What is Your Personality Type?

What makes you, YOU? 

There are many different theories that people have developed trying to answer this question. One theory that I find to be interesting and easy to explain would be Trait Theory. 

We often wonder what a trait truly is. This is because people are different and therefor each person is good at different things, meaning they have different traits as individuals. To define a trait is to discover characteristics individuals inhabit that make them who they are. People are many different things. People are kind-hearted, hateful, selfish, giving, rude, peaceful, trouble-makers, and many other things. I am sure we can all relate to one or more of these specific traits, don't you agree?

These characteristics can be found within three main sections, cardinal, central, and secondary traits (Costa & Mccrae, 1998). Cardinal traits are the traits that a person is born with and what is in the core who he or she is. If you are always wanting to care for others and give to others, that is one of your cardinal traits. A central trait is the foundation of your personality. This is what makes you, you. This is where we see introverts and extroverts. Your brother might keep to himself, making him an introvert, but if you enjoy spending time with groups of people, you are likely an extrovert. A secondary trait is a trait you can develop over time, like learning to be peaceful or a trouble-maker (1998). 

Discover your Traits!

Everyone is different when it comes to their traits. This is proven true with the Big Five personality traits. The Big Five are known as openness, neuroticism, consciousness, extraversion, and agreeableness. Would you like to discover which of the Big Five personalities best fits for you? There are assessments you can take and I will gladly share some with you. The first one contains around 50 questions which determine if you agree or disagree with different statements. There is another questionnaire that is called the Sixteen Personality Factor which works by discovering which of the sixteen traits a person contains (Mccrae & Costa, 1999). Each of these are interesting tests that can be taken in your own spare time online without the guidance of a therapist, though if you feel you suffer from a personality disorder, please seek professional help as soon as possible. Click the links below to take these tests!

Big 5 Test:   Click for the BIG 5 Test! 

Sixteen: Click for the Sixteen Test!

FAQ's

As you are reading this you might be thinking of some questions you would like answered. Below I will answer some frequently asked questions, but if you have more questions, please feel free to comment below and get the discussion started! 

Question 1: Are personality traits genetic?

It is possible for traits to be passed down from generation to generation. Though this is true, it is also more likely for people to develop personality traits from the environment in which the person is raised. This leads back to the nature verses nurture argument that takes place in psychology. If you share certain traits with your mother more than your father, it is likely due to the fact that you spent more time with your mother than your father growing up. The environment is the biggest factor in this argument (Bouchard & Leohlin, 2001). 

Question 2: Can I really trust these personality test?

Since there are so many theories of personality, it is likely that you will find different results through the type of test you might take. Based on the theories involved within these specific tests, you can trust these results, but none of these are as credible as a personality evaluation by a licensed therapist. When taking an online assessment, for best results, you must answer honestly and not with the answer you feel should be right. 

Question 3: Is there a theory that involves free will?

The humanistic theory of personality is based on free will. People set their own goals in life and desire self-actualization (Sheldon, Ryan, Rawsthorne, & Ilardi, 1997). Self-actualization does not take place until a person is finished with life because the person seeks to be the very best he or she can by setting new and higher goals as each goal is reached. 

Please feel free to leave comments below, especially with your test results so you can compare your personality traits with others and determine what you believe to be true and what you might question. Have fun finding yourself, I know I am!


References: 
Costa, P. T., & Mccrae, R. R. (1998). Trait theories of personality (pp.
103-121). Springer US.

 McCrae, R. R., & Costa Jr, P. T. (1999). A five-factor theory of personality.
Handbook of personality: Theory and research, 2,
139-153.

Bouchard Jr, T. J.,& Loehlin, J. C. (2001). Genes, evolution, and personality. Behavior genetics, 31(3), 243-273.

Sheldon, K. M., Ryan, R. M., Rawsthorne, L. J., & Ilardi, B. (1997). Trait self and
true self: Cross-role variation in the Big-Five personality traits and its
relations with psychological authenticity and subjective well-being. Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(6),

1380.