1. What is the nature of personality and how can it be assessed?
Personality typologies
From “Types” to “Traits”
Assessing individual differences
Personality tests
Unstructured (projective)
Structured (objective)*
*(next class)

2. Personality: Temperament: “…the unique pattern...
...of enduring psychological characteristics...
…by which individuals can be compared…”
Temperament:
“…characteristic level of reactivity and energy.”

3. Why doesn’t the same environment produce the same personality?
Reactive interactions
Evocative interactions
Proactive interactions

4. Categorical (Type) approach:
Dimensional (Trait) approach:
Distributional approach:
“introverted”
“extroverted”
“introverted”
“extroverted”
“introverted”
“extroverted”

5. Hippocrates’ type theory (5th cent. BC)
Blood. Sanguine temperament:
cheerful and active
Phlegm. Phlegmatic temperament:
apathetic and sluggish
Black bile. Melancholy temperament:
sad and brooding
Yellow bile. Choleric temperament:
irritable and excitable

6. William Sheldon’s somatotypes relating physique to temperament:
Endomorphic type (fat, soft, round):
Viscerotonia
Mesomorphic type (muscular, angular):
Somatotonia
Ectomorphic type (thin, long, fragile):
Cerebrotonia

7. A B C
Endomorphic
Mesomorphic
Ectomorphic

8. Traits and Sheldon’s Predictions
(B)
(C)
(A)
1. Self-assertive
2. Overly fast in reacting
3. Insensitive to other’s feelings
4. Always wants affection and approval
5. Prefers to be alone
6. Slow to react
7. Self-conscious
8. Loves comfort
9. Takes risks

9. From “Types” to “Traits”
Traits vs. States
Projective Tests:
Rorschach’s inkblots
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)