7 Powerful Personality Assessment Scales Therapists Can Use for Faster, Reliable Diagnoses

Therapists often face a recurring challenge: using non-standardized or homegrown personality assessments that lack scientific rigor. These tools, while convenient, often lead to ambiguous results, unclear scoring, and inconsistent therapeutic direction. Without clinical validation, it becomes difficult to track a client’s mental health with confidence, making therapy more reactive than proactive.

Validated and premade personality assessment inventories remove this uncertainty. Tools offered by platforms like BlockSurvey are research-backed, HIPAA-compliant, real-time scored, interpretation built-in, and designed specifically for therapists. With clear scoring guidelines and reliable benchmarks, these assessments streamline diagnosis, speed up intake, and enhance treatment planning.

Below are 7 trusted personality assessments available on BlockSurvey, ready to use in your next session.

Big Five Personality Inventory (BFI-S)

Purpose: The Short Big Five Inventory measures the Big Five traits—Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism—in a quick yet reliable format.

Why use it in therapy:

• Offers a comprehensive personality snapshot for intake and goal setting.
• Supports long-term treatment planning by identifying core traits.
• Helps in exploring interpersonal or occupational fit and stress triggers.

When to use it: Ideal for early-stage assessments or when crafting individualized therapy approaches.

Target Population: Adults and adolescents, applicable in both clinical and coaching contexts.

Available Subscales:

Subscales
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Neuroticism
Openness

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Dark Triad Personality Test

Purpose: The Dark Triad Personality Test evaluates three socially aversive traits i.e. Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. It provides insights into manipulative, self-centered, or callous behavior patterns.

Why use it in therapy:

• Helps flag potential relational challenges or manipulative tendencies.
• Supports clinical work around antisocial behavior, emotional detachment, or control issues.
• Aids in risk assessments for certain interpersonal or occupational contexts.

When to use it: Use when clients present signs of interpersonal manipulation, lack of empathy, or show emotionally exploitative patterns.

Target Population: Adults and older adolescents in clinical or counseling settings.

Available Subscales:

Subscales
Machiavellianism
Narcissism
Psychopathy

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Histrionic Personality Scale (BHPS)

Purpose: The Brief Histrionic Personality Scale evaluates traits associated with Histrionic Personality Disorder, including emotionality, attention-seeking, and impressionistic thinking.

Why use it in therapy:

• Identifies clients with high emotional expressiveness or theatrical behavior.
• Supports interventions targeting self-esteem and emotional regulation.
• Helps differentiate between personality features and other mood disorders.

When to use it: Use when clients present dramatic, attention-focused behaviors or report unstable relationships.

Target Population: Adults in personality-focused or trauma-informed therapy.

Possible Outcomes:

Outcomes
No noticeable histrionic features
Noticeable histrionic personality features
Clinically significant histrionic personality features

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Grit Scale (GRIT-S)

Purpose: The Grit Scale measures perseverance and passion for long-term goals, assessing psychological resilience and sustained effort.

Why use it in therapy:

• Useful in resilience training and motivation-building sessions.
• Helps track progress in clients facing burnout, stagnation, or setbacks.
• Aligns with behavioral goal-setting and self-improvement therapies.

When to use it: Use when clients struggle with follow-through, emotional fatigue, or low motivation.

Target Population: Adolescents and adults, particularly in goal-oriented, behavioral, or coaching settings.

Possible Outcomes:

Outcomes
Not at all gritty
Extremely gritty

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Risk Propensity Scale (RPS)

Purpose: The Risk Propensity Scale assesses an individual's tendency to take or avoid risks in decision-making across various domains.

Why use it in therapy:

• Provides insight into impulsivity and risk-reward reasoning.
• Helps tailor interventions for clients with harmful risk-taking behaviors.
• Supports behavioral management and cognitive reframing work.

When to use it: Use when addressing impulsive behavior, addiction, or decision-making challenges.

Target Population: Adults and adolescents in clinical, occupational, or coaching contexts.

Possible Outcomes:

Outcomes
Low risk taker
Balanced risk taker
Moderate risk taker
High risk taker

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Sensation Seeking (AISS)

Purpose: The Sensation Seeking AISS measures the desire for novel, intense experiences and willingness to take risks to achieve them.

Why use it in therapy:

• Identifies traits linked to impulsivity, boredom intolerance, or risk behaviors.
• Supports interventions in addiction therapy, thrill-seeking behaviors, or emotional regulation.
• Aids in understanding lifestyle patterns and behavioral triggers.

When to use it: Use with clients who engage in high-stimulation or potentially dangerous activities.

Target Population: Young adults, adolescents, and individuals in substance abuse or behavioral therapy programs.

Possible Outcomes:

Outcomes
Low sensation seeking
Moderate sensation seeking
High sensation seeking

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Oxford Risk Index

Purpose: The Oxford Risk Index measures personality-driven financial decision-making and attitudes toward investment risk.

Why use it in therapy:

• Useful for clients experiencing stress around money or decision paralysis.
• Helps differentiate between rational concerns and anxiety-driven financial behaviors.
• Supports cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approaches to money-related issues.

When to use it: Use when clients struggle with financial planning, gambling tendencies, or anxiety tied to financial uncertainty.

Target Population: Adults in clinical, coaching, or financial therapy settings.

Possible Outcomes:

Outcomes
Lower risk
Lower to medium risk
Medium risk
Medium to higher risk
Higher risk

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Conclusion

Using non-validated assessments can delay progress, distort diagnosis, and make therapy more labor-intensive than it needs to be.

BlockSurvey offers a therapist-friendly solution: HIPAA-compliant, research-backed personality assessment templates that are instantly deployable and easy to interpret. With these powerful tools, therapists can focus less on assessment creation and more on what matters—guiding clients toward real, measurable progress.