Personality tests have exploded in popularity, from career counselling to team-building activities and even dating advice. But what’s behind these tests, and how can they genuinely help us understand ourselves better? Beneath the surface, each personality test is built on well-established frameworks that aim to capture the complexity of human behaviour.

In this post, we’ll explore some of the most popular personality frameworks, explaining them in a simple and engaging way so you can discover how each one can offer insights into your personality and your interactions with others.

Why Do People Study Personality Types?

People study personality types to gain self-awareness, improve relationships, and enhance job performance. By understanding your own traits and those of others, you can better navigate the complexities of everyday life, making informed decisions about career paths, relationships, and personal growth.

What Are the Big Five Personality Traits (OCEAN)?

The Big Five personality traits, also known by the acronym OCEAN, are considered the gold standard in psychology. Rather than boxing individuals into types, it focuses on five major dimensions of personality:

• Openness: A measure of creativity and willingness to try new experiences.
• Conscientiousness: How organised, responsible, and dependable a person is.
• Extraversion: The degree to which someone seeks social interaction and stimulation.
• Agreeableness: How compassionate and cooperative one is in relationships.
• Neuroticism: The tendency towards emotional instability and negative emotions like anxiety or sadness.

What sets the Big Five apart from other frameworks is its focus on a continuum. No one trait is inherently good or bad, but understanding where you fall on each spectrum helps shed light on how you interact with the world. For example, if you’re high in openness, you might excel in creative roles but struggle with monotonous tasks. The Big Five provides a dynamic view of personality, showing how traits interact in real-life situations.

How Does the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Work?

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a bit like the zodiac of personality tests, with millions swearing by it for understanding their true selves. Created by Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, this framework breaks personality down into 16 unique types based on preferences in four pairs of dichotomies:

• Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I): Focuses on where people derive their energy.
• Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N): How people gather information—either through the concrete and factual (S) or abstract and theoretical (N).
• Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F): The method people use to make decisions, either with logic (T) or emotions (F).
• Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P): Whether people prefer structured lives (J) or flexible, spontaneous ones (P).

While the MBTI has been critiqued for its lack of scientific rigour, its simplicity and ease of use have made it a go-to in professional and personal circles. It’s especially popular in career counselling, helping people align their personalities with job roles that fit their natural preferences.

The 16 MBTI Types

Why is the Enneagram Growing in Popularity?

The Enneagram stands out for its focus not just on behaviour but on underlying motivations and fears that drive personality. With nine interconnected personality types, this framework is used to help people understand why they act the way they do under stress or in harmony.

What makes the Enneagram unique is its focus on growth and transformation. It’s used in personal development circles to help people move beyond their automatic responses and achieve balance in their lives.

What Does the DISC Model Teach Us About Communication?

The DISC personality assessment focuses on four main behavioural styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. Unlike other frameworks that seek to explain deep motivations or broad psychological types, DISC is all about communication.

• Dominance (D): Results-oriented, confident, and assertive.
• Influence (I): Social, enthusiastic, and relationship-focused.
• Steadiness (S): Calm, patient, and cooperative.
• Conscientiousness (C): Detail-oriented, analytical, and accuracy-focused.

The beauty of DISC lies in its practical application, particularly in workplaces where communication is key. Many organisations use DISC to help employees understand their communication styles and adjust to work better with others, making it an essential tool for conflict resolution and teamwork.

How Can CliftonStrengths Help You Focus on Your Strengths?

CliftonStrengths, formerly known as StrengthsFinder, takes a unique approach to personality by focusing on talents rather than weaknesses. Developed by psychologist Donald Clifton, the framework identifies 34 strengths or “themes” that people naturally excel at, such as empathy, communication, or strategic thinking.

Clifton Strengths emphasises that people are most successful when they leverage their natural abilities rather than trying to fix their weaknesses. It’s widely used in corporate settings to build high-performing teams and improve job satisfaction, as employees are encouraged to play to their strengths.

So, Which Framework Is Right for You?

Each personality framework has its strengths, but they all serve different purposes. The Big Five offers a scientifically robust and nuanced understanding of personality traits, while the MBTI simplifies self-awareness into easily relatable types. The Enneagram explores deep motivations, DISC focuses on improving communication, and CliftonStrengths encourages people to harness their natural talents. Whether you’re looking for personal growth, better teamwork, or career alignment, one of these frameworks can offer valuable insights into who you are and how you relate to others.

By diving into the various personality frameworks, you’re not just uncovering how you tick but also gaining the tools to improve relationships, enhance job performance, and grow into a more well-rounded individual. Understanding these systems gives you a comprehensive view of human nature—and who wouldn’t want that superpower?

The Power of Understanding Personality Types

Each personality framework offers its own unique insights, but they all share the same goal—helping people understand themselves and others better. Whether you’re interested in improving communication, discovering your strengths, or understanding what drives your actions, there’s a personality framework to suit your needs.

Visit the Interpretr website to explore personality frameworks that can help you enhance your life. Curious about your own personality type? Download the Interpretr app today and find out how you can improve your communication, understand your motivations, and build better relationships based on proven frameworks like MBTI, Enneagram, and more.