Analog by Night

I took this test sometime in 2007. I got the results the day I was laid off. I haven’t cracked that envelope until now. It’s pretty much what you think it is. Here’s your personality traits, here’s your co-worker’s. He’s not an asshole, you guys just differ. Interesting for a moment, but ultimately sorta…blech. They don’t really give you STRATEGIES for utilizing what you know.  Here’s what it says about me:

“This profile is triple dominant, with three preferred quadrants. These primaries occur in Upper Left A, Lower Right C and Upper Right D quadrants. This is a multi-dominant profile that would be characterized by the well-balanced processing modes of Upper Left A – analytical, logical and rational processing: Lower Right C – interpersonal, emotional and intuitive thinking modes combined with the artistic, creative and holistic processing modes of the Upper Right D quadrant. The Lower Left B secondary quadrant would be functional, yet clearly of less preference in terms of organizing, control, structure and conservative thinking styles. This profile is also double dominant in the cerebral modes, both left and right. This individual would be more experimental than safe-keeping and more emotional than controlled. Occupations would involve those with less administrative detail and more attention to broad concepts, strategic planning as compared to operational planning and those occupations tending towards a more ‘generalized’ nature. Positions involving technical innovation and future planning fit this profile along with human resource and development  professions. Work that is considered a “Turn On” would include: solving tough problems, explaining things, taking risks, designing, seeing the big picture, being part of a team and helping people.”

Most comfortable communication approaches may include:

• A good debate
• Technical accuracy
• Providing an overview
• Idea chunks
• Involving others
• Personal touch/sensitive to others

But may overlook:

• Written schedule and plan
• Punctuality

The most natural problem solving strategies would include:

• Visualization
• Free-flow brainstorming
• Intuition
• Analysis
• Building on ideas of other team members
• Defining the problem

But may not consider:

• Strict procedure
• Time lines

To make a decision, a person with this profile may ask:

• Have I seen all the hidden possibilities?
• Do I have all the facts?
• How will others be affected?

But may overlook

• The details
• An appropriate sequence

Today is Saturday. I’ve given blood, eaten a salad, had my first iced Americano, and am slogging through Jonah Lehrer’s pop-neuroscience-for-high-schoolers-essay-turned-hardback How We Decide.

Here are a few terms dropped in the last few pages that I need to learn a lot more about:  asymmetric paternalism (a new political philosophy), loss aversion ( a psychological force), and the framing effect (closely related to loss aversion).  If you know anything about these things, let me know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases

Go ahead and tell me how you maintain any verifiable continuity, logic, or purpose after offering up your beliefs, theories and feelings to this set of nasty cognitive tests.

I took the NEO-IPIP late in 2005 for the first time and the results were FASCINATING. Most interesting to me was that I did not judge myself as being very moral. Morality is a subcategory under Agreeableness, and I scored a 17 out of 100. That is frighteningly low. However the meaning of this isn’t so obvious. The test has this to say,

“High scorers on this scale see no need for pretense or manipulation when dealing with others and are therefore candid, frank, and sincere. Low scorers believe that a certain amount of deception in social relationships is necessary. People find it relatively easy to relate to the straightforward high-scorers on this scale. They generally find it more difficult to relate to the unstraightforward low-scorers on this scale. It should be made clear that low scorers are not unprincipled or immoral; they are simply more guarded and less willing to openly reveal the whole truth. Your level of morality is low.”

Sorry kids. Secrets—I got’em and they’re all the way down there.

So I took the test again tonight. Guess what has changed about my morality in 3 years? Absolutely nothing. Matter of fact it’s one of only two scores that didn’t change; the other being intellect (which is not to be equated with intelligence). Every major category (O-C-E-A-N) and every one of their subcategories had at least a three point change up or down except for morality or intellect. Which was also the third lowest score on the test (It was worsted by Gregariousness at 7 and tied with Self-Discipline at 17). Amazing. I see myself as very guarded, and that’s the one thing that hasn’t changed over the years.

Here’s the snapshot of the change.

Full graph after the jump

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