Personality Analysis is to analyse and evaluate core qualities, including reliability, determination, confidence, gentleness, etc, of an individual. It accurately measures the personality by gathering important information of that individual. The personality analysis is not only used for determining psychological problems in an individual but also for screening potential candidates for employment. It is used for various other purposes, such as to see the changes in one’s personality, to assess theories, to examine how effective therapy would be, etc. Very often, the analysis is even used for establishing competence and conducting risk assessments.
Basically, there are two different personality analysis types – self-report inventories and projective tests.
Self-report inventories are tests that are used for assessing personality. They consist of multiple-choice items and require individuals to read questions and rate how they apply to them. A very common self-report inventory is the MMPI or Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. MMPI was first published in the year 1943 with 504 questions. It was updated to MMPI-2 with 567 questions in the year 1989. The MMPI was developed to help diagnose the psychological disorders but now it is also used for screening in various fields, including college, marital counselling, law enforcement, etc.
Another method for analyzing the personality is called projective testing. In this type of analysis, the individual is presented with a scenario or object and then asked to give the item’s interpretation and project his feelings. One of the common tests is the Rorschach Inkblot test. It consists of various symmetrical inkblot cards, which are presented to the test-taker. The psychologist then asks the interpretation of each card. The individual, when interprets and answers, reveals the unconscious struggles and feelings. This is very effective in measuring anxiety, psychosis and depression. There are a few other projective tests, such as the Thematic Apperception Test and Rotter Incomplete Sentence Black test. The result of any of these tests will give a personality description of an individual. This would also help psychologists to offer some advice to that individual.
There are many other personality measures with each giving unique insight into the personality of an individual. The personality analysis helps a person to know his strengths and weaknesses. This can be helpful in personal as well as professional lives. These tests also play a big role in an individual’s social interactions, thereby helping people to meet and connect with other like-minded people. Personality analysis can be used even for clarifying the diagnosis, guiding therapeutic interventions and predicting how a person will respond in various situations.