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THE USEFULNESS AND APPLICABILITY OF PERSONALITY MEASUREMENT
Abstract
Various tests have been implemented in the past few decades for personality measurement, however, which ones are the most useful to psychologists? This essay analyses and compares two personality measurement tests: the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator and the NEO-Personality Inventory-Revised test, which is a Big Five Factor Model test. Multiple studies have been conducted investigating the usefulness of both tests, assessing their format, benefits and limitations, validity and reliability and applicability to clinical/workplace/ethnic criteria. Limitations relating to both the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator and the NEO-Personality Inventory-Revised tests are discussed. A majority of research indicates that the NEO-Personality Inventory-Revised test is most applicable to the clinical field of applied psychology and the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator is most applicable to the workplace and industry field. These findings suggest that the NEO-Personality Inventory-Revised test is more useful as a measurement of personality in the psychological field.
How useful are personality tests for personality measurement?
Individuals differ in both their outward exterior attributes and their internal psychological attributes, including their behaviour and thoughts. These internal attributes form an individual’s personality. Personality can be defined as “the individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving.” (“Personality” APA, 2018) Personality is critical within society for determining someone’s character and defining the type of person they are (Ashton, 2017). People instinctually analyse the personality of people around them as a way of categorizing them based on traits. What if we could measure personality in a scientific way as opposed to generic categorisation of basic qualities such as introversion versus extroversion? Psychological assessments can be implemented to measure personality such as two highly effective measures: the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Big Five Factor Model of Personality. However, which is the most useful?
Personality tests provide individual’s with insight about their psychological identity and also assist others in understanding behavioural patterns. Personality measurement results can be useful in the workplace, for respective and potential employers, for families of an individual and health care workers. Psychologists can use these results to come to a diagnosis and implement psychological interventions (“Personality Assessment” APA, 2018). Psychologists utilise a variety of test instruments to measure personality including tests such as the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator and the Big Five Factor Model of personality. It is essential for the most useful tool of measurement to be administered to ensure valid and applicable results in a clinical setting (“Personality Assessment” APA, 2018). The Myer-Briggs Type Indicator i...
