By Jennifer Grigsby
Section 1: Introduction
Early on, people were generally ignorant about modern-day concepts of personality. As of 450 B.C., some thought temperament was directly affected by physical health. Later on, it was theorized that personality and the human body were very distinct. The most modern science tells us that personality is important in various ways. Personality tests have been created to indicate which personality an individual has, and how it fits in with others. Some modern ones even tell what kinds of careers are best for certain types of people.
There are two main types of personality tests: objective (structured questions such as multiple choice or true/false) and projective (open-ended questions). The Rorschach test (AKA the “inkblot test”) was one of the first projective personality tests and was invented by Hermann Rorschach in 1921. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter was one of the first objective tests and first appeared in 1978 by David Keirsey.
Section 2: Discovery
The Greek philosophers Hippocrates (450 B.C.) and Galen (190 B.C.) believed that a healthy body meant a healthy temperament. A predominance in any of the “four body fluids” resulted in an unbalanced temperament: too violent, too sad, to apathetic, etc. Galen also believed that temperament was influenced by environment (food, geographical conditions, weather).
In 1879 A.D., however, Wilhelm Wundt brought to light the distinction between personality and the human body. His theory was that the four temperaments theorized by Galen (sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric, and melancholic) were not physically influenced by body fluids, but were four dimensions of personality.
The focuses of personality assessments in the 20th century varied: ways in which the individual sees the world, attitudes toward ethical values, human orientation, character styles, cognitive functions, and so forth.
Personality tests aim to determine what kind of person you are or determine your aptitude (ability to learn and capability) by determining your personality type, values, interests, and skills.
Section 3: Biography of Investigators
Hermann Rorschach:
Hermann Rorschach was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. He was born on November 8, 1884 in Switzerland, where he spent the rest of his childhood. In high school, he enjoyed Klecksography (inkblot art) and was even called “Klecks” (inkblot) by his friends. When entering the University of Zurich, he had trouble choosing between art and science as his career, but ended up choosing science and going to medical school. He married a Russian named Olga Stempelin in 1913, and they moved to Russia. Within 6 years, they had 2 children.
While studying psychoanalysis under Eugene Bleuler, he remembered his childhood inkblots and wondered why people saw completely different things in the same inkblots. He then started showing inkblots to schoolchildren and evaluating their answers.
He moved back to Switzerland in 1914 where he was an assistant director of a mental hospital in Herisau. He wrote his book Psychodiagnostik in 1921, and died the next year of peritonitis.
David Keirsey:
David Keirsey was born on August 31, 1921 in Oklahoma. He is a personality psychologist, and is currently 89 years old. After earning his doctorate degree, he started his career as a counselor dealing with delinquent boys at a probation ranch home. Then, he spent 20 years working in public schools helping children stay out of trouble. For the next 11 years, he trained corrective counselors at California State University, Fullerton in applied research of out of line children, parents, and teachers.
In his book Please Understand Me (1978) he created a self-assessment that determined which of the four temperaments you were – Artisan (tactics), Guardian (logistics), Idealist (diplomacy), and Rational (strategy) – and specifically, which of the sixteen character types.
Section 4: Impact on the World/Humanity
Personality tests are useful in many ways. One of the most prominent things they’re used for is finding a job. They can tell you what kinds of things you’re good at, if you don’t already know, and how you can apply those skills. Also, they are useful to employers looking to hire.
Some tests, such as the Rorschach test, can even identify thought disorders. When identified, people with psychological disorders can be helped by counseling psychologists, clinical psychologists, or psychiatrists. This has had a huge impact on humanity because now, people can identify their problems and get them fixed.
As with most discoveries, there has been some controversy with personality assessments. Within Christianity, some church members, and even people who want to become priests, take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). This is very controversial because the opposing side argues that “understanding the self comes from the Bible, not from the imaginative and even educated guesses of humans, who are by nature self-deceived.”
But overall, the discoveries of new and improved personality tests have had a positive influence on humanity.
Section 5: Journal Article Review
The Rorschach test was developed in by Herman Rorschach, a Swiss physician and psychoanalyst. It is technically a projective test (not objective like yes/no questionnaires), but is more commonly referred to as a personality test. It calculates a person’s personality based on their interpretation of a series of 10 inkblots on white cards (some of the inkblots are black/white, some are black/white/red, and some are only color). It is a very efficient and accurate test. It assesses the area of the inkblot “used”, the manner in which the object was percepted (whether or not your interpretation was based on the color at all), categories of the objects seen, and originality/uniqueness of the response.
References:
Journal Article:
Charen, S. (1953). The Rorschach Test. Bulletin of the Medical Library Association, 1, 1-7. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC195458/pdf/mlab00229-0018.pdf
Other references:
David Keirsey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2010, July 23). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Keirsey
Hermann Rorschach - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2010, October 4). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Rorschach
History of Personality Tests Up to Kiersy Temperament Sorter.. (n.d.). Prepare Before Encountering Personality, Aptitude and Intelligence Tests.. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from http://www.personality-and-aptitude-career-tests.com/history-of-personality-tests.html
The Cult of Personality. (n.d.). Introduction to Psychoheresy Awareness Ministries. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from http://www.psychoheresy-aware.org/personality_cult13_2.html
Pictures:
About 4 Temperaments. (n.d.).Personality Test - Keirsey Temperament Website. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from http://keirsey.com/handler.aspx?s=keirsey&f=fourtemps&tab=1&
Psychological tests. (n.d.). The Frost blog. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/aug2009/psych-tests-cheat.html
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