Thorndike has classified the personality on the basis of

Question

Accepted Answer

Thorndike's classification of personality is indeed based on **thinking and imagination**, which aligns with his work on different types of intelligence.

Here's a detailed explanation:

**Why Option 4 (thinking and imagination) is correct:**

Edward Thorndike, a prominent psychologist, is well-known for his work on intelligence. He classified intelligence into three main types:
1.  **Abstract Intelligence:** This type involves the ability to deal with ideas, symbols, words, and concepts. Individuals high in abstract intelligence are good at thinking, reasoning, and imagination. They excel in academic and theoretical tasks.
2.  **Social Intelligence:** This refers to the ability to understand and manage people, and to act wisely in human relations.
3.  **Concrete (or Mechanical) Intelligence:** This involves the ability to deal with concrete objects and things, such as tools and machines.

When considering personality classification based on these types of intelligence, the dominant mode of thinking and imagination (abstract intelligence) significantly shapes an individual's personality and preferred activities. Therefore, Thorndike implicitly classified personality based on the prominence of these cognitive functions. A person primarily driven by abstract intelligence would exhibit a personality characterized by deep thinking, theoretical pursuits, and a rich inner world of imagination.

**Why other options are incorrect:**

*   **1. physique and appearance:** Classifications based on physique and appearance are primarily associated with theorists like Ernst Kretschmer (who proposed types like pyknic, athletic, asthenic) and William Sheldon (who proposed somatotypes like endomorph, mesomorph, ectomorph). Thorndike's work did not focus on physical attributes for personality classification.

*   **2. creativity and originality:** While creativity and originality are certainly aspects of cognitive ability and involve thinking and imagination, Thorndike's fundamental classification was more broadly about the *types* of intelligence (abstract, social, concrete) rather than specifically using "creativity and originality" as the primary *basis* for personality types. Creativity is a manifestation of abstract thinking, but not the direct classification basis he proposed for personality.

*   **3. adjustment and intelligence:** While Thorndike extensively studied intelligence, and intelligence can certainly influence an individual's adjustment to their environment, he did not classify personality *on the basis of* "adjustment." His classification system for intelligence (abstract, social, concrete) is what is most directly linked to his approach to understanding individual differences, which then informs personality. "Adjustment" is a broader concept often used in other psychological theories, but not the primary axis for Thorndike's personality classification.