Three Personality Quizzes For Personal Growth You Won’t Want To Miss

Medically reviewed by Paige Henry
Updated February 21, 2024by BetterHelp Editorial Team

When was the last time you took a good look at yourself and wondered, "Who am I? What type of personality do I possess?" 

When we think about ourselves, it can be logical to respond with a list of adjectives that we believe best characterize us. However, most of the time we might not think about why we describe ourselves as caring, shy or independent. Instead, many of us might move casually through life, failing to assess our inner state of being and simply believing that we know ourselves completely at this higher level. But do we?

Sometimes, it's the people closest to us, like our family or the friends we cherish, who might know us the best. From the outside looking in, it's them who may see our true personalities when we don't. 

Many find that our personality differences are what make the world more enjoyable to live in. It can be our personality that drives us into doing things the way we do. That’s why it can be helpful to analyze the reasons we behave a certain way—and put into practice things that will help us to grow.

Starting the process of self-discovery?

Where do we get our personalities from?

According to renowned psychologist Carol Dweck, our personality can stem from three basic needs. The need to know our world (predictability), the need to have control over it (competence) and the need for social acceptance. The theory goes on to hypothesize that psychological needs can arise from combinations of these three key areas.

Many experts believe that we start forming our beliefs and identifying needs during infancy. How those needs are met can greatly influence one’s ability to perceive the world. It can also directly affect one's personality over time.

Personality quizzes

Personality tests help us assess our strongest and most vulnerable traits.

They may help us improve in certain areas we didn't realize we needed work, or to feel confident in our more desirable traits that we naturally might have. 

There are many fun quizzes on the internet nowadays. However, personality tests created by psychologists can be the most important tests to take if you want to begin to analyze your personality.

One reason taking a personality test can be important to you is because it may help you navigate through the many careers that you might be considering. For example: You might have wanted to be a lawyer when you were a kid, but come high school, you might have decided to become a social worker for a non-profit organization. A legit personality test can help you choose the right career for you.

Another thing to consider is that a personality test can help you determine what type of person you are when handling social interactions, and how to improve on these skills once you receive feedback about your traits. This can help you to have a greater depth and level of maturity to your personality overall and can be very beneficial to those who are interested in personal development-oriented tasks. 

Ever wonder which traits you possess? You might choose to take a psychologically based personality test and see for yourself. There are many legitimate personality quizzes available. Below, we’ve listed the top three that can provide the most value to many: 

Myers-Briggs test (MBTI)

This personality test was created in the mid-1900s and was designed to be aligned with Carl Jung's findings of consistent psychological behaviors. According to the Meyers & Briggs Foundation, the four dichotomies proposed by Jung were a basis for extending said dichotomies to 16 types.

The MBTI generally tests your likeness for being outgoing (via the extraversion metric) or shy (via the introversion metric). It also can test your sensing (S) and intuition (I) proclivities, as well as your preferences throughout the decision-making process. This is generally measured through the thinking (T) or feeling (F) metrics. This understanding can then be deepened with a subvalue that indicates how you perceive things—via judging (J) or perceiving (P) metrics. 

The Meyers-Briggs system, then, uses these personality descriptors to help you understand if you align most with types and roles, such as: 

  • The Analyst (associated with the roles of logician, architect and the commander)
  • The Diplomat (associated with the roles of advocate, mediator, protagonist and the  campaigner)
  • The Sentinel (associated with the roles of logistician, defender and the executive)
  • The Explorer (associated with the roles of virtuoso, adventurer, entrepreneur  and the entertainer)

OCEAN personality test

Also known to many as "The Big Five," this personality test can look for five major human personalities that are commonly encountered throughout the world. Knowing your “Big Five” can help you to determine your preferences, your skills and any special predispositions that can make you who you are.

Scores are generally based on percentile for this personality test, possibly helping experts and statisticians to quantify how many people in a population align with a certain profile. Certain demographic factors can also be taken into account, such as your gender, educational and work background, ethnicity and age.

The Big Five was created in the 1940s and has been refined by many other experts over the years. This research led to the conclusion that our personalities can all point to five dimensions:

Open-mindedness: A higher score might go to those who align with original and creative types, while those with lower scores in this category may align as more conventional and “down-to-earth" beings.

  • Conscientiousness: High scores in this area generally indicate reliability and someone who is well-organized; low scores can indicate someone who may still be reliable (but who may find value re-organizing and re-prioritizing their tasks).
  • Extraversion: High scores in this category may indicate those who might feel as if they present with sociable and fun-loving characteristics. Conversely, low scores here can indicate individuals who may be shy, inhibited or quiet.
  • Agreeableness: High scores in this category can indicate those who may feel as if they are good-natured and sympathetic. However, lower scores might indicate those who feel as if they are more critical.
  • Neuroticism: People who rank highly for these scores may feel as if they experience things more intensely than others, which can indicate a higher possible prevalence of negative emotions—such as anger, depression or anxiety disorders.

If you’d like to take the Big Five personality test, you can do so via this site. You will be offered 50 questions and may be asked to answer a few questions about your personal demographic profile.

DISC personality test

Many have found that this test has been widely used by corporations and businesses, both big and small. It can help to assess what personality you have in the workplace, and it can also help you to better understand your colleagues. DISC profiles can also help recruiters and executives choose the most effective hires when new roles become available, as they can more strategically create their team or task force. You can take the test for free.

Starting the process of self-discovery?

You've taken a test—now what? Here’s how you can benefit from online therapy

Once you have taken a personality quiz, you may want to explore the results more fully. This is where BetterHelp can help. A licensed therapist can offer more insight into your personality and how you can work on any areas you may believe require improvement. Plus, this form of therapy can be started from the comfort of your own home or another safe place, possibly offering a more convenient option compared to in-person treatment methods. 

Is online therapy effective? 

Online therapy has helped many people work on building strength in areas that can be grown. A recent study has noted that it offers comparable benefits for those living with anxiety disorders, depression or personality disorders when compared to online therapy. This can be impactful for those who feel as if they could have a higher quality of life through healthy and strategic personality changes and mental health support. 

Takeaway

Personality tests can be helpful as we work to determine what makes us “tick” as people. They can support healthier personal development journeys, better hires and more. Online therapy can also be a helpful tool for those wishing to pursue self-improvement and discovery. It’s been suggested to be just as effective as in-person therapy for a range of conditions, including depression and anxiety disorders. BetterHelp can connect you with an online therapist in your area of need.
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