How do personality assessments and personality theories correspond?

Answer by  shihitomi666 (48)

Assessments try and retrieve generalizations of a person's personality, in order to compare to other personalities. A theory can only be formed if there have been enough correlations derived from associations to make generalizations about certain types of people; association is not causation, which is why they're theories.

Answer by  annbart (17)

Theories about personalities have been around for ages. Freud, Skinner and even Dr. Phil have differing opinions and/or theories about personality traits. Personality assessments assess ones personality. Employers have started using these tests. Test results can provide valuable information about ones personality. This valuable information usually refers to personality theories.

Answer by  MechE (78)

Theories usually come from an analytical thought process. Assessments come from actual evaluations. They correspond by their order of sequence, theory before assessment, the same as think before you do.

Answer by  gmun (603)

In some cases personality assessments are a valuable way of ascertaining certain things about the person's personality; however as is the nature of most quantitative analysis, it simplifies somewhat complicated personality theories into little boxes and does not allow for flexibility with regard to extraneous factors or individual differences.