ABSTRACT
The concept of implicit personality theory (IPT) refers to the everyday unscientific belief that people have concerning personality. IPTs allow people to form social inferences based on the limited amount of information they have about others as well as themselves. Nevertheless, the study of IPTs is largely omitted from undergraduate courses on personality because of the traditional emphasis on explicit theories of personality. The purpose of the course was to introduce students to the theories and research that form the basis of the psychological study of personality. Indeed, "the concept of IPT implies that we bring preconceptions to the formal study of personality". In this view, students' understanding of explicit personality theories will benefit from an appreciation of the role of IPTs when examining explicit theories of personality. The primary purpose of this study was to develop a survey that demonstrates to psychology students the existence of their own IPTs.
