PSY 250 Psychology of Personality

University of Phoenix Material

Personality Reflection
Using the textbook, the University Library, the Internet, and/or other resources; answer the following
questions. Your responses to each question will vary but overall should be 700 to 1,050-words in length.
1. How would you define personality?
For me, personality is the way in which individuals live and behave in society. It is the way in
which individuals face the life challenges presented to them and their outcome. It may be that
part of this personality is hereditary but nevertheless mindset faces life decisions, offers the
ability and knowledge to cope in society, including the way we learn and interact are unique
features of our personality. The personality of each individual is exclusive, there are not two
people who have the identical personalities and are completely alike. For this reason two people
who have had the same kind of parenting or who have gone through similar circumstances
under the same conditions will react differently with the possibility of the same result. Each
person has a unique way of solving their problems or how they are addressed in this case. Our
thoughts are another feature of our personality; we can share ideas with other people however
we cannot force our ideas upon others. Each individual will react differently in every situation
throughout their life. The way you dress, think, behave, our skills, beliefs, values, our character,
motives, memories, experiences and the way in which we face in life are unique features of our
personality. Personality is mental, physical, social and emotional characteristics of individuals.
2. What are some key personality features that define you?
I believe that the most important characteristics that define my personality are many, but one of
the more significant traits is that I am a very friendly open person. I can make contact and start a
good relationship with anyone at any time Usually, I am a person with a strong character and
strong temperament but nevertheless often I restrain myself as not to lose control (self-discipline).
I am a very conscientious person; I have been told I am an organizational freak (everything has a
place and a place for everything) I do not know if that is good or bad, but habitually it brings me a
lot of raised eyebrows. Finally, I think I am a very hardworking dependable person; I have had to
fight to get where I am today. It cost me a lot, and I had to suffer a few setbacks however it has
greatly increased my desire to succeed. This trait I believe is called stubbornness, again not sure
if that is a good or bad.
3. What key concepts or constructs are used to explain your personality?
Some of the concepts I have chosen to define my personality are situations that have happened
to me since my birth until adulthood. Each and every one of them marked in some way my
personality and these unique features help me to be who I am today. As a child, I was raised to
not depend on anyone and to take care of myself. I have always followed the example of my
mother, a woman who worked hard throughout her adult life until she was forced to retire
because of her health problems. I know she will not always be here to help me forge the destiny
that I have chosen for myself but I can learn from her life choices; to be independent, ask for
help when you need it without embarrassment and always look to the future, for tomorrow is
gone and today is what you make of it.

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PSY 250 Psychology of Personality

4. Are your personality features consistent or do they change according to the situation?
For the most part, I am who I am, and do not fluctuate one way or the other; however my overall
outlook on life and how I conduct myself has changed over the past 20 years since my first marriage.
I learned a hard life lesson; I let the person to whom I was married define who I was and not me being
who I truly was. Personalities can change from one extreme to the next for the simple fact that it may
have stemmed from some difficult situations in the past or in my case the constant influence of others.

5. Have you ever taken a personality test before? If so, what was your reaction to the
analysis? If not, what would you expect a proper test to measure?
I took an ethics lens inventory a few years back and the analysis was a half and half reaction.
Some points did not surprise me at all while others I had not true idea of how I was perceived by
others. My values are simple. Independence, equal opportunity, level-headedness and a deep
sense of feeling are for me a scale or balance. The best course for me is to be consistent and
flexible in my thoughts and actions. One thing is for certain I am not one to give up in the face of
adversity. Obstacles that stand in front of me are just one more reason to try, try again. I have
been referenced to the childhood story of the tortoise and the hare. Steadfastness will always win
the race.

6. What would make a personality test reliable and valid?

Reliability refers to an examinations ability to produce comparable effects each time the test
is taken. The reliability of a test can be determined in two forms. The test-retest is one form
of reliability. In order to define this evidence, the creators of an evaluation method would test
a collection of specific individuals and then test a second time to the same sample group
under the identical conditions at a later date. The second method to distinguish reliability is
known as internal consistency. Essentially, a different appraisal procedure would be split into
two sections; for example the odd versus the even number of questions in the exam. The
outcome for each score should be clearly interrelated to ensure a true reliability within the test
(Heffner, 2015).
As humans we make mistakes, therefore to nest is truly perfect .A valid assessment is one
that measures what it is intended to measure (Heffner, 2015). One particular form of validity is
Predictive Validity; this form of validity refers to an evaluations aptitude to predict the
outcome. An example of a valid testing might include relationship skills; this example could
possibly foretell a persons simplicity of creating friendly relationships, relaxation in a large
gathering, or the capacity to communicate effectively (Heffner, 2015).
References:
Heffner, C., How Accurate are Personality Tests? Chapter 2: Section 7: Analyzing
Assessment Techniques (2015). Retrieved from
http://allpsych.com/personalitysynopsis/assessment_results/

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