The philosophical approach to personality study is based on a broad view of man as is nature is revealed by history, literature, and general observation. Some psychologists have attempted to unite the philosophical approach with that of objective measurement.
A good example of this is found in the Study of Values test. The Study of Values is a self-inventory devised to measure the relative importance of six basic motives in an individual’s personality: theoretical, economic, aesthetic, social, political, and religious.
This classification is based directly upon Eduard Spranger’s Types of Men, a brilliant work which presents and defends the view that the personalities of men are best known through a study of their values or “philosophy of life”.
Questions are included in this test which defines the following types in terms of what people think is worthwhile in life.