“Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psycho-physical systems that determines his unique adjustment to the environment.”
METHODS OF ASSESSING PERSONALITY
- Objective methods (Standardized Tests)
- Subjective methods (Non standardized Tests)
- Projective techniques
PERSONALITY INVENTORY
- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
- Used for persons of age 16 years and above
- Consists of 550 items
- Each item is printed on separate card
- Space is provided for the responses which maybe True, False and Cannot say
- Items are classified under 26 heads such as health, religious attitudes, phobias, etc.
- Items are grouped in separate scale to score nine personality traits
ADVANTAGES OF MMPI
- Comprehensive
- Provided with several keys for identifying untrustworthy responses
LIMITATIONS OF MMPI
- It is difficult to get response to all questions
- Subject may give selected rsponses rather than the genuine one
- Subject may be ignorant of certain traits or qualities or qualities he may possess
PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES
- Rorschach’s Ink Blot Tests
- Thematic Apperception Test
- Child Apperception Test
RORSCHACH’S INK BLOT TESTS
Perceptual approach is the basis of this test
Material of the test consists of 10 cards with ink blots, 5 in black and white, 2 with splashes of red and remaining 3 with other colours
The ink blots are completely unstructured
The subject has to say what he sees and what it means to him
Through well worded questions answers have to be elicited
ADVANTAGES OF INK BLOT TEST
Helps to distinguish between normal persons and persons in need of psychiatric treatment
Helps to know the potential intelligence of the individual
LIMITATION OF INK BLOT TEST
The success of this test depends on the skill of the person asking questions that will clarify the free responses
THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST
Designed by Morgan and Murray
The test involves a systematic use of pictures representing a number of dramatic events
No detail in the background is provided
Picture is ambiguous and do not provide the whole story
Subject should be able to identify with the characters in the picture
ADVANTAGES OF PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUE
- The individual reveals himself
- It is not possible to give habitual responses
- It gives a total view of the subject’s personality
LIMITATIONS OF PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES
- They are subjective in nature
- Only trained psychologists can administer them
- Time consuming
- Difficult to interpret
PURPOSES OF ASSESSMENT OF PERSONALITY
- To find out pupils needs and possibilities of development.
- To aid student teacher planning.
- To serve as a means of improving school community relations.
- To appraise the teacher’s competence.
