Limitations and future directions in personality psychology research

Thanks to the proliferation of industrial-organizational psychology and other areas for applied research such as human resources management, the future of personality psychology seems bright. Moreover, personality psychology has relied increasingly on verifiable instruments and quantitative methods, enhancing the credibility of the field. Personality psychology also has applications in clinical psychology, and can be used to treat individuals with specific Axis II diagnoses. In spite of the tremendous promise shown in the field of personality psychology, the field still does have limitations as well as strengths, as do all the areas of social science research. Current limitations in personality research include a reversion to determinism, especially as the theories like Big Five and other means of assessment are relied upon heavily in the human resources and education sectors. Diagnosing personality criteria is important and has some validity, but can lead to biased assumptions and misinterpretations of results. Moreover, basing human resources decisions on personality can be inherently problematic for organizations. Current personality research can also be beholden to the litany of theories in psychosocial development, which have limited application in clinical psychology. To address limitations in personality psychology research, it is critical to increase the use of verifiable survey instruments, reduce methodological weaknesses like criterion contamination, and continue to improve upon operational definitions within the field. Key areas of research include how to link personality characteristics with behavioral effects, and perhaps most importantly, how clinicians and counselors can apply methods like cognitive-behavioral therapy to actually changing dysfunctional personality constructs. Other promising avenues for future research lay more within the realm of cognitive neuroscience, helping to identify brain processes and structures or genes that are implicated in personality features.