MEPX
Chapter 8 of 10All chapters
  1. 1What personality means
  2. 2The five factor model
  3. 3Type tests
  4. 4Stability and change
  5. 5Where it goes wrong
  6. 6Introversion and extraversion
  7. 7The darker traits
  8. 8Measuring personality
  9. 9Culture and context
  10. 10Using it sensibly

Chapter 8 of 10

Measuring personality

Method matters.

Self-report limits

Most measures ask people to rate themselves, which mixes actual behaviour with self-image and how they want to appear. Informant reports often correlate poorly with self-ratings.

  • Faking is easy when the stakes are known.
  • Reference group effects mean people compare themselves with their surroundings.

What good looks like

Published validity and reliability evidence, norms for the population being tested, and use only for the purpose it was validated for. Free online quizzes meet none of that.