Personality

Meanings of Personality

• Character
• Traits
• Behavior
• Qualities
• Individuality
• Persona

In all, personality is the totality of one’s attitudes, interests, behavioral patterns, emotional responses, social roles and other individual traits that endure over long periods of time.

It is the assimilation (integration) of the different ways an individual in which he proacts or reacts to and interacts with other people and situations.

Constituents of Total Personality of an Individual

• External personality
• Internal personality

External and Internal Personalities: In order to shape up your overall personality, both your external and internal personalities count- you actually display outwardly as well as what you really are. At times, you may succeed in displaying good side of you despite your internally weak personality but it requires lots of efforts. On the other side, if your internal personality is good, you can learn to display yourself that way easily with much less efforts.

Both the types of personalities are important. While internal personality is the real you and your all time asset and that should be excellent, it is important to have impressive external personality too, as you are aware that at times, first impression may be the last impression. You mat not get another chance to correct that impression if it was not OK for the other person who matters to you.

It is important to improve both the elements of the personality. Good external personality is necessary to create first good impression on the people. However, over the long term, one’s internal personality element is more important, useful and lasting. One should have integrated internal personality.

Refer URLs: http://executive-manners.blogspot.com/ (Executive Etiquette and Manners), http://cross-cultural-etiquette.blogspot.com/ (Cross Cultural Etiquette and Manners) and http://telephone-etiquette.blogspot.com/ (Telephone Etiquette)

Determinants of Personality

• Heredity
• Environment

Approaches/Frameworks for Identifying and Classifying Personality Traits

1. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Based on the responses to a personality test of 100 questions, the person taking the test is classified as:

• Extrovert or introvert
• Sensing or intuitive
• Thinking or feeling
• Judging or perceiving

2. The Big Five Model

One’s score on big five factors given below determine one’s personality as per this model. The scores can be high, average or low on the following five traits:

• Extroversion
• Agreeableness
• Conscientiousness
• Emotional stability
• Openness to experience

Extroverts and Introverts

Extroverts: Tough minded, need strong and varied stimulation, crave excitement, prefer change, act impulsively, active, take risks, optimistic, display their emotions, expressive, have many friends, sociable, need people to talk to, carefree, enjoy practical jokes, unreliable, aggressive, quick tempered.

Introverts: Tender minded, do not need much external stimuli, have little excitement, appreciate order, distrust impulse, quiet, plan ahead, pessimistic, suppress their emotions, reserved, prefer books to people, introspective, withdrawn, lead careful sober life, experience strong emotions, reliable, retiring, worry about moral standards.

Measuring Personality

There three main ways of measurement of personality of an individual:

• Self report surveys
• Observer ratings surveys
• Projective measures (Rorschach Inkblot Test and Thematic Appreciation Test)

Some Popular Instruments to Measure Specific Aspects of Personality

1. Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior (FIRO-B)

Refer: http://interpersonal-relations.blogspot.com/ (Interpersonal Relations)

FIBO-B is used as an instrument (questionnaire) to identify a person’s basic behavior patterns in interpersonal relations. The instrument produces six main scores: three on behavior expressed towards others and three on behavior wanted from others in the areas of inclusion, control and affection.

Expressed behavior is the behavior which a person shows to others in his relations with them. Wanted behavior is the behavior which a person desires from others i.e. the behavior which he wants others to adopt when relating with him.

After knowing the scores, one can get them interpreted by an expert knowing FIRO-B. Based on the interpretations, action plan can be drawn out to improve interpersonal relations.

2. Work Patterns and Stress Related Personality Type "A" and Type "B"

By taking this test, using instrument (questionnaire) of ten questions, individual’s work patterns and stress related personalities can be found out. There are two classifications: Type "A" and Type "B" personality. Having known the type of personality, actions can be planned and initiated by the individual to improve his personality, if necessary, under the guidance of an expert.

For details refer: http://managing-stress-strain.blogspot.com/ (Work Patterns Exercise)

3. Winners and Losers

There are many instruments (questionnaires) available to find out the winner and loser aspects of one’s personality. One should use these self introspecting questionnaires with care, making sure that the questionnaire chosen is a validated one.

Refer URL: http://winners-losers.blogspot.com/ (Winners and Losers)

Value Structure

An individual’s value structure is very important factor in determining one’s personality- mainly the internal personality element which is more important constituent element of personality. Values are fundamental truths or principles. One who follows these values has a more integrated and stronger inner core or internal personality.

For details, refer: http://humansoftware.blogspot.com/ (Effectiveness Management: HSoftware) and http://knol.google.com/k/shyam-bhatawdekar/management-in-life-profession-family/6txz9nck6g3/3# (Effectiveness Management: HSoftware)

For More Guidance, Assistance, Training and Consultation

Contact: prodcons@prodcons.com

Originally posted at http://human-personality.blogspot.com/ Saturday, December 27, 2008