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Using Learning About Psychology And Personality Type To Improve Your Life

Learning to understand yourself begins with understanding about your personality. In order to improve personal development, and to help you to write a better personal development plan, you need to begin learning about your personality type.

Can you really be certain about personality?

Of course, no one fully knows the extent or nature of someone’s personality, or where it came from. It is impossible to know how much of your personality is determined by genetics, and how much you are influenced through learning and environment. It seems to be some of each, but this can vary for each person. However, learning about our personality is not a futile effort. We can discover certain traits or personality styles that we might have, which are measurable and definable. Learning something about the person you are and those around you is better than learning nothing at all.

Where to begin

Learning about your personality to improve personal development takes time. The most important aspect of personality testing is to first begin learning about the various theories behind the testing. These theories are usually easy to understand at a basic level. Understanding these theories will help you to understand the results of any personality testing, as well as aiding your personal learning. Developing an understanding of these models will also help you to improve your knowledge of the motivations and behaviours of yourself and others.

Completing personality tests without learning about these personality theories can be misleading, and often the tests will mean nothing to you. It is important to have a grasp of the theories first. There are many different theories and models of personality, and the more that you know about, the greater your understanding will be and the more effective your testing will become. Here are some examples of popular personality models and theories:

·         The Four Temperaments/Four Humours

·         Carl Jung's Psychological Types

·         Myers Briggs personality types theory (MBTI model)

·         Keirsey's personality types theory (Temperament Sorter model)

·         Hans Eysenck's personality types theory

·         Katherine Benziger's Brain Type theory

·         The 'Big Five' Factors personality model

·         Firo-B Personality Assessment model

Using personality tests

Once you have learnt about the theories that underpin personality tests, then you can begin the testing process. Personality testing resources and assessments are often available on line, with some being free or at a very low cost. They are incredible tools for learning about yourself and others, and are a definite asset to personal development. Obviously, if you want to carry out professional and validated testing, this is going to be more expensive. Developers need to recover their development costs, and so will charge higher rates for scientifically validated tests. These tests are appropriate for business use, or if you want to really understand more about yourself and have a real interest in the subject of personality.

There are literally hundreds of different personality testing systems on the market today, which are underpinned by many of the aforementioned theories. Some of these tests are extremely detailed, whilst others are broader in nature. Whatever type of test you are looking for, it does not have to be complicated. Although some people will try and baffle you with complex science, this is not necessary for you to know in order to effectively carry out the tests or take the tests.

Seek training

If you are going to be carrying out personality tests on others for learning or business, you do need to seek appropriate training and accreditation. Administering tests in a formal setting is sensitive, and requires skill. Take the time to get the correct training, and your tests and the results you gain from them will be far more useful.

Be aware of fake tests

As a word of warning, it is advisable to check the validity and authenticity of any test before you take or administer it. There are a number of unlicensed or pirated tests on the market, and any test that is labelled free should be looked into carefully. If you are in doubt about the validity or origin of a test, then do not use it.

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