Personality Measures & Self-reflection
Aliza Zaidi
Benedictine University
PSYCH 1100
Dr. Eubanks
November 20, 2025
Personality Tests
In this essay I’ll be discussing my results after taking three personality tests. The tests I took
were 16PF, Big 5, and Temperaments. Each of these tests measure an array of personality types,
behaviors, and emotions. I will be using my results from these assessments to judge whether they
are accurate or not.
The Outcome
My results from all three assessments were consistent, there was a clear pattern. The result of the
16PF assessment uncovered that I am extremely warm, lively, abstract, and open to change; these
are some of the more positive traits. I am also emotionally unstable, submissive, lawless,
sensitive, and not self- reliant. As for my results for the 4 Temperaments; sanguine (20),
melancholic (16), choleric (14), phlegmatic (9). This assessment showed that I am an
enthusiastic, extroverted person, but I also lack focus, organization, and impulse control. The
outcome for the Big 5 assessment was: extroversion (86), emotional stability (3), agreeableness
(85), conscientiousness (4), intellect/imagination (65). The results of this assessment were
extremely like the other ones.
How do the results compare and differ?
The results from all three of the assessments were surprisingly consistent, the questions
themselves were similar, if not the same. The assessments described me as extroverted,
expressive, and emotional. This was shown through my high warmth score (3.7) on 16PF,
sanguine temperament, and level of extroversion (86) on Big 5. The assessments also concluded
I am emotionally sensitive and carry a lot of tension. This is shown by my low score on
emotional stability (0.8) on 16PF and on Big 5. Although the assessments differed in what
specific aspect they focused on, they all came to the same consensus. The 16PF broke down my
personality into specific traits and showed my results more precisely. OSPP 4 Temperament was
social and emotional based and broader, they assigned me a specific temperament. Lastly, the
Big 5 focused on the five types of personality and where I fit into those categories.
Accuracy
Most of the descriptions of my results were accurate and they felt true to me. There were some
that didn’t fit me, but for the majority I would say it extremely accurate. I was extremely
surprised at how accurate it was, and it also helped me see how my results affect what based on
my behaviors and traits. Especially the analysis that I got from the 4 Temperament assessment, I
didn’t know what sanguine meant but after reading the description it felt much like me, that was
the most accurate. Overall, the consensus for all the assessments was that I am extroverted,
emotional, empathetic, and impulsive. The top two traits I have are, my social presence and
emotional intensity. Anyone who knows me is aware of how strongly I project those traits, so
based off that these tests were scarily accurate for me. Although my results were accurate for me,
it was challenging to not let my current mood or emotions steer the direction of my answer, I had
to really think about myself in general and not in the moment.
Are These Acceptable?
“There is also an increased likelihood of test takers being inclined to answer in ways that are
intentionally or unintentionally more socially desirable, exaggerated, biased, or
misleading.” (OpenStax, 2020) according to the textbook assessments like these can be
unreliable and inconsistent due to different ways of answering the questions. The current state of
a person can alter their answer resulting in inaccuracy. My opinion is like the quote, the current
wellbeing can significantly alter the results, for example, a person who’s having a bad day will
most likely lean a specific way when answering questions, but those answers could also be not
how they feel normally, therefore it’d skew their result. In my case it was accurate only because I
put aside how I currently felt and focused on patterns that I’ve noticed in myself, it was easier to
differentiate the two but that’s not the case for the vast majority. Theres also an external factor,
people could also put “acceptable” answers to not make them stand out if there’s other viewing
their answers or results.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I enjoyed taking the assessments and understanding the specific traits that’s shape
my behavior and personality. I’ve also an emotionally intelligent/aware person, so the results
themselves weren’t surprising, because I was already aware of most of the traits/personality traits
I was shown. Overall, I don’t think the assessments are a foolproof way of determining
personality for the majority.
References
OpenStax. (2020). Psychology 2e. OpenStax. [Link]