The personality is a mix of characteristics that partly determine how you adapt to your environment or how you react in a certain context. Robert McCrae and Paul Costa (National Institutes of Health, USA) discovered in the 1970s that these traits can be grouped into five dimensions. Their model, which has since become known as the 'Big Five', is based on research that investigated the relationship between personality-related adjectives such as 'friendly', 'industrious' or 'easy going'. Using the statistical technique of factor analysis, scientists searched for the minimum number of different categories needed to reliably summarise this information. The adjectives clumped together into five groups:

• openness to experience (inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious): How open is a person to new ideas and experiences
• conscientiousness (efficient/organized vs. extravagant/careless): How goal-directed, persistent and organized is a person
• extraversion (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved): How much a person is energized by the outside world
• agreeableness (friendly/compassionate vs. critical/rational): How much a person puts others’ interests and needs ahead of their own
• neuroticism (sensitive/nervous vs. resilient/confident: How sensitive a person is to stress and negative emotional triggers

Each cluster is a continuum from, say, very introverted to very extraverted, a spectrum. Most people are somewhere in between the two opposites.

Take the test: Free Big Five Personality Test - Accurate scores of your personality traits (truity.com)

Doe de test: Persoonlijkheidstest #1 Gratis, Betrouwbaar en Valide Big Five Persoonlijkheidstest (123test.nl)

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® helps support your personal well-being and professional performance goals by providing you with a deeper understanding of what makes you you. With these insights you can make more informed decisions, better communicate with others, and build stronger relationships, all based on the science of your personality.

What is the MBTI personality assessment? This video walks you through the basics of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator framework. It explains each of the preference pairs and how those might show up in the real world.

More information about the personality types: Personality Types | 16Personalities

Take the test: Personality Test of Myers & Briggs' 16 Types | TypeFinder® (truity.com)

Doe de test: Gratis persoonlijkheidstest, typebeschrijvingen, relatie- en carrièreadvies | 16Personalities

Interested in the best jobs for your personality type?  The Best Jobs For Your Personality Type - Learn Something New ! (dailytenminutes.com)

DISC theory, researched by Dr. William Moulton Marston at Harvard University, is a method of identifying predictable actions and personality traits within human behavior. Marston narrowed these predictable personality traits into four DISC personality types. DISC consists of the combination of four temperaments (Dominant, Interactive, Stable, and Conscientious) and maps out a person's preferred styles, strengths, communication and opportunities for growth. DISC increases knowledge of behaviour, helps to solve and avoid communication conflicts, increases individual effectiveness within organisations and stimulates the use of talents.

DISC can be used both individually and in teams. Individually, you gain more insight into personal qualities, the preferences and needs behind behaviour, and where people may lose energy. For teams, it is mainly about the optimal composition and learning to understand each other better so that you can communicate more on the same wavelength. This way you understand each other much better!

Take the test: Free DISC Personality Assessment Test [No Email Required] (onlinepersonalitytests.org)

Doe de test: DISC test | bepaal gratis volgens het DISC model je persoonlijkheid en profiel | 123test.nl