The definition of personality can be complex, and the way it is defined can influence how it is understood and measured.Īccording to the researchers at the Personality Project, personality is “the coherent pattern of affect, cognition, and desires (goals) as they lead to behavior” (Revelle, 2013). In the world of psychology research, personality is a little more complicated. It encompasses all the traits, characteristics, and quirks that set you apart from everyone else. Personality is an easy concept for most of us to grasp. These science-based exercises will explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology including strengths, values and self-compassion and will give you the tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients, students or employees. In this article, we’ll define what personality is, explore the different ways personalities can be classified (and how those classifications have evolved), and explain the OCEAN model, one of the most ubiquitous personality inventories in modern psychology.īefore you read on, we thought you might like to download our 3 Positive Psychology Exercises for free. Which raises the question: how do we categorize and classify something as widely varied as personality? You can meet hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of people, but no two will be exactly the same. While we may have a lot in common with our fellow humans, like race, religion, sexual orientation, skills, and eye color, there is one thing that makes us each unique: personality. A more comprehensive answer might include a description of your beliefs and values.Įvery one of us has a different answer to this question, and each answer tells a story about who we are. An answer could include your name, your job title, your role in your family, your hobbies or passions, and your place of residence or birth. There are many ways to interpret that question. It’s a simple enough question, but it’s one of the hardest ones to answer. The Big Five personality traits are all about the following question:

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