Introduction to personality (a)

In this talk, you will be introduced to the concept of personality in the context of psychometric assessment at work. You will learn about the difference between implicit and explicit theories of personality, explore various definitions, and consider why and how personality is assessed. The session also covers the nature versus nurture debate, the main themes in personality theory, and what makes a good, scientific approach to understanding and predicting behaviour in the workplace.

After this talk, you will:

• Understand the structure of the Level 2 Personality course and the importance of ongoing participation in the workbook and assessments.

• Know the difference between implicit and explicit theories of personality.

• Recognise the drawbacks of relying on implicit, common-sense models of personality.

• Understand why objective, explicit models are necessary for scientific personality assessment.

• Be able to describe what personality is and why clear definitions are important for assessment.

• Know why personality is assessed in the workplace and how personality tests may be used.

• Understand the basic debates around where personality comes from—nature, nurture, or both.

• Be aware that there are different theories of personality and the importance of scientific evidence for each.

• Know that personality assessment aims not just to administer tests but to interpret and use the results to predict workplace behaviour.

• Appreciate the importance of using scientific and testable models for fair and effective assessment.

• Understand that accurate feedback and integration of assessment results are essential parts of the process.