A Checklist for a Personality Assessment

While a potentially endless list of personality traits exists, there are few fundamental categories that are essential to personality assessment. The "Big Five" personality inventory has pinpointed five main elements of personality, and creating a checklist along these guidelines can help determine where an individual falls on the personality spectrum. The more questions (100 instead of 10) and the more options on the checklist (strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, strongly agree vs. yes or no), the more accurate the checklist will be.

Extraversion

• A checklist should include items that reveal whether an individual is an introvert or an extrovert. An introvert tends to feel drained when exposed to too much social interaction, while an extrovert feels recharged by this. Some items that may reveal introversion are "I need a lot of alone time" or "I prefer a few close friends to a large social network." Extroverts would agree with "I am sometimes considered the life of the party" or "I am comfortable talking to strangers."

Agreeableness

• Another element of personality will reveal whether an individual tends to be more agreeable or antagonistic. An agreeable person may be giving, helpful and sympathetic while an antagonistic individual may prove difficult and hostile. Questions that may reveal that a person is agreeable include "I usually think the best of others" and "Others consider me thoughtful and charitable." A person who is more antagonistic may agree with items like "I put myself before others" or "I don't mind engaging in arguments."

Conscientiousness

• This personality element reveals whether a person is conscientious or undirected. People who are conscientious tend to be organized and responsible, whereas those who are undirected are more "flaky" and disorganized. Questions that reveal that a person is conscientious could include "I prefer to have my work finished well ahead of time" or "I keep my documents well organized." An undirected individual may agree with items like "I have a hard time completing tasks on time" or "I avoid maintaining a set schedule."

Neuroticism

• A personality assessment should include items that reveal where along the spectrum an individual lies between neuroticism and emotional stability. Those who are considered neurotic may find that they tend to become anxious and depressed easily, while those who are more stable tend to be less affected by emotional and environmental stress. Neurotic individuals may agree with statements like "I am always worrying about something" or "I am easily hurt." An emotionally stable person would agree with items such as "It takes a lot for me to get irritated" or "I can keep my feelings under control."

Openness to Experience

• Another spectrum that can be assessed is how open an individual is to experience. An open individual will prove to be curious, imaginative and intellectual, while an individual who is not open would be interested in practical matters. Those who are open to experience might agree with statements such as "I have a complex and rewarding imagination" or "I enjoy learning new information." An individual who is not open might agree with a statement like "I am not interested in seeking the answers to the universe" or "I think philosophical theories are a waste of time."