Personality

Definition
• Personality can be defined as those inner psychological characteristics
that determine and reflect how a person thinks and acts in an
environment.
• The inner characteristics of personality are specific qualities, attributes,
traits, factors and mannerism that distinguish one individual from other .
• Personality is a pattern of stable states and characteristics of a person that
influences his or her behaviour toward goal achievement. Each person
has unique ways of protecting these states.
• Personality is the fundamental and foremost determinant of
individual behaviour. It seeks to integrate the physiological and
psychological facets of an individual to put them into action.
Personality consists of an individual’s characteristics and distinctive
ways of behaviour.
• As per as Floyd L Ruch , Human personality includes:
• External appearance and behaviour or social stimulus value.
• Inner awareness of self as a permanent organising force.
• The particular pattern or organisation of measurable traits, both
“inner and “outer”.
 Meaning
• The word personality is derived from a Greek word “persona”
which means “to speak through”. Personality is the combination
of characteristics or qualities that forms a person’s unique
identity.
• It signifies the role which a person plays in public. Every
individual has a unique, personal and major determinant of his
behavior that defines his/her personality.
• Personalities are likely to influence the individual’s product and
store choices. They also affect the way consumer responds to a
firm’s communication efforts.
 Determinants
• Heredity
• Environment
• Situation
 Heredity: Factors that are determined at
conception
• Physical stature
• Facial attractiveness
• Gender
• Temperament
• Muscle composition and reflexes
• Energy level
 Environment
• Culture in which we are raised
• Our Early conditioning
• Norms in family
• Friends
• Social Groups
• Other influences we experience
 Situation
• An individual personality , although generally stable and
consistent, does change in different situations like:
• Job interview
• Picnic with family/ friends
 Personality Attributes
• Broadly there are five parameters which describe an
individual’s personality. These five dimensions are also
called as “Big Five” Factors, and the model is referred to
as Five Factor Model also abbreviated as FFM.

• The Five Factor Model was initially proposed by Costa &

McCrae in the year 1992 and often describes the relation
between an individual’s personality and various
behaviours.
 Openness to experience
This dimension covers one's range of interests and fascination with novelty.
• Individuals with openness to experience are generally very active, have a
tremendous inclination towards creativity and aesthetics and listen to
their heart i.e. follow their inner feelings. Such individuals are generally
open to new learnings, skill sets and experiences.
• People who score high on openness are quite broadminded and modern
in their outlook as compared to individuals who score low on the same
parameter. Such individuals are conservative, reluctant to changes and
have a traditional approach in life.
 Conscientiousness
This dimention is a measure of reliability.
• As the name suggests, individuals with a Conscientiousness personality
trait listen to their conscience and act accordingly. Such individuals are
extremely cautious,self disciplined,methodical and perfectionists. They
never perform any task in haste but think twice before acting. People
who score high on conscientiousness are proactive, goal oriented and self
disciplined, responsible, organised, dependable. They strive hard to
accomplish goals and objectives within the stipulated time frame.
• Individuals who score less are little laid back and are not much goal
oriented, easily distracted, disorganised and unreliable.
 Extroversion
This dimension captures one's comfort level with relationships.
• Extroversion: a state where individuals show more concern towards
what is happening [Link] individuals love interacting with people
around and are generally talkative. They do not like spending time alone
but love being the centre of attraction of parties and social gatherings.
• Introversion: a state when an individual is concerned only with his own
life. Such individuals do not bother about others and are seldom
interested in what is happening around. They prefer staying back at home
rather than going out and spending time with [Link] individuals
speak less and enjoy their own company. They generally do not have
many friends and tend to rely on few trusted ones. Introverts tend to be
reserved, timid and quiet.
 Agreeableness
• Agreeableness is a personality trait which teaches individuals to be
adjusting in almost all situations.
• Individuals having high score accommodate themselves to all situations
and are friendly, cooperative, warm and kind hearted. They are ready to
help others and flash their trillion dollar smile whenever a problem
arises.

• Individuals who score low on agreeableness on the other hand find

difficulties in adjusting with others and are little [Link] are
cold, disagreeable and antagonistic
 Neuroticism
• This dimension taps a person's ability to withstand stress
• Neuroticism is a trait where individuals are prone to negative thoughts
such as anxiety, anger, envy, guilt and so on.

• Such individuals are often in a state of depression and do not know how
to enjoy life. They always look at the negative sides of life and find
extremely difficult to cope up with stress.
 The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator
• The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator is a set of psychometric questionnaire
designed to weigh psychological preferences in how people perceive the
world and make decisions. The Myers Briggs model of personality
developed by Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, is established
on four preferences namely −
• Types of social interaction
• Preference for gathering data
• Preference for decision making
• Style of decision making
• With respect to the prescribed Myers Briggs type of indicator,
preferences include eight leadership styles −

• E or I (Extraversion or Introversion)
• S or N (Sensing or iNtuition)
• T or F (Thinking or Feeling)
• J or P (Judgment or Perception)
Extraversion or Introversion
• Extroverts are "outward-turning" and tend to be action-
oriented, enjoy more frequent social interaction, and feel
energized after spending time with other people.
• Introverts are "inward-turning" and tend to be thought-
oriented, enjoy deep and meaningful social interactions,
and feel recharged after spending time alone.
Sensing (S) – Intuition (N)
• This scale involves looking at how people gather information from the
world around them.
• People who prefer sensing tend to pay a great deal of attention to reality,
particularly to what they can learn from their own senses. They tend to
focus on facts and details and enjoy getting hands-on experience.
• Those who prefer intuition pay more attention to things like patterns and
impressions. They enjoy thinking about possibilities, imagining the
future, and abstract theories.
Thinking (T) – Feeling (F)
• This scale focuses on how people make decisions based on the
information that they gathered .
• People who prefer thinking place a greater emphasis on facts and
objective [Link] tend to be consistent, logical, and impersonal when
weighing a decision.
• Those who prefer feeling are more likely to consider people and
emotions when arriving at a conclusion.
Judging (J) – Perceiving (P)
• The final scale involves the style of decision making.
• Those who lean toward judging prefer structure and firm decisions.
• People who lean toward perceiving are more open, flexible, and
adaptable. These two tendencies interact with the other scales.
 The Myers Briggs Types
Each type is then listed by its four-letter code:
• ISTJ - The Inspector: Reserved and practical, they tend to be loyal,
orderly, and traditional.
• ISTP - The Crafter: Highly independent, they enjoy new experiences that
provide first-hand learning.
• ISFJ - The Protector: Warm-hearted and dedicated, they are always ready
to protect the people they care about.
• ISFP - The Artist: Easy-going and flexible, they tend to be reserved and
artistic.
• INFJ - The Advocate: Creative and analytical, they are considered one of
the rarest Myers-Briggs types.3
• INFP - The Mediator: Idealistic with high values, they strive to make the
world a better place.
• INTJ - The Architect: High logical, they are both very creative and
analytical.
• INTP - The Thinker: Quiet and introverted, they are known for having a
rich inner world.
• ESTP - The Persuader: Out-going and dramatic, they enjoy spending
time with others and focusing on the here-and-now.
• ESTJ - The Director: Assertive and rule-oriented, they have high
principles and a tendency to take charge.
• ESFP - The Performer: Outgoing and spontaneous, they enjoy taking
center stage.
• ESFJ - The Caregiver: Soft-hearted and outgoing, they tend to believe
the best about other people.
• ENFP - The Champion: Charismatic and energetic, they enjoy situations
where they can put their creativity to work.
• ENFJ - The Giver: Loyal and sensitive, they are known for being
understanding and generous.
• ENTP - The Debater: Highly inventive, they love being surrounded by
ideas and tend to start many projects (but may struggle to finish them).
• ENTJ - The Commander: Outspoken and confident, they are great at
making plans and organizing projects.