The study of personality is a field of study to explain how we human beings think, feel and do in a more scientific way to recognize patterns of human behavior. There are six options of the processes of thinking, feeling and doing before acting, based on the Psychodynamic, Behaviorism, Cognitive, Humanistic and Evolutionary schools of thought to explain human behavior. They are:
Option 1: Do, think and feel
- Do: I kill the snake.
- Think: The snake is dangerous.
- Feel: It is bad to kill it.
Option 2: Do, feel and think
- Do: I kill the snake.
- Feel: It is great to kill it.
- Think: The snake is dangerous.
Option 3: Feel, think and do
- Feel: I am terrified.
- Think: The snake is dangerous.
- Do: I flee for my life.
Option 4: Feel, do and think
- Feel: I am fearless.
- Do: I kill the snake.
- Think: The snake is dangerous.
Option 5: Think, do and feel
- Scenario 1:
- Think: Is the snake dangerous? Is it poisonous? If it is poisonous what should I do? If not what should I do?
- Do (Dangerous snake): Run away.
- Feel: I am scared of poisonous snakes.
- Scenario 2:
- Think: Is the snake dangerous? Is it poisonous? If it is poisonous what should I do? If not what should I do?
- Do (Harmless snake): I kill it.
- Feel: I hate snakes.
- Scenario 3:
- Think: Is the snake dangerous? Is it poisonous? If it is poisonous what should I do? If not what should I do?
- Do: I will gently shoo it off.
- Feel: I love snakes and am happy to leave it free.
Option 6: Think, feel and do
- Think: Is the snake dangerous? Is it poisonous? If it is poisonous what should I do? If not what should I do?
- Feel: I feel relaxed and calm.
- Do: I trap it and send it to the zoo.
Over the ages, Personality Psychologists have done extensive research trying to explain the how and why of human differences in the six processes of thinking, feeling and doing within their theoretical constructs. Taking the above scenario as an example, Personality Psychologists are trying to understand:
- What makes some people think that the snake is dangerous while others think the snake is harmless?
- Why some people feel calm, relaxed or even excited while others feel terrified and scared when seeing a snake?
- What makes a person either kill the snake or worship it or scream for help or flee for their lives or let it go or catch it and keep it as a pet or send it to the zoo?
Psychodynamic theoretical construct (Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung)
Let us explore the theories of how a person thinks feels and and what he or she does in the above scenarios. According to the psychodynamic psychologists, thinking operates at the conscious level of our minds. When this happens, a person may see many possibilities of reacting to the snake in the garden, which explains why a person chooses options 5 or 6.
Alternatively, the person may have some bad experiences with snakes in the past and has stored it in the pre-conscious mind which explains why a person is terrified and flees for his life. On seeing the snake the pre-conscious past is energized causing the person to kill it or flee for his life as in Options 1 – 4.
Behaviorism theoretical construct (Dollard and Miller, Ivan Pahlov, Skinner)
Behaviorism theorists posit that our behavior is either conditioned or learned. Conditioning takes place when we are repeatedly reinforced with teachings from stories that the snake is a very poisonous and dangerous reptile or snakes are likeable creatures and some may even consider it godly, and that snakes can be dangerous or harmless depending on its types. Learning takes place by watching and observing others besides our encounters and experiences with snakes. Some may have good experiences while others may have bad experiences with the creature. The encounter with a snake is a stimulus. How we respond depends on our past experiences with snakes which explain options 1 – 4 of thinking, feeling and doing processes on seeing a snake.
Social cognitive theoretical construct (Albert Madura, Kurt Lewin, Julian Rotter, Michel)
The cognitive theorists help us to understand complex behaviors where our behavior pattern varies between situations and across time. In the incident of a snake in the garden they take one step further by putting a gap between stimulus and response theory. The gap enables us to use our intellect to assess the situation where there is a snake in the garden, to generate solutions and anticipate the consequences of each solution before we deal with the snake. By so doing we have choices on how to deal with the snake in the garden explained in options 5 and 6.
Humanistic theoretical construct (Abraham Maslow, Aldefer, McCelland, Carl Roger, Sullivan and Murray)
The humanistic school of thought explains six options of thinking, feeling and doing by looking at the needs, wants, desires and motives behind how we think, feel and do. In this scenario, the humanist theorist would debate that it is the need for survival and security that causes a person to flee for his life or kill the snake. It may also be the motive to show off that motivates the person to kill it. The need for growth may enable a person to differentiate between a dangerous and a harmless snake and take the appropriate action. The need for respecting the rights of animals and to find meanings in life may explain why a person lets the snake go or sends it to the zoo.
Evolutionary and genetic theoretical construct
The evolutionary theorist posits that the evolution of our behavior has descended from the family tree of a common investor. In other words, our behavior is a function of our genes. The genetic make-up determines our instincts of natural choices in dealing with the snake. These instincts include many reflexes impervious to the influence of learning and experience which explain options 1 – 4 in the encounter with a snake in the garden.
The trait theorists (Allport Gordon, Catell, Goldsberg and McGrae)
The trait school of thought is not based on any psychological construct. They attempt to predict behavior by the use of factor analysis of the psychological traits under the five adjectival descriptors below:
- Openness
- Conscientiousness
- Extraversion
- Agreeableness
- Neuroticism
The five adjectival descriptors (OCEAN) are inadequate to include all psychological traits in the lexicon of the dictionary.
In view of the above, interpreting human differences based on one theoretical construct has its limitations.
It is imperative to develop an integrated model based on the multiple theoretical constructs for assessing human behavior more accurately. KYKO personality profile integrates the personality concepts of these schools of thought incorporating the needs and deprivation theories to address this issue.
To understand KYKO personality profile let us begin by asking why some people are working hard, willing to learn, motivated and are committed to their work while others are otherwise. The difference is that some people work hard to satisfy their innate needs and desires to accomplish some meaningful goals and progress while those who drift around have low priority in working, learning and achieving anything. From the above line of reasoning the Self Actualization dimension is developed and is defined as the need, want and desire for growth, achievement, fulfillment and to find meaning in life. The behavioral patterns of the self actualization dimension can be identified by the use of KYKO psychometric instruments or through observation of the person’s behavior. Generally there are two distinctive types of personalities under the Self-Actualization dimension. They are:
- Normal type: Personality with high need, desire or want for growth, achievement, and fulfillment and to find meaning in life. Such a personality is relatively psychologically advantageous and is healthier in their mental and psychological dispositions.
- Neurotic type: Personality with low need, desire or want for growth, achievement, and fulfillment and to find meaning in life. Neurotic personality is relatively psychologically handicapped and is unhealthy in their mental and psychological dispositions.
Why are certain people ambitious, confident and determined to take charge while others are soft, permissive and prefer to be led? What makes them that way can be either genetic or due to past experiences with their environment. The old axioms that leaders are born and leaders can be trained or cultivated are partial truths. In fact, our leadership qualities are determined by nature and nurture. Some of us may be brought up by hard-headed overbearing parents who want to take charge of our lives. There are two ways to cope with their upbringing. One is to fight them and get out of their clutches; the other is to accept it. The former gives us the pains, while the latter gives us the pleasures. If our genetic makeup is strong it will reinforce our will to continue fighting, if not it will diminish our willpower and destroy our self-esteem. It shapes our need for power, image, recognition and control in our later life. The egocentric dimension which explains the need for power, image, recognition and control is developed from this contention. The behavioral patterns of the egocentric dimension can be identified by the use of KYKO psychometric instruments or through observation of the person’s behavior. Generally there are two distinctive types of personalities under the egocentric dimension. They are:
- Assertive type: Personality with a high need, want and desire for power, image, recognition and to control the environment.
- Submissive type: Personality with a low need, desire and want for power, image, recognition and to control the environment.
What makes some people caring, friendly and sensitive while others are forbidding, aloof and insensitive? Perhaps, we can explain these differences from our past experiences stored in the pre-conscious level of our minds. Some people have a pleasurable past experiencing love, affection and care while others may have a painful past, often being used and abused by unscrupulous people in their environment. Those who experience pleasures become outgoing and enjoy socializing while those who have a painful past are anti-social, guarded and prefer to do things alone.
Our past experiences interacting and socializing with all types of people in the environment determine the strengths of the sociocentric dimension defined as the need, desire and want for love, belongingness, companionship, affiliation and social interactions.
The behavioral patterns of the sociocentric dimension can be identified by the use of KYKO psychometric instruments or through observation of the person’s behavior. Generally there are two distinctive types of personality under the sociocentric dimension. They are:
- Sociable type: Personality with high need, desire and want for love, belongingness, companionship, affiliation and social interactions.
- Asocial type: Personality with low need, desire and want for belongingness, companionship, affiliation and social interactions.
What makes some people obedient, meticulous and follow rules and regulations while others are not? To explain these differences is to track down their memory lane for events of their past. When protective and caring parents regulate the behavior of their child by means of the rules of conduct, the child, due to their genetic differences develops three coping mechanisms:
- Accept
- Rebel
- Adapt
If a child accepts regulations and feels comfortable, secure and protected, the child is likely to have a high respect for rules and social order.
On the contrary, if a child gets pains from living by the rules, the child is likely to rebel, disobey rules and regulations and would struggle to be free from the parental control to do what the child wants. The security dimension is developed from this contention defined as the need, wants and desire for safety, order, system, structure and protection. The behavioral patterns of the security dimension can be identified by the use of KYKO psychometric instruments or through observation of the person’s behavior. Generally there are two distinctive types of personalities under the security dimension. They are:
- Pragmatic type: Personality with high need, desire and want for safety, order, system and protection.
- Adventurous type: Personality with low need, desire and want for safety, order, system and protection.
A child with dominant genetic traits regulated by overbearing and dominant parents will initially fight back by deliberately disrupting rules and regulations in the child’s efforts to be free to behave in his or her own way. The child will gradually learn from the pains of being punished for rebelling against his or her parents. Eventually, the child will learn to adapt to his or her parents’ idiosyncrasies. This leads to the development of the manipulative dimension – the need to adapt, change, influence and use others for survival and growth.
Further, to understand the Manipulative dimension is to answer what one would do if one is put in a situation choosing between life and death for one’s family? One will try all means or ways to get money or food. One is likely to borrow, beg, steal and even kill to keep oneself and one’s family alive. Alternatively, one will just allow starvation to take one’s life and family. The former explains why some people are adaptable and can see many possibilities of wrangling out of a difficult situation while others are rigid and can be drowned in a crisis. It explains the Machiavellian way for surviving – the end justifies the means.
How would one react when one’s important goals are blocked by obstacles along the way? One may become strategic and try many possibilities to go around the obstacles to achieve one’s goals. Alternatively, one will bang one’s head struggling with the established ways of overcoming them.
From the above contentions the manipulative dimension is developed and defined as the need, want and desire to adapt, change, influence and use others for survival and growth. The behavioral patterns of the manipulative dimension can be identified by the use of KYKO psychometric instruments or through observation of the person’s behavior. Generally there are two distinctive types of personalities under the manipulative dimension. They are:
- Static type: Personality with low need, want and desire to adapt, influence and change for survival and growth.
- Dynamic type: Personality with high need, want and desire to adapt, influence and change for survival and growth.
The combination of the relative strengths of each of the five dimensions in a form of a pentagon enables us to interpret patterns of behavior.
KYKO assigns formulae based on the abbreviations of each personality type in the five dimensions for facilitating the interpretation of KYKO Five Dimensional Personality Profile.
The combination of the relative strengths of each of the five dimensions in a form of a pentagon enables us to interpret patterns of behavior.
KYKO assigns formulae based on the abbreviations of each personality type in the five dimensions for facilitating the interpretation of KYKO Five Dimensional Personality Profile.
| Personality type | High / low | Dimension | Abbreviation |
| Normal | High | Self – actualizing | HSA |
| Neurotic | Low | Self – actualizing | LSA |
| Assertive | High | Egocentric | HE |
| Submissive | Low | Egocentric | LE |
| Sociable | High | Sociocentric | HSO |
| Asocial | Low | Sociocentric | LSO |
| Pragmatic | High | Security | HSE |
| Adventurous | Low | Security | LSE |
| Dynamic | High | Manipulative | HM |
| Static | Low | Manipulative | LM |
Each of the above personality types has a cluster of distinctive traits that can be identified statistically using factor analysis.
KYKO posits that our behavior is sensitive to environment differences. According to Sigmund Freud, our personality is shaped through self and interpersonal conflicts and their resolutions when we are young. As such, all of us are abnormal to a certain degree due to the painful past when we experienced psychological pains that trigger a discharge of negative psychic energy and damage the rational component of our minds. Carl Roger posits that a favorable environment helps a person to self-actualize, grow, and become a fully functioning man and a better human being.
KYKO concurs with Sigmund Freud that human beings lie on the continuum of abnormal to normal. Normal human beings are relatively healthier psychologically and mentally. He defines a normal human being as a person who behaves rationally in a favorable environment while an abnormal human being behaves irrationally. Abnormal human beings are classified into two types namely psychotic and neurotic. The psychotic personality suffers from almost a total loss of rationality and is confined to the mental asylum. The neurotic personality has a degree of rationality depending on the level of their mental health.
KYKO believes that a favorable environment will assist the neurotic personality to self-actualize and become more normal while an unfavorable environment will de-actualize a relatively normal personality and makes the person more neurotic. KYKO posits that human personality is dynamic and alive. It actualizes and de-actualizes with the current and future experiences in our environment.
For example: A relatively normal personality can lose his senses if someone attacks his weak points or soft spots. However being relatively mentally healthy, he can restore normalcy when the situation returns to normal. A neurotic person can become a more normal person if he leaves an unfavorable environment for a favorable one . KYKO believes that no two personalities are alike even if they are identical twins. They may have differences in their genetic makeup and experiences even though they grow up in the same environment.
Interpreting personality profile
Human beings are complex homo sapiens. In the past numerous psychometric tests were developed to interpret the patterns of a person’s behavior. Some assessments are developed using one or two theoretical constructs while others are devoid of any psychological theories. Interpreting personality based on one or two theoretical concepts is akin to looking at a personality through one or two windows of a person’s patterns of behavior. It has its limitations and is akin to the proverbial six blind men of Hindustan trying to guess what an elephant is like.
Others lack the psychometric or measurement properties using forced choices and rankings to “measure” the items of the test. Certain assessment tests are developed with less than 50 items to predict behavior without due regard to the high standard errors that come with insufficient number of items.
Some assume that behavior is constant and is not sensitive to the environment. They use quadrants to interpret personality using adjectival descriptors. Almost all the available instruments put a number on the typology of human personalities. Human beings are not that simple that we can slot them into 16 and 32 pigeon holes. In fact, human personality types is infinite like our thumbprints.
KYKO, an instrument with the psychological and measurement properties addresses the above pitfalls (see Pitfalls of personality psychometric instruments and how KYKO addresses them). KYKO needs the support of psychologists and psychometricians to do ongoing research to develop an authentic psychometric instrument.
At this point of time, the research work conducted on KYKO are:
- Predicting performance using the five factor model and Cases Model (KYKO) of personality by Dr Chong Chien Fatt in his doctoral thesis at New Castle University, Australia
- Validation and calibration of items for the KYKO Instrument by Dr. Lee Ong Kim, a measurement specialist and the Vice President of World Education Research Association.
KYKO uses the compatible views of a group of psychologists to develop the five dimensional model (see KYKO premises, theoretical constructs and personalities characteristics). The interpretations of KYKO are based on the abbreviations of the five dimensions supported by a group of psychologists and are free from human bias.
Below are samples of the identifications of personalities using narratives of the contexts of people responding to the incident of the snake in the garden from option 1 – option 6.
Option 1: Do, think and feel
- Do: I kill the snake. An irrational act found in the neurotic cluster of traits (LSA) combined with traits of showing off, aggressiveness, courage and confidence found in the cluster of traits in assertive personality (HE).
- Think: The snake is dangerous. Negative or distorted thinking that all snakes are dangerous, a trait in the cluster of Neurotic Personality (LSA).
- Feel: I feel bad about killing it. A feeling of remorse implies a deep well for feelings, a trait found in the cluster of sociable personality (HSO).
Feeling bad about killing the snake indicates that the person has a deep well for feelings (HSO). The snake in the garden triggers the neurotic behavior of killing the snake thinking that all snakes are dangerous – LSA. The act of killing the snake reflects the personal power, courage and confidence of the person (HE).
By combining the doing, thinking and feeling of a person, the combination of dimensions of this personality is LSA+HE+HSO reflected in the statement: I kill the snake (LSA+HE), the snake is dangerous (LSA), I feel bad about killing it (HSO).
Option 2: Do, feel and think
- Do: I kill the snake. An irrational act found in the neurotic cluster of traits (LSA) combined with traits of aggressiveness, courage and confidence found in the cluster of traits in assertive personality (HE).
- Feel: I feel great about it. HE+LSO (HE-feeling of one’s personal power; LSO – a shallow well for feeling (found in the cluster of traits for Asocial personality) for a snake.
- Think: The snake is dangerous. Negative or distorted thinking that all snakes are dangerous, a trait in the cluster of Neurotic Personality (LSA).
The snake in the garden triggers the neurotic behavior from the preconscious mind (Negative doing and thinking – LSA). The feeling of being great comes from the lack of compassion for a snake (Low Sociocentric – LSO) and killing the snake depicts the personal power and courage of the person (High Egocentric – HE). By combining the doing, feeling and thinking processes of this person, the combination of dimensions of the personality is LSA+LSO+HE.
Option 3: Feel, think and do
- Feel: I am terrified. A feeling of fear and helplessness, a trait found in the cluster of traits for submissive personality (LE).
- Think : The snake is dangerous. Negative or distorted thinking that all snakes are dangerous, a trait found in the cluster of Neurotic Personality (LSA).
- Do: I flee for my life. An act of fear, lacking courage and confidence, traits in the cluster of traits in Submissive personality (LE) and the need for safety and to protect oneself from harm found in the cluster of traits in Pragmatic Personality (HSE).
The encounter with a snake triggers the feeling of powerlessness and fear from the preconscious mind (LE) and a distorted thinking that all snakes are dangerous (LSA) leading to fleeing (LE) and a need for safety to protect oneself from harm (HSE). By combining the feeling, thinking and doing process, the combination of dimensions of the personality is LE+LSA+HSE.
Option 4: Feel, do and think
- Feel: I am fearless. A trait found in the cluster of traits for assertive personality (HE).
- Do: I kill the snake. An irrational act found in the neurotic cluster of traits (LSA) combined with traits of aggressiveness, courage and confidence found in the cluster of traits in assertive personality (HE).
- Think: The snake is dangerous. Negative or distorted thinking that all snakes are dangerous, a trait found in the cluster of Neurotic Personality (LSA).
The snake in the garden triggers the neurotic behavior – (Negative doing and thinking – Low Self Actualizing – LSA). Feeling fearless and the courage to kill reflect the high need for power – (High Egocentric – HE). By combining the processes of feeling, doing and thinking in the context of the situation, the combination of personality dimensions is HE+LSA. I am fearless (HE). I kill the snake (HE + LSA) and the snake is dangerous (LSA).
Option 5: Think, do and feel
Scenario 1:
- Think: Is the snake dangerous? Is it poisonous? If it is poisonous what should I do, If not what should I do? The thinking process looks at the many possibilities of handling the snake – a trait found in the cluster of traits for dynamic personality (HM)..
- Do: Run away (dangerous snake). A trait found in the cluster of submissive personality (LE).
- Feel: I am scared of poisonous snakes. A trait that depict the need for safety found in pragmatic personality (HSE).
By combining the thinking, doing and feeling processes of the above texts, the combination of dimensions of the personality is HM+LE+HSE
Scenario 2
- Think : Is the snake dangerous? Is it poisonous? If it is poisonous what should I do, If not what should I do? The thinking process looks at the many possibilities of handling the snake – a trait found in the cluster of traits for dynamic personality (HM).
- Do: I kill the snake (Harmless snake). A neurotic trait found in the cluster of neurotic personality (LSA).
- Feel: I hate snakes. A neurotic trait found in the cluster of neurotic personality (LSA).
Hence the combination of dimensions of this personality is HM+LSA.
Scenario 3
- Think: Is the snake dangerous? Is it poisonous? If it is poisonous what should I do, If not what should I do? The thinking process looks at the many possibilities of handling the snake – a trait found in the cluster of traits for dynamic personality (HM).
- Feel: I am excited. I love snakes (Dangerous). Traits found in the cluster of traits for sociable personality (HSO).
- Do: I will gently shoo it off and let it go. A high respect for living creatures found in the cluster of normal personality (HSA).
By combining the thinking, feeling and doing processes the combination of dimensions for this personality is HM+HSO+HSA.
Option 6: Think, feel and do
- Think: Is the snake dangerous? Is it poisonous? If it is poisonous what should I do, If not what should I do? The thinking process looks at the many possibilities of handling the snake – a trait found in the cluster of traits for dynamic personality (HM).
- Feel: I feel relaxed and calm – traits found in the cluster of traits for normal personality (HSA).
- Do: I trap it and send it to the zoo – traits found in the cluster of traits for normal personality (HSA).
By combining the thinking, feeling and doing processes the combination of dimensions for this personality is HM+HSA.
Notice that the personalities identified in the scenario where a person sees a snake in the garden consist of two dimensional formulae and three dimensional formulae. To see the complete picture of a person’s behavioral patterns, a personality must consist of five dimensional formulae.
Conclusion
Clearly, interpreting behavior using KYKO personality profile based on the narrative of a context or a situation is logically a meaningful determination of a person’s personality (read article on Application of KYKO with Sample Case Studies extracted from Project on People Management Skills in www.scribd.com.) One can also use KYKO psychometric instruments to discover one’s personality. From the feedback of our clients, the reports generated have accuracy of 90% and above. KYKO psychometric instruments consist of self report statements varying from 150 to 200 statements drawn from self report statement banks to design a specific product customized for a specific purpose. The KYKO report is based on the intensities of the five dimensions as shown by the scores which are converted into measures, to interpret traits, characteristics and other qualities of the respondents.
Bernard A.T. Tan