ABSTRACT
Overview and Defi nition “What is he like?” As social beings, we are continuously interested in the behavior and personality of those we meet. We are curious if someone is quiet, honest, proud, anxious, funny, indiff erent, perceptive, or introspective. Th ose characteristics infl uence our experience of others and aff ect the quality of our relationships with them. When these characteristics tend to persist to varying degrees over time and across circumstances, we tend to think of them as personality. Certainly, we informally evaluate others’ personality all the time, but the clinical assessment of personality using psychometrically robust tools is an important component of the professional practice of psychology.
