personnalité

Personnalité is a set of enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that distinguish individuals and persist across time and situations. It shapes how people perceive themselves and others, how they respond to challenges, and how they relate to their social world. While personality remains relatively stable, it can adapt in response to major life experiences and aging.

One widely used framework is the Five-Factor Model, or Big Five, which identifies five core dimensions: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Other models include the HEXACO framework (which adds Honesty–Humility) and various typologies such as the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator, though the latter is less accepted in scientific research due to methodological criticisms.

Personality development results from genetic predispositions interacting with environmental influences, including family, culture, education, and life events. Heritability estimates for broad personality traits are substantial, while mean-level changes over the lifespan reflect maturation, role transitions, and social context.

Assessment typically relies on self-report inventories (for example, the NEO-PI-R, NEO-PI-3, Big Five Inventory) and informant ratings; there are also situational and behavioral observations. Applications span clinical psychology (risk assessment, psychotherapy planning), personnel psychology (selection, development), and education (guidance). Personality is distinct from temporary mood and from disorders; extreme patterns may indicate a personality disorder as described in DSM-5 or ICD-11.

Cross-cultural research shows both universality of certain traits and cultural variation in trait expression. Researchers emphasize measurement equivalence and cultural bias; findings inform debates on the nature of personality, its malleability, and the balance between universality and context.