... described using adjectives from everyday language that 'label' aspects of an individual's personality. For example, a person might be considered 'easy-going', 'good-natured' or 'fun-loving'. Further definitions describe people in bipolar terms such as reliable or unreliable (this is known as trait dimensions) and major structures of personality (such as being extravert or introvert) are defined as personality dimensions. The underpinning of trait psychology theory rests on the collection of empirically validated data. This is achieved through the use of questionnaires and tests conducted within a significant-size sample. In 1884, Galton (cited in Thomas, 2002) created what is considered to be the first psychometric test that enabled large amounts of data regarding individual differences in populations to be collected. Such tests have developed considerably since that time and now provide a high level of sophistication in personality studies. An illustration of psychometrics can be seen from Cattell (cited in Thomas, 2002), who ...

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