Question

Describe briefly some Indian personality tests.

Answer 1

In the past, Indian psychologists relied on foreign tests to assess intelligence, personality, aptitude, and achievement. However, as psychological testing and mental measurement evolved in India, experts recognized the limitations of using foreign tests without proper adaptation to Indian culture. As a result, there has been a growing interest among Indian psychologists in both adapting existing foreign tests and developing new, culturally relevant tests to accurately measure various personality traits and characteristics in the Indian context.

1. The Multivariable Personality Inventory (MPI), developed by B.C. Muthayya for adults, is designed to assess various personality traits such as need for achievement, neuroticism, introversion, dominance, and self-confidence. The test includes a total of 50 items.
2. The Tripathy Personal Preference Schedule (TPPS), created by R.R. Tripathy, is a multi-trait personality scale that assesses 15 different personality variables. These include Affiliation, Autonomy, Exhibition, Achievement, Dominance, Endurance, Aggression, Heterosexuality, Order, Interception, Deference, succorance, Abasement, Nurturance, and Change. The test typically takes around 50 minutes to complete.
3. The Dependence Proneness Scale (DPS), developed by J.B.P. Sinha, is designed to measure an individual's tendency toward dependency as a behavioral disposition. The test contains 50 items and uses a five-point rating scale ranging from “Quite true” (5) to “Not at all true” (1). It assesses four main components: affection, affiliation, lack of internal control, evasion of responsibility, and conformity. A higher total score indicates a greater level of dependence proneness.
4. The Jodhpur Multiphasic Personality Inventory (JMPI), developed by Mallick and Joshi, is an Indian psychological test that is modeled after the MMPI. It was specifically created using an Indian sample, making it more culturally relevant for assessing personality within the Indian context.