[OT] Personality tests.

[jester47]

As some of you might or might not be aware I am testing to be a firefighter. While I have been making progress, it still will be another year or so.

Anyways, on to my conundrum. I just took a test and did really well, untilo the point where they started asking about my personality.

The test was done like this:

Statement

A) Strongly Agree
B) Agree
C) Don't know
D) Disagree
E) Strongly Disagree

Do anyone know how these tests work? How they are scored and such? I know they are looking for a certain profile, and so there is a certain way you have to be, but darned if I know what it is.

Aaron.

 

[mistergone]

One this I do know from a statistics class eons ago, is that that type of testing in inherently flawed. I don't remember how, unfortunately, but the way the responses are spread out over five categories or degrees of answer, is just not accurrate. Yeah, I know that's not too helpful, and most messageboarders demand exacting details and references sighted and whatever else nonsense, but as someone who has relied on gut-instinct most his life and often had that bear out to be accurrate, my ultimate advice is:

Don't worry about it. Answer as honestly and best as you can and move on. I'm sure you'll be fine. Don't make yourself fit into some profile you think someone wants.. it's being false to yourself and is bound to lead to grief.

 

[Michael Tree]

I'm currently in graduate school for clinical psychology, and part of my course work is personality testing, so I can help you out a bit. I don't know what specific test the firefighters are using (the 5 point scale is used in many different types of test), so I can't tell you how it is scored.

Your best bet is to answer truthfully, not to answer what you think the tester wants to hear. Many personality tests have specific ways of detecting when a person is trying to appear overly virtuous.

 

[Chun-tzu]

One this I do know from a statistics class eons ago, is that that type of testing in inherently flawed. I don't remember how, unfortunately, but the way the responses are spread out over five categories or degrees of answer, is just not accurrate.

Actually, if it was a professionally designed personality test, and standardized properly, it's about as accurate as it gets. Personality tests like the MMPI and MCMI are rigorously developed and regularly updated. They include "redundant" questions to ensure test validity and reliability, and after scoring, the test interpreter can tell if you took the test in a consistent manner, or just randomly filled in the squares.

 

[magnas_veritas]

Your best bet is to answer truthfully, not to answer what you think the tester wants to hear. Many personality tests have specific ways of detecting when a person is trying to appear overly virtuous.

And even if you think that you can figure out what the test is looking for, it's still in your best interest to respond truthfully. After all, you can't be sure of what the effects of answering the question will be.

Now, there should be some effect for that specific kind of test. I always *hate* the Strongly/Agree/Neutral/Disagree/Strongly answers. They make me formulate opinions that I didn't have a few seconds ago.

Brad (B.A. Psych...would you like fries with that?"

 

[Chun-tzu]

Do anyone know how these tests work? How they are scored and such? I know they are looking for a certain profile, and so there is a certain way you have to be, but darned if I know what it is.

That's difficult to say, since I don't know what questions you were asked. Like Michael (like Mike?), I'm also a grad student in clinical psych, so I know a bit about psychometrics.

Don't worry too much about what they're looking for. It's more to rule out certain types than to find "the right profile". If it's a standard personality test, then the test would probably pick up on any serious psychopathology in anyone taking it (which would obviously be a red flag to them).

Mostly, these tests determine how "normal" you are, in relation to the standardized norms. For a major test like the MMPI or MCMI, literally thousands of people have taken the test before you, and they all tend to score certain ways. Chances are, your profile won't be that different frlom the norm.

 

[jester47]

I have already gone that route and I got 30 questions wrong on that portion. At .645 % a question that was enough to knock me out of the running. I can't test for those departments again for 6 months. They are looking for a specific set of answers (or relations to previous answers) and the test is machine graded.

Perhaps I was trying to dsecond guess it who knows. It threw me for a loop and I feel that understanding them better would help me in answering them in such a way as I am not trying to anticipate what they want to hear.

Aaron.

 

[WayneLigon]

I never know how to answer those kinds of tests because most of the questions wind up in the 'it depends' catagory. I cannot give a complete answer because the answer would depend on the circumstances and they never give enough background.

 

[Chun-tzu]

There must be some kind of misunderstanding, Jester. A personality test by definition does not have right or wrong answers, that are each weighted equally. Nor do people re-take personality tests after a brief period like 6 months, to get a "better" score. Personality is considered a fairly stable construct.

If you've got your facts right, then this is not a standard personality test (and perhaps not a personality test at all). And if that's the case, it's hard for anyone to give any advice without more detailed information.

 

[Villano]

One this I do know from a statistics class eons ago, is that that type of testing in inherently flawed.

About 10 yrs ago, I was in a slight accident and hit my head pretty bad (I ended up with slight nerve damage as a result). Anyway, I had to take a whole series of tests including memory and other mental tests, one of which was some kind of personality test. Here's one question I remember:

My mother loves me more than my father:

A) Strongly Agree
B) Agree
C) Disagree
D) Strongly Disagree

Read that and think about it. Does it mean my mom loves me more than my dad does? Or does it mean that she loves me more than she loves him?

And what does it mean if you disgree? Does it mean it isn't true or the opposite is true?

Here's another one:

I've never been attracted to a member of the opposite sex:

A) Strongly Agree
B) Agree
C) Disagree
D) Strongly Disagree

Whaa...? How many people do you think misread that?

I was looking for the question that asked when I stopped beating my wife.

In retrospect, I'm not surprised that the test was so screwed up. It was the worst hospital I've ever been to. Trust me, I could tell you some stories about it. Hell, the eldery father of a friend of my mom's friend was killed by the interns...they dropped him on his head putting him on the x-ray machine.