What Is A Temperament Test and What Does It Mean?

We’re all curious about what kind of personalities we have and what exactly they mean. There are many different types of personalities and temperaments out there, and it’s helpful to know what type you have so you better understand yourself and the relationship you have to those around you. 

A temperament is a specific type of personality that you have been prone to since you were born. Some aspects of your personality are shaped as you grow up, but some aspects have been there all along; for example, some people are naturally more shy, while others are natural risk-takers. There are four main temperament types: 

• Sanguine, a personality type that is extroverted. If a person is sanguine, they constantly seek social connections and are big risk-takers, often known as party animals. They tend to attract crowds, and easily make friends everywhere they go. 
• Choleric, another personality type that is extroverted. However, a choleric person is a natural-born leader. They’re good at quickly and efficiently making decisions. They’re very assertive, bordering on bullying in some cases, and believe in their own facts. 
• Melancholic, a personality type that is introverted. Melancholic people don’t enjoy being around others and prefer to spend time alone. They rely only on themselves, to the point where they don’t ask for help or get anxious when someone else tries to help. They tend to have artistic abilities and are perfectionists in many different aspects of life. 
• Phlegmatic, another introverted personality type. Phlegmatic people are caretakers and care a lot about others. They’re there for others as much as possible and try to make peace between people. They don’t show their emotions very often and want others to likewise bury the hatchet, as they get easily upset if others aren’t getting along with each other.

You can take a temperament test, which typically involves a series of questions that will tell you which temperament you match the most. You’ll get the results right away. Once you’ve completed a temperament test and gotten your result, what does it mean? First of all, it’s important to take more than one test to be sure you’ve answered questions consistently and you do indeed tend toward one of the temperaments more than others. Results can sometimes depend on the test or your mood as you take the test. 

Second of all, it’s rare that people have completely one type of temperament; in most cases, you will exhibit traits from more than one kind of temperament. Usually, you will have one dominant temperament and then have lesser temperaments of which you still partially fit. For example, an overall phlegmatic person can still be assertive sometimes or a great leader. Or you may like being the life of the party, but care deeply about others and want everyone to get along, often operating as the peacekeeper among your group of friends. 

Keep in mind that the result of your test just means you may have that temperament and that’s the result that fit you the most, but it isn’t necessarily true. Many temperament tests, especially ones online, exist for fun and are meant to act more as guidelines for your personality type. The most important thing is that temperament tests do not define who you are, as personalities are very complex. 

While online temperament tests do exist and there are many different kinds you can take, it also helps to seek professional advice on which temperament you have. A mental health professional can help you identify which temperament you were born with and work with you on your personality overall. While these professionals can be seen in person, they’re also available online through providers such as BetterHelp, where you can connect with a therapist and work on your personality at your own time and convenience. 

While it’s true that you’re born with a certain kind of temperament, this doesn’t mean you’re stuck with that personality type your entire life; it is possible to change and evolve, especially if you feel that you would like to change some negative aspects to your temperament. For example, people who are naturally born shy are able to work on their temperaments to become strong leaders or more extroverted in certain situations while still preserving their natural shyness. A mental health professional will especially be able to help you work on your temperament if you wish to do so.

Marie Miguel Biography

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health-related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.