The psychological tests are tools that can be used to guide or finalize a specific diagnosis. In addition, according to the different personality theories, some tests designed specifically for this purpose allow us to know or frame the personality of the individual who carries them out.
A person's behavior is mainly shaped by the interaction between the situation that the individual is experiencing and his or her personality. Depending on the situation, a person may respond in one way or another, but in most cases, people respond in a way that is consistent with their personality, whatever the situation they are experiencing.
The personality It is one of the most complex and controversial topics in psychology, as it is a very complex and varied element on which researchers have not yet reached an agreement.
The Big Five Personality Model
Despite this apparent lack of agreement on the components and measurement of personality, modern psychology agrees that there are five major dimensions that make up the personality of individuals.
In the late 1930s, Allport and Odbertattempted to synthesize the nearly 20,000 terms in the language that described personality characteristics into a more manageable list. They managed to reduce the list to 4,500 traits. Later, Catell He managed to reduce that list to just 171 by grouping some of the features according to their similarity and, from these, he arrived at the 16 Personality Factors which gave rise to their own theory and model of personality.
Starting from Catell's theory of the 16 Personality Factors, some researchers worked until they obtained the five main features that make up personality back in the 1980s. They were called «the Big Five» referring to the fact that each of the five factors brings together a large number of more specific personality characteristics.
The personality of an individual, therefore, is the mixture of these five major factors, although it may be that one of them predominates over the others. This will be determined largely by the genetics as well as by the experience or environment in which the person has developed.
From the studies that have been carried out it has been possible to determine that these five dimensions They are common to all cultures and can therefore be used to describe the personalities of most people.
The Big Five
Extraversion
They are those people highly sociablewho always or almost always desire the company of other people. They are «the life of the party.» They are daring in social situations, talkative, assertive and have a high need for new sensations all the time.
They tend to be very little tolerant of loneliness or isolation, they do not usually practice solo activities.
In it opposite pole We would have Introversion, who tend to be very reserved people, with a special predilection for routine and familiar spaces that they can control.
Specific characteristics of this factor: cordiality, assertiveness, search for emotions, emotional positivity.
Openness to experience
The person with a great opening to experience She is original and creative both in her behaviour and, for example, in her wardrobe. She is curious about everything around her and is usually quite innovative and enterprising. She follows her own set of values, which are often unconventional.
In it opposite pole We would have the person closed to experience, who is usually characterized by being quite conventional in their behavior, quite traditional and conservative.
Specific characteristics of this factor: imaginative, ideas, values, fantasy, etc.
Responsibility
The responsible person, according to the Big Five theory, is planned, ordered and very task-oriented. They tend to be people who plan carefully each of their steps in life and persist in their attempts to achieve their goals. It is usually associated with punctuality and scrupulousness.
In it opposite pole We have more informal people, careless in their daily organization, as well as without clear goals or vital objectives.
Specific characteristics of this factor: sense of duty, order, need for success, self-discipline, etc.
Kindness
The person with high trait of agreeableness is the caring personaltruistic and trusting. He is considerate of others and has a great capacity for having friendly personal relationships.
In his opposite polethe person usually has very competitive and egocentric tendencies. They tend to establish more hostile personal relationships, but that does not mean that they are lonely people.
Specific characteristics of this factor: confidence, modesty, mediating attitude, sensitivity for and towards others, altruism, etc.
Emotional Instability or Neuroticism
People who score high on this personality factor tend to be quite emotionally unstableThey often present themselves as anxious because they have high levels of concern about almost everything around them. They have a low tolerance for change and stress and, in general, tend to be unsociable people.
In it opposite pole We observe people who are highly emotionally stable, affable, and with little or no tendency toward depression.
Specific characteristics of this factor: anxiety, depression, impulsiveness, vulnerability, etc.
Tests to measure the Big Five
Since the Big Five model is a purely descriptive model of the personality of individuals, psychologists have been able to develop various tests and questionnaires that evaluate each of the five traits in individuals. Let's look at the most important ones.
NEO-PI-R
This is one of the most used tests to measure the Big Five since in addition to measuring these five dimensions, it also analyzes 6 of the specific characteristics of each factor.
This tool, developed by McRae and Costa, consists of 240 phrases in which the individual who is doing it must indicate whether he or she agrees or not, using a scale from 1 to 5. Through these phrases, attention can be focused on individual differences, obtaining 35 different scores.
16PF-5
The Newest version of the classic Personality Test developed from Catell's theory of 16 Personality Factors. This instrument is used both in clinical practice and in personnel selection as it provides a very descriptive report offering a Overview of the Big Five and a more in-depth interpretation of the 16 factors originally defined by Catell.
BFQ
The Big Five Questionnaire is the specific questionnaire derived directly from the Big Five theory. It consists of 132 items that the person must answer by placing themselves on a multiple choice scale.
It is especially Recommended for personnel selection processes since it has been determined that the dimensions evaluated by this test are related quite directly to the usual activities of working life.
BFQ-NA
This test is the variation of the BFQ specially designed for children and adolescentsIt consists of 65 items that are rated, one by one, on a scale of 5 options.
The advantage of this questionnaire is that it can be completed by the child himself or by his parents or teachers, since the items can be formulated in third person to refer to the subject of evaluation.
To take into account
Personality tests and assessments They are only reliable and safe if they are carried out by a professional. specifically trained for it. As we have already said above, none of these tests are, by themselves, sufficient to diagnoseThey should always be accompanied by personal interviews with the person being evaluated.
If you feel you need a personal evaluation, do not hesitate to Contact one of our experts specialized.