Personality and Behavioral Inventories

Personality and Behavioral Inventories

If you go to google and type in definition of behavior, you will get this; the way in which one acts or conducts oneself, especially toward others. On the same page, you type in definition of personality, you will get this; the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character. A behavioral inventory examines how you do what you do and the personality inventory looks into why you do what you do.

Bolton's People Styles Self-Assessment Inventory:

Under Bolton's self-assessment inventory, two key behaviors are described. The first is assertiveness; a person's level of assertiveness is the degree to which his behavior is typically seen by others as being forceful or directive. The second behavior is responsiveness; a person's level of responsiveness is the degree to which she is seen by others as showing her own emotions and demonstrating awareness of the feelings of others (Bolton, 2009).

Behavioral Inventory: Student Behavior Inventory

This test is used by teachers in order to observe the students and share the results with the parents on what the students can improve on and what they do well. The total test is out of 25 points and has five behavior categories: cooperation, attention, organization, completion of assignments, tactfulness. 

How do they relate to Bolton's inventory?

-Similarities?: Both emphasize on behaviors of individuals.
-Differences?: Bolton's assessment can be done by the individual but the student behavior inventory is done by the teacher. Bolton's is used for self awareness and discovering your personal strengths. The student behavior inventory is used for academic purposes and performance in the classroom.

Cost? Access to?: Free online

http://education.ky.gov/CTE/Documents/STUDENTBEHAVIORINVENTORY.pdf 

How are they used?: This behavior inventory is used by a teacher in the classroom in order to document how a student acts in class and then relay the information to the parent. 

Would they be useful for you to use in your future professional careers?  Why or why not?: I believe that this could be useful in my field. There is a possibility that I will ended up working with children through camps and classes. This could be a good way of showing progress and keeping an open line of communication with parents while their child is under my supervision.

Personality Inventory: NEO-PI Inventory 

The NEO-PI inventory is 240 questions that measure the big five personality traits: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience. A shorter version of the test has been created and is called the NEO Five-Factor Inventory.

How do they relate to Bolton's inventory?

-Similarities?: Similarities are that both of the tests can be taken by yourself or can be taken by the people you are surrounded by. They both show the type of person you are around other people.
-Differences?: The NEO PI-R test focuses on personalities (five) and Bolton's self-assessment only focuses on two behaviors. Bolton's self-assessment can be plotted on a graph, for example this would show that not every expressive is the same. Some expressives can be on the amiable side or some can be on the driver side. The NEO PI-R test labels you as one of the five personalities. 

Cost? Access to?: As far as I can tell, the test is free. I have copied the url for the test that I took. I did read that some tests that go to research have to be proctored in order to have control.

http://personality-testing.info/tests/BIG5.php 

How are they used?: The big five test is used as a model of the different personalities in the world of academic psychology. People take this quiz in order to better understand their own self-interests. Many websites, like the one I have listed above, allow users to access them for free and then collect the responses for research. 

Would they be useful for you to use in your future professional careers?  Why or why not?: I feel that this test is more for personal enjoyment and gain. As a person working within the recreation field, emphasizing in community, I won't know personality types. People will not be required to take a personality quiz before they go to an event or gathering. 

References:

Behavior: Adapted from The Pupil Rating Scale Revised by H.R. Myklebust, 1981, NY: 1981
Personality: Goldberg, Lewis R. "The development of markers for the Big-Five factor structure." Psychological assessment 4.1 (1992): 26.