Your strongest belief is
Honesty
Now that you know that Honesty is one of your core convictions, let's take a look at how that value influences your emotional landscape — the way you experience the 8 key emotions, and how intensely you feel them.
As you read your report, know this: Experts agree it's healthy to experience a full range of emotions. Some, such as happiness, are pleasant to experience. Others, like anger, may make you feel uncomfortable. Just remember that even emotions that might not feel good (like anger or sadness) may still be good for you. To avoid a certain feeling, you might try harder to avoid getting into a similar position in the future — thereby sparing yourself those bad feelings again. Overall, emotions can serve as a means of expression as well as tools for self-protection and motivation. Here's what yours say about you.
This section will reveal the intensity at which you experience the 8 key emotions (Happiness, Respect, Fear, Sadness, Hostility, Anger, Expectancy) on a scale from low to high. Read the Take Action recommendations and find out how to manage your emotions, regardless of where they are on the scale.
EXPECTANCY HAPPINESS RESPECT
Curiosity Peace Appreciation
Expectancy Happiness Respect
ANGER Yearning Elation Admiration FEAR
Irritation Anger Fury HONESTY Panic Fear Worry
Hatred Despair Interest
Hostility Sadness Wonderment
Disinterest Brooding Shock
HOSTILITY SADNESS WONDERMENT
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Peace Happiness Elation
Happiness is an incredibly powerful and positive emotion. Most of us would agree that we'd like to have as much happiness in our lives as possible. Tickle's research has shown that the experience of happiness is strongly linked to feeling competent. When you feel like you can aptly handle what life sends your way, you're more likely to feel the exhilaration of happiness. A sense of connection and belonging is also closely related to your capacity for happiness.
Your test results have revealed that you tend to experience happiness at a high intensity. When something really good happens in your life, you want to jump for happiness and sing your praises to the mountaintops, sharing your news with anyone and everyone. Your happiness is generally exuberant, as opposed to tranquil. While others may be more inclined to turn their happiness inward and experience it on a more personal level, you're more likely to express yours. These feelings of euphoria can be exhilarating, and as long as they are experienced in moderation, they are the icing on the cake of life.
Appreciation Respect Admiration
The capacity for respect is the gateway to a deeply fulfilling life. Respect in ourselves and others involves taking risks and being able to bounce back if those risks don't pay off. Tickle's research has shown that the ability to respect is strongly linked with a bounty of positive attributes, particularly a sense of self-reliance. When we can count on ourselves, it feels safer to give our respect and our faith to others. A high sense of self-worth is also closely related to your ability to feel genuine respect.
Your test results have revealed that you tend to experience respect at a high intensity. When you place your respect in others, you're likely to hold them in the highest regard. Your respect is absolute, while others may be a bit skeptical. Some people may think of respect as simply valuing and approving of others, but when you respect another person, you put your whole heart into it. Your tendency is to rely on the truth and integrity that you imagine is an important value of those you meet, but know that some may not be worthy of this. For you, it may be important to be more cautious about where you place your respect.
Worry Fear Panic
We tend to think of fear as an emotion that needs to be overcome. However, sometimes fear serves to keep us safe from potential dangers. In moderation and good proportion, fear is a useful ally. That said, Tickle's research has indicated that the more self-reliant an individual feels, the less fear they tend to experience. Taking good care of yourself and your needs can greatly diminish feelings of fear.
Your test results have revealed that you tend to experience fear at a moderate intensity. When something frightens you, such as a dark alleyway or an upcoming test, you may find that you experience a sense of agitation. In situations where some people feel terrified, and others feel slightly uneasy, you tend to feel something in between. You are likely to be good at listening to your fears and using them as a safety gauge.
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Brooding Sadness Despair
Sadness can creep up for seemingly no reason, like on cloudy days when we find ourselves feeling a little down. It can also be overwhelming in the form of grief, such as when we lose a loved one. It's painful to feel deep sadness, but it's an inevitable part of life. Allowing ourselves to experience our sadness gives us the full range of the human experience — without sadness, how can we truly understand the emotions of happiness or eager expectancy? Yet when left unchecked, sadness can start to take over and color our view of ourselves and those around us. Tickle's research shows that feeling loved and connected to others can help alleviate feelings of sadness. Thus, a great antidote for the blues is an evening spent with a caring friend or family member.
Your test results have revealed that you tend to experience sadness at a moderate intensity. When you get into a funk, you generally avoid the full depths of misery. Your feelings of sadness indicate that you're in touch with your emotions and that you aren't afraid to acknowledge painful feelings. Because of this, you likely tend to be an empathic person. While being able to access your sadness is a useful emotional tool, you may sometimes get stuck in your sadness. During those occasional sad times remember they are only temporary.
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Shock Wonderment Interest
On occasion, it's fun to be filled with wonder, to be surprised. For example, it feels good to come home to discover that our household chores have already been done, to find out we're getting a bonus at work, or to hear unexpected good news. However, Tickle's research has indicated that feelings of wonderment can also leave us feeling unsettled. Being filled with wonder means we're taken off-guard, and as a result we may feel less able to access our personal resources of power. Feeling surprised in this way can also cause us to be less flexible, since being startled, by its very nature, makes us feel less in control. Deepening our connections to others can help us to feel more grounded and less prone to this kind of upset when things happen that we weren't expecting.
Your test results have revealed that you tend to experience wonderment at a high intensity. When something surprises you, you tend to be stunned for a long time. Unexpected news, such as a significant promotion at work, impacts people in different ways. Some people tend to feel mildly upset or alarmed, but you're more likely to feel shocked. If the intensity of your wonderment throws you off, it may be helpful for you to pay extra attention to the thoughts and concerns of those around you, as this may give you a heads up about things that would otherwise escape your attention.
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Shock Hostility Interest
Hostility can take the form of utter lack of interest or complete hatred. There are plenty of times when some degree of hostility is warranted. We may feel weary after our fifth unpleasant blind date in a row or offended when someone treats us with disrespect. When a person does something heinous, such as assault an innocent stranger, it's not unreasonable to feel something more akin to loathing. That said, hostility and hostility can also be unwarranted; expressing scorn just because someone is driving more slowly than you think they should can wear on you and spread negativity to others. Tickle's research has shown that compassion is the natural antidote to hostility.
Your test results have revealed that you tend to experience hostility at a low intensity. When someone makes an inappropriate comment, for instance, you're more likely to feel bored or jaded, whereas others may gravitate toward more intense feelings, such as dislike or even loathing. Your feelings of hostility can be used as a gauge to identify behavior that is ultimately offensive, and they can motivate you to take action against such behavior. Since you experience hostility at a low intensity you probably tend to be more empathetic toward yourself and others, and you probably try to maintain positive feelings about people in general. Keep an eye on your tendency to be bored by someone's inappropriate behavior — boredom can be an indication that you've given up the hope of responding to a person or situation effectively. Responding with action instead of apathy may be a useful tool for you to deal effectively with inappropriate situations.
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Irritation Anger Fury
Anger is perhaps the most controversial and confusing of emotions. When left unchecked, anger can spin out of control and cause us to behave in destructive or hurtful ways. When ignored, it can fester inside and overpower our other more positive emotions. Yet the experience of anger is also healthy and beneficial. Tickle's research has revealed that the healthy expression of anger is linked to feelings of self-reliance. Anger can help us to gauge when we are being treated fairly and when we need to speak up for ourselves. When anger starts to feel overwhelming, it can help to work on being flexible with ourselves and others.
Your test results have revealed that you tend to experience anger at a low intensity. When you're wronged, you're unlikely to feel enraged or even angry. You tend to experience your anger as irritation or annoyance. Because you aren't quick to anger, you're easy to get along with and people appreciate your flexibility. However, there are times when feeling anger at a higher intensity is healthy and appropriate. It may be helpful for you to engage in a daily meditation practice, which can help you get in touch with any dormant feelings. Gaining access to your anger when you need it can help to ensure that you're your own best advocate in life.
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Curiosity Expectancy Yearning
Expectancy is the emotion that has us thinking of our futures. Our curiosity will always keep us exploring new topics and pursuing new relationships. It's hope that drives us to pursue our goals. It's eagerness that drives us to look forward and build today what we can enjoy tomorrow. Tickle's research has shown that expectancy is linked with feeling a high degree of personal power. We allow ourselves to hope because we believe that to some extent we can do something to make our dreams a reality. Expectancy comes easiest when we feel secure in ourselves and safe in our world. In addition, the more open-minded we feel, the easier it can be to luxuriate in our excitement about the future.
Your test results have revealed that you tend to experience expectancy at a moderate intensity. For instance, when planning your vacation or getting ready to start something new, you're likely to spend a lot of time preparing. Looking forward to things can add spice to life, and being able to feel that excitement means you don't tend to prepare for the worst or hold back on your eagerness. This enthusiasm adds thrill to your life, and others find your good feelings contagious. The downside to your levels of expectancy is that sometimes you may feel disappointed or let down when things go wrong, and you may find it difficult to be 'in the moment' when you're focusing on something that hasn't yet happened. Making sure to balance your expectations for the future with an appreciation for what you already have is important for your emotional balance and well-being.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
am i more masculine or feminine?
Merritt, you're
60%
Feminine
That means you're 40% masculine. When we compare your results with other men it shows that you are somewhat more feminine than average.
What does it mean for a man to be feminine? Femininity in Western culture involves approaching life in a happy, optimistic way as well as showing warmth and compassion to others. But femininity is more than just being cheerful and caring.
The chart above shows your overall percentages of masculine versus feminine qualities. Whether you have a greater proportion of one or the other, or whether you have roughly equal masculine and feminine qualities, this balance of qualities says something about the type of gender identity that you possess.
In this report you'll learn more about your own gender identity, and what qualities were used to determine how masculine and feminine you are. You'll learn how you scored on each of the 12 dimensions that comprise your masculinity and femininity scores, and how your scores compare to men and women in general. Based on your particular gender identity, we'll help you understand how to more successfully communicate with others.
So what's the difference between sex and gender? In psychological terms, sex refers to our biological categories of male and female while gender refers to the socially constructed ideas and beliefs about how men and women "should" behave. Masculinity can be defined broadly as the behavior society expects from males, and how a "true man" should think, feel, and act. Likewise, femininity can be defined as the behavior society expects from females, and how a "true woman" should think, feel, and act. A person's gender identity is the extent to which he/she takes on or possesses the qualities and behaviors of each gender as defined by popular culture.
This is not to say that females don't possess typical male qualities and vice-versa. In fact, that's what this test is about! Overall, everyone has some of the qualities we will cover below; it's just the extent to which people possess them that varies. It's also important to keep in mind that much has changed in Western culture in the last three decades, and men and women are playing roles and developing behaviors that were not necessarily open to them in the past.
It is not uncommon for men to have higher masculine scores than feminine and for women to have higher feminine scores than masculine, but there are also many people whose masculine and feminine qualities are roughly equal to one another. When a person's masculine and feminine qualities are balanced they either have high levels or low levels of both. Each configuration has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Your test results indicate that you're Androgynous.
The four possible gender types:
Highly Masculine: People who are highly masculine tend to be very action and/or results oriented in the world, but may not be extremely emotionally expressive.
Men who are highly masculine often encounter a good deal of social approval, but may have a low degree of role differentiation. In other words, highly masculine men often find their sense of self strongly tied to what they do. The potential down side of this is that if a highly masculine man is having major difficulties related to work, there aren't many other roles in his life that can provide the same sense of satisfaction and boost to his self-esteem.
Women who are highly masculine may be very accomplished or successful in career domains but may encounter some social disapproval for not demonstrating enough traditional feminine qualities. Masculine typed women may also encounter the same difficulties as very masculine men of having their sense of self tied primarily to action-oriented areas of life such as work.
Highly Feminine: People who are highly feminine tend to be very relationship or people oriented, but may not be extremely results focused.
Women who are highly feminine typically encounter strong social approval, but in some settings highly feminine women may have difficulty commanding authority or being taken seriously. Highly feminine women tend to invest their sense of self in their various relationship roles (e.g., daughter, friend, wife, mother, co-worker). If one of these roles is causing significant stress or difficulty, feminine women can usually draw support from other established relationships and roles to maintain a positive sense of self.
Men who are highly feminine often have very strong interpersonal skills, but may encounter some social disapproval for not exhibiting enough traditionally masculine qualities. Feminine typed men also often benefit from having a variety of relationship roles in their lives just as very feminine women do, and can usually maintain a positive sense of self in the face of life difficulties or challenges.
Androgynous: People who are androgynous have both strong masculine and strong feminine qualities. Androgynous people tend to be both action and people oriented, and are usually able to successfully take on a diverse range of roles that cross gender-role boundaries.
Sex-role Transcendent: People who are sex-role transcendent have both low masculine and low feminine qualities indicating that gender is not a category that is critical to their sense of self. In other words, sex-role transcendent people develop and maintain their sense of self through roles that are not tied to gender stereotypes.
Tickle has conducted several studies combining the classic psychological approach to gender identity and our own independent research to measure your masculinity and femininity. Here are the traditional qualities of masculinity and femininity:
Masculine:
Feminine:
Sports Fan Cheerful
Decisive Compassionate
Leadership Gentle
Aggression Understanding
Analytical Timid
Principled Individualist Trusting
In addition to these major areas, there are several significant, but less central qualities that comprise the traditional definition of masculinity and femininity. These include things such as:
Masculine: Feminine:
Focus on action, moving forward and just doing it.
Focus on calm, relaxed interpersonal interactions.
When it comes to personal safety, attack, defend, and run only if necessary.
When it comes to personal safety, run, defend, and attack only as a last resort.
Ability to use maps and find the way.
Ability to seek help when needed.
Creative interests in the direction of building structures.
Creative interests in the direction of artistic endeavors.
A tendency to mind one's own business.
A tendency to get involved in others problems.
Smiling almost exclusively as an expression of emotion.
Smiling as an integral part of day-to-day interaction, regardless of personal emotion.
Highly circumscribed physicality among friends. Shaking hands is manly; hugs are not.
High degree of latitude for physically expressing affection to friends. Hugs or kisses are okay, but a handshake is unusual.
Furthermore, Tickle's research shows that certain behavioral stereotypes still hold true when it comes to masculinity and femininity. In fact, when considering all of the other aspects that go into a person's gender identification, these stereotypes still stand out as indicators of femininity and masculinity. Highly feminine people are significantly more likely to say that they like the color pink and that they wear lipstick than are people who are masculine. Highly masculine people are much more likely than those who are feminine to say that sex on the first date is okay and that they lift weights. While society's expectations about the roles that men and women can play has certainly changed in the past several decades, our notions of what is truly masculine and what is truly feminine remains somewhat tied to very traditional beliefs. Masculinity is related to being strong, virile, and powerful, while femininity is related to being soft, attractive, and warm.
Are You More Masculine or Feminine?
Gender Balance & Identity Types
What Makes You Masculine or Feminine?
What Traditional Masculine Qualities Do You Possess?
What Traditional Feminine Qualities Do You Possess?
Gender Specific Communication
The History Behind the Test
For More Reading
In this section, you'll learn how you scored on six major characteristics that comprise a traditional view of masculinity. Each of your scores is plotted in the chart below, alongside the average scores for women and men.
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Sports Fan
A key component of masculinity is about being physically active. More than that, highly masculine people are drawn to sports. While a feminine person might do aerobics, a masculine person plays individual or team sports. Within this aspect of masculinity are the qualities of both physical prowess and competitiveness. The attraction of watching, playing, and winning at sports is a uniquely masculine quality.
You scored relatively high in the area of liking sports compared to other people. You place importance on putting your body through its paces and may particularly relish competition. When making choices about how you spend your time you tend to opt for activity over inactivity, although watching sports may also be enjoyable to you. You may have one or two favorite sports, or you may like a wide variety of sports, but one way or another, you definitely like getting into the game.
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Decisive
Making decisions quickly and easily is a traditionally masculine quality. This dimension is associated with a certain boldness, responsibility and clarity of purpose. There's no wishy-washiness, dithering, or second-guessing. When a decision is needed, whether it's easy or difficult, stepping up and making it is the masculine approach.
You probably have no trouble making decisions. You're someone who almost always has your wits about you. You are generally capable of dealing with difficult, high-pressure situations and handling the consequences of your actions. In fact, you may even seek out roles and situations that demand your sharp decision-making skills.
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Leader
Ever heard the phrase "alpha male?" A desire to be the top dog, the big cheese, or the head honcho is another important aspect of masculinity. This traditional quality of masculinity involves not only being in charge, but also a sense of determination, a desire to distinguish one's self, and to be successful.
You seem to have moderately strong leadership abilities. You're not driven to always be in charge, although you could probably handle a position of power if it came your way. You're interested in success, but it's not the only thing you value. It's most likely that while you may find yourself in leadership positions, you don't tend to actively pursue them.
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Aggressive
Although masculinity is a psychosocial construct, describing what a given society considers to be appropriate behavior for males, there is at least one aspect of it with clear ties to biology, and that is aggression. Biologically speaking males have higher levels of testosterone than females. High levels of testosterone are related to aggressive behavior. Does that mean that all men are aggressive and that women are not aggressive? No. It means that, in general, males are more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior than females and because of that the societal definition of masculinity has developed to include aggression. More specifically, a tendency to react to conflict with hostility and even violence is highly masculine.
You tend to be fairly low in aggressiveness. When provoked you are not likely to respond with any kind of violence. You'd much rather resolve an explosive situation by talking it out or simply by walking away. It probably takes a lot to make you really angry. You don't tend to initiate conflict, nor do you tend to escalate a conflict when one arises.
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Analytical
The analytical aspect of masculinity is characterized by logic and reason. It involves a love of complex thinking and a desire to find the root cause of almost any problem. In contrast to the sports playing quality of masculinity, the analytical quality is all about the mental game.
You are highly analytical. Complex thinking and problem solving are activities in which you are likely to engage regularly. You tend to enjoy stretching your mental muscles. When someone asks you an explanatory question, such as "How does that work?" you may be prone to give a more detailed answer than necessary. You are generally drawn to roles and situations in which you can exercise your strong analytical skills.
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Principled Individualist
The principled individualist component of masculinity is reminiscent of the American cowboy. This is a quality or set of qualities about being one of a kind, and not just another face in the crowd. It's also about living by a certain code of honor, and standing up for what you believe in.
You are unique. You probably feel that you are very much your own person with a strong sense of self, and that there is no one quite like you. You are likely to have a clear sense of right and wrong, and seek to conduct yourself in a way that lives up to your own high standards. You have an internal ethical system and living according to your own rules is what matters most to you. Your approach to life tends to be positive and hopeful.
Are You More Masculine or Feminine?
Gender Balance & Identity Types
What Makes You Masculine or Feminine?
What Traditional Masculine Qualities Do You Possess?
What Traditional Feminine Qualities Do You Possess?
Gender Specific Communication
The History Behind the Test
For More Reading
In this section, you'll learn how you scored on six major characteristics that comprise a traditional view of femininity. Each of your scores is plotted in the chart below, alongside the average scores for women and men.
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Cheerful
As the label suggests, this quality of femininity is about presenting yourself to the world in a positive, energetic, upbeat manner. In addition to suggesting a generally happy demeanor, this aspect of femininity is about seeing the silver lining and maintaining an optimistic view even in the face of adversity.
You are usually a very happy, cheerful person. You tend to have a warm, outgoing manner, and your energy and enthusiasm can be contagious. Other people enjoy your sunny disposition. You have a strong ability to find the up side of almost any situation and you tend to see the good in other people.
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Compassionate
A key element of femininity is caring and compassion. This quality is about relating to others and, more specifically, it's about the extent to which a person has a softhearted, tender, and sympathetic approach toward others. Showing kindness and affection are also parts of this traditional feminine quality.
You tend to be an extremely caring and compassionate person. Your warmth and kindness show in how you treat the people around you. You probably cry at sad movies and may even get a little misty-eyed during those sweet, sentimental Hallmark commercials. You tend to be comfortable expressing affection. You'd probably like to help every person and take in every stray that crosses your path, and you're likely to seek out roles and situations in which you can express your strong care-giving skills.
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Gentle
The gentle aspect of femininity is about a quality of warmth and softness. It involves having a pleasant, easy-going nature, and not approaching things in a harsh or rough manner even in times of conflict or stress.
You are probably very gentle. You tend to conduct yourself in a manner that demonstrates your warm, easy-going nature. It usually takes a lot to make you angry, and you're good at turning the other cheek. It's not that you don't get angry, but when you do you generally work to resolve it and let it go. You're more likely to want to talk things out than throw a fit or throw something. You don't tend to seek out conflict and may actively avoid intense, stressful situations. You're likely to be most comfortable in environments, both physical and emotional, that are quiet, serene and tranquil. You have unique skill at creating such peaceful environments for yourself and others.
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Understanding
The understanding quality of femininity is somewhat similar to the masculine analytical quality, but in this case the object of analysis is people. Being understanding involves having empathy, and an ability to take in another person's perspective. It's about having insight into why people do what they do.
You generally understand people very well. You are uniquely skilled at seeing things from another's perspective, and can empathize with people's problems and struggles. You tend to have a strong sense of intuition and insight into people's motivations and goals. Among your friends you're likely to be the person that everyone goes to with their problems. You would probably make a good therapist. It's likely that you seek out roles and situations that call upon your ability to understand others.
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Timid
The timid quality of femininity involves not wanting to speak up in some settings. Being timid includes feeling shy at times, and having a hard time voicing an opinion in some circumstances. There is a reluctance to express strong negative emotions.
You are not very timid. In a crowd you tend to stand out. You generally enjoy attention from others and may even seek the spotlight. You're fairly self-confident and are not easily embarrassed. In a group setting you can usually jump right into the conversation. You can be very social and outgoing. When you first meet someone you're self-confidence helps you feel comfortable and you're probably good at making the other person feel comfortable as well. When you feel strongly about something, whether it's positive or negative, you tend to have little trouble expressing your feelings.
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Trusting
The trusting quality of femininity involves believing things too readily. This includes a tendency to not only believe what other people tell you, but also to have a difficult time discerning when someone is lying. This characteristic involves a level of optimism and belief in others that approaches gullibility.
You are moderately trusting. When a friend tells you something you are most likely to believe it. However, when the source of some new information is unknown to you, you might believe it, but you may also approach it with a healthy dose of skepticism. You're not always good at telling when someone is lying. You might recall a time or two in the past when you discovered that you had been deceived. You want to see the best in people, and usually you have a fairly positive, optimistic outlook on life.
Are You More Masculine or Feminine?
Gender Balance & Identity Types
What Makes You Masculine or Feminine?
What Traditional Masculine Qualities Do You Possess?
What Traditional Feminine Qualities Do You Possess?
Gender Specific Communication
The History Behind the Test
For More Reading
All of us have multiple social identities that contribute to our sense of self or who we are. These identities are drawn from the various roles that we play in life such as friend, student, professional, spouse, parent, and so on. Gender identity is one of the most fundamental of our social identities because it stems from the basic biological distinction between males and females.
As noted earlier, sex typically refers simply to the physiological categories of male and female, whereas gender refers to the socially defined attributes of masculinity and femininity. Because gender categories derive in part from the distinction between the sexes there is typically a strong correspondence between one's sex and one's gender identity. In other words, most men tend to be masculine and most women tend to be feminine. The two other gender types that we've presented in this report, androgynous and sex role transcendent have developed mainly because of how society has changed in the past several decades. In addition, men and women have begun to assume roles that were traditionally played by the other sex.
Communication is a central aspect of almost all relationships whether they are with family, friends, or romantic partners. Conversation is also one of the most common areas in which masculine and feminine styles are distinctive and potentially conflicting. Less is known about conversational styles of those who are androgynous or sex role transcendent because the available research in this area looks primarily at sex differences rather than gender differences. Based on Tickle's own research on gender, we can give you some idea of how each gender type communicates.
Now that you know more about the four gender types, masculine, feminine, androgynous, and sex role transcendent, see if you can spot the communication styles of these types in the following scenarios.
Scenario 1
Gretchen: My friend Zane is having a party tonight. Do you want to go with me?
Andrew: Uh, is it going to be a big party?
Gretchen: Probably, Zane has a lot of friends.
Andrew: Will anyone I know be there?
Gretchen: If not, you'll meet some new people. Look, I'm going either way, so just let me know what you decide.
Andrew: I'd like to see you tonight, but I'm just not sure I'd be comfortable in a big group of people I don't know.
Who is more masculine, Gretchen or Andrew? Who is more feminine?
As the initiator of this conversation, Gretchen is taking a leading role. She makes her points clearly and succinctly, making it known that she has already decided what she plans to do. Andrew, on the other hand, is questioning and unsure throughout this exchange. When he does state his preference, we learn that he's not entirely comfortable in a large group setting where he doesn't know many people. He seems to be somewhat timid. In this situation, Gretchen is the more masculine communicator, while Andrew shows a more traditionally feminine style.
Scenario 2
Jessica (smiling): Good morning! How are you doing?
Amanda (smiling): Great, thanks for asking. How was your birthday celebration?
Jessica: Oh, it was awesome. I got this home theater system with surround sound and I had so much fun hooking it up and playing with the various settings. Once I had it working, I watched "The Lord of the Rings" DVD with the director's notes and found out all kinds of stuff about the making of that movie. Did you know that all three parts of the trilogy were filmed simultaneously?
Amanda (laughing a little): That's really fascinating, Jess. It sounds like you really had fun. You're so good with gadgets.
Can you see the slight differences between these two styles? Jessica shows her cheerful side with her smiles and her warm greeting. Jessica also reveals some analytical tendencies with her description of her new electronics and the details of the movie she watched. Amanda demonstrates cheerfulness with her smile, and she goes on to show us some caring qualities when she asks about Jessica's birthday and is supportive of Jessica's interests and enthusiasm regarding her new toy. In this example, Jessica can best be described as androgynous while Amanda is more traditionally feminine.
Scenario 3
Jeff cuts in front of Joe to stand with his friends in a long line of people waiting to see a popular new movie.
Joe (loudly): Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?!
Jeff (quietly): I'm sorry, I'm just joining my friends.
Joe: Yeah, well, the rest of us have been waiting here for over an hour and you can just get to the back of the line, buddy.
Jeff: I understand, I don't want to upset anyone. I'd just like to wait with my friends.
Joe: If you don't move to the back of the line I'm going to throw you to the back myself!
Joe's obviously not too happy about Jeff cutting in line. Joe has a decidedly aggressive approach to this conversation, particularly since he seems willing to resort to violence to make his point. Jeff, on the other hand, responds in a rather mild, gentle, and understanding way. Joe demonstrates a highly masculine style, while Jeff shows a more feminine approach.
So, how did you do? Were you able to spot the gender styles in these conversations? Although these examples are somewhat limited, you may be able to use what you see here and what you've learned in the rest of this report to get some idea of the gender identities of your own communication partners.
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Stereotypical Male and Female Communication Styles
In the fields of communication and linguistics, the majority of research on gender specific communication has focused on communication between men and women without considering the psychological aspect of gender identity. Although this research may not shed light on exactly how androgynous (the integration of both masculine and feminine qualities) and sex role transcendent types (not identifying strongly with masculine or feminine characteristics) converse, it can help us understand how men and women typically or stereotypically communicate. Since, as we've noted before, most men tend to be masculine and most women tend to be feminine, we can take from this a sense of how masculine and feminine types are likely to converse.
Prominent sociolinguist, Deborah Tannen, notes that generally for men, "conversations are negotiations in which people try to achieve and maintain the upper hand if they can, and protect themselves from others' attempts to put them down and push them around. Life, then, is a contest, a struggle to preserve independence and avoid failure."
In contrast, women tend to approach the world "as individuals in a network of connections...Conversations are negotiations for closeness in which people try to seek and give confirmation and support, and to reach consensus. They try to protect themselves from others' attempts to push them away. Life, then, is a community, a struggle to preserve intimacy and avoid isolation."
This does not mean that men don't care about establishing connections or that women don't care about achieving status; it means that these are not the central goals for men and women respectively. These very different approaches and goals can often lead to misunderstandings and conflict.
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Communication Breakdown
When women express that they have trouble or difficulty with something, they are typically looking for understanding and sympathy in the form of a related experience. For example, when Laura told her friend Susan that she hadn't been sleeping well since her mother passed away and just couldn't seem to concentrate on anything, Susan said, "I know. When my father died I was a wreck. I would forget to eat. I couldn't sleep for more than a couple hours at a time, and when I did I had very vivid dreams about childhood memories of my father. It took a long time for that stuff to settle down and for me to feel somewhat normal again." Susan's response made Laura feel better.
When Laura told her boyfriend Jason about having trouble sleeping and concentrating, he said, "Why don't you try taking sleeping pills for a while?" Jason's response upset Laura. She didn't feel that he was being understanding or empathetic. Some women may find that they are often frustrated when men do not respond to their problems with examples that show they can relate to the situation. They may resent the masculine tendency to offer solutions to a problem rather than a similar experience.
Likewise, men can sometimes be frustrated when they talk about a problem and women do offer an example that illustrates that they can relate. Not only does the feminine response sometimes not help the situation, but it can even be offensive, as in the following example:
Evan: Work is so hectic. I'm really stressed about this big project.
Kate: Yeah, my job is a nightmare right now too. Since they let two people go I'm doing twice as much work as I used to.
Evan: Are you trying to minimize my problems?
Kate: No, I'm not! I was just saying that I understand how you feel.
Evan was offended by Kate's reaction to his stressful situation because he perceived she was competing with him. He felt that she was saying that his troubles were inconsequential compared to her own difficulties. Kate, on the other hand, was hurt and surprised by Evan's reaction to her sympathy. Why would he feel put down? She perceived the conversation as strengthening the connection between them, and was trying to show her support and understanding by describing the similarities of their situations.
Evan would probably have been happier if Kate had said: "That really sucks, but I'm sure you'll get through it okay, you always do." Or even, "That's too bad. Have you thought about exercising a little more to help relieve the stress?" The first of these responses validates Evan's current experience and his status as someone who can handle a tough situation. The second also validates his current experience and uses the more masculine approach of offering a solution.
In both of the conversations above, the speakers have good intentions. They are trying to be kind, understanding and sympathetic. When we understand how men and women generally approach and interpret these types of conversations, we can respond in a style that best fits the audience we're addressing. In other words, you can use the style to which they will relate. Also, when someone with a different communication style responds in a way that doesn't feel supportive and sympathetic, we can step back and remember why their approach is different, and that even so, their intentions are still good.
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Who Talks More? Who Listens More?
Picture a married couple in the kitchen at breakfast circa 1950. She's at the stove cooking eggs and he comes into the room, kisses her on the cheek and sits down at the table. She starts telling him all the little details of what she has to do that day. He says, "Uh huh." She brings their plates to the table and sets them down, asking, "What are you up to today?" He's reading the paper. He says, "Just the usual," and goes back to reading the paper. She's got her arms crossed over her chest and frowns at the back of his paper. The stereotype depicted in this scenario is that women or feminine types are constantly trying to get men or masculine types to open up and talk more.
Now, picture a casual cocktail party around 1970. A group of men and women are talking about politics. One man says there is no point in voting because all politicians are crooks. Another male at the party jumps in and says that some crooks are better than others. A third man argues that if you don't vote you've got no right to complain when the country starts going to "hell in a hand basket!" The women listen attentively, some nod, but not one speaks up. In this image it is the men or masculine types who are dominating the conversation and the women or feminine types who are curiously quiet.
So which picture is true? The answer is neither and both. These examples are based on stereotypes and as such are over-generalizations of real world behavior, so in this respect neither picture is completely true. From another perspective, both are true. Research shows that in private settings women or feminine types tend to do more of the talking. In public settings however, men or masculine types talk more often and for longer periods.
Daniel spent the day with his friend Eric and when he got home his wife, Audrey, asked, "What's new with Eric?" Daniel responded, "Nothing."
Later it came out that Eric and his girlfriend had just gotten engaged. Audrey was upset and hurt that Daniel hadn't told her.
Audrey: When did he propose?
Daniel: Last Saturday.
Audrey: Where did he do it?
Daniel: I don't know; some restaurant I guess.
Audrey: Did he give her a ring or are they picking one out together?
Daniel: I don't know.
Audrey: Have they set a date?
Daniel: I don't know.
Audrey: Didn't you talk about it?
For some men, "nothing" may be an automatic response at the start of a conversation. Also, men are often much less concerned with the small details than are women. From Audrey's perspective, Daniel was shutting her out. If Audrey had talked with Eric she would know the details about which she is asking, and she may find it hard to imagine that Daniel and Eric didn't discuss such details. Sharing the specifics of one's experience is an important aspect of the feminine communication style. It serves the goal of connection and intimacy. From the masculine perspective, these details simply aren't that important.
When the setting is public, the picture changes. Mark and Jessica have just met at a party, and they have the following conversation:
Jessica: So, what do you do?
Mark: I lead outdoor team-building groups.
Jessica: Wow, that must be a lot of fun.
Mark: It is. I love the physical part of it, but there's definitely a mental aspect as well. It's important to get the group to work together and for each person to feel that they're contributing to the group's success. When it all goes right each person feels that they've pushed their own physical abilities a little farther than they thought they could, and the group feels like more of a cooperative team where everyone has more trust and understanding for each other than they did when we started.
Jessica: Have you been doing this for a long time?
Mark: Well, I've done outdoor stuff all of my life. I didn't realize until after college that I could make a living doing something I loved so much.
Mark goes on to describe how he got into his field, and Jessica listens attentively.
Mark and Jessica are conversing with some common masculine and feminine styles. Men tend to give information; they typically believe that the best way to strike up a conversation is to come up with an interesting piece of information. Women, in contrast, tend to ask questions about the other person and to listen actively by nodding, smiling, and generally encouraging the person to whom they are listening.
Although we usually rely on the communication style that is consistent with our sex, it is possible to learn and use, occasionally, the other style. In private settings, men can try to offer more specifics to show a female partner that he feels connected to her. Women can try to accept that not sharing details may have nothing to do with how close or connected he feels to her. In public settings, men may be relieved to learn that they don't always need to bear the burden of making the conversation interesting and that it's okay to just listen. Women who find themselves too often in the role of listener can practice moving out of that position and putting forth ideas and opinions without waiting for someone to yield the floor.
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Understanding What the Other Half Says
People with conversational styles that are highly masculine or highly feminine can benefit from learning each other's style. The masculine style teaches that conflict and difference need not necessarily be a threat to intimacy. The feminine style teaches that interdependence need not be a threat to freedom and independence.
Understanding the different ways that men and women use language makes it possible to change your own way of speaking, when you want to. But even without changing your style, simply understanding the different approaches can improve communication and relationships. When people realize that their conversation partner has a different communication style, they are better able to accept differences without blaming themselves, their partners, or their relationships. There is no one "right" way to talk, to listen, or to have a conversation.
When people don't see style differences for what they are, they may draw conclusions about personality ("you're irrational," "you're insensitive"), or about intentions ("you don't care about me," "you don't respect me"). When we understand that "you have a different way of showing you care" or "you're not trying to control me" there is room for adjustment or negotiation. You can ask for or make changes without assigning blame. Understanding the ways that people with different gender identities approach conversation can bridge the "gender gap," and genuinely open the lines of communication.
60%
Feminine
That means you're 40% masculine. When we compare your results with other men it shows that you are somewhat more feminine than average.
What does it mean for a man to be feminine? Femininity in Western culture involves approaching life in a happy, optimistic way as well as showing warmth and compassion to others. But femininity is more than just being cheerful and caring.
The chart above shows your overall percentages of masculine versus feminine qualities. Whether you have a greater proportion of one or the other, or whether you have roughly equal masculine and feminine qualities, this balance of qualities says something about the type of gender identity that you possess.
In this report you'll learn more about your own gender identity, and what qualities were used to determine how masculine and feminine you are. You'll learn how you scored on each of the 12 dimensions that comprise your masculinity and femininity scores, and how your scores compare to men and women in general. Based on your particular gender identity, we'll help you understand how to more successfully communicate with others.
So what's the difference between sex and gender? In psychological terms, sex refers to our biological categories of male and female while gender refers to the socially constructed ideas and beliefs about how men and women "should" behave. Masculinity can be defined broadly as the behavior society expects from males, and how a "true man" should think, feel, and act. Likewise, femininity can be defined as the behavior society expects from females, and how a "true woman" should think, feel, and act. A person's gender identity is the extent to which he/she takes on or possesses the qualities and behaviors of each gender as defined by popular culture.
This is not to say that females don't possess typical male qualities and vice-versa. In fact, that's what this test is about! Overall, everyone has some of the qualities we will cover below; it's just the extent to which people possess them that varies. It's also important to keep in mind that much has changed in Western culture in the last three decades, and men and women are playing roles and developing behaviors that were not necessarily open to them in the past.
It is not uncommon for men to have higher masculine scores than feminine and for women to have higher feminine scores than masculine, but there are also many people whose masculine and feminine qualities are roughly equal to one another. When a person's masculine and feminine qualities are balanced they either have high levels or low levels of both. Each configuration has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Your test results indicate that you're Androgynous.
The four possible gender types:
Highly Masculine: People who are highly masculine tend to be very action and/or results oriented in the world, but may not be extremely emotionally expressive.
Men who are highly masculine often encounter a good deal of social approval, but may have a low degree of role differentiation. In other words, highly masculine men often find their sense of self strongly tied to what they do. The potential down side of this is that if a highly masculine man is having major difficulties related to work, there aren't many other roles in his life that can provide the same sense of satisfaction and boost to his self-esteem.
Women who are highly masculine may be very accomplished or successful in career domains but may encounter some social disapproval for not demonstrating enough traditional feminine qualities. Masculine typed women may also encounter the same difficulties as very masculine men of having their sense of self tied primarily to action-oriented areas of life such as work.
Highly Feminine: People who are highly feminine tend to be very relationship or people oriented, but may not be extremely results focused.
Women who are highly feminine typically encounter strong social approval, but in some settings highly feminine women may have difficulty commanding authority or being taken seriously. Highly feminine women tend to invest their sense of self in their various relationship roles (e.g., daughter, friend, wife, mother, co-worker). If one of these roles is causing significant stress or difficulty, feminine women can usually draw support from other established relationships and roles to maintain a positive sense of self.
Men who are highly feminine often have very strong interpersonal skills, but may encounter some social disapproval for not exhibiting enough traditionally masculine qualities. Feminine typed men also often benefit from having a variety of relationship roles in their lives just as very feminine women do, and can usually maintain a positive sense of self in the face of life difficulties or challenges.
Androgynous: People who are androgynous have both strong masculine and strong feminine qualities. Androgynous people tend to be both action and people oriented, and are usually able to successfully take on a diverse range of roles that cross gender-role boundaries.
Sex-role Transcendent: People who are sex-role transcendent have both low masculine and low feminine qualities indicating that gender is not a category that is critical to their sense of self. In other words, sex-role transcendent people develop and maintain their sense of self through roles that are not tied to gender stereotypes.
Tickle has conducted several studies combining the classic psychological approach to gender identity and our own independent research to measure your masculinity and femininity. Here are the traditional qualities of masculinity and femininity:
Masculine:
Feminine:
Sports Fan Cheerful
Decisive Compassionate
Leadership Gentle
Aggression Understanding
Analytical Timid
Principled Individualist Trusting
In addition to these major areas, there are several significant, but less central qualities that comprise the traditional definition of masculinity and femininity. These include things such as:
Masculine: Feminine:
Focus on action, moving forward and just doing it.
Focus on calm, relaxed interpersonal interactions.
When it comes to personal safety, attack, defend, and run only if necessary.
When it comes to personal safety, run, defend, and attack only as a last resort.
Ability to use maps and find the way.
Ability to seek help when needed.
Creative interests in the direction of building structures.
Creative interests in the direction of artistic endeavors.
A tendency to mind one's own business.
A tendency to get involved in others problems.
Smiling almost exclusively as an expression of emotion.
Smiling as an integral part of day-to-day interaction, regardless of personal emotion.
Highly circumscribed physicality among friends. Shaking hands is manly; hugs are not.
High degree of latitude for physically expressing affection to friends. Hugs or kisses are okay, but a handshake is unusual.
Furthermore, Tickle's research shows that certain behavioral stereotypes still hold true when it comes to masculinity and femininity. In fact, when considering all of the other aspects that go into a person's gender identification, these stereotypes still stand out as indicators of femininity and masculinity. Highly feminine people are significantly more likely to say that they like the color pink and that they wear lipstick than are people who are masculine. Highly masculine people are much more likely than those who are feminine to say that sex on the first date is okay and that they lift weights. While society's expectations about the roles that men and women can play has certainly changed in the past several decades, our notions of what is truly masculine and what is truly feminine remains somewhat tied to very traditional beliefs. Masculinity is related to being strong, virile, and powerful, while femininity is related to being soft, attractive, and warm.
Are You More Masculine or Feminine?
Gender Balance & Identity Types
What Makes You Masculine or Feminine?
What Traditional Masculine Qualities Do You Possess?
What Traditional Feminine Qualities Do You Possess?
Gender Specific Communication
The History Behind the Test
For More Reading
In this section, you'll learn how you scored on six major characteristics that comprise a traditional view of masculinity. Each of your scores is plotted in the chart below, alongside the average scores for women and men.
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Sports Fan
A key component of masculinity is about being physically active. More than that, highly masculine people are drawn to sports. While a feminine person might do aerobics, a masculine person plays individual or team sports. Within this aspect of masculinity are the qualities of both physical prowess and competitiveness. The attraction of watching, playing, and winning at sports is a uniquely masculine quality.
You scored relatively high in the area of liking sports compared to other people. You place importance on putting your body through its paces and may particularly relish competition. When making choices about how you spend your time you tend to opt for activity over inactivity, although watching sports may also be enjoyable to you. You may have one or two favorite sports, or you may like a wide variety of sports, but one way or another, you definitely like getting into the game.
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Decisive
Making decisions quickly and easily is a traditionally masculine quality. This dimension is associated with a certain boldness, responsibility and clarity of purpose. There's no wishy-washiness, dithering, or second-guessing. When a decision is needed, whether it's easy or difficult, stepping up and making it is the masculine approach.
You probably have no trouble making decisions. You're someone who almost always has your wits about you. You are generally capable of dealing with difficult, high-pressure situations and handling the consequences of your actions. In fact, you may even seek out roles and situations that demand your sharp decision-making skills.
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Leader
Ever heard the phrase "alpha male?" A desire to be the top dog, the big cheese, or the head honcho is another important aspect of masculinity. This traditional quality of masculinity involves not only being in charge, but also a sense of determination, a desire to distinguish one's self, and to be successful.
You seem to have moderately strong leadership abilities. You're not driven to always be in charge, although you could probably handle a position of power if it came your way. You're interested in success, but it's not the only thing you value. It's most likely that while you may find yourself in leadership positions, you don't tend to actively pursue them.
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Aggressive
Although masculinity is a psychosocial construct, describing what a given society considers to be appropriate behavior for males, there is at least one aspect of it with clear ties to biology, and that is aggression. Biologically speaking males have higher levels of testosterone than females. High levels of testosterone are related to aggressive behavior. Does that mean that all men are aggressive and that women are not aggressive? No. It means that, in general, males are more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior than females and because of that the societal definition of masculinity has developed to include aggression. More specifically, a tendency to react to conflict with hostility and even violence is highly masculine.
You tend to be fairly low in aggressiveness. When provoked you are not likely to respond with any kind of violence. You'd much rather resolve an explosive situation by talking it out or simply by walking away. It probably takes a lot to make you really angry. You don't tend to initiate conflict, nor do you tend to escalate a conflict when one arises.
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Analytical
The analytical aspect of masculinity is characterized by logic and reason. It involves a love of complex thinking and a desire to find the root cause of almost any problem. In contrast to the sports playing quality of masculinity, the analytical quality is all about the mental game.
You are highly analytical. Complex thinking and problem solving are activities in which you are likely to engage regularly. You tend to enjoy stretching your mental muscles. When someone asks you an explanatory question, such as "How does that work?" you may be prone to give a more detailed answer than necessary. You are generally drawn to roles and situations in which you can exercise your strong analytical skills.
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Principled Individualist
The principled individualist component of masculinity is reminiscent of the American cowboy. This is a quality or set of qualities about being one of a kind, and not just another face in the crowd. It's also about living by a certain code of honor, and standing up for what you believe in.
You are unique. You probably feel that you are very much your own person with a strong sense of self, and that there is no one quite like you. You are likely to have a clear sense of right and wrong, and seek to conduct yourself in a way that lives up to your own high standards. You have an internal ethical system and living according to your own rules is what matters most to you. Your approach to life tends to be positive and hopeful.
Are You More Masculine or Feminine?
Gender Balance & Identity Types
What Makes You Masculine or Feminine?
What Traditional Masculine Qualities Do You Possess?
What Traditional Feminine Qualities Do You Possess?
Gender Specific Communication
The History Behind the Test
For More Reading
In this section, you'll learn how you scored on six major characteristics that comprise a traditional view of femininity. Each of your scores is plotted in the chart below, alongside the average scores for women and men.
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Cheerful
As the label suggests, this quality of femininity is about presenting yourself to the world in a positive, energetic, upbeat manner. In addition to suggesting a generally happy demeanor, this aspect of femininity is about seeing the silver lining and maintaining an optimistic view even in the face of adversity.
You are usually a very happy, cheerful person. You tend to have a warm, outgoing manner, and your energy and enthusiasm can be contagious. Other people enjoy your sunny disposition. You have a strong ability to find the up side of almost any situation and you tend to see the good in other people.
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Compassionate
A key element of femininity is caring and compassion. This quality is about relating to others and, more specifically, it's about the extent to which a person has a softhearted, tender, and sympathetic approach toward others. Showing kindness and affection are also parts of this traditional feminine quality.
You tend to be an extremely caring and compassionate person. Your warmth and kindness show in how you treat the people around you. You probably cry at sad movies and may even get a little misty-eyed during those sweet, sentimental Hallmark commercials. You tend to be comfortable expressing affection. You'd probably like to help every person and take in every stray that crosses your path, and you're likely to seek out roles and situations in which you can express your strong care-giving skills.
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Gentle
The gentle aspect of femininity is about a quality of warmth and softness. It involves having a pleasant, easy-going nature, and not approaching things in a harsh or rough manner even in times of conflict or stress.
You are probably very gentle. You tend to conduct yourself in a manner that demonstrates your warm, easy-going nature. It usually takes a lot to make you angry, and you're good at turning the other cheek. It's not that you don't get angry, but when you do you generally work to resolve it and let it go. You're more likely to want to talk things out than throw a fit or throw something. You don't tend to seek out conflict and may actively avoid intense, stressful situations. You're likely to be most comfortable in environments, both physical and emotional, that are quiet, serene and tranquil. You have unique skill at creating such peaceful environments for yourself and others.
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Understanding
The understanding quality of femininity is somewhat similar to the masculine analytical quality, but in this case the object of analysis is people. Being understanding involves having empathy, and an ability to take in another person's perspective. It's about having insight into why people do what they do.
You generally understand people very well. You are uniquely skilled at seeing things from another's perspective, and can empathize with people's problems and struggles. You tend to have a strong sense of intuition and insight into people's motivations and goals. Among your friends you're likely to be the person that everyone goes to with their problems. You would probably make a good therapist. It's likely that you seek out roles and situations that call upon your ability to understand others.
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Timid
The timid quality of femininity involves not wanting to speak up in some settings. Being timid includes feeling shy at times, and having a hard time voicing an opinion in some circumstances. There is a reluctance to express strong negative emotions.
You are not very timid. In a crowd you tend to stand out. You generally enjoy attention from others and may even seek the spotlight. You're fairly self-confident and are not easily embarrassed. In a group setting you can usually jump right into the conversation. You can be very social and outgoing. When you first meet someone you're self-confidence helps you feel comfortable and you're probably good at making the other person feel comfortable as well. When you feel strongly about something, whether it's positive or negative, you tend to have little trouble expressing your feelings.
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Trusting
The trusting quality of femininity involves believing things too readily. This includes a tendency to not only believe what other people tell you, but also to have a difficult time discerning when someone is lying. This characteristic involves a level of optimism and belief in others that approaches gullibility.
You are moderately trusting. When a friend tells you something you are most likely to believe it. However, when the source of some new information is unknown to you, you might believe it, but you may also approach it with a healthy dose of skepticism. You're not always good at telling when someone is lying. You might recall a time or two in the past when you discovered that you had been deceived. You want to see the best in people, and usually you have a fairly positive, optimistic outlook on life.
Are You More Masculine or Feminine?
Gender Balance & Identity Types
What Makes You Masculine or Feminine?
What Traditional Masculine Qualities Do You Possess?
What Traditional Feminine Qualities Do You Possess?
Gender Specific Communication
The History Behind the Test
For More Reading
All of us have multiple social identities that contribute to our sense of self or who we are. These identities are drawn from the various roles that we play in life such as friend, student, professional, spouse, parent, and so on. Gender identity is one of the most fundamental of our social identities because it stems from the basic biological distinction between males and females.
As noted earlier, sex typically refers simply to the physiological categories of male and female, whereas gender refers to the socially defined attributes of masculinity and femininity. Because gender categories derive in part from the distinction between the sexes there is typically a strong correspondence between one's sex and one's gender identity. In other words, most men tend to be masculine and most women tend to be feminine. The two other gender types that we've presented in this report, androgynous and sex role transcendent have developed mainly because of how society has changed in the past several decades. In addition, men and women have begun to assume roles that were traditionally played by the other sex.
Communication is a central aspect of almost all relationships whether they are with family, friends, or romantic partners. Conversation is also one of the most common areas in which masculine and feminine styles are distinctive and potentially conflicting. Less is known about conversational styles of those who are androgynous or sex role transcendent because the available research in this area looks primarily at sex differences rather than gender differences. Based on Tickle's own research on gender, we can give you some idea of how each gender type communicates.
Now that you know more about the four gender types, masculine, feminine, androgynous, and sex role transcendent, see if you can spot the communication styles of these types in the following scenarios.
Scenario 1
Gretchen: My friend Zane is having a party tonight. Do you want to go with me?
Andrew: Uh, is it going to be a big party?
Gretchen: Probably, Zane has a lot of friends.
Andrew: Will anyone I know be there?
Gretchen: If not, you'll meet some new people. Look, I'm going either way, so just let me know what you decide.
Andrew: I'd like to see you tonight, but I'm just not sure I'd be comfortable in a big group of people I don't know.
Who is more masculine, Gretchen or Andrew? Who is more feminine?
As the initiator of this conversation, Gretchen is taking a leading role. She makes her points clearly and succinctly, making it known that she has already decided what she plans to do. Andrew, on the other hand, is questioning and unsure throughout this exchange. When he does state his preference, we learn that he's not entirely comfortable in a large group setting where he doesn't know many people. He seems to be somewhat timid. In this situation, Gretchen is the more masculine communicator, while Andrew shows a more traditionally feminine style.
Scenario 2
Jessica (smiling): Good morning! How are you doing?
Amanda (smiling): Great, thanks for asking. How was your birthday celebration?
Jessica: Oh, it was awesome. I got this home theater system with surround sound and I had so much fun hooking it up and playing with the various settings. Once I had it working, I watched "The Lord of the Rings" DVD with the director's notes and found out all kinds of stuff about the making of that movie. Did you know that all three parts of the trilogy were filmed simultaneously?
Amanda (laughing a little): That's really fascinating, Jess. It sounds like you really had fun. You're so good with gadgets.
Can you see the slight differences between these two styles? Jessica shows her cheerful side with her smiles and her warm greeting. Jessica also reveals some analytical tendencies with her description of her new electronics and the details of the movie she watched. Amanda demonstrates cheerfulness with her smile, and she goes on to show us some caring qualities when she asks about Jessica's birthday and is supportive of Jessica's interests and enthusiasm regarding her new toy. In this example, Jessica can best be described as androgynous while Amanda is more traditionally feminine.
Scenario 3
Jeff cuts in front of Joe to stand with his friends in a long line of people waiting to see a popular new movie.
Joe (loudly): Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?!
Jeff (quietly): I'm sorry, I'm just joining my friends.
Joe: Yeah, well, the rest of us have been waiting here for over an hour and you can just get to the back of the line, buddy.
Jeff: I understand, I don't want to upset anyone. I'd just like to wait with my friends.
Joe: If you don't move to the back of the line I'm going to throw you to the back myself!
Joe's obviously not too happy about Jeff cutting in line. Joe has a decidedly aggressive approach to this conversation, particularly since he seems willing to resort to violence to make his point. Jeff, on the other hand, responds in a rather mild, gentle, and understanding way. Joe demonstrates a highly masculine style, while Jeff shows a more feminine approach.
So, how did you do? Were you able to spot the gender styles in these conversations? Although these examples are somewhat limited, you may be able to use what you see here and what you've learned in the rest of this report to get some idea of the gender identities of your own communication partners.
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Stereotypical Male and Female Communication Styles
In the fields of communication and linguistics, the majority of research on gender specific communication has focused on communication between men and women without considering the psychological aspect of gender identity. Although this research may not shed light on exactly how androgynous (the integration of both masculine and feminine qualities) and sex role transcendent types (not identifying strongly with masculine or feminine characteristics) converse, it can help us understand how men and women typically or stereotypically communicate. Since, as we've noted before, most men tend to be masculine and most women tend to be feminine, we can take from this a sense of how masculine and feminine types are likely to converse.
Prominent sociolinguist, Deborah Tannen, notes that generally for men, "conversations are negotiations in which people try to achieve and maintain the upper hand if they can, and protect themselves from others' attempts to put them down and push them around. Life, then, is a contest, a struggle to preserve independence and avoid failure."
In contrast, women tend to approach the world "as individuals in a network of connections...Conversations are negotiations for closeness in which people try to seek and give confirmation and support, and to reach consensus. They try to protect themselves from others' attempts to push them away. Life, then, is a community, a struggle to preserve intimacy and avoid isolation."
This does not mean that men don't care about establishing connections or that women don't care about achieving status; it means that these are not the central goals for men and women respectively. These very different approaches and goals can often lead to misunderstandings and conflict.
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Communication Breakdown
When women express that they have trouble or difficulty with something, they are typically looking for understanding and sympathy in the form of a related experience. For example, when Laura told her friend Susan that she hadn't been sleeping well since her mother passed away and just couldn't seem to concentrate on anything, Susan said, "I know. When my father died I was a wreck. I would forget to eat. I couldn't sleep for more than a couple hours at a time, and when I did I had very vivid dreams about childhood memories of my father. It took a long time for that stuff to settle down and for me to feel somewhat normal again." Susan's response made Laura feel better.
When Laura told her boyfriend Jason about having trouble sleeping and concentrating, he said, "Why don't you try taking sleeping pills for a while?" Jason's response upset Laura. She didn't feel that he was being understanding or empathetic. Some women may find that they are often frustrated when men do not respond to their problems with examples that show they can relate to the situation. They may resent the masculine tendency to offer solutions to a problem rather than a similar experience.
Likewise, men can sometimes be frustrated when they talk about a problem and women do offer an example that illustrates that they can relate. Not only does the feminine response sometimes not help the situation, but it can even be offensive, as in the following example:
Evan: Work is so hectic. I'm really stressed about this big project.
Kate: Yeah, my job is a nightmare right now too. Since they let two people go I'm doing twice as much work as I used to.
Evan: Are you trying to minimize my problems?
Kate: No, I'm not! I was just saying that I understand how you feel.
Evan was offended by Kate's reaction to his stressful situation because he perceived she was competing with him. He felt that she was saying that his troubles were inconsequential compared to her own difficulties. Kate, on the other hand, was hurt and surprised by Evan's reaction to her sympathy. Why would he feel put down? She perceived the conversation as strengthening the connection between them, and was trying to show her support and understanding by describing the similarities of their situations.
Evan would probably have been happier if Kate had said: "That really sucks, but I'm sure you'll get through it okay, you always do." Or even, "That's too bad. Have you thought about exercising a little more to help relieve the stress?" The first of these responses validates Evan's current experience and his status as someone who can handle a tough situation. The second also validates his current experience and uses the more masculine approach of offering a solution.
In both of the conversations above, the speakers have good intentions. They are trying to be kind, understanding and sympathetic. When we understand how men and women generally approach and interpret these types of conversations, we can respond in a style that best fits the audience we're addressing. In other words, you can use the style to which they will relate. Also, when someone with a different communication style responds in a way that doesn't feel supportive and sympathetic, we can step back and remember why their approach is different, and that even so, their intentions are still good.
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Who Talks More? Who Listens More?
Picture a married couple in the kitchen at breakfast circa 1950. She's at the stove cooking eggs and he comes into the room, kisses her on the cheek and sits down at the table. She starts telling him all the little details of what she has to do that day. He says, "Uh huh." She brings their plates to the table and sets them down, asking, "What are you up to today?" He's reading the paper. He says, "Just the usual," and goes back to reading the paper. She's got her arms crossed over her chest and frowns at the back of his paper. The stereotype depicted in this scenario is that women or feminine types are constantly trying to get men or masculine types to open up and talk more.
Now, picture a casual cocktail party around 1970. A group of men and women are talking about politics. One man says there is no point in voting because all politicians are crooks. Another male at the party jumps in and says that some crooks are better than others. A third man argues that if you don't vote you've got no right to complain when the country starts going to "hell in a hand basket!" The women listen attentively, some nod, but not one speaks up. In this image it is the men or masculine types who are dominating the conversation and the women or feminine types who are curiously quiet.
So which picture is true? The answer is neither and both. These examples are based on stereotypes and as such are over-generalizations of real world behavior, so in this respect neither picture is completely true. From another perspective, both are true. Research shows that in private settings women or feminine types tend to do more of the talking. In public settings however, men or masculine types talk more often and for longer periods.
Daniel spent the day with his friend Eric and when he got home his wife, Audrey, asked, "What's new with Eric?" Daniel responded, "Nothing."
Later it came out that Eric and his girlfriend had just gotten engaged. Audrey was upset and hurt that Daniel hadn't told her.
Audrey: When did he propose?
Daniel: Last Saturday.
Audrey: Where did he do it?
Daniel: I don't know; some restaurant I guess.
Audrey: Did he give her a ring or are they picking one out together?
Daniel: I don't know.
Audrey: Have they set a date?
Daniel: I don't know.
Audrey: Didn't you talk about it?
For some men, "nothing" may be an automatic response at the start of a conversation. Also, men are often much less concerned with the small details than are women. From Audrey's perspective, Daniel was shutting her out. If Audrey had talked with Eric she would know the details about which she is asking, and she may find it hard to imagine that Daniel and Eric didn't discuss such details. Sharing the specifics of one's experience is an important aspect of the feminine communication style. It serves the goal of connection and intimacy. From the masculine perspective, these details simply aren't that important.
When the setting is public, the picture changes. Mark and Jessica have just met at a party, and they have the following conversation:
Jessica: So, what do you do?
Mark: I lead outdoor team-building groups.
Jessica: Wow, that must be a lot of fun.
Mark: It is. I love the physical part of it, but there's definitely a mental aspect as well. It's important to get the group to work together and for each person to feel that they're contributing to the group's success. When it all goes right each person feels that they've pushed their own physical abilities a little farther than they thought they could, and the group feels like more of a cooperative team where everyone has more trust and understanding for each other than they did when we started.
Jessica: Have you been doing this for a long time?
Mark: Well, I've done outdoor stuff all of my life. I didn't realize until after college that I could make a living doing something I loved so much.
Mark goes on to describe how he got into his field, and Jessica listens attentively.
Mark and Jessica are conversing with some common masculine and feminine styles. Men tend to give information; they typically believe that the best way to strike up a conversation is to come up with an interesting piece of information. Women, in contrast, tend to ask questions about the other person and to listen actively by nodding, smiling, and generally encouraging the person to whom they are listening.
Although we usually rely on the communication style that is consistent with our sex, it is possible to learn and use, occasionally, the other style. In private settings, men can try to offer more specifics to show a female partner that he feels connected to her. Women can try to accept that not sharing details may have nothing to do with how close or connected he feels to her. In public settings, men may be relieved to learn that they don't always need to bear the burden of making the conversation interesting and that it's okay to just listen. Women who find themselves too often in the role of listener can practice moving out of that position and putting forth ideas and opinions without waiting for someone to yield the floor.
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Understanding What the Other Half Says
People with conversational styles that are highly masculine or highly feminine can benefit from learning each other's style. The masculine style teaches that conflict and difference need not necessarily be a threat to intimacy. The feminine style teaches that interdependence need not be a threat to freedom and independence.
Understanding the different ways that men and women use language makes it possible to change your own way of speaking, when you want to. But even without changing your style, simply understanding the different approaches can improve communication and relationships. When people realize that their conversation partner has a different communication style, they are better able to accept differences without blaming themselves, their partners, or their relationships. There is no one "right" way to talk, to listen, or to have a conversation.
When people don't see style differences for what they are, they may draw conclusions about personality ("you're irrational," "you're insensitive"), or about intentions ("you don't care about me," "you don't respect me"). When we understand that "you have a different way of showing you care" or "you're not trying to control me" there is room for adjustment or negotiation. You can ask for or make changes without assigning blame. Understanding the ways that people with different gender identities approach conversation can bridge the "gender gap," and genuinely open the lines of communication.
am i psychic?
There are two ways that your ESP can be determined; Tickle's ESP Test uses them both. The first way Tickle tests psychic ability is by objective analysis. It's called "objective" because objective questions have a right answer to them. For instance, the question, "One of Tickle's employees has a dog. What is its name?" is an objective question. There is only one right answer to it.
On an ESP test, one potential downside of objective questions is that they can sometimes be biased. You might be drawn to give one answer over another based on your own personal experiences or by taking an educated guess. However, even with this bias, an objective score still acts as a good measure of how psychic you're likely to be. If you had no psychic ability at all, you'd theoretically have answered about 6 of the 27 objective questions right. Instead, Tickle found that you answered 10 of them right. This means that you got more of them correct than what would be expected by chance, which indicates that you're relatively more likely to possess unusual psychic talent.
The other way to measure psychic ability is to ask about particular experiences common to those who have unusually high psychic powers. These are called subjective questions because they rely on your ability to recall your own experiences from your perspective. Based on the ESP Test's subjective questions, it appears that at this time you have very strong psychic abilities.
To arrive at your overall ESP score, Tickle's experts combined both types of questions: the objective and subjective. They also examined your abilities in five varieties of ESP. Their analysis included: how well you do at looking into what has occurred in the past (retrocognition), being able to "see" the unknown (clairvoyance), looking into the future (precognition), viewing physical objects from a distance (remote viewing), and being able to tune into others' thoughts (telepathy). To determine your overall psychic ability, they combined all of these skills together to arrive at a composite score. In the sections that follow, you'll find a detailed analysis of your scores on each variety of ESP. Note that your results have been reported relative to how other test takers scored. Because everyone is somewhat psychic, you would have had to score more highly than others did to be considered highly psychic.
Of the five key types of ESP, your greatest strength is in Precognition.
Having strong natural ability in precognition makes you more able to tell what will happen in the future, without using information available to you through your five senses. Precognition is the talent possessed by prophets and psychics. You've probably known about this aspect of ESP for a long time, even if you didn't know it by name. For many people, precognition is best represented by the image of a gypsy woman staring into a crystal ball telling someone's future.
Individuals like you who have this ability are sometimes able to utilize it to your advantage; knowing what is going to happen ahead of time can be profound. The problem comes when the events you're seeing in the future are negative. Panic can set in as you wonder whether you can stop bad things from happening. You may not have "seen" enough information to be certain you can make a difference. Oftentimes, people with precognition have visions of things that are going to happen without knowing details like where an event will take place or whom it effects. Depending on the type of information you get, you may not have the whole picture. Most people only have access to a piece of it, and not being able to see the entire thing can be frustrating at times.
Even when precognitive information you receive is positive, it can often be hard to trust. After all, what is fantasy and what is a real vision? By starting to pay more attention to your own predictions, rather than immediately discounting them, you can begin to test your skills. Over time, you'll be able to discern imaginings of what you want to happen in the future from truly psychic thoughts. Pay attention to your dreams as well. Because they're not affected by conscious thoughts, they can be a rich source for the most pure psychic information about the future.
To develop your ESP, it's worth paying attention to all five types of psychic skill, not only your Precognition. The more you know about each one of your gifts, the more you can use them to improve your life.
Precognition
Precognition
Precognition is the ability to know things ahead of time. Nostradamus is one famous example of a person with precognitive powers. However, there are many psychics who claim they can tell the future. The more precognitive power you have, the greater your chances will be of knowing about events before they happen. Precognition can come in many forms. One of the most common and reliable of these is through dreams. Dreams can sometimes provide very credible information about future events; however, this form of precognition can often be hardest to believe and interpret. Perhaps this is because your dreams don't seem as real or tangible as knowledge that comes to you while you're awake. That's not to suggest that all dreams are predictions of the future — far from it. Most dreams have nothing to do with precognition. Still, learning to use your dreams as guides, and becoming able to discern which dreams anticipate future events, can be very valuable skills.
Even people who have not honed their precognitive abilities sometimes have episodes of precognition. For example, an old woman named Judy awoke one morning with a strong feeling that her long-lost son would show up that afternoon. As she ran her errands that morning and visited with her friends, she told all of them that her son would be visiting that day. They reminded her that he had up and left years ago and told her she was crazy to think he was coming. Even with their doubt and ridicule, Judy was so sure of her precognition that she turned down other afternoon plans so that she could sit home and wait. That afternoon a car pulled into her driveway. It was her son whom she had not seen in 12 years. Even Judy was amazed that her intuition had been correct. She was thrilled to tell her son that she had been waiting for him.
Your overall score
Overall, you scored 99 out of 100, meaning that you scored higher than 99% of people who took the ESP Test.
Your score on objective questions
Tickle asked a number of objective questions that have definite right and wrong answers to them. A person randomly guessing on the answers to these questions would normally get at most 1 correct. You got 4 out of 4 correct, which translates to a very strong psychic ability in this area.
How to increase your skill
No matter how strong your precognitive abilities are, there is always room to strengthen them. For most people, the best way to access precognitions is through dreams. However, the challenge with dreams is that they're often hard to evaluate at the time you have them. They're also hard to remember during your waking life. By keeping a journal near your bed and writing down your dreams just after you've had them, you give yourself the opportunity to go back and check what you've dreamt from time to time. You can weigh your dreams against real-life events to see if you've made any valid predictions.
It could take months before something comes true, or it could happen somewhat quickly. Sometimes the clue in your dream will be something small, and oftentimes it won't be literal. For instance, one morning a second grade teacher named John woke up after having the strangest dream. There were lots of different parts to it. It seemed that in his mind he had traveled to the jungles and the tops of mountains all in one night. But the part of the dream that really stuck with him was the end. In his dream, he walked into his kitchen to get some coffee and found Betty Crocker there — the woman from the famous baking goods company — surrounded by pies and cakes. John awoke having no idea what this dream meant and went off to work. That afternoon in school, he was leading a discussion about what his class could do to raise money for an upcoming fieldtrip. One of his students suggested having a bake sale. There was great support for the idea from all the other students and the bake sale was decided on. John had to laugh to himself when he was surrounded by cookies and baked goods at their fundraiser the following week.
Telepathy
Telepathy
Mental telepathy is the ability to know what another person is thinking or visualizing without being told anything about their inner thoughts. Statistically speaking, telepathy is a relatively more common way to exercise your sixth sense. Perhaps that's because it can be easier to get information by reading another person than by trying to obtain information from things like one does with clairvoyance. In some cases, the connections between people seem to somehow support telepathy.
Perhaps you've experienced telepathy in your own life by knowing who is on the line as soon as the phone rings, even if there's no special reason to expect that person to call. You might also have had telepathic experiences where you thought about someone you hadn't talked to in ages, only to have them contact you later that same day. In this latter case, you don't really know whether it was you who experienced the telepathy or if it was the person who did the calling that did. You can check with them to try to straighten it out, but the fact of it may never be clear.
Your overall score
Overall, on telepathy you scored 95 out of 100, meaning that you scored higher than 95% of people who took the ESP Test.
Your score on objective questions
Tickle asked a number of objective questions that have definite right and wrong answers to them. A person randomly guessing on the answers to these questions would normally get about 1 correct. You got 4 out of 5 correct, which translates to a very strong psychic ability in this area.
How to increase your skill
Even people with great telepathic abilities have room to hone their skills. The easiest way for you to do this is to pair up with a friend so you can both practice. Try this: Sit down together with your friend and spend a few minutes calming your minds and relaxing into a quiet, meditative state. Once you're both relaxed, take turns doing the following exercise. One person deliberately thinks about something, like a day that had special significance to them or a particular scene of some kind. The other person tries to connect with what the first person is thinking and then describes what they're picking up. With practice, over time you'll likely get a better sense of when you are picking up a true "signal" from your friend's mind versus simply imagining what they might be thinking or visualizing.
Retrocognition
Retrocognition
Retrocognition is the ability to look into the past and get information that is not otherwise available to you through one of your five senses. For some people, this information comes spontaneously. For example, one woman with strong retrocognition skills reported that she was standing by the side of the road one day and flashed upon of a scene of a car accident. This vision had a disturbing effect on her. In fact, it was so compelling and realistic that she set out to determine if a crash had actually taken place there. Upon investigation, she found that indeed, a terrible accident had occurred just days before, exactly as she had envisioned it. However, not everyone with retrocognition experiences these spontaneous flashbacks. Certain individuals with this skill use meditation or purposeful visualization to look back into the past.
Your overall score
Overall, you scored 84 out of 100, meaning that you scored higher on retrocognition than 84% of people who took the ESP Test.
Your score on objective questions
Tickle asked a number of objective questions that have definite right and wrong answers to them. A person randomly guessing on the answers to these questions would normally get at most one correct. You got 1 out of 4 correct, which translates to a strong psychic ability in this area.
How to increase your skill
No matter how skilled you are at retrocognition, there is always room for advancing your ability. The best way to improve is to go to new places and see if you get any feeling about what has happened there in the past. The more you're able to quiet your mind and focus your attention on where you are, the more likely you'll be able to connect. You may get a particular feeling, have a vision, or just experience a kind of "knowingness" about what has happened there before.
Most times, however, you probably won't have a sense about a place. Therefore the more places you go, and the more times you check in with yourself regarding whether you're having any particular reactions to a place, the better chance you'll have of identifying moments of retrocognition. When you believe you're on to something, try to get feedback and validation by asking others what they know about a location's past. You may be surprised to find that you've picked up on a piece of history. Yet at other times, even if your hunches are correct, you may have trouble finding others to confirm them. This is especially true if the events you are sensing happened a very long time ago.
Clairvoyance
Clairvoyance
Clairvoyance is the ability to know something that is currently taking place without reliance on any of your five senses to obtain that knowledge. For example, sometimes an individual will suddenly see in their mind's eye an event that is currently transpiring; only later will they get confirmation that what they envisioned truly happened. At other times, clairvoyants will not see the whole picture but will simply sense that something happened. Mostly, clairvoyance is the ability to get information about things: "mindless objects." Take this story of a woman who lost the stone in her wedding ring.
One afternoon during lunch, a woman looked down at her hand only to realize that one of the three diamonds in her wedding ring was gone. She was extremely upset because had no idea when or where she'd lost the stone. She was certain it was gone forever. After breaking the news to her husband, the two began to look all through their house for it, not having any idea where the stone might be. Then suddenly, the husband had a vision that his wife's diamond was on the ground underneath the movie-theater seat she had occupied the night before. He didn't tell her about this vision at first, in case he was mistaken. Instead he told his wife he was going to the store and returned to the theater to look for the diamond. Sure enough, when he reached the spot where they had been sitting, the stone was there, just like he had pictured it. He brought the diamond back to his wife to her great delight and told her about the mental picture that led him to it.
Your overall score
Overall, you scored 76 out of 100, meaning that you scored higher on clairvoyance than 76% of people who took the ESP Test.
Your score on objective questions
Tickle asked a number of objective questions that have definite right and wrong answers to them. A person randomly guessing on the answers to these questions would normally get about 2 correct. You got 2 out of 9 correct, which translates to a moderately strong psychic ability in this area.
How to increase your skill
No matter how clairvoyant you believe yourself to be, this is a skill you can always advance further. To become more clairvoyant, you need only to pay more attention to your hunches. Day-to-day life provides many opportunities to test yourself. However, you may also want to experiment with some cards or dice.
Here's a good exercise to try: Roll a die but don't look at it once you've rolled it. With your eyes closed, try to imagine the number on the die you just rolled. Once you "see" it in your head, say the number out loud and open your eyes. Were you correct? Take a piece of paper and write down the number you rolled and whether you were correct or not. The more you do this, the better you'll become at recognizing when your visions are accurate and when they're not.
Remote Viewing
Remote Viewing
Remote viewing is the ability, while staying in one place, to "go" somewhere else with the power of your mind and visually see what is there. Space is not a limiting factor for individuals who have strong remote viewing capabilities. Interestingly, there has been substantial experimentation using remote viewers to examine whether or not this type of ESP truly exists and can be relied upon. One example is the government-funded "Stargate" project that had psychics attempt to remotely view foreign targets for intelligence purposes. The viewers' results were good enough that this program received government support for many years. Today it's even the subject of a number of books. However, that doesn't mean that remote viewing has been determined to be foolproof. Although indisputable evidence exists regarding the legitimacy of remote viewing, it's still difficult to rely on this kind of information. Nearly everyone makes mistakes at times, even excellent remote viewers.
Your overall score
Overall, you scored 42 out of 100 on remote viewing, meaning that you scored higher than 42% of people who took the ESP Test.
Your score on objective questions
Tickle asked a number of objective questions that have definite right and wrong answers to them. A person randomly guessing on the answers to these questions would normally get about 1 correct. You got 1 out of 5 correct, which translates to a moderate psychic ability in this area.
How to increase your skill
No matter how solid your remote viewing skills are, this is a difficult ability to master. Obviously some people will always be better remote viewers than others. However, with practice, whatever skills you do have can become more refined over time. In psychic experiments, remote viewers practice their skills systematically. The tester determines the latitude and longitude of a particular place or building, and then the person being tested takes that information and goes to that place in their mind. Once they feel like they have an image of the location, they describe or write down whatever they're picturing. It's most effective to do this kind of experiment using three people, so there is an impartial middle person between the tester and the person being tested. That way the tester can't influence the remote viewer with their thoughts. By using the third person, it's easier to make certain that the ESP ability being displayed is truly remote viewing and not mental telepathy.
On an ESP test, one potential downside of objective questions is that they can sometimes be biased. You might be drawn to give one answer over another based on your own personal experiences or by taking an educated guess. However, even with this bias, an objective score still acts as a good measure of how psychic you're likely to be. If you had no psychic ability at all, you'd theoretically have answered about 6 of the 27 objective questions right. Instead, Tickle found that you answered 10 of them right. This means that you got more of them correct than what would be expected by chance, which indicates that you're relatively more likely to possess unusual psychic talent.
The other way to measure psychic ability is to ask about particular experiences common to those who have unusually high psychic powers. These are called subjective questions because they rely on your ability to recall your own experiences from your perspective. Based on the ESP Test's subjective questions, it appears that at this time you have very strong psychic abilities.
To arrive at your overall ESP score, Tickle's experts combined both types of questions: the objective and subjective. They also examined your abilities in five varieties of ESP. Their analysis included: how well you do at looking into what has occurred in the past (retrocognition), being able to "see" the unknown (clairvoyance), looking into the future (precognition), viewing physical objects from a distance (remote viewing), and being able to tune into others' thoughts (telepathy). To determine your overall psychic ability, they combined all of these skills together to arrive at a composite score. In the sections that follow, you'll find a detailed analysis of your scores on each variety of ESP. Note that your results have been reported relative to how other test takers scored. Because everyone is somewhat psychic, you would have had to score more highly than others did to be considered highly psychic.
Of the five key types of ESP, your greatest strength is in Precognition.
Having strong natural ability in precognition makes you more able to tell what will happen in the future, without using information available to you through your five senses. Precognition is the talent possessed by prophets and psychics. You've probably known about this aspect of ESP for a long time, even if you didn't know it by name. For many people, precognition is best represented by the image of a gypsy woman staring into a crystal ball telling someone's future.
Individuals like you who have this ability are sometimes able to utilize it to your advantage; knowing what is going to happen ahead of time can be profound. The problem comes when the events you're seeing in the future are negative. Panic can set in as you wonder whether you can stop bad things from happening. You may not have "seen" enough information to be certain you can make a difference. Oftentimes, people with precognition have visions of things that are going to happen without knowing details like where an event will take place or whom it effects. Depending on the type of information you get, you may not have the whole picture. Most people only have access to a piece of it, and not being able to see the entire thing can be frustrating at times.
Even when precognitive information you receive is positive, it can often be hard to trust. After all, what is fantasy and what is a real vision? By starting to pay more attention to your own predictions, rather than immediately discounting them, you can begin to test your skills. Over time, you'll be able to discern imaginings of what you want to happen in the future from truly psychic thoughts. Pay attention to your dreams as well. Because they're not affected by conscious thoughts, they can be a rich source for the most pure psychic information about the future.
To develop your ESP, it's worth paying attention to all five types of psychic skill, not only your Precognition. The more you know about each one of your gifts, the more you can use them to improve your life.
Precognition
Precognition
Precognition is the ability to know things ahead of time. Nostradamus is one famous example of a person with precognitive powers. However, there are many psychics who claim they can tell the future. The more precognitive power you have, the greater your chances will be of knowing about events before they happen. Precognition can come in many forms. One of the most common and reliable of these is through dreams. Dreams can sometimes provide very credible information about future events; however, this form of precognition can often be hardest to believe and interpret. Perhaps this is because your dreams don't seem as real or tangible as knowledge that comes to you while you're awake. That's not to suggest that all dreams are predictions of the future — far from it. Most dreams have nothing to do with precognition. Still, learning to use your dreams as guides, and becoming able to discern which dreams anticipate future events, can be very valuable skills.
Even people who have not honed their precognitive abilities sometimes have episodes of precognition. For example, an old woman named Judy awoke one morning with a strong feeling that her long-lost son would show up that afternoon. As she ran her errands that morning and visited with her friends, she told all of them that her son would be visiting that day. They reminded her that he had up and left years ago and told her she was crazy to think he was coming. Even with their doubt and ridicule, Judy was so sure of her precognition that she turned down other afternoon plans so that she could sit home and wait. That afternoon a car pulled into her driveway. It was her son whom she had not seen in 12 years. Even Judy was amazed that her intuition had been correct. She was thrilled to tell her son that she had been waiting for him.
Your overall score
Overall, you scored 99 out of 100, meaning that you scored higher than 99% of people who took the ESP Test.
Your score on objective questions
Tickle asked a number of objective questions that have definite right and wrong answers to them. A person randomly guessing on the answers to these questions would normally get at most 1 correct. You got 4 out of 4 correct, which translates to a very strong psychic ability in this area.
How to increase your skill
No matter how strong your precognitive abilities are, there is always room to strengthen them. For most people, the best way to access precognitions is through dreams. However, the challenge with dreams is that they're often hard to evaluate at the time you have them. They're also hard to remember during your waking life. By keeping a journal near your bed and writing down your dreams just after you've had them, you give yourself the opportunity to go back and check what you've dreamt from time to time. You can weigh your dreams against real-life events to see if you've made any valid predictions.
It could take months before something comes true, or it could happen somewhat quickly. Sometimes the clue in your dream will be something small, and oftentimes it won't be literal. For instance, one morning a second grade teacher named John woke up after having the strangest dream. There were lots of different parts to it. It seemed that in his mind he had traveled to the jungles and the tops of mountains all in one night. But the part of the dream that really stuck with him was the end. In his dream, he walked into his kitchen to get some coffee and found Betty Crocker there — the woman from the famous baking goods company — surrounded by pies and cakes. John awoke having no idea what this dream meant and went off to work. That afternoon in school, he was leading a discussion about what his class could do to raise money for an upcoming fieldtrip. One of his students suggested having a bake sale. There was great support for the idea from all the other students and the bake sale was decided on. John had to laugh to himself when he was surrounded by cookies and baked goods at their fundraiser the following week.
Telepathy
Telepathy
Mental telepathy is the ability to know what another person is thinking or visualizing without being told anything about their inner thoughts. Statistically speaking, telepathy is a relatively more common way to exercise your sixth sense. Perhaps that's because it can be easier to get information by reading another person than by trying to obtain information from things like one does with clairvoyance. In some cases, the connections between people seem to somehow support telepathy.
Perhaps you've experienced telepathy in your own life by knowing who is on the line as soon as the phone rings, even if there's no special reason to expect that person to call. You might also have had telepathic experiences where you thought about someone you hadn't talked to in ages, only to have them contact you later that same day. In this latter case, you don't really know whether it was you who experienced the telepathy or if it was the person who did the calling that did. You can check with them to try to straighten it out, but the fact of it may never be clear.
Your overall score
Overall, on telepathy you scored 95 out of 100, meaning that you scored higher than 95% of people who took the ESP Test.
Your score on objective questions
Tickle asked a number of objective questions that have definite right and wrong answers to them. A person randomly guessing on the answers to these questions would normally get about 1 correct. You got 4 out of 5 correct, which translates to a very strong psychic ability in this area.
How to increase your skill
Even people with great telepathic abilities have room to hone their skills. The easiest way for you to do this is to pair up with a friend so you can both practice. Try this: Sit down together with your friend and spend a few minutes calming your minds and relaxing into a quiet, meditative state. Once you're both relaxed, take turns doing the following exercise. One person deliberately thinks about something, like a day that had special significance to them or a particular scene of some kind. The other person tries to connect with what the first person is thinking and then describes what they're picking up. With practice, over time you'll likely get a better sense of when you are picking up a true "signal" from your friend's mind versus simply imagining what they might be thinking or visualizing.
Retrocognition
Retrocognition
Retrocognition is the ability to look into the past and get information that is not otherwise available to you through one of your five senses. For some people, this information comes spontaneously. For example, one woman with strong retrocognition skills reported that she was standing by the side of the road one day and flashed upon of a scene of a car accident. This vision had a disturbing effect on her. In fact, it was so compelling and realistic that she set out to determine if a crash had actually taken place there. Upon investigation, she found that indeed, a terrible accident had occurred just days before, exactly as she had envisioned it. However, not everyone with retrocognition experiences these spontaneous flashbacks. Certain individuals with this skill use meditation or purposeful visualization to look back into the past.
Your overall score
Overall, you scored 84 out of 100, meaning that you scored higher on retrocognition than 84% of people who took the ESP Test.
Your score on objective questions
Tickle asked a number of objective questions that have definite right and wrong answers to them. A person randomly guessing on the answers to these questions would normally get at most one correct. You got 1 out of 4 correct, which translates to a strong psychic ability in this area.
How to increase your skill
No matter how skilled you are at retrocognition, there is always room for advancing your ability. The best way to improve is to go to new places and see if you get any feeling about what has happened there in the past. The more you're able to quiet your mind and focus your attention on where you are, the more likely you'll be able to connect. You may get a particular feeling, have a vision, or just experience a kind of "knowingness" about what has happened there before.
Most times, however, you probably won't have a sense about a place. Therefore the more places you go, and the more times you check in with yourself regarding whether you're having any particular reactions to a place, the better chance you'll have of identifying moments of retrocognition. When you believe you're on to something, try to get feedback and validation by asking others what they know about a location's past. You may be surprised to find that you've picked up on a piece of history. Yet at other times, even if your hunches are correct, you may have trouble finding others to confirm them. This is especially true if the events you are sensing happened a very long time ago.
Clairvoyance
Clairvoyance
Clairvoyance is the ability to know something that is currently taking place without reliance on any of your five senses to obtain that knowledge. For example, sometimes an individual will suddenly see in their mind's eye an event that is currently transpiring; only later will they get confirmation that what they envisioned truly happened. At other times, clairvoyants will not see the whole picture but will simply sense that something happened. Mostly, clairvoyance is the ability to get information about things: "mindless objects." Take this story of a woman who lost the stone in her wedding ring.
One afternoon during lunch, a woman looked down at her hand only to realize that one of the three diamonds in her wedding ring was gone. She was extremely upset because had no idea when or where she'd lost the stone. She was certain it was gone forever. After breaking the news to her husband, the two began to look all through their house for it, not having any idea where the stone might be. Then suddenly, the husband had a vision that his wife's diamond was on the ground underneath the movie-theater seat she had occupied the night before. He didn't tell her about this vision at first, in case he was mistaken. Instead he told his wife he was going to the store and returned to the theater to look for the diamond. Sure enough, when he reached the spot where they had been sitting, the stone was there, just like he had pictured it. He brought the diamond back to his wife to her great delight and told her about the mental picture that led him to it.
Your overall score
Overall, you scored 76 out of 100, meaning that you scored higher on clairvoyance than 76% of people who took the ESP Test.
Your score on objective questions
Tickle asked a number of objective questions that have definite right and wrong answers to them. A person randomly guessing on the answers to these questions would normally get about 2 correct. You got 2 out of 9 correct, which translates to a moderately strong psychic ability in this area.
How to increase your skill
No matter how clairvoyant you believe yourself to be, this is a skill you can always advance further. To become more clairvoyant, you need only to pay more attention to your hunches. Day-to-day life provides many opportunities to test yourself. However, you may also want to experiment with some cards or dice.
Here's a good exercise to try: Roll a die but don't look at it once you've rolled it. With your eyes closed, try to imagine the number on the die you just rolled. Once you "see" it in your head, say the number out loud and open your eyes. Were you correct? Take a piece of paper and write down the number you rolled and whether you were correct or not. The more you do this, the better you'll become at recognizing when your visions are accurate and when they're not.
Remote Viewing
Remote Viewing
Remote viewing is the ability, while staying in one place, to "go" somewhere else with the power of your mind and visually see what is there. Space is not a limiting factor for individuals who have strong remote viewing capabilities. Interestingly, there has been substantial experimentation using remote viewers to examine whether or not this type of ESP truly exists and can be relied upon. One example is the government-funded "Stargate" project that had psychics attempt to remotely view foreign targets for intelligence purposes. The viewers' results were good enough that this program received government support for many years. Today it's even the subject of a number of books. However, that doesn't mean that remote viewing has been determined to be foolproof. Although indisputable evidence exists regarding the legitimacy of remote viewing, it's still difficult to rely on this kind of information. Nearly everyone makes mistakes at times, even excellent remote viewers.
Your overall score
Overall, you scored 42 out of 100 on remote viewing, meaning that you scored higher than 42% of people who took the ESP Test.
Your score on objective questions
Tickle asked a number of objective questions that have definite right and wrong answers to them. A person randomly guessing on the answers to these questions would normally get about 1 correct. You got 1 out of 5 correct, which translates to a moderate psychic ability in this area.
How to increase your skill
No matter how solid your remote viewing skills are, this is a difficult ability to master. Obviously some people will always be better remote viewers than others. However, with practice, whatever skills you do have can become more refined over time. In psychic experiments, remote viewers practice their skills systematically. The tester determines the latitude and longitude of a particular place or building, and then the person being tested takes that information and goes to that place in their mind. Once they feel like they have an image of the location, they describe or write down whatever they're picturing. It's most effective to do this kind of experiment using three people, so there is an impartial middle person between the tester and the person being tested. That way the tester can't influence the remote viewer with their thoughts. By using the third person, it's easier to make certain that the ESP ability being displayed is truly remote viewing and not mental telepathy.
my 5 factor personality report
Merritt, your most unique quality is that you are
personable
You come to life when you're around others and are a real “people person.” You're also a natural leader and are able to maneuver difficult personal situations with ease and tact. You're on the ball, assertive, and have energy to carry out your best ideas. Not to mention the fact that people just enjoy being around you. Compared to others who of all test takers have this unique combination of personality strengths.
How do we know this about you?
The questions you answered on the test measured your scores on 5 overarching personality qualities, or factors, as well as the 30 specific personality traits that make up those 5 factors. We then compared all of your scores to the thousands of other people who have taken this test to determine what sets you apart from the crowd.
What are these "5 Factors?" What do the five factors represent? The easiest way to remember them is to use the acronym "OCEAN," which stands for
O: Openness to experience
C: Conscientiousness
E: Extraversion
A: Agreeableness
N: Negative emotionality
These five factors have been studied for decades and make up the most widely accepted theoretical model for understanding personality. You have a score along each of these five dimensions — one per letter. Here is how you scored:
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Negative
Emotionality
The following sections explain what each of these factors is in more detail, and shows you the six personality traits that combine together to make up each of the factors (a total of 30 traits in all).
Which traits make up my score on this factor?
Your level of openness is determined by six traits: how imaginative you are, how much you appreciate art and aesthetics, how in touch you are with your emotions, how much you like new experiences, how broad your interests are, and how mutable your values are.
As with all the factors, they measure you on a continuum of different qualities. Someone who is at one end of the scale has one set of qualities while someone at the other end has a set of different qualities.
Based on your scores, we can tell that you are open to experiences, and you have a wide variety of interests. In fact, you're more likely to seek a new experience for the first time, rather than do something you're already familiar with. When it comes right down to it, you love to learn and you're highly creative.
There are six different personality traits that primarily determine your level of openness. Here is a bar chart that depicts how strong each of these personality traits are in you.
Fantasy
Feelings
Actions
Ideas
Values
Aesthetics
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Openness Trait 1: Fantasy
Your Fantasy rating is 100 out of 100. This means that, relative to others, you have an active imagination. You're more of a daydreamer than a realist, and you love to think up new ideas and to imagine new possibilities. It also means that you're more curious than others and are able to find beauty in most of the things you see. The only hitch is that in the absence of a variety of interesting experiences you may begin to grow bored. Also, if the task on hand is only mildly of interest, procrastination can kick in.
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Openness Trait 2: Feelings
Everyone has feelings, but some tend to pay more attention to them than others. Your Feelings rating is 99 out of 100. You believe that emotions are valuable and are less likely than others to bottle up any emotion, deeming it "bad" or "wrong" to experience. You're also more likely to learn from your feelings regardless of what they are. What's more, you believe in people. You are the person friends come to when things get rough, partly because you're caring and prepared for any emotional situation, and partly because of your belief in human nature itself.
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Openness Trait 3: Actions
The word "actions" for the purposes of this kind of personality test means the extent to which you gravitate toward new and unusual experiences or stick with what you know you like — with what is familiar.
Your Actions rating is 98 out of 100. This indicates that you gravitate toward the new and unusual. These types of experiences provide ample material for you to learn from, so you pursue such experiences whenever possible. In general, you're more flexible and open to changing your thoughts and opinions about things than most. Overall, just as the magnet is attracted to the refrigerator, you're inherently attracted to new experiences. The lack of stability that bothers some people when there is too much newness may only serve to spur you on.
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Openness Trait 4: Ideas
Everyone has ideas. But as a personality trait, the word "ideas" refers to how broad your interests are and how strongly you're driven to explore your ideas and consider new thoughts.
Your Ideas rating is 97 out of 100. This indicates that you've got a strong curiosity that propels you forward. Sometimes particular experiences will fuel your strong motivation to understand the world, and suddenly you'll be exploring a whole new set of possibilities. When something really piques your curiosity, you will work hard to figure it out, knowing that just the process of searching for the answer will teach you about how the world works.
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Openness Trait 5: Values
Most people have some values that they are willing to reconsider from time to time. But there are other values that are harder to question — especially those you've been practicing for years or that have helped you make difficult decisions in the past. Generally speaking, however, some people are more willing than others to reexamine their values.
Your Values rating is 96 out of 100. This means that you're relatively flexible and are willing to change your beliefs if you're faced with evidence that they may no longer be applicable or functional. You want to believe what is true, rather than hide behind untrue beliefs that protect you or make you feel more comfortable. You're open to truly questioning your outlook. When it comes down to it, you're all about possibility rather than subscribing to a rigid, unchangeable set of values, and you use that to make the best out of life.
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Openness Trait 6: Aesthetics
Your Aesthetics rating is 88 out of 100. This means that, relative to others, you value the beauty of things, especially when it comes to art or interior design. You have a natural love of these things that just kicks in whenever you're in the presence of something truly beautiful. This can at times prove to be a little dangerous to your pocketbook if you're so taken by an object you have to purchase it for yourself instead of appreciating it in it's own right. But your desire to see the beauty in things also allows you to see the beauty in others and to consequently treat them with more kindness and generosity.
Which traits make up my score on this factor?
Conscientiousness is a word that describes a conglomeration of several traits, including your level of confidence, how orderly you are, the extent to which you are dependable, how driven you are to be successful, how much self discipline you have, and whether you think through things before you act. Overall, it is, essentially, accountability.
Your answers to the test indicate that people depend on you and know that you can be counted on. Most people appreciate this trait very much. You have the drive to do well and the follow-through to actually make it happen. When your conscientiousness gets the best of you, you can tend toward perfectionism and single-mindedness, but even these attributes are very useful and positive.
There are six different personality traits that primarily determine your level of conscientiousness. Here is a bar chart that depicts how strong each of these personality traits are in you.
Competence
Dutifulness
Order
Deliberation
Self-
Discipline
Achievement-
Striving
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Conscientiousness Trait 1: Competence
Competence is the feeling that you know what you're doing, that you're able to do what you need to do, and that you can do it well.
Your Competence rating is 100 out of 100. This means that you feel competent in general and know that there are some things that you really excel at. This is great, because a sense of competence is also associated with higher self-esteem. A greater sense of competency allows for freer exploration of ideas: if you're afraid of failing, it is harder to try new things or consider new ideas. It is also a practical trait to have in that, when you believe that you can handle anything, difficult and stressful situations are easier to deal with.
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Conscientiousness Trait 2: Dutifulness
To be dutiful is to be reliable and to follow through on your obligations.
Your Dutiful rating is 99 out of 100. You're the kind of person other people can count on. You're "the rock" that others lean on. Whatever the occasion, you're there to help, there for your friends, there when needed. You have your stuff together — otherwise how could you really follow through on your desire to help? Typically, being dutiful means you're honest, too. And as if all this wasn't good enough, you're also unlikely to look down on others. As long as you don't forget that no one can always be "the rock" and that you also need to lean on others at times, you can lead a balanced life. You can know that it's not just you who's holding down the fort.
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Conscientiousness Trait 3: Order
When it comes to personality, order means you know where all your belongings are. You know what is going to happen and when. When things are orderly, you can find what you need when you need it.
Your Orderly rating is 88 out of 100. You have it together. You have things set up so that your life doesn't feel like a mess half of the time. You're organized, which is helpful both at home and at work, and in cooperating with anyone else who isn't quite so organized. To be organized, you need to be prepared, which you almost always are. You're also likely to establish routines that support your desire for order. At times, this can lead to something of a rut but usually is very useful and positive.
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Conscientiousness Trait 4: Deliberation
To deliberate is to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision and to really think things through before you do something.
Your Deliberation rating is 65 out of 100. You like to think things through. Rather than jumping to conclusions or making up your mind and then not taking in any more evidence to the contrary, you prefer to weigh the possibilities and then, only when you're through collecting information, make a decision. Others are likely to experience you as levelheaded and rational but may not understand where all your questions come from. Because of this, you can also come off as relatively serious to others; they may interpret your questions and reluctance to take things on faith as unnecessarily skeptical.
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Conscientiousness Trait 5: Self-Discipline
We're all faced with things we don't want to do from time to time. And what do most of us do in that situation? Procrastinate. You may, for instance, get sidetracked by something more "fun" and conveniently forget what it was that you had originally intended to do. Where do you lie on the continuum of self-discipline?
Your Self-discipline rating is 63 out of 100. This means you're relatively less likely to procrastinate, and that in general, you are able to count on yourself to get things done and to do them on time. You're able to pass up life's temptations when they could potentially distract you from a present goal. In this context, to be self-disciplined means to be organized and to be able to remain calm in the face of confusion or high levels of stress, so that crisis times don't pull you off course. Self-control and the ability to delay gratification are key here.
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Conscientiousness Trait 6: Achievement-Striving
When a person desires great success, or always seems to be reaching for the highest star in the sky, they're likely to score high in the achievement-striving trait.
Your Achievement rating is 50 out of 100. This means that you care about your achievements in life. You don't want to look back at the end of your life only to realize you didn't accomplish anything. This may make you a little competitive at times, but that only adds to the excitement and thrill you get from accomplishing your goal or at least working in that direction. To be as achievement-oriented as you are requires an ability to imagine the future. If you can't picture yourself as succeeding at whatever you're working toward, it makes it harder to actually get there. Working to accomplish something, however, can take away your time and energy and can even shut you down emotionally at times — so keep a careful eye on yourself and your actions when striving to achieve any goals you may have and make sure your life is balanced.
Which traits make up my score on this factor?
Picture the most social person you've ever met — most likely on the lookout for leadership positions, involved in everything, and a friend to everyone. You know the type: The Big Man — or Woman — On Campus. We all share this outgoing nature or extraversion to a greater or lesser extent. The opposite of extraversion is introversion, which is associated with more quiet introspection and more alone time. People who are introverted tend to focus more on depth rather than breadth, which is opposite of an extravert. For example, you'd rather know a few things inside and out rather than be the proverbial Jack of all trades and master of none.
Your answers indicate that you are more extraverted than most. As an extravert, you're likely to be more talkative than others. Your friendly nature easily draws people to you. It puts you in a good position to pursue important social roles in whatever discipline you choose. For example, you could be upper-level management in a hospital or an activist inspiring others to fight for your cause. In other words, no matter what activity or career you choose, you rise to the top and often take a leadership role. But mostly, being extraverted means that your energy mainly comes from interactions with others and that people find you very personable.
There are six different personality traits that primarily determine your level of extraversion. Here is a bar chart that depicts how strong each of these personality traits are in you.
Warmth
Gregariousness
Assertiveness
Excitement-
Seeking
Positive-
Emotions
Activity
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Extraversion Trait 1: Warmth
Generally, people who are warm are loving, giving people who really enjoy the company of others.
Your Warmth rating is 100 out of 100. This indicates that you're a warm person who really loves people. You like meeting people, helping people, listening to their suggestions, participating in groups, being there for your friends, and so on. You're the kind of friend that everyone wants to have. You're trusting and open, and others around you can sense it. You make others comfortable just by being present.
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Extraversion Trait 2: Gregariousness
This trait refers to the extent to which you put yourself "out there" socially. Are you the one walking up to others at a party, introducing yourself and shaking hands? Or are you the one who prefers to hang back and wait and see what happens?
Your Gregarious rating is 99 out of 100. This indicates that you're the type that is more likely to make an effort to meet others than you are to wait for a chance meeting to occur. Being around people really gives you a charge; it feeds you in an important way. And you've got a lot to share — being around others gives you the opportunity to tell others about your feelings and thoughts. You're charismatic — when you talk, people listen. You get jazzed up about something and your enthusiasm is contagious. People can sense your interest in making others happy and can feel your enthusiasm when you talk.
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Extraversion Trait 3: Assertiveness
Assertiveness is generally considered to be a positive trait. It is the ability to share your opinions with others and to speak up for yourself, especially when it counts.
Your Assertiveness rating is 98 out of 100. This means that you're able to state your opinions clearly and to stand up for what you believe in. No one is going to walk all over you because you have boundaries and are not afraid to put them up when someone is too pushy or inconsiderate. You know who you are, and you're not afraid of putting yourself out there. You've learned what to expect from people, and you have come to trust your own opinion over others' opinions, especially when it comes to your own personal life.
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Extraversion Trait 4: Excitement-Seeking
People who are excitement seeking just can't wait to get their hands on a new thrill. They find the exciting element in everything, and if it's not thrilling enough, they search for more.
Your Excitement-seeking rating is 97 out of 100. This means that you're full of positive energy. Always searching for something new and exciting, you'll check out anything that appears to be a good opportunity to experience something you've never experienced before. You might be a little overly eager to jump right into something new, which ultimately leads you to a wide variety of experiences — some amazing ones, some not so amazing. One thing is certain: All the while, you're learning about life and yourself. The more experiences you have, as a general rule, the wiser you'll be.
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Extraversion Trait 5: Positive Emotions
The trait of "positive emotions" refers to whether or not you generally feel good about your life. Is your mood usually positive and light or dark and heavy? People high in positive emotions love their life; people who are low tend to have more negative thoughts and feelings.
Your Positive Emotions rating is 96 out of 100. You light up people's lives. You bring hope and trust to any situation, and you believe that anything is possible. Generally, though your convictions are strong, you're not bothered when other people disagree with you — or, more accurately — you don't let it get in your way. You know people mean well but that doesn't mean they're right. Your kind heart and positive spirit keep you and others around you feeling good about life and its possibilities.
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Extraversion Trait 6: Activity
Some people are always on the go and can barely take a moment to relax. Others arrange their lives so that they have ample time to spend leisurely, without any obligations or interruptions.
Your Activity rating is 88 out of 100. You're the one who's several steps ahead of the rest. You've got a fire in your belly that keeps you on the go and keeps you active and looking for something interesting and adventurous to do. It's even better if you've got someone to share your drive and to do all of those activities with. Your determination and search for excitement spurs others on and gets them going.
Which traits make up my score on this factor?
This factor generally refers to how positively you view other people and what kind of an effect you have on others. For instance, being guarded and suspicious has a less "agreeable" effect than being open and trusting does. Being compliant and gentle is more agreeable than being stubborn and harsh. Of course, there is a time and a place for being stubborn and harsh; this factor captures whether you generally lean more toward or away from being "agreeable."
Your answers indicate that you are more agreeable than most, meaning that you're easy to be around and that in group settings you blend in easily and naturally. Rather than forcing your own agenda on those around you, you look to see what is needed and how to increase the harmony between people. You'd rather focus on positive interactions than on getting your way or winning an argument.
There are six different personality traits that primarily determine your level of agreeableness. Here is a bar chart that depicts how strong each of these personality traits are in you.
Straight-
Forwardness
Altruism
Trust
Modesty
Compliance
Tender-
Mindedness
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Agreeableness Trait 1: Straight-Forwardness
People who get right to the point are straightforward. Beating around the bush, telling a complete story before giving the "bottom line," and so forth, are not so straightforward.
Your Straight-forward rating is 100 out of 100. So, you're relatively direct. If you've got a strong opinion, you're going to share it. And when someone tries to challenge you, you're usually up for it and unlikely to back down just because things get intense. Being direct usually indicates being driven as well. You don't want to waste time or effort — being direct gets you there quickest. And since you know where you're going, there's no reason to beat around the bush or say things any other way but directly. This is not to say that you aren't able to be diplomatic at times; just that you prefer to take the direct route when possible.
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Agreeableness Trait 2: Altruism
Volunteering to help others and lending a helping hand when you can are examples of altruism in action. Just listening to a friend on the phone when they are in a crisis can be an act of altruism as well. We're all altruistic to a certain extent — however, some people make it a way of life to help others, whereas most of us simply do what we can as things come to us.
Your Altruism rating is 88 out of 100. You're generally upstanding and kind. You genuinely like and appreciate other people, and therefore want to give what you can to help them enjoy their lives. Plus you know that you can help — you see the way you can affect others and are thus inspired to do something for them. The combination of your kindness and steadfastness only serves to support your altruistic tendencies, to make you more likely to actually act when you get the urge to help.
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Agreeableness Trait 3: Trust
How you look at the world influences what you see in it. If you expect people to be dishonest and hurtful, you will be quick to recognize it when a person's behavior might fit that description. If you expect people to be honest and kind, you will be more liable to notice that behavior instead. It's basically a "what you see is what you get" type of philosophy. Depending on how others have treated you in the past, you may have a keener eye for distrustful behavior than you do for honesty or kindness.
Your Trust rating is 75 out of 100. This means that you see the best in others. You believe that most people are honest and well-intentioned. This comes from a general optimism toward life and an eye for beauty whether in other people or other things. Your patience for others' imperfections helps you to not jump to conclusions about them. Also, you tend to be trustworthy yourself, and so it is easy for you to imagine that others are just as trustworthy. This may or may not be true in any given case, but giving others the benefit of the doubt can often help to foster positive relationships with them and increase the chances that they will in fact act honorably toward you.
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Agreeableness Trait 4: Modesty
There are some people who are great and let the world know about it. And there are others who are great but don't toot their own horn in public — and in general, aren't tempted to.
Your Modesty rating is 74 out of 100. This means that you don't let success inflate your ego. Getting a compliment doesn't send you soaring to the moon with thoughts about how wonderful you are. You are more likely to say something positive about another person's good qualities than you are to get others to pay attention to your greatness. You're also less worried about impressing others — more likely to stick to the truth rather than exaggerating to get others' attention. This also makes you less likely to try to "win" — if you're not making great claims about your greatness, you don't have to worry about defending that greatness every time there is a chance to potentially lose at something. This makes it easier for others to trust you, knowing that you're not likely to "one-up" them just to inflate your own ego.
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Agreeableness Trait 5: Compliance
Compliance is the opposite of competitive. If you're playing with someone who doesn't mind losing and doesn't need to win, you're seeing compliance in action. More generally, compliance is the tendency to go along with things, to avoid creating resistance.
Your Compliance rating is 38 out of 100. Even if you wanted to go along with what other people want you to do — which you don't — it would be difficult for you. You've got a lot going on, and a lot you want to accomplish, and simply going along with someone else's plans just doesn't fit with who you are or what you are planning for your future. When someone gets too pushy, this can lead you to react quickly and negatively, bringing out that slight temper of yours. But mostly, you're just energetically pursuing your own dreams, and being overly compliant would make it more difficult to reach your goals.
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Agreeableness Trait 6: Tender-Mindedness
Your friend is crying and she wants your help. You can react in many different ways. On one extreme you have the person who reacts with an articulate and rational plan for how to fix the problem. On the other extreme, you have the person who reacts emotionally, supporting the friend through their sympathy. Neither reaction is wrong; they are both helpful in different ways.
Your Tender-Mindedness rating is 13 out of 100. This means you're relatively more rational and less tender-minded. You're very logical, knowing that this is something you can rely on to get you through any difficult situation. And even if you don't consciously think it's the better way to be, you're just more naturally inclined to rely on logic to guide you in the face of an important decision. You are also not prone to take your time meandering about when it comes to making such decisions. You weigh the pros against the cons, and then based on the facts, you make a decision. Of course not all decisions can be dealt with in this way; this is simply your preferred method.
Which traits make up my score on this factor?
Negative emotionality represents the extent to which you react to negative stimuli. In other words, when something negative hits you, how do you respond? Does it ruin your day or does it barely register? Most people fall between these two extremes.
Your answers indicate that you are resilient. Something hits you and it doesn't get all the way in. When others would react with anger or embarrassment, you are more likely to step back and not take it personally. Most stressful situations are more challenging to you than they are overwhelming, and represent an opportunity for you to show how competent you really are.
There are six different personality traits that primarily determine your level of negative emotionality. Here is a bar chart that depicts how strong each of these personality traits are in you.
Impulsiveness
Self-
consciousness
Vulnerability
Worry
Anger
Discouragement
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Negative Emotionality Trait 1: Impulsiveness
You walk into a store and see an object you've been coveting for months. Do you buy it? Well, if you were highly impulsive, you would have already purchased it by now. If you're not, you might be able to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. In fact, if you're not impulsive at all, it just might take you a year or two to decide.
Your Impulsiveness rating is 38 out of 100. This means that you're inclined to think first and act later. You're not likely to suddenly find that you have grossly overspent your budget or that you've said something that yet again you wish you could take back. You know how you're acting and are in control of your emotions, and this makes you more levelheaded than others.
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Negative Emotionality Trait 2: Self-consciousness
When in an uncertain situation, you can either put yourself out there or hold back and wait to see what happens. A perfect example is in the proverbial classroom when the teacher asks a question and no one is 100% sure that they know the answer. It is the un-self-conscious person who speaks up. On the other hand, the self-conscious person shrinks into the seat and prays not to be called on.
Your Self-conscious rating is 25 out of 100. You don't mind being the center of attention sometimes. The spotlight can be on you and you're not likely to shrivel up in embarrassment. You can laugh at yourself because you don't misinterpret inane comments as personal insults. This makes you easy to be around and easy to joke with because others will be able to sense that you don't have heightened sensitivity in this way.
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Negative Emotionality Trait 3: Vulnerability
The heat is on, people are starting to panic, and everyone is stressed. Are you likely to be the one who is freaking out or the one sitting calming in the corner telling everyone, "All things pass — there's no reason to be upset!" Or, are you the one screaming, "I knew it! The world is coming to an end!" When times are stressful, falling apart typically just makes the situation more difficult to handle. Resilience and vulnerability are two ends of the spectrum of vulnerability.
Your Vulnerability rating is 14 out of 100. You're on the resilient side of the spectrum. You're not easily sidetracked by life's ups and downs, because you know that you can handle them. You've got a strong rational mind that you can utilize when times get stressful. Rather than relying solely on your emotions to guide you during difficult times, you bring logic into the picture to help you figure out what to do. This helps to provide a little distance between you and the stressor and usually helps you to function more effectively and to cope with the current problem more easily than you would have otherwise been able to.
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Negative Emotionality Trait 4: Worry
Some people generally feel relaxed and carefree; others, anxious. This personality trait is the continuum between these two extremes.
Your Worry rating is 13 out of 100. This means that you're generally not a worrier. Sure, everyone worries once in a while, but you worry less than others. When things get tough, rather than worry about them, you take action and do what you can to make the situation less threatening. You know that the chances are that things will end up just fine anyway, so why torment yourself worrying about things? You'd rather find a way to enjoy your current situation than to worry about what could go wrong with it.
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Negative Emotionality Trait 5: Anger
This trait refers to how quickly you grow angry and how likely you are to get angry at all.
Your Anger rating is 0 out of 100. It takes quite a bit to get you going. You're not likely to fly off the handle at the slightest provocation. This is in part because you're generally easygoing about things, not needing to prove yourself all the time. Therefore, someone can be provocative and you're not necessarily going to take it personally.
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Negative Emotionality Trait 6: Discouragement
When something gets in your way, are you likely to give up or keep going? When you're excited about your ideas, is it easy for someone to come along and discourage you from believing them, or are you likely to continue holding your beliefs despite what others are saying?
Your Discouragement rating is -1 out of 100. You're not one to back down from reaching a goal you feel strongly about. People may try to dissuade you, but you aren't likely to budge. You can take a lot of stress and a lot of criticism before you'll lapse into a frenzy of self-doubt. This is usually due to an internal security about who it is that you are rather than an inflated confidence or rigidity. You're able to sort out what is nonsense from what is good advice, especially when it comes to your own personal goals.
This is likely to be one of the most extensive analyses you've ever done of yourself, and your personality. It's important to know that there are no right or wrong factors or traits; you are who you are, and this test can mostly be used as a tool to help you understand why you may do the things you do. There is a great deal of history behind the Five Factor Model, or, as you have come to know it, OCEAN.
personable
You come to life when you're around others and are a real “people person.” You're also a natural leader and are able to maneuver difficult personal situations with ease and tact. You're on the ball, assertive, and have energy to carry out your best ideas. Not to mention the fact that people just enjoy being around you. Compared to others who of all test takers have this unique combination of personality strengths.
How do we know this about you?
The questions you answered on the test measured your scores on 5 overarching personality qualities, or factors, as well as the 30 specific personality traits that make up those 5 factors. We then compared all of your scores to the thousands of other people who have taken this test to determine what sets you apart from the crowd.
What are these "5 Factors?" What do the five factors represent? The easiest way to remember them is to use the acronym "OCEAN," which stands for
O: Openness to experience
C: Conscientiousness
E: Extraversion
A: Agreeableness
N: Negative emotionality
These five factors have been studied for decades and make up the most widely accepted theoretical model for understanding personality. You have a score along each of these five dimensions — one per letter. Here is how you scored:
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Negative
Emotionality
The following sections explain what each of these factors is in more detail, and shows you the six personality traits that combine together to make up each of the factors (a total of 30 traits in all).
Which traits make up my score on this factor?
Your level of openness is determined by six traits: how imaginative you are, how much you appreciate art and aesthetics, how in touch you are with your emotions, how much you like new experiences, how broad your interests are, and how mutable your values are.
As with all the factors, they measure you on a continuum of different qualities. Someone who is at one end of the scale has one set of qualities while someone at the other end has a set of different qualities.
Based on your scores, we can tell that you are open to experiences, and you have a wide variety of interests. In fact, you're more likely to seek a new experience for the first time, rather than do something you're already familiar with. When it comes right down to it, you love to learn and you're highly creative.
There are six different personality traits that primarily determine your level of openness. Here is a bar chart that depicts how strong each of these personality traits are in you.
Fantasy
Feelings
Actions
Ideas
Values
Aesthetics
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Openness Trait 1: Fantasy
Your Fantasy rating is 100 out of 100. This means that, relative to others, you have an active imagination. You're more of a daydreamer than a realist, and you love to think up new ideas and to imagine new possibilities. It also means that you're more curious than others and are able to find beauty in most of the things you see. The only hitch is that in the absence of a variety of interesting experiences you may begin to grow bored. Also, if the task on hand is only mildly of interest, procrastination can kick in.
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Openness Trait 2: Feelings
Everyone has feelings, but some tend to pay more attention to them than others. Your Feelings rating is 99 out of 100. You believe that emotions are valuable and are less likely than others to bottle up any emotion, deeming it "bad" or "wrong" to experience. You're also more likely to learn from your feelings regardless of what they are. What's more, you believe in people. You are the person friends come to when things get rough, partly because you're caring and prepared for any emotional situation, and partly because of your belief in human nature itself.
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Openness Trait 3: Actions
The word "actions" for the purposes of this kind of personality test means the extent to which you gravitate toward new and unusual experiences or stick with what you know you like — with what is familiar.
Your Actions rating is 98 out of 100. This indicates that you gravitate toward the new and unusual. These types of experiences provide ample material for you to learn from, so you pursue such experiences whenever possible. In general, you're more flexible and open to changing your thoughts and opinions about things than most. Overall, just as the magnet is attracted to the refrigerator, you're inherently attracted to new experiences. The lack of stability that bothers some people when there is too much newness may only serve to spur you on.
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Openness Trait 4: Ideas
Everyone has ideas. But as a personality trait, the word "ideas" refers to how broad your interests are and how strongly you're driven to explore your ideas and consider new thoughts.
Your Ideas rating is 97 out of 100. This indicates that you've got a strong curiosity that propels you forward. Sometimes particular experiences will fuel your strong motivation to understand the world, and suddenly you'll be exploring a whole new set of possibilities. When something really piques your curiosity, you will work hard to figure it out, knowing that just the process of searching for the answer will teach you about how the world works.
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Openness Trait 5: Values
Most people have some values that they are willing to reconsider from time to time. But there are other values that are harder to question — especially those you've been practicing for years or that have helped you make difficult decisions in the past. Generally speaking, however, some people are more willing than others to reexamine their values.
Your Values rating is 96 out of 100. This means that you're relatively flexible and are willing to change your beliefs if you're faced with evidence that they may no longer be applicable or functional. You want to believe what is true, rather than hide behind untrue beliefs that protect you or make you feel more comfortable. You're open to truly questioning your outlook. When it comes down to it, you're all about possibility rather than subscribing to a rigid, unchangeable set of values, and you use that to make the best out of life.
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Openness Trait 6: Aesthetics
Your Aesthetics rating is 88 out of 100. This means that, relative to others, you value the beauty of things, especially when it comes to art or interior design. You have a natural love of these things that just kicks in whenever you're in the presence of something truly beautiful. This can at times prove to be a little dangerous to your pocketbook if you're so taken by an object you have to purchase it for yourself instead of appreciating it in it's own right. But your desire to see the beauty in things also allows you to see the beauty in others and to consequently treat them with more kindness and generosity.
Which traits make up my score on this factor?
Conscientiousness is a word that describes a conglomeration of several traits, including your level of confidence, how orderly you are, the extent to which you are dependable, how driven you are to be successful, how much self discipline you have, and whether you think through things before you act. Overall, it is, essentially, accountability.
Your answers to the test indicate that people depend on you and know that you can be counted on. Most people appreciate this trait very much. You have the drive to do well and the follow-through to actually make it happen. When your conscientiousness gets the best of you, you can tend toward perfectionism and single-mindedness, but even these attributes are very useful and positive.
There are six different personality traits that primarily determine your level of conscientiousness. Here is a bar chart that depicts how strong each of these personality traits are in you.
Competence
Dutifulness
Order
Deliberation
Self-
Discipline
Achievement-
Striving
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Conscientiousness Trait 1: Competence
Competence is the feeling that you know what you're doing, that you're able to do what you need to do, and that you can do it well.
Your Competence rating is 100 out of 100. This means that you feel competent in general and know that there are some things that you really excel at. This is great, because a sense of competence is also associated with higher self-esteem. A greater sense of competency allows for freer exploration of ideas: if you're afraid of failing, it is harder to try new things or consider new ideas. It is also a practical trait to have in that, when you believe that you can handle anything, difficult and stressful situations are easier to deal with.
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Conscientiousness Trait 2: Dutifulness
To be dutiful is to be reliable and to follow through on your obligations.
Your Dutiful rating is 99 out of 100. You're the kind of person other people can count on. You're "the rock" that others lean on. Whatever the occasion, you're there to help, there for your friends, there when needed. You have your stuff together — otherwise how could you really follow through on your desire to help? Typically, being dutiful means you're honest, too. And as if all this wasn't good enough, you're also unlikely to look down on others. As long as you don't forget that no one can always be "the rock" and that you also need to lean on others at times, you can lead a balanced life. You can know that it's not just you who's holding down the fort.
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Conscientiousness Trait 3: Order
When it comes to personality, order means you know where all your belongings are. You know what is going to happen and when. When things are orderly, you can find what you need when you need it.
Your Orderly rating is 88 out of 100. You have it together. You have things set up so that your life doesn't feel like a mess half of the time. You're organized, which is helpful both at home and at work, and in cooperating with anyone else who isn't quite so organized. To be organized, you need to be prepared, which you almost always are. You're also likely to establish routines that support your desire for order. At times, this can lead to something of a rut but usually is very useful and positive.
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Conscientiousness Trait 4: Deliberation
To deliberate is to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision and to really think things through before you do something.
Your Deliberation rating is 65 out of 100. You like to think things through. Rather than jumping to conclusions or making up your mind and then not taking in any more evidence to the contrary, you prefer to weigh the possibilities and then, only when you're through collecting information, make a decision. Others are likely to experience you as levelheaded and rational but may not understand where all your questions come from. Because of this, you can also come off as relatively serious to others; they may interpret your questions and reluctance to take things on faith as unnecessarily skeptical.
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Conscientiousness Trait 5: Self-Discipline
We're all faced with things we don't want to do from time to time. And what do most of us do in that situation? Procrastinate. You may, for instance, get sidetracked by something more "fun" and conveniently forget what it was that you had originally intended to do. Where do you lie on the continuum of self-discipline?
Your Self-discipline rating is 63 out of 100. This means you're relatively less likely to procrastinate, and that in general, you are able to count on yourself to get things done and to do them on time. You're able to pass up life's temptations when they could potentially distract you from a present goal. In this context, to be self-disciplined means to be organized and to be able to remain calm in the face of confusion or high levels of stress, so that crisis times don't pull you off course. Self-control and the ability to delay gratification are key here.
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Conscientiousness Trait 6: Achievement-Striving
When a person desires great success, or always seems to be reaching for the highest star in the sky, they're likely to score high in the achievement-striving trait.
Your Achievement rating is 50 out of 100. This means that you care about your achievements in life. You don't want to look back at the end of your life only to realize you didn't accomplish anything. This may make you a little competitive at times, but that only adds to the excitement and thrill you get from accomplishing your goal or at least working in that direction. To be as achievement-oriented as you are requires an ability to imagine the future. If you can't picture yourself as succeeding at whatever you're working toward, it makes it harder to actually get there. Working to accomplish something, however, can take away your time and energy and can even shut you down emotionally at times — so keep a careful eye on yourself and your actions when striving to achieve any goals you may have and make sure your life is balanced.
Which traits make up my score on this factor?
Picture the most social person you've ever met — most likely on the lookout for leadership positions, involved in everything, and a friend to everyone. You know the type: The Big Man — or Woman — On Campus. We all share this outgoing nature or extraversion to a greater or lesser extent. The opposite of extraversion is introversion, which is associated with more quiet introspection and more alone time. People who are introverted tend to focus more on depth rather than breadth, which is opposite of an extravert. For example, you'd rather know a few things inside and out rather than be the proverbial Jack of all trades and master of none.
Your answers indicate that you are more extraverted than most. As an extravert, you're likely to be more talkative than others. Your friendly nature easily draws people to you. It puts you in a good position to pursue important social roles in whatever discipline you choose. For example, you could be upper-level management in a hospital or an activist inspiring others to fight for your cause. In other words, no matter what activity or career you choose, you rise to the top and often take a leadership role. But mostly, being extraverted means that your energy mainly comes from interactions with others and that people find you very personable.
There are six different personality traits that primarily determine your level of extraversion. Here is a bar chart that depicts how strong each of these personality traits are in you.
Warmth
Gregariousness
Assertiveness
Excitement-
Seeking
Positive-
Emotions
Activity
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Extraversion Trait 1: Warmth
Generally, people who are warm are loving, giving people who really enjoy the company of others.
Your Warmth rating is 100 out of 100. This indicates that you're a warm person who really loves people. You like meeting people, helping people, listening to their suggestions, participating in groups, being there for your friends, and so on. You're the kind of friend that everyone wants to have. You're trusting and open, and others around you can sense it. You make others comfortable just by being present.
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Extraversion Trait 2: Gregariousness
This trait refers to the extent to which you put yourself "out there" socially. Are you the one walking up to others at a party, introducing yourself and shaking hands? Or are you the one who prefers to hang back and wait and see what happens?
Your Gregarious rating is 99 out of 100. This indicates that you're the type that is more likely to make an effort to meet others than you are to wait for a chance meeting to occur. Being around people really gives you a charge; it feeds you in an important way. And you've got a lot to share — being around others gives you the opportunity to tell others about your feelings and thoughts. You're charismatic — when you talk, people listen. You get jazzed up about something and your enthusiasm is contagious. People can sense your interest in making others happy and can feel your enthusiasm when you talk.
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Extraversion Trait 3: Assertiveness
Assertiveness is generally considered to be a positive trait. It is the ability to share your opinions with others and to speak up for yourself, especially when it counts.
Your Assertiveness rating is 98 out of 100. This means that you're able to state your opinions clearly and to stand up for what you believe in. No one is going to walk all over you because you have boundaries and are not afraid to put them up when someone is too pushy or inconsiderate. You know who you are, and you're not afraid of putting yourself out there. You've learned what to expect from people, and you have come to trust your own opinion over others' opinions, especially when it comes to your own personal life.
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Extraversion Trait 4: Excitement-Seeking
People who are excitement seeking just can't wait to get their hands on a new thrill. They find the exciting element in everything, and if it's not thrilling enough, they search for more.
Your Excitement-seeking rating is 97 out of 100. This means that you're full of positive energy. Always searching for something new and exciting, you'll check out anything that appears to be a good opportunity to experience something you've never experienced before. You might be a little overly eager to jump right into something new, which ultimately leads you to a wide variety of experiences — some amazing ones, some not so amazing. One thing is certain: All the while, you're learning about life and yourself. The more experiences you have, as a general rule, the wiser you'll be.
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Extraversion Trait 5: Positive Emotions
The trait of "positive emotions" refers to whether or not you generally feel good about your life. Is your mood usually positive and light or dark and heavy? People high in positive emotions love their life; people who are low tend to have more negative thoughts and feelings.
Your Positive Emotions rating is 96 out of 100. You light up people's lives. You bring hope and trust to any situation, and you believe that anything is possible. Generally, though your convictions are strong, you're not bothered when other people disagree with you — or, more accurately — you don't let it get in your way. You know people mean well but that doesn't mean they're right. Your kind heart and positive spirit keep you and others around you feeling good about life and its possibilities.
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Extraversion Trait 6: Activity
Some people are always on the go and can barely take a moment to relax. Others arrange their lives so that they have ample time to spend leisurely, without any obligations or interruptions.
Your Activity rating is 88 out of 100. You're the one who's several steps ahead of the rest. You've got a fire in your belly that keeps you on the go and keeps you active and looking for something interesting and adventurous to do. It's even better if you've got someone to share your drive and to do all of those activities with. Your determination and search for excitement spurs others on and gets them going.
Which traits make up my score on this factor?
This factor generally refers to how positively you view other people and what kind of an effect you have on others. For instance, being guarded and suspicious has a less "agreeable" effect than being open and trusting does. Being compliant and gentle is more agreeable than being stubborn and harsh. Of course, there is a time and a place for being stubborn and harsh; this factor captures whether you generally lean more toward or away from being "agreeable."
Your answers indicate that you are more agreeable than most, meaning that you're easy to be around and that in group settings you blend in easily and naturally. Rather than forcing your own agenda on those around you, you look to see what is needed and how to increase the harmony between people. You'd rather focus on positive interactions than on getting your way or winning an argument.
There are six different personality traits that primarily determine your level of agreeableness. Here is a bar chart that depicts how strong each of these personality traits are in you.
Straight-
Forwardness
Altruism
Trust
Modesty
Compliance
Tender-
Mindedness
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Agreeableness Trait 1: Straight-Forwardness
People who get right to the point are straightforward. Beating around the bush, telling a complete story before giving the "bottom line," and so forth, are not so straightforward.
Your Straight-forward rating is 100 out of 100. So, you're relatively direct. If you've got a strong opinion, you're going to share it. And when someone tries to challenge you, you're usually up for it and unlikely to back down just because things get intense. Being direct usually indicates being driven as well. You don't want to waste time or effort — being direct gets you there quickest. And since you know where you're going, there's no reason to beat around the bush or say things any other way but directly. This is not to say that you aren't able to be diplomatic at times; just that you prefer to take the direct route when possible.
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Agreeableness Trait 2: Altruism
Volunteering to help others and lending a helping hand when you can are examples of altruism in action. Just listening to a friend on the phone when they are in a crisis can be an act of altruism as well. We're all altruistic to a certain extent — however, some people make it a way of life to help others, whereas most of us simply do what we can as things come to us.
Your Altruism rating is 88 out of 100. You're generally upstanding and kind. You genuinely like and appreciate other people, and therefore want to give what you can to help them enjoy their lives. Plus you know that you can help — you see the way you can affect others and are thus inspired to do something for them. The combination of your kindness and steadfastness only serves to support your altruistic tendencies, to make you more likely to actually act when you get the urge to help.
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Agreeableness Trait 3: Trust
How you look at the world influences what you see in it. If you expect people to be dishonest and hurtful, you will be quick to recognize it when a person's behavior might fit that description. If you expect people to be honest and kind, you will be more liable to notice that behavior instead. It's basically a "what you see is what you get" type of philosophy. Depending on how others have treated you in the past, you may have a keener eye for distrustful behavior than you do for honesty or kindness.
Your Trust rating is 75 out of 100. This means that you see the best in others. You believe that most people are honest and well-intentioned. This comes from a general optimism toward life and an eye for beauty whether in other people or other things. Your patience for others' imperfections helps you to not jump to conclusions about them. Also, you tend to be trustworthy yourself, and so it is easy for you to imagine that others are just as trustworthy. This may or may not be true in any given case, but giving others the benefit of the doubt can often help to foster positive relationships with them and increase the chances that they will in fact act honorably toward you.
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Agreeableness Trait 4: Modesty
There are some people who are great and let the world know about it. And there are others who are great but don't toot their own horn in public — and in general, aren't tempted to.
Your Modesty rating is 74 out of 100. This means that you don't let success inflate your ego. Getting a compliment doesn't send you soaring to the moon with thoughts about how wonderful you are. You are more likely to say something positive about another person's good qualities than you are to get others to pay attention to your greatness. You're also less worried about impressing others — more likely to stick to the truth rather than exaggerating to get others' attention. This also makes you less likely to try to "win" — if you're not making great claims about your greatness, you don't have to worry about defending that greatness every time there is a chance to potentially lose at something. This makes it easier for others to trust you, knowing that you're not likely to "one-up" them just to inflate your own ego.
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Agreeableness Trait 5: Compliance
Compliance is the opposite of competitive. If you're playing with someone who doesn't mind losing and doesn't need to win, you're seeing compliance in action. More generally, compliance is the tendency to go along with things, to avoid creating resistance.
Your Compliance rating is 38 out of 100. Even if you wanted to go along with what other people want you to do — which you don't — it would be difficult for you. You've got a lot going on, and a lot you want to accomplish, and simply going along with someone else's plans just doesn't fit with who you are or what you are planning for your future. When someone gets too pushy, this can lead you to react quickly and negatively, bringing out that slight temper of yours. But mostly, you're just energetically pursuing your own dreams, and being overly compliant would make it more difficult to reach your goals.
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Agreeableness Trait 6: Tender-Mindedness
Your friend is crying and she wants your help. You can react in many different ways. On one extreme you have the person who reacts with an articulate and rational plan for how to fix the problem. On the other extreme, you have the person who reacts emotionally, supporting the friend through their sympathy. Neither reaction is wrong; they are both helpful in different ways.
Your Tender-Mindedness rating is 13 out of 100. This means you're relatively more rational and less tender-minded. You're very logical, knowing that this is something you can rely on to get you through any difficult situation. And even if you don't consciously think it's the better way to be, you're just more naturally inclined to rely on logic to guide you in the face of an important decision. You are also not prone to take your time meandering about when it comes to making such decisions. You weigh the pros against the cons, and then based on the facts, you make a decision. Of course not all decisions can be dealt with in this way; this is simply your preferred method.
Which traits make up my score on this factor?
Negative emotionality represents the extent to which you react to negative stimuli. In other words, when something negative hits you, how do you respond? Does it ruin your day or does it barely register? Most people fall between these two extremes.
Your answers indicate that you are resilient. Something hits you and it doesn't get all the way in. When others would react with anger or embarrassment, you are more likely to step back and not take it personally. Most stressful situations are more challenging to you than they are overwhelming, and represent an opportunity for you to show how competent you really are.
There are six different personality traits that primarily determine your level of negative emotionality. Here is a bar chart that depicts how strong each of these personality traits are in you.
Impulsiveness
Self-
consciousness
Vulnerability
Worry
Anger
Discouragement
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Negative Emotionality Trait 1: Impulsiveness
You walk into a store and see an object you've been coveting for months. Do you buy it? Well, if you were highly impulsive, you would have already purchased it by now. If you're not, you might be able to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. In fact, if you're not impulsive at all, it just might take you a year or two to decide.
Your Impulsiveness rating is 38 out of 100. This means that you're inclined to think first and act later. You're not likely to suddenly find that you have grossly overspent your budget or that you've said something that yet again you wish you could take back. You know how you're acting and are in control of your emotions, and this makes you more levelheaded than others.
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Negative Emotionality Trait 2: Self-consciousness
When in an uncertain situation, you can either put yourself out there or hold back and wait to see what happens. A perfect example is in the proverbial classroom when the teacher asks a question and no one is 100% sure that they know the answer. It is the un-self-conscious person who speaks up. On the other hand, the self-conscious person shrinks into the seat and prays not to be called on.
Your Self-conscious rating is 25 out of 100. You don't mind being the center of attention sometimes. The spotlight can be on you and you're not likely to shrivel up in embarrassment. You can laugh at yourself because you don't misinterpret inane comments as personal insults. This makes you easy to be around and easy to joke with because others will be able to sense that you don't have heightened sensitivity in this way.
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Negative Emotionality Trait 3: Vulnerability
The heat is on, people are starting to panic, and everyone is stressed. Are you likely to be the one who is freaking out or the one sitting calming in the corner telling everyone, "All things pass — there's no reason to be upset!" Or, are you the one screaming, "I knew it! The world is coming to an end!" When times are stressful, falling apart typically just makes the situation more difficult to handle. Resilience and vulnerability are two ends of the spectrum of vulnerability.
Your Vulnerability rating is 14 out of 100. You're on the resilient side of the spectrum. You're not easily sidetracked by life's ups and downs, because you know that you can handle them. You've got a strong rational mind that you can utilize when times get stressful. Rather than relying solely on your emotions to guide you during difficult times, you bring logic into the picture to help you figure out what to do. This helps to provide a little distance between you and the stressor and usually helps you to function more effectively and to cope with the current problem more easily than you would have otherwise been able to.
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Negative Emotionality Trait 4: Worry
Some people generally feel relaxed and carefree; others, anxious. This personality trait is the continuum between these two extremes.
Your Worry rating is 13 out of 100. This means that you're generally not a worrier. Sure, everyone worries once in a while, but you worry less than others. When things get tough, rather than worry about them, you take action and do what you can to make the situation less threatening. You know that the chances are that things will end up just fine anyway, so why torment yourself worrying about things? You'd rather find a way to enjoy your current situation than to worry about what could go wrong with it.
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Negative Emotionality Trait 5: Anger
This trait refers to how quickly you grow angry and how likely you are to get angry at all.
Your Anger rating is 0 out of 100. It takes quite a bit to get you going. You're not likely to fly off the handle at the slightest provocation. This is in part because you're generally easygoing about things, not needing to prove yourself all the time. Therefore, someone can be provocative and you're not necessarily going to take it personally.
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Negative Emotionality Trait 6: Discouragement
When something gets in your way, are you likely to give up or keep going? When you're excited about your ideas, is it easy for someone to come along and discourage you from believing them, or are you likely to continue holding your beliefs despite what others are saying?
Your Discouragement rating is -1 out of 100. You're not one to back down from reaching a goal you feel strongly about. People may try to dissuade you, but you aren't likely to budge. You can take a lot of stress and a lot of criticism before you'll lapse into a frenzy of self-doubt. This is usually due to an internal security about who it is that you are rather than an inflated confidence or rigidity. You're able to sort out what is nonsense from what is good advice, especially when it comes to your own personal goals.
This is likely to be one of the most extensive analyses you've ever done of yourself, and your personality. It's important to know that there are no right or wrong factors or traits; you are who you are, and this test can mostly be used as a tool to help you understand why you may do the things you do. There is a great deal of history behind the Five Factor Model, or, as you have come to know it, OCEAN.
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