Psychology

After discovering that each individual possessed unique qualities, behavior or characteristic traits, mans quest for self-awareness begun and therefore giving birth to a concept which come to be referred to as personality test.  Notable historical figures then devoted there time in the study of the field. An example is Hippocrates, a Greek philosopher physician who lived in the 500 BC. Cited as the first contributor of personality tests, he theorized that, the unique personality is affected by the four body fluids or humors, namely, the phlegm, black bile, yellow bile and blood. As Janda (2001) claims, centuries later, Galen expounded on the theory relating the four humors to temperate sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric and melancholic. He concluded that an ideal personality is a result of balance between the four temperate of the body, (Hart  Sherma, 1992).
 
Over the years, the study and development of personality has been on rampant growth. Various tests seeking to address specified areas of life have been, and still are being developed. Certainly, personality testing has found its full use in the employment environment. Continuously, managers are using the test to assess and project the future performance of there subordinates. To screen a job applicant or determine whether an employee should be promoted, two major approaches namely objective andor projective are being used, (Hart,et al,1992).Objective personality tests, which are based on straight forward multiple questions requiring are yes or no answer should be the preferred method. These kinds of tests have a number of advantages ranging from cost efficiency to easier interpretation of the test and data. Interest inventory tests, are one of types of objective tests designed to evaluate an individual level of interest in a range of activities, (Hart, et al, 1992). A good example is the Occupation personality questionnaire, OPQ or OPQ32 which is widely used to determine the subject, work behavioral style. On other hand, due to the ambiguity nature of proactive tests, they should be least preferred in screening employees. The result derive from them is questionable since there structured in an unclear manner and can illicit a number of response. An example is the Rosarch test, which is used to measure the intellectual level of the subject and his or her control over impulse and emotional stimuli, (Janda, 2001).
     
There is nothing wrong with applying objective or any other personality tests in human resource management. However, there legality should be backed by the fact that they are applied according to the directions and specification of their developer. For example, testing a marketer using a math problem design for an accountant is discriminatory and therefore  should not only be considered as illegal but also unethical. Again there use should consider the situation of the subject. If this is compromised the employer runs the risk of coming into conflict with law provisions and acts such as the disabilities act. Finally it should be noted that, preferring a certain type of quality can be looked upon as not appreciating the uniqueness of each individual, (Janda, 2001).

No doubt, the use of personality test is progressively increasing. Particularly in employment, managers believe that the tests minimize the chance of making wrong hiring decisions. However, Concerns of both employees and job applicant should trigger the need of improving the current existing tests andor reduce employer reliance on the tests. By doing so, it is not only the employees who are due to benefit but also, employers will benefit from advantages that come along with a diverse workforce.