Assessment 3: Personality Test
Name
Capella University
PSYC-FPX 2900: Intro Psychology Personality
Instructor Name
July 2024
Personality Test
Personality assessments are vital tools used to evaluate and describe an individual’s unique patterns of traits and behaviours. According to Crotty et al. (2024), these tests offer valuable insights to therapists, psychologists, and other healthcare professionals, assisting in developing effective therapeutic interventions for patients’ mental, emotional, and physical health. Moreover, personality tests are frequently employed in the hiring process to assess a candidate’s suitability for a job. One prominent example is the Sapa Project, a collaborative initiative that offers a self-report personality test based on the five-factor model of personality (Ethier et al., 2024). This model categorizes personality traits into five dimensions. Openness refers to receptiveness to new experiences. Conscientiousness indicates diligence and reliability. Extraversion relates to sociability and energy levels. Agreeableness involves empathy and cooperation. Neuroticism pertains to emotional stability and stress response (Angelini, 2023).
The Sapa Project’s self-report assessment involves an online questionnaire comprising 250 statements. Participants indicate their level of agreement with each statement, and their responses are compared to those of previous participants to gauge their standing on the five-factor model traits (Ethier et al., 2024). I and my twenty-two-year-old daughter, Marie, recently completed this assessment. This exercise provided insights into our personality traits based on the comprehensive data collected and analyzed through the Sapa Project.
Personality Assessment Reflection
Completing the self-report personality test was an experience marked by relief upon reaching the end of the extensive questionnaire. There was an eagerness to discover the results as the questions engaged interest throughout the process. Despite some cognitive puzzles being more challenging, the questions were generally straightforward and answered truthfully. The test results aligned well with the five-factor model, accurately reflecting the individual’s personality traits.
The results indicated high agreeableness, suggesting a personality that is generally pleasant, sympathetic, and tolerant of others. Friends and family often describe this person as a workaholic with perfectionist tendencies, aligning with a high conscientiousness score (Chanen et al., 2022). Clear goals are set and pursued with determination, although there is an awareness that striving for perfection can hinder personal growth and relationship-building. Over time, balancing this with practical thinking has demonstrated the trait of openness. The extraversion score confirmed a friendly and outgoing nature, depending on the situation. Regarding neuroticism, the test showed a calm demeanour with minimal mood swings. The Sapa project assessment proved valid and reliable, accurately measuring these personality traits.
Insights from the Personality Test for Marie
Marie, a 22-year-old, found the personality test to be thorough, easy to understand, and straightforward to answer. She appreciated the reflective nature of the questions and was motivated to answer honestly. However, she was surprised by the result, indicating she was somewhat conventional regarding openness. Despite her belief in being adventurous, often encouraging friends to engage in spontaneous activities, the test suggested otherwise. Her conscientiousness score also contradicted her self-perception, labeling her as laid back and carefree, which conflicts with her view of herself as someone who lives in the moment and enjoys immediate gratification.
Marie agreed with her introversion score, acknowledging her preference for a smaller, close-knit group of friends and family. She was also rated as more disagreeable, indicating a lack of interest in those outside her inner circle. The neuroticism results provided her with new insights, highlighting her tendency towards intense emotional reactions to stress, which she now understands better, given feedback from friends and family about her dramatic responses in various situations. Overall, the Sapa Project personality test offered both individuals a comprehensive analysis of behaviours, tendencies, and attitudes The Five-Factor Model encompasses traits like cooperativeness, diligence, sociability, open-mindedness, and emotional stability (Chanen et al., 2022). The results provided valuable self-awareness and understanding of unique personality dimensions.
Accuracy And Implications of Personality Test Results
Angelini (2023) highlights the importance of determining the accuracy and reliability of personality assessments once specific traits are identified. The validity of these assessments is often established through self-report questionnaires that reveal various behavioural indicators of an individual’s personality. For instance, Marie found that four of the five traits described by the five-factor model accurately reflected her personality. Her assessment indicated that she is laid back, with goals, ambition, and order being low priorities, which she agrees with. However, she disagreed with the assessment, labeling her as conservative, which she feels does not represent her true self.
Evaluating the Reliability of Personality Assessments
Reliability can be evaluated by repeating the measurement over time or by obtaining observations from multiple sources (Crotty et al., 2024). The Sapa Project assessment relies on self-reported data, which depends on the participants’ honesty (Wen et al., 2022). However, this method is susceptible to desirability bias, where individuals might present a more favourable image of themselves to avoid negative perceptions. Despite this, the Sapa Project personality assessment gave insights into the psychological processes and past behaviours, enabling accurate judgments about the individual’s personality traits (Nguyen et al., 2023).
The accuracy and reliability of any individual’s personality assessment were reflected in the alignment of trait-relevant behaviours (Jacobsson et al., 2021). Marie’s results, on the other hand, offered an effective measure for analyzing contradictory outcomes and provided a deeper understanding of her emotional responses, decision-making processes, and coping mechanisms. This comprehensive approach underscores the importance of accuracy and reliability in personality assessments, ensuring they provide meaningful and consistent insights into individual personality traits.
Relationship Between Personality Traits and Stages of Development
Jacobsson et al. (2021) describe personality as the unique combination of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral traits that distinguish an individual. These traits shape a person’s thinking and behavior (Cherry, 2020). Personality traits are enduring patterns of emotion, mannerisms, and behaviors consistent over time and across different situations (Winsper et al., 2020). Personality development involves evolving these structured behavior patterns over time (Chanen et al., 2022). The interaction between genetic factors, interpersonal relationships, social influences, and environmental conditions during childhood significantly predicts various biological, social, and health outcomes in adulthood (Leichsenring et al., 2024).
Erikson’s Theory and Personality Change
Erik Erikson’s model of psychosocial stages offers a structure for comprehending human development and the relationship between personality traits and developmental stages throughout an individual’s life (Corradi, 2024). Erikson’s framework of eight developmental phases includes the following conflicts: trust against mistrust, autonomy against shame and doubt, initiative against guilt, industry against inferiority, identity against role confusion, intimacy against isolation, generativity against stagnation, and ego integrity against despair (Xie et al., 2022). Each stage builds on the previous one from birth to old age, influencing personality traits that shape development. Despite the consistency of personality traits, Crotty et al. (2024) suggest that individuals can consciously modify certain aspects of their personality by practicing new behaviors until they become habitual. Setting goals, adopting new coping strategies, and shifting from a fixed to an open mindset are effective methods for fostering personality change (Zakiei et al., 2020). For instance, an introvert can gradually become more extroverted by intentionally engaging in social situations (Leichsenring et al., 2024).
PSYC FPX 2900 Assessment 3 Conclusion
Personality can be described as a unique combination of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral characteristics that influence how individuals think and act (Cherry, 2020). The development of personality traits is shaped by a complex interaction of genetic factors, interpersonal relationships, social contexts, and environmental conditions throughout childhood, which are crucial in predicting significant biological, social, and health outcomes in adulthood (Nguyen et al., 2023). To alter aspects of one’s personality, individuals can practice new behaviors until they become habitual (Cherry, 2021). Personality tests and assessments are vital tools for measuring distinct patterns of personality traits (Wen et al., 2022). They provide valuable insights into an individual’s behaviors and personality. Healthcare professionals use these insights for therapeutic purposes. Employers also utilize them for candidate selection (Jia et al., 2022). Reliable assessments should consistently reflect the true levels of the traits being measured, and accurate results depend on the participant’s honesty (Jia et al., 2022). While personality tests can highlight strengths and weaknesses, truthful responses are essential for achieving consistent and accurate outcomes.
PSYC FPX 2900 Assessment 3 References
Angelini, G. (2023). Big five model personality traits and job burnout: A systematic literature review. BMC Psychology, 11(1), 49. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01056-y
Chanen, M., Betts, K., Jackson, H., Cotton, M., Gleeson, J., Davey, C. G., Thompson, K., Perera, S., Rayner, V., Andrewes, H., & McCutcheon, L. (2022). Effect of 3 forms of early intervention for young people with borderline personality disorder: The Moby randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 79(2), 109–119. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2021.3637
Corradi, R. B. (2024). Psychoanalytic contributions to psychodynamic psychiatry and psychotherapy: Erik Erikson’s psychosocial developmental theory. Psychodynamic Psychiatry, 52(1), 18–24. https://doi.org/10.1521/pdps.2024.52.1.18
Crotty, K., Viswanathan, M., Kennedy, S., Edlund, J., Ali, R., Siddiqui, M., Wines, R., Ratajczak, P., & Gartlehner, G. (2024). Psychotherapies for the treatment of borderline personality disorder: A systematic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 92(5), 275–295. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000833
Ethier, A., Dubois, F., Savaria, V., & Carrier, A. (2024). Tensions experienced by case managers working in home care for older adults in Quebec: First level analysis of an institutional ethnography. BMC Health Services Research, 24(1), 296. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-10709-6
Jacobsson, P., Hopwood, J., Söderpalm, B., & Nilsson, T. (2021). Adult ADHD and emerging models of maladaptive personality: A meta-analytic review. BMC Psychiatry, 21(1), 282. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03284-1
Jia, R., Bahoo, R., Cai, Z., & Jahan, M. (2022). The Hexaco personality traits of higher achievers at the university level. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 881491. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.881491
Leichsenring, F., Fonagy, P., Heim, N., Kernberg, F., Leweke, F., Luyten, P., Salzer, S., Spitzer, C., & Steinert, C. (2024). Borderline personality disorder: A comprehensive review of diagnosis and clinical presentation, etiology, treatment, and current controversies. World Psychiatry, 23(1), 4–25. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.21156
Nguyen, L., Syed, M., & Young, G. (2023). Four types of change and self-other agreement on a change in personality traits during college: A multi-informant longitudinal study. Journal of Personality, 91(2), 441–463. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12740
Wen, Y., Li, B., Chen, D., & Zhu, T. (2022). Reliability and validity analysis of personality assessment model based on gait video. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 16, 901568. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.901568
Winsper, C., Bilgin, A., Thompson, A., Marwaha, S., Chanen, A. M., Singh, S. P., Wang, A., & Furtado, V. (2020). The prevalence of personality disorders in the community: A global systematic review and meta-analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 216(2), 69–78. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2019.166
Xie, Q., Torous, J., & Goldberg, S. B. (2022). E-mental health for people with personality disorders: A systematic review. Current Psychiatry Reports, 24(10), 541–552. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-022-01360-1
Zakiei, A., Vafapoor, H., Alikhani, M., Farnia, V., & Radmehr, F. (2020). The relationship between family function and personality traits with general self-efficacy. BMC Psychology, 8(1), 88. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-020-00462-w
