper."
"I am generally happy and satisfied with life."
"I frequently feel down and can't seem to shake it off."
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory-
 Occupational/School Adjustment BAI versions): In versions for students or
(in specific
working adults, this dimension assesses how well an individual adapts to their
educational or occupational environment. For students, it examines academic
performance, relationships with teachers, and attitude toward school. For working
adults, it measures job satisfaction, work relationships, and stress management at work.
Items focus on: Satisfaction with school/work, performance, work-related stress, and
interactions with peers and superiors.
Sample Items (Occupational)
Sample Items (School)
"I feel fulfilled in my job and satisfied
"I enjoy going to school and learning new with my work."
things." "I often argue with my colleagues at
"I often feel stressed about my grades." work."
"I have difficulty understanding what the "I feel stressed and overworked most of
teacher explains." the time."
"I get along well with my classmates." "I am punctual and meet deadlines at
"I frequently procrastinate on school work."
assignments." "I find it hard to balance work
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Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- BAI
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Objective Tests/Self Report

The Inventory-
Eysenck Personality EPI (EPQ) is
Questionnaire a three dimensional
personality assessment tool that was preceded by an overlapping two-
dimensional measure called the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI)
The EPI was developed by Hans and Sybil Eysenck to measure the two broad
dimensions of Extraversion-Introversion and Neuroticism-Stability
Both of these dimensions (Extraversion and Neuroticism) were introduced
(and since emphasized) as temperamental aspects of personality that are
inherited and evident at birth (i.e., not learned)
The EPQ was introduced as a substantial revision to the EPI in 1975 and a
further revision (including the items) was published in 1985
 The EPQ was designed to be consistent with Hans Eysenck's theoretical
model, which has since come to be known as the P-E-N model
 The Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) measures two pervasive,
independent dimensions of personality, Extraversion-Introversion and
Neuroticism-Stability, which account for most of the variance in the
PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- EPI
Each form contains 57 “Yes-No” items with no repetition of items. The inclusion of a
falsification scale provides for the detection of response distortion
The traits measured are Extraversion-Introversion and Neuroticism. When you fill
out Eysenck’s Personality Inventory (EPI) you get three scores
The ‘lie score’ is out of 9. It measures how socially desirable you are trying to be in
your answers. Those who score 5 or more on this scale are probably trying to make
themselves look good and are not being totally honest in their responses
The ‘E score’ is out of 24 and measures how much of an extrovert the individual is
The ‘N score’ is out of 24 and measures how neurotic you are
To interpret the scores, your E score and your N score are plotted on a graph from
which you can read your personality characteristics. The nearer the outside of the
circle you are, the more marked are the personality traits
EPI is a very simplistic type of personality measurement scale
PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- EPI

Eysenck Personality Inven

tory
PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- BIF 5
It is psychological personality inventory with 240 items used to
measure the big 5 personality traits: Neuroticism, Extraversion,
Openness to experience, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness

NEO-PI Stands for Neuroticism/Extraversion Openness Personality

Inventory

This inventory is based on the five- factor model of personality traits

developed by Costa & McCrae (1987)
PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory-
Openness (also referred BIF 5to experience) emphasizes
to as openness
imagination and insight the most out of all five personality traits

Low
Dislikes change
Does not enjoy new things
Resists new ideas
High Not very imaginative
Dislikes abstract or theoretical
Open to trying new things
concepts
Very creative
Focused on tackling new challenges
Happy to think about abstract
concepts
THEORIES OF PERSONALITY

Objective Tests/Self Report

Conscientiousness Inventory-
is one defined byBIF
high5
levels of thoughtfulness, good
impulse control, and goal-directed behaviours

Low
Dislikes structure and schedules
Makes messes and doesn't take care of
things
Fails to return things or put them back
High where they belong
Procrastinates important tasks
Spends time preparing
Fails to complete necessary or assigned
Finishes important tasks right away
Pays attention to detail tasks
Enjoys having a set schedule
PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- BIF 5
Extraversion (or extroversion) is a personality
trait characterized by excitability, sociability,
talkativeness, assertiveness, and high
amounts of emotional expressiveness

High
Low
Enjoys being the center of attention
Likes to start conversations Prefers solitude
Enjoys meeting new people Feels exhausted when having to
Has a wide social circle of friends and socialize a lot
acquaintances Finds it difficult to start conversations
Finds it easy to make new friends Dislikes making small talk
Feels energized when around other Carefully thinks things through before
people speaking
Say things before thinking about them Dislikes being the center of attention
PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory-
Agreeableness BIF
personality trait 5
includes attributes such as
trust, altruism, kindness, affection, and other prosocial behaviour

High
Has a great deal of interest in other
people
Cares about others
Feels empathy and concern for other Low
people
Enjoys helping and contributing to the Takes little interest in others
happiness of other people Doesn't care about how other people
Assists others who are in need of help feel
Has little interest in other people's
problems
Insults and belittles others
 Objective Tests/Self Report
Inventory-
Neuroticism is a personality BIF 5
trait characterized by sadness, moodiness,
and emotional instability

High
Experiences a lot of stress
Worries about many different things
Gets upset easily
Experiences dramatic shifts in mood Low
Feels anxious
Struggles to bounce back after Emotionally stable
stressful events Deals well with stress
Rarely feels sad or depressed
Doesn't worry much
Is very relaxed
PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Objective Tests/Self Report

Inventory- BIF 5

Big- Five-Online Test

 PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Merits & Demerits of Big Five

Merits Demerits
• Universality and Cross-Cultural
Validity: The Big Five traits (Openness, • Trait Simplification: Critics argue that
Conscientiousness, Extraversion, the Big Five may oversimplify the
Agreeableness, Neuroticism) have been complexity of human personality by
identified across different cultures and reducing it to only five dimensions,
languages, suggesting universality in human potentially missing nuances and individual
personality structure variability

• Research Support and Psychometric • Lack of Causality: The Big Five

Properties: The Big Five has extensive describes personality traits but does not
explain the underlying causes or
empirical support from research studies,
mechanisms driving these traits, limiting
demonstrating robust psychometric
its explanatory power
properties including reliability, validity, and
stability over time • Cultural Bias in Item Construction:
Some items used to measure Big Five
• Comprehensive Coverage: It provides a
traits may be culturally specific or biased,
comprehensive framework for affecting the validity of assessments
understanding personality by capturing across different cultural groups
major dimensions of individual differences in
behaviour, cognition, and affectivity
PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Merits & Demerits of Big Five

Merits Demerits
• Contextual Dependence: Personality
• Predictive Validity: The Big Five traits
traits measured by the Big Five may vary
have predictive validity in various
domains, including academic depending on situational contexts, which
achievement, job performance, are not fully captured by trait-based
interpersonal relationships, health assessments
outcomes, and mental well-being • Limited Utility for Clinical Diagnosis:
• Practical Applications: The model is While useful for understanding broad
widely used in research, clinical personality dimensions, the Big Five may
psychology, organizational psychology, have limited utility in clinical diagnosis of
and other applied fields for personality specific mental health disorders, where
assessment, career counselling, more detailed assessment tools are needed
psychotherapy, and organizational • Difficulty in Changing Traits:
development Personality traits measured by the Big Five
• Clear and Understandable are generally considered stable over time,
Framework: The simplicity and clarity of posing challenges for interventions aimed
the Big Five framework make it accessible at modifying or changing personality
and understandable to researchers, characteristics
practitioners, and the general public
PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Merits & Demerits of Objective

Tests/Self Reports
Strengths
Provide more thorough, precise, and systematic information about an
individual’s personality than casual information
The objectivity of scoring minimizes personal or theoretical bias
They can be administered easily by someone with relatively little formal
training
They have greater reliability than other assessment techniques
Multi-dimensional inventories allow for measurement of several different
personality traits at once
Weaknesses
They are susceptible to deliberate deception. Deliberate deception is most
likely to occur when the person believes there is something to be gained from
fraudulent responding (Furnham, 1990)
There is considerable influence of social desirability
There is the influence of the response set (Kleinmuntz, 1982)
PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Merits & Demerits of Personality

Merits Assessment Demerits
 Self-Awareness and Insight: Personality  Measurement Limitations: No single
assessment can enhance self-awareness by assessment tool can capture the entirety of an
helping individuals understand their own individual’s personality due to its complexity
strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and and multifaceted nature. Tools may focus on
tendencies. This insight can facilitate specific traits or dimensions, potentially missing
personal growth and development broader aspects of personality
 Predictive Validity: Well-validated  Response Bias and Validity Concerns: Self-
personality assessments, such as the Big report measures rely on individuals’ self-
Five, MMPI, or 16 PF, demonstrate predictive perceptions and may be subject to response
validity in predicting behaviour, academic biases (e.g., social desirability bias) or
performance, job success, interpersonal inaccuracies, affecting the validity and
relationships, and psychological well-being reliability of assessment results
 Individualized Approach: Personality  Cultural and Linguistic Challenges: Many
assessment provides a personalized personality assessment tools are developed and
understanding of individuals’ unique traits validated in specific cultural contexts, which
and characteristics, allowing for tailored may limit their applicability and accuracy when
used in different cultural or linguistic settings
interventions, counselling, and therapeutic
approaches in clinical and educational
settings
PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY

Merits & Demerits of Personality

Merits Assessment Demerits
• Research and Theory Development: Trait Stability vs. Situational Factors:
Personality assessment contributes to the Personality traits are generally considered stable
development and refinement of psychological over time, but they can also be influenced by
theories and research by providing empirical situational factors or life events, which may not
data on personality traits, their stability over be fully captured by static assessment tools
time, and their impact on various life outcomes
• Career Counselling and Development: In Ethical Considerations: Ethical issues arise in
organizational settings, personality assessment personality assessment, such as ensuring
tools are used for career counselling, team informed consent, maintaining confidentiality,
building, leadership development, and and avoiding misuse of assessment results for
employee selection, helping to match discriminatory purposes
individuals with roles that align with their Interpretation Complexity: Interpreting
personality traits and strengths personality assessment results requires
• Diagnostic Purposes: Personality expertise and contextual understanding to avoid
assessment plays a role in diagnosing and misinterpretation or over-reliance on test scores
understanding personality disorders, providing without considering individual context, life
valuable information for clinical diagnosis and history, and situational factors
treatment planning in psychiatry and clinical
psychology
THANK YOU

Dr. VEENA N