PERSONALITY II: Dimensions of Personality

1
Lecture 5

• PERSONALITY II Dimensions of Personality

2
Class Outline

• Lecture - the various dimensions of personality
• Exercise What is your type? The Myers-Briggs
  Type Indicator (MBTI)
• complete the survey and score it
• exploring types
• video (15 minutes - if we have time)
• So what?

3
Dimensions of Personality

• The Big Five Model
• Cognitive Style (and the Myers-Briggs Type
  Indicator)

4
The Big Five Model of Personality

• Directed at the work place
• Five dimensions of personality
• Extroversion
• Emotional Adjustment
• Agreeableness
• Conscientiousness
• Intellect/openness to experience

5
The BIG FIVE Personality Dimensions

• extraversion/introversion
• traits sociability, gregarious, assertive,
  talkative, active
• emotional stability (neuroticism)
• traits anxious, depressed, angry, emotional,
  insecure
• agreeableness (likeability)
• traits courteous, flexible, trusting,
  cooperative
• conscientiousness (conformity dependability)
• traits dependability, careful, thorough,
  responsible
• intellect (openness to experience)
• traits imaginative, cultured, curious, original,
  broad-minded

6
Evidence

• conscientiousness predicts performance for all
  occupational groups
• extroversion predicts performance for managers
  and sales representatives
• openness to experience and extroversion predict
  success in training

7
Cognitive Style

• Carl Jungs proposal
• individuals have different preferences for how
  they approach the world, acquire information,
  process information, and make decisions
• Four sets of preferences (dimensions)
• each with two opposite poles
• individuals vary along each of the four
• gives 16 possible personality types

8
Cognitive Style (cont.)

• Four Dimensions
• Introvert vs. Extrovert
• (inner v. outer world)
• Thinking vs. Feeling
• (logic v. subjective view)
• Sensing vs. Intuiting
• (detail v. broad focus)
• Judging vs. Perceiving
• (resolution v. flexibility)

9
Orientation to the world Extraversion vs.
Introversion

• Extraversion - preference for
• action and interaction over reflection
• talking things over with others to gain
  understanding
• oral communication
• taking the initiative in social and work settings
• getting involved in social activities to
  re-energize

10
Orientation to the world Introversion vs.
Extraversion

• Introversion - a preference for
• reflection over action
• thinking things through to gain understanding
• written communication rather than oral
• working alone or with one or two others
• spending time alone in order to re-energize

11
Acquiring information Sensing vs. Intuition

• Sensing - a preference for
• gathering facts and details
• focussing on information from the five senses
• an orientation to the present rather than the
  future
• being patient with routine tasks but less patient
  with complexity
• concentration on specific details of a task or
  problem rather than the big picture

12
Acquiring information Intuition vs. Sensing

• Intuition - a preference for
• looking for patterns and relationships
• focussing on what lies beyond the surface
• an orientation towards the future rather than the
  here and now
• being patient with complexity but less patient
  with routine
• concentrating on the big picture rather than the
  details

13
Processing information Thinking vs. Feeling

• Thinking - a preference for
• basing decisions upon logical analysis and cause
  and effect reasoning rather than personal values
  and beliefs
• being analytical
• being perceived as reasonable by others
• wanting things to be fair even at the expense of
  harmony

14
Processing information Feeling vs. Thinking

• Feeling - a preference for
• Basing decisions upon personal values and beliefs
  rather than logical analysis
• being sympathetic rather than analytical
• being perceived as compassionate
• wanting a harmonious outcome even at the expense
  of equity and fairness

15
Decision making Judging vs. Perceiving

• Judging - a preference for
• making decisions and obtaining closure
• being systematic and keeping to a schedule
• completing one project before starting another
• committing to plans or decisions swiftly
• Finishing tasks before deadlines

16
Decision making Perceiving vs. Judging

• Judging - a preference for
• taking in all available information before
  deciding
• being spontaneous and casual
• working on multiple projects simultaneously
• being flexible, keeping options open
• finishing tasks at deadline

17
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

• Measurement of four dimensions giving 16 possible
  cognitive styles (e.g. INTP, ESFJ etc.)
• Aid for improving work team functioning
• Remember, no one type is ideal or best
• Even people who are the same type are different
  - there are many other dimensions of personality
• The MBTI only measures preferences not abilities
  or aptitudes.