Personality- the individual differences between characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving. Personality is a topic that psychologists find hard to agree on. Over the years, scientists have developed countless ways to measure personality, and have continued to argue about the basics- how personalities are formed, what traits really define a person, and even the basic definition of personality. However, most scientists have moved on from trying to divide people into set groups and now choose to focus on personality traits.

This particular test I took was based on the ideas of two renowned psychologists; Carl Jung and Isabelle Briggs Myers. Both believed that someone’s personality could be classified by their general preference in four areas- their attitude (introverted or extroverted), their perception (sensing or intuition), their nature (thinking or feeling), and their tactics (judging or prospecting). These opposing types/categories are then displayed as a trait scale. There are many questions, each formatted to look like this:

Participants would have to decide how much they agree or disagree with the statement, and then place themselves on the spectrum accordingly. Each statement tackled one of the four aspects. Attitude refers to a person’s level of introversion or extroversion, or rather whether they get energy from being in groups or being alone. Perception refers to how one processes information and sees the world. In this case, some individuals focus more on the world around them, while others focus more on ideas and possibilities. Nature refers to whether we are more logical or more sensitive and emotional when it comes to expressing emotions and making decisions – whether one thinks with the head or the heart. Finally, tactics refer to one’s approach to work and planning. Some individuals are more decisive and organized, while others are more spontaneous and flexible.

Here are my results:

This particular test also includes one more aspect, to do with identity. This refers to how confident one is about themselves and their decisions. Some are more self-assured and relaxed, while others are more self-conscious, and strive for perfection. This trait-scale is said to “underpin” all others, as it shows how we react to the world around us.

Personally, I find this test quite accurate. I agree with Carl Jung, in the sense that personality can’t be defined by one trait, or even by trying to group people into different, unrelated traits. I especially like the idea of trait-scales, as it puts people on a spectrum, rather than defining them outright. This system works really well for these specific traits, as, for example, many introverts relate to the preferences of extroverts, and vice versa. I also like this test because above all, it shows that some people may be likeminded, but in the end, we’re all unique. We shouldn’t try to fit ourselves into boxes. Instead, we should be happy to be who we are.