Frequently Asked Questions
About Personality Science
How long does it take to get my results?
Do you see people of all ages?
There are lots of personality type tests and websites. Why Personality Science?
How much does a complete assessment cost?
Personality Type
Why would I want to know my personality type?
Why would I want to
know the personality type of others?
Can your personality change?
Why should I look at my personality type to find a good
career fit?
I don't like being put into a personality type category
What if I think
I have been assigned the wrong personality type?
Personality "Tests"
What do personality tests tell you?
How do personality tests work?
How
accurate are personality tests?
What if two personality tests disagree?
Why would I
want to take multiple different personality tests?
Is it possible to "cheat" on a
personality test?
Are there right and wrong answers to personality tests?
Are personality
tests the same as IQ tests?
Who is qualified to give personality tests?
Information for Students and Teachers
Do children and adolescents have measurable
personalities?
Can my guidance counselor help me?
Can I become anything – have limitless
possibilities?
Should my parents or teachers help me decide what to do with my life?
How
can I confidently choose which classes to take?
When should I try to “narrow” my education?
I
am in eighth grade. Am I too young to be thinking about my future career?
How do I
have more confidence in my goals?
I am worried that I may not be in the right major.
I
am really interested in lots of things–what classes should I take?
My parents want me to go into a particular field, but I’m not sure that is the right thing for me.
Interactions with Others
What are "people skills"?
What is “social intelligence”?
Can personality type predict whether two people will get along?
What kind of people
would I be compatible with?
Interests, Values and other Assessments
I already know what my interests are. Shouldn’t
I just pursue those?
How do aptitude and attitude interact?
How important is finding
an environment that suits me?
What are vocational values, and why are they important to measure?
Changing Careers
I have been out of the workforce for over ten years. I really have
no idea what else to do.
I want a career that makes me happier, but I’m afraid to
leave my job to explore something new.
My employer had me take a personality test. Why?
I am currently unemployed and not sure where to start.
Our complete assessment package is a very thorough and comprehensive look at your personality, vocational values, interests, and personal history. You have the opportunity to provide detailed information on the self-questionnaire, which allows me to further tailor your final report. When my analysis of all assessments is complete, we will have a personal consultation to review all of the information. You may choose to meet with me in person, or to speak with me over the telephone. In either case, you will have one-on-one consultation time, receive a customized and detailed, written report, and a follow-up CD recording of our conversation for your reference.
How long does it take to get my results?
Once you complete and I receive all assessment materials, I contact you within approximately 12 business days to set up our consultation.
Do you see people of all ages?
We see people who are at least 13 years of age.
There are lots of personality type tests and websites. Why Personality Science?
We do not believe that one, single assessment is of sufficient depth to understand the complexities of an individual. Each assessment is a small snapshot of just one aspect of a person on a given day. It is the intersection and experienced analysis of multiple assessments, along with additional, personal information that can help correctly identify a positive and satisfying occupational fit.
I have experience and training in the use of multiple, validated and reliable assessments. In addition to gathering other pertinent information about you, I make use of several of these instruments, not just one, and analyze and interpret the various results. You not only receive a comprehensive assessment of how your personality, values, and interests interact, but also the ability to speak with an expert about your particular results.
How much does a complete assessment cost?
The complete assessment package includes a live, personal consultation, a customized, written report with details about your personality, interests, values, selected career matches, and other guidance. A CD recording of our personal consultation is sent to you after the meeting. Cost for this complete package is $295.
Personality Type
Why would I want to know my personality type?
Knowing your personality type can help you learn to capitalize on your strengths and guide you toward situations and groups or careers in which your strengths are most valued and appreciated. This knowledge also helps you to anticipate and prepare for situations in which you might or might not be most comfortable. It is important to understand how you affect or impact other people. Knowing how others see you can also help you to see yourself more clearly.
Why would I want to know the personality type of others (my child, an employee, etc.)?
Understanding someone else's personality can give you insight to help you communicate more effectively with them. It is also helpful to recognize the different preferences others have. Simply having an awareness of how personality types are defined and measured is helpful in understanding others. Tasks and group work can be more effectively accomplished when each person is allowed to work in a manner best suited to their temperament.
Experts say that we are born with our personality, and that over time it becomes more stable and consistent. It is more likely that, instead of changing, your existing personality characteristics mature over time. This is particularly true with your primary preferences. I like to say that you become “more you” as you get older.
Why should I look at my personality type to find a good career fit?
Your personality type is just one of many factors to consider when thinking about future careers. No one is just like you. However, you likely share several characteristics with others. Many jobs have qualities associated with them that are naturally attractive to people with certain characteristics. As a very broad example, jobs in sales often attract people who are more extraverted, because extraverts get energized by being with and meeting new people regularly. If you uncertain about which careers will be right for you, it is often helpful to learn about and investigate some of the jobs in which people with your personality type have found satisfaction.
I don't like being put into a personality type category.
Scientists often describe things by putting them into categories. Many different categories or "dimensions" of personalities have been defined by scientists. If you are put into a personality category or are said to have a particular "personality type", it is because you are similar in one or more ways to other people who have been put into the category.
Personality scientists use sets of questions to efficiently help their clients uncover and discover what they think or how they might behave in hypothetical circumstances. At Personality Science, we recognize your uniqueness. Personality "type" assessments are only a piece of the puzzle. We do not rely on just one instrument when performing evaluations. Instead, we administer a set of instruments which are tailored to your needs. We use this combination of assessments to perform an individual analysis of you. Ultimately, the best expert on you is you. If your assessment results do not match who you know yourself to be, then it is important to work with your consultant to ensure that the best match is made.
What if I think I have been assigned the wrong personality type?
The only expert on you is you. If you do not find that your "assigned" type fits or suits you properly, then it is probably incorrect. You and your consultant should review types until you are satisfied that you have found the one that best fits. This fit is ultimately most important.
Several factors are involved in determining your personality type. If you take the assessment as part of interviewing for a job, or because it is requested that you do so by your employer, it is possible you might be uncomfortable answering each question as you would normally respond. If you have recently experienced a major life change (such as a birth, death in the family, illness, job change, or major move), your answers might fluctuate more than they would under ordinary circumstances. If you are depressed or are taking the assessment under duress, then, again, the results will potentially be skewed. Working with a qualified administrator of personality assessments will help you determine your "true" type.
Personality Tests
What do personality tests tell you?
Personality assessments can help us to better understand ourselves and others.
How do personality tests work?
These vary, but generally personality assessments will make statements with which you indicate a level of agreement. Other times, you indicate whether statements are true of you always, sometimes, or never. Personality scientists use these answers to gain a better understanding of your preferences, which can help illuminate aspects of your character. Keep in mind that no survey can predict personality type with perfect accuracy. Your results are meant to help you gain better understanding of yourself and others who have had similar results. Your results should never hinder nor restrict you in any way.
How accurate are personality tests?
Personality assessments are only as accurate as the accuracy of your answers. If
you cannot answer some questions confidently, the assessment may not be as accurate
as you would like it to be. Certain conditions (see the previous question) may influence
the accuracy of the personality assessment. Taking a number of assessments, or taking
the assessment again at a later date may increase the accuracy of the results.
The
most important goal is to verify what is true for you.
What if two personality tests "disagree"?
Generally, if you take two different, reliable and valid personality assessments, they will agree or have very similar results. If they do not agree perfectly, it is up to you to select the result that you feel most accurately represents your personality.
Why would I want to take multiple, different personality tests?
Not all personality assessments measure the same dimensions of personality. Taking more than one assessment can result in a more complete and picture of your personality. It is important to remember that people do not fit neatly and wholly into personality compartments. Every person is a unique individual. However, knowing you share some characteristics with other people, can often help in making some predictions about other aspects of your personality, Thus, these may serve as a guide in determining environments in which you will feel more comfortable, or careers that you might enjoy.
Is it possible to "cheat" on a personality test?
While it is possible to cheat when taking one of these assessments, it is never to your benefit. Many of these assessments have built-in lie scales. If you are taking this assessment prior to employment, then cheating on the assessment could seriously jeopardize your chances of getting hired for the job.
Cheating on the assessment represents you differently than you are. If you get the job based on an inaccurate representation, eventually, both you and the company may realize that you are not the most suitable person for that position. Another drawback to not answering the questions honestly is that you will not have the opportunity to gain insights about yourself.
Are there right and wrong answers to personality tests?
Actually, personality assessments are not "tests" at all. Rather, they are reflections of who you are, the way you communicate, how you identify and complete tasks, the way you work with others, how you are motivated, and more. Thus, there cannot be right or wrong answers. Being as honest and truthful about your answers as possible is the best way to have an accurate result.
Are personality tests the same as IQ tests?
No. Personality assessments measure inborn characteristics, such as your preferences, the way you handle situations, people, or problems, and how you see or interpret the world around you. Intelligence tests measure a person's aptitude or intellectual capacities. IQ tests measure logical reasoning, math skills, language abilities, spatial relations skills, knowledge retained, and the ability to solve novel problems.
Who is qualified to give personality tests?
People who administer and interpret personality tests must have had appropriate training. Depending upon the type of assessment administered, the required training may be a Master's degree, or the successful passing of a specially designed training program.
Information for Students and Teachers
Do children or adolescents have personalities that can be measured?
Absolutely. Some personality characteristics of an adolescent's personality may be fully developed, while other aspects are not as easily recognizable until they have matured more.
Can my guidance counselor help me?
It is in your best interests to use as many resources as you have available to you. You will have a significant advantage if your counselor knows you well and can work closely with you. In many schools, guidance counselors are often overworked due to responsibility for a large number of students. In these situations, it is difficult for even the best counselor to spend enough time with each student in order to help with career planning. It is important that together you look at multiple perspectives and assessments in order to optimize your selections. Your counselor should also discuss, interpret, and review all of your results with you. Many students find that a having a deeper understanding of their personality, work habits, preferred environment, and other factors, in combination with their counselor’s guidance, can lead to excellent results.
Can I become anything--- have limitless possibilities?
People of all temperaments and values, and those with a wide range of interests, are found in virtually every career. It is more typical, however, for persons of similar temperaments to gravitate toward jobs which have similar levels of autonomy, people contact, work habits, behaviors, creativity, and so on. No one should quit pursuing a dream because their "type" is not traditionally found in that role. Sometimes those who are unique in that way can bring a fresh perspective and approach to the job. Usually, incorporating interests with type, values, and environment needs is the best way to find a satisfying career match.
Should my parents or teachers help me decide what to do with my life?
It is never a bad idea to have people who know you and care about you give suggestions to help you with your life decisions. However, you know yourself better than anybody else does. What is most important is your own comfort level with your life decisions.
How can I confidently choose which classes to take?
Several factors are involved in selecting classes. First, your interests, experience, and abilities will steer you. However, many people have a lot of interests, and that complicates things. The desire to have a certain kind of lifestyle can lead people to make choices which may ultimately not be right for them. Combining interests, experience, and abilities with a solid understanding of the way you think, how you solve tasks, learn, and work with people can give you the most confidence when selecting which classes to take.
When should I try to "narrow" my education?
It is important not to limit your options too early. As we mature, our interests often change somewhat, and we want to have a nice, broad base of education as a foundation. However, too many options and interests can contribute to a lack of focus on any one subject, and can lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed or overworked. Teenagers might want to narrow their interests from five possibilities to two or three. Young adults might want to narrow theirs down to only one or two. Older adults changing careers or entering the work world will probably want to narrow their focus to one career goal.
I am in eighth grade. Am I too young to be thinking about my future career?
Eighth grade is a wonderful time to get educational and career direction. Why? For many students, the move from eighth grade to high school entails a move to a new building, and an environment in which the counselors and teachers do not know them well. It also marks the year in which the foundation for the high school years is actually made. The freshman year is a critical one for students, especially students who have set high academic goals. Determining and becoming confident in a solid educational direction early leads to numerous academic advantages, and encourages involvement in relevant extracurricular activities.
How can I have more confidence in my goals, my "direction" in life?
When you understand who you truly are, your fundamental nature, you will be able
to make choices and decisions with confidence. You will have greater awareness of
whether those choices truly resonate with who you know yourself to be.
Selecting a
career takes a thorough self-understanding. The ability to answer key questions about
yourself is crucial to determining your best career fit.
I am currently starting my junior year of college. My classes are OK, but I am worried that I may not be in the right major. I am already halfway finished with this one, and am getting very stressed out. Does this happen to a lot of people? What do you tell them to do?
Many students are faced with this same conflict. They may have started school with a general idea of what they might like to do, but time on campus, experience in the classes, part-time jobs, time, and personal growth have contributed to an unease with their initial choice of major. So often, students start school without a clue as to what their major should be. It is actually not unusual for students to select a major by default… that is, they take a certain number of classes and discover that if they add everything up, they are halfway to receiving a major. At this point, they make it official. It is not ideal, nor does it sound like they are following their passion.
Most people change their majors at least once in college, so while it is not unusual, it is frustrating, not to mention expensive! Please, do NOT worry that you made a declaration about what you wanted to do and now are not sure about it. Do NOT worry that you could be letting people down. If you are unhappy with your choice, the only person who really could be let down is you. It is never too late to find your best path in life, and if you know that you are not on the right path, start looking for it!
I’m still in high school, but I am really interested in lots of things. I like writing, acting, politics, literature, and working with children. I have absolutely NO IDEA what classes I should take, or even which colleges would be best for me. Can you help me figure this out?
Multiple interests can pose a unique challenge. While it is not advisable to narrow your focus to only one area of interest while still in high school, it is also difficult to become proficient in or take all the classes you need if you are interested in too many things. Fortunately, it is often the case that interests overlap, and one class can help further your progress in more than one of your interests. Remember, many of our interests turn out to be our vocations (jobs) and others turn out to be our avocations (hobbies). Therefore, you can always continue your involvement in your passions. Figuring out which ones will be instrumental in generating income for you, and which ones will be your hobbies can be difficult, however. By looking at your work values, your personal priorities, your temperament, as well as your interests, Personality Science can help you with this dilemma and get you on the path that will strengthen your options.
Attitudes are your feelings or moods toward things. They are ways of thinking. It is possible to change your attitudes, though it can be difficult, depending on how ingrained or important the attitude is. Many in the business world agree that employees' attitudes are their biggest concerns, because getting along with others is an important aspect to good business.
My parents want me to go into a particular field, but I am not sure that is the right thing for me. Should I give it a try? They are paying for most of my education.
Your parents want what is best for you. When it comes to which career or careers will be most suitable for you, you should be fully involved in the decision. Pursue goals that you believe in. If you need to take some time to evaluate your goals, or to have a career/educational consultation, it is best to do so before you spend time and money on education that may not be the right fit.
Interactions With Others
People skills are ways of relating or getting along better with others. A positive attitude is a good people skill, because others around you will notice. It reflects back to them, and lets them know that you are happy being with them. Other people skills include being a good listener, smiling, remembering names, and looking people in the eye when speaking with them.
What is "social intelligence"?
Social intelligence is your fund of knowledge about the social world. It is your ability to understand and manage other people, and to feel at ease in social situations. Good people skills are necessary elements of social intelligence.
Can personality type predict whether two people will get along?
Knowing yourself better is really the first step in understanding others. Tuning in to the subtle messages you receive from other people, and focusing on why you or they think or behave in certain ways can lead to greater appreciation and acceptance of the similarities and differences you share.
What kind of people am I going to be most compatible with?
You may find that you have a natural attraction to people who have some similarities with you in certain personality characteristics. People who use the same ways of communicating, or who have similar ways of tackling and solving problems may find stronger connections with each other. These commonalities give you a strong basis for understanding each other in ways that seem natural or instinctual to you both. Certainly, there are types who tend to easily get along with each other more often than they might with other types, but many individual differences play a role in compatibility. What is important to keep in mind is that well-adjusted people of any type can find ways to get along, and that great partnerships and marriages have been found with all personality-type pairings.
Interests , Values and other Assessments
I already know what my interests are. Shouldn’t I just pursue those? Does it mean I will be good at doing one of those jobs?
It is wise to work in a field that interests you, as that can help you stay motivated and increase your enjoyment of what you do. Many times people know they want to be involved in a particular area (health care or literature, for example), but find it very difficult to see the best place within that field for them. This is when having a greater self-understanding can be of enormous benefit.
If you are interested in something, you are more likely to want to work harder at understanding it or doing it better. As a result of greater involvement and practice, you may increase your ability level in a particular area of interest. However, a high interest score does not necessarily mean you have a high ability to do that thing well. We can help you discover fields which incorporate your interests as well as the other factors which will be important to your job satisfaction.
How do aptitude and attitude interact?
Aptitudes are your natural abilities. As with attitude, aptitudes are generally thought to be inborn. That is, you entered the world with certain talents, perhaps an ear for music, the ability to solve math equations quickly in your head, the ability to draw beautifully, or a propensity for learning language. Aptitudes measure your ability to acquire a skill or to do a particular type of work. Generally, aptitudes do not change over your life. Aptitudes can be nurtured and allowed to grow even stronger with practice, and you will find that tasks which require you to use your aptitudes come more easily to you.
How important is finding environment that suits me?
Feeling comfortable in an environment in which you spend a large portion of your life contributes greatly to your overall sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. You should not have to change drastically in order to fit in with the climate of your organization. When coworkers, bosses, or clients are not able to recognize or reward your contributions, you can quickly become unhappy with your job. This unhappiness can carry over into your personal life, and can lead to unhealthy levels of stress.
What are vocational values, and why are they important to measure?
Values are basic, enduring, pervasive, and powerful preferences, based on your individual needs. Measuring these needs helps to identify underlying values that are related to work adjustment, and specifically to satisfaction with work.
Changing Careers
I have been out of the workforce for over ten years. I don’t think I want to work in the same type of job I had before, but I really have no idea what else to do. How should I start?
One way some people get in touch with what they would really enjoy doing with their lives is to imagine that they have all the money they need, and no other limitations or constraints. What can they envision themselves doing with their time? Once they get past thinking of beach walks and naps, they are usually able to see themselves getting involved in something that intrigues them. For some people, this is an easy process. Others have a vague notion of what they might enjoy. Others can think of several things they might like to do, but feel constrained by their lack of training or education in that field. An assessment with Personality Science can help people discover how to become involved in a rewarding job, even if they do not want to return to school. Those who are willing to get additional education or training can gain confidence in the choosing the path that is right for them.
I really want to do something that makes me happier, but I am afraid to leave my job to explore something new. What do you usually recommend?
Before quitting your current job, take advantage of any opportunities you may have to experience some other fields. Volunteer work, weekend jobs, or classes can give you excellent exposure to other work environments. Some people discover that they are in the right field, but need the challenge or variation of another workplace. An assessment can give you an understanding of why you may be unhappy in your current situation, and what steps you could take to enjoy your work life more.
My employer had me take a personality test. Why?
Employers identify the qualities that it takes to do well at the position they wish to fill. As a result, they want to see how you compare to an "ideal" employee. Employers know that a good fit between the company and the employee makes for happier employees. Happier employees are less likely to look for other jobs, and are more likely to be valued employees
I am currently unemployed and not sure where to start.
Many people find that this is an opportunity to start over, to re-evaluate their priorities, and to finally focus on finding the best fit for who they really are. For some, the answer is right there in front of them. They only need to act upon their decisions. For others, the need to change is obvious to them, but the direction they should go is less clear. Having an objective assessment can clarify your direction for you. Once you have a direction, the information you receive from Personality Science can help you either select an appropriate educational course of action, or prepare a new resume, along with questions you should ask of prospective employers.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS