Definition

Noun: 1. A systematic evaluation of an individual's characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving: A "personality assessment" is a method or tool used to measure and describe a person's enduring personality traits, psychological makeup, or behavioral tendencies. 2. A specific instrument or test designed for this purpose: The term can also refer to the actual questionnaire, inventory, or set of tasks used to conduct such an evaluation.

Usage Examples

• The company requires a personality assessment as part of its hiring process to gauge cultural fit.
• Her therapist recommended a personality assessment to better understand her interpersonal challenges.
• The results of the personality assessment indicated a high degree of openness to experience.
• Researchers used a standardized personality assessment to collect data for their study.

Advanced Usage

• "to undergo a personality assessment": to take or complete a personality test.
  • All candidates will undergo a personality assessment before the final interview.
• "clinical personality assessment": an evaluation conducted in a therapeutic or diagnostic setting, often using multiple methods.
  • The clinical personality assessment included both self-report inventories and projective techniques.

Variants and Related Words

• Personality inventory (noun): A type of personality assessment, typically a questionnaire, where individuals report on their own characteristics, behaviors, and feelings. It is considered a direct test.
  • The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a well-known personality inventory.
• Personality test (noun): A common synonym for a personality assessment instrument.
• Trait assessment (noun): A type of personality assessment focused specifically on measuring distinct personality traits (e.g., extraversion, conscientiousness).

Synonyms

• Personality test
• Psychological evaluation (broader term)
• Trait measurement

Related Concepts (Not Phrasal Verbs)

• Projective test: A type of psychological assessment contrasting with a direct inventory, where individuals respond to ambiguous stimuli, revealing hidden emotions and internal conflicts (e.g., Rorschach inkblot test).
• Psychometrics: The field of study concerned with the theory and technique of psychological measurement, which underpins the design of personality assessments.

Noun

1. a questionnaire that is supposed to yield a description of a person's personality traits
   • a personality inventory is a direct test of personality, as contrasted with a projective test