This document provides an overview of different methods for assessing personality, including projective tests, self-report inventories, and online personality tests. Projective tests such as the Rorschach inkblots and Thematic Apperception Test rely on interpretation and are useful for clinical settings but lack reliability. Self-report inventories like the MMPI, CPI, 16PF, and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator directly ask questions about personality traits and are more reliable but can be impacted by biases. Both methods have strengths and weaknesses for measuring the complexities of human personality. The document encourages exploring different assessments and keeping an open mind.

1. Assessing Personality
Module D Lesson 2 Tutorial
C r e a t e d b y : P r o f e s s o r H o k e r s o n
A m e r i c a n R i v e r C o l l e g e
L a s t U p d a t e d : F a l l 2 0 1 5

2. Using this Tutorial
 Use the navigation buttons at the bottom of the
screen.
 Click on hyperlinks when prompted.
 Have fun and learn!

3. Table of Contents (TOC)
 Objectives
 Module Objectives #26, 27, and 28
 Action Items
 Personality Tests
 Projective Tests
 Self-Report Inventories
 Online Personality Tests
 In Conclusion

4. Module D Objectives
B y t h e e n d o f t h i s t u t o r i a l y o u w i l l b e a b l e t o …
# 3 0 – D i s c u s s t h e s t r e n g t h s a n d w e a k n e s s e s o f t h e R o r s c h a c h i n k b l o t s a n d
o t h e r p r o j e c t i v e t e s t s a s a v a l u a b l e m e a s u r e o f p e r s o n a l i t y .
# 3 1 – D i f f e r e n t i a t e t h e M M P I , C P I , 1 6 P F , a n d M e y e r ’ s - B r i g g s s e l f - r e p o r t
i n v e n t o r i e s .
# 3 2 – D i s c u s s s t r e n g t h s a n d w e a k n e s s e s o f s e l f - r e p o r t i n v e n t o r i e s .

5. Action items
ACTION ITEMS

6. Personality Assessments
 Question: What are personality assessments?
 Read: Assessing Personality, Chapter 11 (p. 472)
 Tip! There are two main types of personality assessments, projective
and self-report inventories. Each have their strengths and weaknesses!

7. Projective Tests
 Hint: There are two types of
projective tests – the Rorschach
Inkblots and the Thematic
Apperception Test.
 Read: Click here to read more
about how projective tests
work, using the principles of
psychoanalytic theory.
 Read: Projective Tests,
Chapter 11 (pages 472 – 474)
Here is an example of a Roschach Inkblot
What do you see?

8. Projective Tests (continued)
 Hint: Projective tests are mostly
used in clinical settings to
measure psychopathology, such
as depression and other mental
illnesses.
 Read: Here is a good
explanation of the TAT, how it is
used and scored.
 Read: Click here to read a
comprehensive analysis of
projective tests.
 Activity: Complete the
Projective Test Worksheet
Here is an example of a picture in the TAT
What do you see?

9. Self-Report Inventories
 Tip! These are also commonly known as objective personality tests
and there are many different types used today!
 Read: Self-Report Inventories, Chapter 11 (pages 474 – 477)
 Summarize: Self-report inventories have many useful purposes.
What are they used for?
 Hint: These objective personality tests show greater reliability and
validity than projective tests!

10. Myer’s-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI)
 Tip! The MBTI is used to assess personality types, rather than traits.
 Read: Here is a good summary of this self-report inventory, with full
descriptions of the four dimensions which produce the 16 different
personality types.
 Activity: There is an online version of the MBTI to complete, called
the Jung-Typology Test (complete the free version online; you do not
need to pay for the full results).
 What type of personality type do you have?
INTP ENTJ ISFP ESFJ

11. MMPI
 Read: Here is a good summary of the Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory (MMPI).
 Tip! The MMPI has built in scales to measure for responder bias!

12. Other Objective Personality Tests
 Read: Here is a good discussion about how the MMPI and other self-
report inventories that are used to measure personality.
 Tip! The 16 Personality Factor (16 PF) is used in a variety of settings,
including counseling, marital counseling, and evaluating employees
and executives.
 Tip! The California Personality Inventory (CPI) is used to assess
“normal” populations, rather than in in clinical settings. It has been
shown to predict:
 High school and college grades
 Delinquency
 Job performance

13. Online Personality Tests
 Simulations: Below are several links to online personality tests.
Complete at least two of these online assessments.
 Test 1 – Online Personality Inventory
 Test 2 – The Big Five
 Test 3 – The Kersey Temperament Sorter
 Activity: Participate in the Measuring Personality Discussion.
 Hint: Keep in mind that these online tests are not the actual
assessments that you are learning about, however they are
representative enough. Have fun!

14. In Conclusion
 There are different approaches to measuring personality.
 Each has their own strength and weaknesses.
 Some are more reliable than others!
 “And, given the complex factors involved in human personality,
it’s doubtful that any single theory ever will capture the essence of
human personality in its entirety.” (Chapter 11, page 477)
 This probably holds true for personality tests, too!

15. Module D Objectives
Conclusion
B y t h e e n d o f t h i s t u t o r i a l y o u s h o u l d n o w b e a b l e t o …
# 3 0 – D i s c u s s t h e s t r e n g t h s a n d w e a k n e s s e s o f t h e R o r s c h a c h i n k b l o t s a s a
v a l u a b l e m e a s u r e o f p e r s o n a l i t y .
# 3 1 – D i f f e r e n t i a t e t h e M M P I , C P I , 1 6 P F , a n d M e y e r ’ s - B r i g g s s e l f - r e p o r t
i n v e n t o r i e s
# 3 2 – D i s c u s s s t r e n g t h s a n d w e a k n e s s e s o f s e l f - r e p o r t i n v e n t o r i e s