Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Personalities

I've been fascinated for years (all right, decades) with the Kiersey Personality Sorter. It was based on the MMPI, which is a comprehensive test, something like 600 questions. The MMPI is used a lot in dealing with mental illness, but for people trained in what to look for it tells a lot more about the people taking it than they would ever dream.

The Kiersey is much shorter and has many practical uses. They give it to department heads at work. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions, but merely give insight into how the taker views the world.

Here's a real life example from the business world. I used to work as the lead secretary for a department that oversaw physical facilities--buildings, etc. My old boss developed a health issue and retired. He was a detail oriented person when it came to the budget and was very hands on. His replacement, however, was a big picture kind of guy. The finance director commented after the first budget meeting with the new director that he wished he'd known this about the new boss because he'd have prepared his presentation completely differently.

People's personalities change a lot as they mature, but settle in somewhere around twenty-five. So for young people under that age, their results are . . . questionable. Once you reach twenty-five, your scores aren't likely to change much. Now, there can be traumatic things people go through that would impact how they answer the questions, but eventually things settle down again.

Some people also answer the questions differently if they're looking at them as they are at home as opposed to at work. When I had a coworker mention that, it floored me because I am what I am. I'm the same at home or at work. With me, what you see is what you get.

What does this have to do with writing? When you're creating characters, their personality traits are important if you don't want them to be flat. But what characteristics fit which personality types? The Kiersey would be a great tool for that.

So over the next few blog posts, I'm going to be talking about different aspects of the Kiersey and what it has to say about people. It separates people into sixteen different personality types. I'll start with me. 
I'm an EXFJ.

The E means I'm an extrovert. (the other option is introvert, of course)

The X is going to be confusing because it means that I test dead even between the two options: S (sensing--dealing with information from your five sense) and N (intuitive).

The F means I'm a feeler. (the other choice is a thinker--don't even say it!)

The J is for judging. (the other option is perceiving).

If you have the time, I suggest you go and take the test and find out what you are. I'll start with the introvert/extravert topic next week.

Have you ever taken a personality test? If so what kind was it? What did you think of the results?

29 comments:

  1. I'm an idealist which is spot on. I haven't bought the full reports yet, but I look forward to your introvert/extravert topic next week (I know which I am LOL)

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  2. i love those tests! but i dont think i do well on them...

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  3. I've taken the MMPI, but not the Kiersey. The MMPI is as fascinating as it is annoying.

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  4. I'm an EIFP, but I'm under 25, so I'm not sure if it counts, lol

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  5. I want to take this. Maybe if I hit my goals for the day then I can :)

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  6. I have another friend who is obsessed with this test and is always analyzing what "type" people are. Look forward to the next post in this series.

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  7. I have taken aptitude tests to tell me what career I would be best at. It was always nursing or teaching. I know I am an introvert. I'll gladly take this test and see what it says. This is an interesting topic.

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  8. That's strange. It wouldn't let me finish my comment then published it. Oh well!

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  9. I love personality tests. My favorite one is the Color Code test found in the book (by the same name) by Taylor Hartman.

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  10. You're totally an extravert, Donna! And I love tests like these... I find them fascinating. Helpful too, when dealing with relationships and knowing how another person ticks. :D

    And how was I not following you before??? *is confused* ;)

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  11. This is fascinating. I'll have to take the test. In the meanwhile, I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts about Kiersey.

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  12. Fascinating! I think I will go take that test! Yes, I've taken the SCII (Strong Campbell Interest Inventory) which I found interesting as it showed I score very high in Investigative types and Artistic types in science, music/dramatics, writing, and teaching. I took the test long before I was in education or an author, so it's pretty cool how accurate it was. The other test I took was the Occupational part of the SCII which showed my "Very Similar" down to "Very Dissimilar" responses when compared to professionals already in the field - I score the highest (very similar) with Optometrists and Ministers! Fun, huh?

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  13. How interesting. I'll head over and take the test.

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  14. Interesting. I definitely want to take the test. Can't wait for the forthcoming posts!

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  15. I can't remember the book title, but my wife had me take one several years ago in the book. I had traits of both a leader and a solitary person. And I was a creative introvert!

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  16. I've never taken one, but I can see how these personality classifications and blends can be really helpful in character building.

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  17. Haven't done this one, but I've taken the Meyers-Briggs test, which I think is similar. I've always come out an INTJ on that test...an intuitive introvert. :)

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  18. Hmm... supposedly, I'm an ISFJ (The Protector). What a fun topic, Donna! :)

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  19. In high school I tested as an INTJ (Mastermind--makes up 1-2% of the population.) But now I'm more Sensing than Intuiting. (ISTJ) <<Must have been close since I think I'd be more Felling than Thinking now too.

    My husband is a hardcore mastermind and fits the Bill Gates/Walt Disney mold to a "T".

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  20. I've taken many of these throughout the years and mostly I felt that I have a certain personality at work where I was expected to be strong and confident and then I have my "real" self that is actually more of a bookworm and somewhat shy and reclusive. Don't get me started on the three faces of Eve.LOL

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  21. Already know I'd prob be an introvert, beyond that though who knows.

    And you like to cop a feely? Well there is nothing wrong with that..haha

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  22. My husband and I both took the test back in the '70s. We're both big-time Es, but on all the rest, we were complete opposites. Even so, we've been married for 43 years, so maybe opposites DO attract. (Plus, I think we've both probably moved more toward the middle on those scales over the years.)

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  23. Wow. This is a cool post. Characters do need personality and its cool that we can figure out our own personalities too. I will take the test sometime soon. The fact that personalities are set at age 25 is cool, since that's my age.

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  24. I'm an Idealist, which doesn't surprise me. I've taken quite a few tests in the past, but I can never remember the results :-)

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  25. Interesting! I haven't taken this. I want to! I'm going to check it out. Thanks.

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  26. I love this stuff:) My wife gave this test or one like it when she took Psych in college. I believe I came out as some sort of idealist. I wonder what I would be now? ;)

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  27. Love those test - took the Briggs-Meyer. INTJ was one result, the second varied by 2 letters (can't remember off hand but definitely an eye-opener in a way).

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