Psychologists often assess a person\u2019s personality using a questionnaire that is filled in by the person who is being assessed. Such a test is called a \u201cself-report inventory.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Take the TIPI Personality Test<\/a><\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n The questionnaire you just completed is called the TIPI: The Ten-Item Personality Inventory. It was created by University of Texas psychologist Sam Gosling as a very brief measure of \"Big Five\" personality characteristics: Extroversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Openness to Experience.<\/p>\r\n Most Big Five inventories are much longer (often 50+ items). The TIPI was designed for situations where time is extremely limited and a researcher needs a quick, \u201cgood-enough\u201d snapshot of personality. A longer inventory is usually better when someone needs a more reliable and detailed profile.<\/p>\r\n At first glance, the TIPI might make test construction seem simple: write a few obvious items, score them, and you have a personality test. That\u2019s exactly why you can find many online \u201cpersonality quizzes\u201d that look official but don\u2019t measure anything well.<\/p>\r\n In psychology, a questionnaire isn\u2019t considered a strong personality test unless it has evidence that it is:<\/p>\r\n Even widely used tests are continually studied, criticized, and revised as new evidence emerges.<\/p>\r\n Over the next few pages, you\u2019ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how psychologists build a personality questionnaire\u2014from defining a trait clearly to writing items and thinking about how to evaluate reliability<\/span> and validity<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n To keep the focus on test construction (not just familiar traits like extraversion), you\u2019ll work with a less obvious personality dimension:<\/p>\r\n Blirtatiousness<\/b><\/span> is the tendency to \u201cblirt\u201d<\/b><\/span>\u2014to share personal thoughts and feelings quickly and emotionally during conversation. Some people naturally disclose fast and expressively, while others are more private and restrained.<\/p>\r\n Imagine a couple\u2014Khalil<\/b><\/span> and Jen<\/b><\/span>. Khalil is entertaining and expressive; he rarely holds back, and you almost always know what he\u2019s thinking. Jen is kind and dependable\u2014the first to show up when someone needs help\u2014but they tend to keep their feelings and opinions to themself.<\/p>\r\n In the early 2000s, social psychologist William Swann and his colleagues studied self-disclosure<\/b><\/span> (sharing information about yourself with other people) and how it affects relationships. They described two common styles: \u201cblirters\u201d<\/b><\/span> (quick, enthusiastic disclosers) and \u201cbrooders\u201d<\/b><\/span> (more cautious or reserved disclosers). Importantly, they found that neither style is automatically \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cbad\u201d\u2014blirting can strengthen relationships in some situations and cause problems in others, and the same is true for brooding.<\/p>\r\n But the researchers faced a measurement problem. People aren\u2019t always accurate when labeling themselves (\u201cI\u2019m an open book\u201d), and first impressions are unreliable (\u201cHe seems like a blirter\u201d). To study self-disclosure scientifically, they needed a consistent way to measure where someone falls on the continuum. That\u2019s why they created a brief questionnaire\u2014the BLIRT<\/b><\/span> scale.[footnote]BLIRT stands for Brief Loquaciousness and Interpersonal Responsiveness Test.[\/footnote]<\/p>","rendered":" Psychologists often assess a person\u2019s personality using a questionnaire that is filled in by the person who is being assessed. Such a test is called a \u201cself-report inventory.\u201d<\/p>\n Take the TIPI Personality Test<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n The questionnaire you just completed is called the TIPI: The Ten-Item Personality Inventory. It was created by University of Texas psychologist Sam Gosling as a very brief measure of “Big Five” personality characteristics: Extroversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Openness to Experience.<\/p>\n Most Big Five inventories are much longer (often 50+ items). The TIPI was designed for situations where time is extremely limited and a researcher needs a quick, \u201cgood-enough\u201d snapshot of personality. A longer inventory is usually better when someone needs a more reliable and detailed profile.<\/p>\n At first glance, the TIPI might make test construction seem simple: write a few obvious items, score them, and you have a personality test. That\u2019s exactly why you can find many online \u201cpersonality quizzes\u201d that look official but don\u2019t measure anything well.<\/p>\n In psychology, a questionnaire isn\u2019t considered a strong personality test unless it has evidence that it is:<\/p>\n Even widely used tests are continually studied, criticized, and revised as new evidence emerges.<\/p>\n Over the next few pages, you\u2019ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how psychologists build a personality questionnaire\u2014from defining a trait clearly to writing items and thinking about how to evaluate reliability<\/span> and validity<\/span>.<\/p>\n To keep the focus on test construction (not just familiar traits like extraversion), you\u2019ll work with a less obvious personality dimension:<\/p>\n Blirtatiousness<\/b><\/span> is the tendency to \u201cblirt\u201d<\/b><\/span>\u2014to share personal thoughts and feelings quickly and emotionally during conversation. Some people naturally disclose fast and expressively, while others are more private and restrained.<\/p>\n Imagine a couple\u2014Khalil<\/b><\/span> and Jen<\/b><\/span>. Khalil is entertaining and expressive; he rarely holds back, and you almost always know what he\u2019s thinking. Jen is kind and dependable\u2014the first to show up when someone needs help\u2014but they tend to keep their feelings and opinions to themself.<\/p>\n In the early 2000s, social psychologist William Swann and his colleagues studied self-disclosure<\/b><\/span> (sharing information about yourself with other people) and how it affects relationships. They described two common styles: \u201cblirters\u201d<\/b><\/span> (quick, enthusiastic disclosers) and \u201cbrooders\u201d<\/b><\/span> (more cautious or reserved disclosers). Importantly, they found that neither style is automatically \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cbad\u201d\u2014blirting can strengthen relationships in some situations and cause problems in others, and the same is true for brooding.<\/p>\n But the researchers faced a measurement problem. People aren\u2019t always accurate when labeling themselves (\u201cI\u2019m an open book\u201d), and first impressions are unreliable (\u201cHe seems like a blirter\u201d). To study self-disclosure scientifically, they needed a consistent way to measure where someone falls on the continuum. That\u2019s why they created a brief questionnaire\u2014the BLIRT<\/b><\/span> scale.[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\nWhy making a personality test is harder than it looks<\/b><\/h2>\r\n
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Build a Mini Personality Inventory: BLIRT<\/b><\/h3>\r\n
Creating the BLIRT Scale<\/b><\/h3>\r\n
Creating a Personality Questionnaire<\/h2>\n
Why making a personality test is harder than it looks<\/b><\/h2>\n
\n
Build a Mini Personality Inventory: BLIRT<\/b><\/h3>\n
Creating the BLIRT Scale<\/b><\/h3>\n