Big Five Personality Tests have Substantial Weaknesses

1. Big Five Personality Tests have Substantial Weaknesses From the people at: Personality and Aptitude Career Tests.com By: Kelly Kubec and Jacob Toscano

2. Presentation Outline • Introduction of Big Five personality traits • Application of Big Five personality traits • Weaknesses of Big Five personality test • Alternative Measures to the Big Five Personality test • Cognitive and Motivational Properties of Personality • Relation of Big Five to Motivational and Cognitive Properties

3. Big Five Personality Traits • OCEAN • Openness to experience • Conscientiousness • Extraversion • Agreeableness • Neuroticism ( Emotional Stability)

4. Application of Big Five in Business • Personality assessments are a useful tool in hiring decisions. • Big Five assessments have shown to provide useful predictions of future job performance. • Big Five can identify perspective qualities of associates for higher management. • Big Five assists success of high-involvement management by locating combinations of big Five traits likely to provide a foundation for important core competencies.

5. Weaknesses of Big Five Personality Test • Concept personalities • Controlled Response • Cultural Influences • Too Complicated to Describe • Level of Your Self Estimation • Advice before Encountering Big Five Test

6. Concept of Personality • What is Personality? • Big Five test suggests that your personality will remain the same in real world situations. • “ Personality is an amazing abstract entity. You can improve, refine and even control your intensities. It proves the results of the Big Five test can’t be definitive throughout your life.”

7. Controlled Response • Tests claim to measure intensities to the Five big factors • Limited options from a multiple choice questionnaire • Applicants will answer questions to make them more appealing and to ensure their success • Results of tests fail to build a definitive personality profile

8. Cultural Influences • Big Five personality traits give certain statements. Asked as to whether they agree, disagree or even stay the same. • Test takers answer with the most culturally and socially acceptable responses. However, its not what the person may feel like doing when situated in the same environment. • By answering to the culturally and socially acceptable response, they prove in the eyes of their employer that they are honest. • So many results of the Big Five personality tests are culturally tainted.

9. Too Complicated to describe • There are 16 types, 4 temperaments and even 12 astrological signs. All together these are able to provide a more tight box of the individuals personality. • The Big Five only mentions 5 degrees toward each factor. • “ Different people have different levels of intensities.” • Computing all the factors of a single personality, requires a lot of time and is difficult to interact and describe them. • Only specialist have the resources for such an investigation and many times it requires a large budget. However, at times the specialists may still be unable to get the answers they need.

10. Level of your Self Estimation • How much do you respect yourself? • Carolin Showers states that, “results of psychometrics depends upon the level of your self-esteem.” • High level self-esteem = awareness and convergence on personal strengths rather than weaknesses. A low level-self esteem would be the opposite. • It is advised prior to taking the Big Five test, to know your strengths. • By knowing your strengths it will affect your personality profile and better your self respect.

11. Advice before Encountering Big Five Personality Test. • The Big Five test claims that it neither tests your virtues nor the fitness capability of a certain job. • A high intensity in any of the 5 factors may qualify you for one position and disqualify you for another. • However, with moderate intensities you are considered to be able to shift from one side to another with the change in your situation. • Always be honest. And inconsistent personality is never good for a job or career position. • Opportunities will come as you further your interaction of the social evolution.

12. Alternative Measures to the Big Five personality test • Use reference list of former employees provided by applicant • Effective screening methods with updated information of employees • Prioritize of job skills for needs of company

13. Cognitive Properties • Cognitive Properties - Perceptual and thought process that are properties of an individual and affect their ability to process information. • Authoritarianism – The degree to which the individual believes in obedience to authority, conventional values, and legitimacy of power differences in society. • Self-Monitoring – The degree to which the individual presents and image that he/she thinks people want to see. • Locus of Control – The amount of control to which the individual attributes to themselves and exterior factors.

14. Motivational Properties • Motivational Properties – Stable differences in individuals that energize and maintain overt behaviors. • Achievement Motivation – The degree to which the individual wants to perform, whether to surpass or meet the standard of excellence which includes competitive situations. • Approval Motivation – The degree to which the individual wishes to present his/herself in a desirable manner during evaluative situations.

15. Relation of Big Five to Motivational and Cognitive Properties • The understanding of personal traits of employees allows for best use of the Motivational and Cognitive Properties • Allowing individuals of similar traits to work in together • The Big Five gives the management more effective ways to control properties of motivational and cognitive behavior • The relation of the Big Five and Motivational and Cognitive properties ensures alignment within the company

16. Sources Article: http://www.personality-and-aptitude-career-tests.com/big-five-personality-tests.html Youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7mEh53rTc0