What Is Personality in Psychology?

The short answer

In psychology, personality is commonly discussed as relatively enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that distinguish people from one another. Personality psychology is closely connected to the scientific study of individual differences. citeturn0search1turn0search2

What is a personality trait?

A trait is a relatively enduring tendency, such as greater sociability, conscientious behaviour or emotional reactivity. A trait is not a guarantee: a person can show different behaviour in different situations.

Personality is more than one trait

The Five-Factor Model describes broad dimensions commonly called openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. People differ in degree across these dimensions rather than simply possessing or lacking a trait. citeturn0search0

Traits and situations work together

Personality does not mechanically determine every action. Social roles, goals, relationships, incentives, stress and the immediate environment can change how a tendency is expressed. Modern approaches examine both person and situation rather than treating either as the whole explanation. citeturn0search5turn0search6

Why do people have different personalities?

Research points to a combination of biological and environmental influences. Heritable differences contribute to personality variation, but heritability does not mean that a trait is fixed or genetically predetermined. Development, experience, culture and social environments also matter.

Is personality stable?

Personality shows meaningful stability, especially in relative differences between people, but stability is not complete permanence. Personality can also change across development. citeturn0search3

Personality vs behaviour

Behaviour is what a person does in a particular context. Personality describes broader recurring tendencies. One action is therefore weak evidence for a whole personality judgment.

Personality vs mood

Mood is a temporary affective state, while personality describes broader and more enduring tendencies. A temporary state should not automatically be treated as a personality characteristic.

Personality and learning

Learning can change knowledge, skills and behaviour, while personality describes broader patterns of individual differences. They interact, but personality should not be reduced to everything a person has learned. See What Is Learning in Psychology?.

Personality and individual behaviour

Personality is one part of the explanation for why people behave differently. Our article Why Do People Behave Differently in the Same Situation? examines the wider interaction of person, situation and meaning.

How personality is studied

Researchers use self-report questionnaires, observer reports, longitudinal studies and behavioural or experimental designs. Each method has strengths and limitations. A personality questionnaire is a measurement instrument, not a complete reading of a person's identity.

What personality research does not justify

• A trait does not predict every behaviour in every situation.
• Heritability does not mean genetic destiny.
• Personality categories should not be treated as rigid boxes.
• A short online quiz is not a definitive personality assessment.
• One behaviour is not enough to infer an entire personality.

A simple framework

1. Trait: What recurring tendency is being described?
2. Context: In which situations does it appear?
3. Pattern: Does it recur across time or settings?
4. Development: How might age and experience influence it?
5. Evidence: What measurement supports the description?