Candidate Selection: A Definitive Guide
Learn of candidate selection to improve your candidate selection process and build a high-performing workforce.
section one
What is the difference between trait vs type based theory?
There is often discussion within the realm of psychometrics regarding Trait-based and Type-based measurement, and which is the most beneficial when it comes to quantifying psychological constructs. An example of this would be personality questionnaires, in which we often see use of either the Myer-Briggs, which is Type-based or the IPIP, which is Trait-based.
Type-based measurement involves assigning candidates to a category based on their responses, whereas Trait-based provides a continuous measure of the candidate’s responses. Although Type-based measurement may allow for easier comparison between candidates, Trait-based measurement provides a truer reflection of the individual’s responses.
A good analogy for this would be the example of checking your bank account balance. If this were a Type-based measure, the information we would receive would simply be “A lot” or “Not a lot”, whereas a Trait-based measure would provide you with the exact amount of money within the account.
Although Type-based measurement may allow for easier comparison between candidates, Trait-based measurement provides a truer reflection of the individual’s responses.
Returning to our example of personality questionnaires, a Trait-based measure will quantify the degree to which an individual exhibits certain attitudes or behaviours specific to the construct being measured, whereas a Type-based measure will assign them to personality type A, B or C, assuming that all those within each category are the same.
