Personality

Personality... Nature, or Nurture?

There are two theory approaches to personality, and to this day there are still arguments over which is more valid. It is the age old question of nature or nurture?

Nomothetic is the term used to describe personality as a hereditary trait (Lamiell, 2003), determined in biology by a person’s genetic makeup. The idea that someone’s personality is fixed has been supported by many statistical studies of groups, and predictions, and suggests that there are particular personality types, and trait clusters.
These clusters are made from a pick and mix of traits, which form together to create personalities. These mixtures of traits are then what categorise people as Extrovert, Introvert, Emotionally Stable or Instable.
For example, an Extrovert is usually sociable, impulsive, and irresponsible. While an Introvert will be inhibitive, responsible, and reflective.
The Emotionally Stable are usually happy and calm with a high self-esteem, but Emotionally Instable people are more likely to have problems with anxiety, obsession, and will feel generally more unhappy than a Stable person.

The term Idiographic follows the idea that an individual’s personality is formed through nurture and environmental effects. A personality may depend on the cultural and social experiences of an individual, allowing room for a person’s personality to change and adapt. This contrasts with the idea of nomothetic, which suggests that a personality is a fixed trait.

An article from the Telegraph (Savill, 2009) explains the story of a two year old girl, with the astonishing IQ of 160. She was reported to have had a high level of awareness, and was remarkably observant of her surroundings. At such a young age, is it really possible to have had enough experiences to aid such a strong understanding of the world around her? Professor Freeman stated that “she is gifted.” This suggests that there is strong belief that the child was born bright.
However, the mother of the little girl says that she is constantly engage in communication with her daughter, feeding her with information and answers to her questions. This aspect of nurture questions the nature aspect of the two year olds high IQ.

I believe it is likely that nature and nurture both play an important role in the foundation and evolution of a person’s abilities and personality. People may be born with certain traits and abilities, but nurture may also affect how the individual nourishes and adapts their talents.


Personality Testing

To find out how my own personality measured up, I took a couple of multiple choice personality tests.

After taking The Big Personality Test (BBC, 2010) I was given the following results, and given information on their meaning.
I scored 4.4 out of 5 for the Openness category. People with high scores like this are often imaginative and curious about a large variety of things. In my case, I have a high appreciation for the arts, and enjoy exploring unusual cultures. Although imaginative ideas come easily to me, the drawback is my being prone to daydreaming.
For Conscientiousness I had a score of 3.6 out of 5. Conscientiousness measures a person’s discipline, will power, and organisation. This middle of the range score suggests that I am unlikely to be a workaholic, but will keep a good work-life balance. The score also reflects my lack of spontaneity, as I like to plan, keep a diary and write ‘to do’ lists.
I achieved a high 4.4 out of 5 for Extroversion. This is because I am expressive and energetic when seeking out pleasurable and risky activities. Extroverts are also likely to naturally show the qualities of a strong Leader. However, extroverts are also more likely to smoke and sleep badly, which is untrue in my case.
My score for Agreeableness was a medium 3.8 out of 5. This means that I will help those in need, due to a concern for people’s feelings. However, despite my ability to get on with most individuals or groups, I occasionally speak my mind in an extrovert way, which may cause upset.
I scored a very low 2.3 out of 5 for Neuroticism. This is good, as it means I generally respond to threats and stress with a calm, rational tranquillity. It is suggested that our nature of Neuroticism comes from evolutionary instincts, and was key to our survival from threats.

I also did a Competency Potential test (SHL Group Ltd, 2010), and the report agreed that my biggest personality strengths lie in leading, deciding, enterprising and performing.
However, it also stated that my supporting, cooperating, organising and executing skills are poor. Although these may not be my strongest qualities, I would disagree that they are poor, as my experience with groups has taught me the importance of these qualities, and I feel I have learned to apply them constructively.


Personality Testing, Good or Bad?

I feel that the use of these kinds of multiple choice personality tests are a good idea for selection, to a point, as in some cases of application, they are needed as a fast way of sorting through large numbers of applicants. The tests are consistent, and make it impossible for the organisation to discriminate through the recruitment process. This is also a cost effective method.

However, I also feel that these tests cannot judge an individual’s personality 100% accurately, because people can easily lie in the tests, or perhaps have an unrealistic opinion of themselves. Also, although I agree that the tests are ideal for short listing applicants, interviews (despite being a more costly form of recruitment) should still be held to validate the perception of a candidate.


To Conclude...

So, nature or nurture? It is clear to see that both play an important part in the way we start and develop our personalities. Everyone is a different mixture of traits, and it seems perhaps a little unfair to categorise people on personality. That said, however, it is still a quick, easy and cheap solution to sorting through large numbers of job applications. Certain traits can be more appropriate for particular jobs, but we must not forget that personality does not always reflect intelligence and ability. This, of course, should be a consideration of equal importance when hiring and recruiting.


References:

BBC (2010) The big personality test. [online]. Available from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/labuk/experiments/personality/feedback [Accessed 12 April 2010]

Lamiell, J. T. (2003) Beyond individual and group differences. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.

Savill, R (2009) Girl, two, with IQ of 160 praised for ‘wonderful imagination’. [online]. Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5479138/Girl-two-with-IQ-of-160-praised-for-wonderful-imagination.html [Accessed 12 April 2010]

SHL Group Ltd (2010) Practice tests. [online]. Available from: http://www.shldirect.com/practice_tests.html [Accessed 12 April 2010]