What is your experience with and assessment of personality tests?

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   bBereanposted 11 years ago

   I am not soliciting your results, or even proposing debate on the merits of these tests.  Personally I have many doubts and concerns with "psychology," but my purpose here is not to explore those.  I am simply inquiring on the experience of others. 
   
   In the interest of entertainment, several of my friends, colleagues and I, have now taken the Jung Typology Test, (Meyers-Briggs), and been surprised, amused and intrigued by the accuracy of the results.  At least in our social microcosm, results have been admittedly impressive.  Armed with your "personality type" your just a Google away from all sorts of conjecture on what it all means, as well as how different types might improve relations.  It can also be fun to see who else, both real and fictional, might share your "type."  You will also find rationalization for why you may do what you do, and how you might mitigate your weaknesses or exploit your strengths.
   
   I am aware of the controversy that surrounds these tests, but increasingly they are being used and considered  by social groups and even employers.  What has your experience been and what is your assessment based on that experience?
   
   There are many sites you can go to, and I have taken tests at several of them over the years, (curious if results would waver).  If your interested, here is the most recent one I used:  http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

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      Brenda Durhamposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hi bBerean.  I put these tests in the same category as lie-detector tests.    Unstable and unproveable, and maybe useless.
      But I do kinda see a need, perhaps, to be informed about personality tests since, as you said, they're being increasingly used.
      
      I don't have any experience with them,  so I'm sorry I can't add to your thread here.
      I might go take that test you linked to, though,  just for my own experience.
      
      ((eh.......I might let ya know if I actually took the test,  but I reserve the right to keep all results to myself for any reason whatsoever!!   hahhaha). 

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         bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks Brenda.  I just found it entertaining.  Not sure there is any point sharing the results publicly, as anyone could say they were anything, (kind of like sharing results of IQ tests).  Besides, there are those that would probably just try to use it against you.  I was just looking for an overview of what folks had experienced and thought, so if you do decide to take it please let me know how close you feel it was to accurately describing you.

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            Beth37posted 11 years agoin reply to this

            What is your love language?

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               bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               I am almost afraid to ask.    Is that another online personality test?

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                  Beth37posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  Yes, you haven't heard of it?
                  
                  http://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/

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                     bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     Okay, now I'm curious and will have to check it out later.  Going to be AFK again, (I saw you guys figured that out fine last time).

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                        Beth37posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        computer with a K? No... keyboard... ok.

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                           Brenda Durhamposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           hehhheee
                           
                           I think I'll go try the love language one.........

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                              bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                              Yes, it is "Away From Keyboard".  I even know of some cafe's and bars that cater to geeks in tech areas around the country that use "AFK" as or in their names.

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                                 Beth37posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                 Someone loves them.

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                        Brenda Durhamposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Okay when you get back from being Away Finding Kittens  (errrr....Absent From Keyboard)  teehee............tell me what you meant by googling it for extrapolations.

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                           bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                           Haven't left yet.  I just meant Google whatever "type" you turned out to be and you will find people have written different things about that type.  Some are fun and interesting.  It was when exploring those that I became intrigued.  We had many distinctively different personalities trying it and the commentaries we ran across really were spot on for us.  It was fun.

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                              Brenda Durhamposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                              Okay.  Yes I bet that will be fun!

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            Brenda Durhamposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Hey again!
            
            It only took a few minutes to take that one test.   
            
            Actually, I'd say it was about 80% correct within the range it encompasses (which is very small and generalized).
            And I daresay that's typical of most people's results. 
            
            Even their scoring and the words used in their scoring is............not comprehensive enough.    The test is way too simplistic and I don't see how they draw the conclusions they do based on such detached, short, generalized questions.
            
            So, yeah, I found it quite..........frivolous,  I guess, is the word I'm looking for..........
            Kinda like the so-called "psychic" who asks if the client knows someone named "Bob"...........haha.........most people do.
            
            As of right now, if I were a potential employee or otherwise subject to a test like that,  I think I'd demand that the would-be employer also take the same test and let me decide if I wanna be employed by them!
            (I do, however, understand and see the possible usefulness of employee questionnaires that ask what a person would do if they saw so-and-so stealing, or would they themselves take a pad of paper or pencil home that wasn't theirs, etc....)

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               bBereanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               I would be curious to see what you think if you take that type now and start Googling it for extrapolations.

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   Brenda Durhamposted 11 years ago

   My primary love language, according to that test, is
   Acts of Service
   Second is words of affirmation.
   
   Makes sense.
   I've always just done household duties and such without needing to be praised for it or attention brought to it.
   My husband is the opposite-----he will point out everything he does and practically beg for praise for it.   Yet he ignores the things he could do to make my job easier, like, he won't put his dirty clothes in the hamper, he'll carry in mud on his shoes and expect me to clean it up, etc.
   So yeah,  I would feel much more loved if he would automatically pay attention and not cause me even more work.    But if I have to ask for that,  then it's not automatic and doesn't come from his heart.

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   Zelkiiroposted 11 years ago

   Personality tests are garbage. I would elaborate if there were anything to elaborate on.

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