Some people mistakenly think that personality tests and IQ tests are the same. However, they’re vastly different. To begin with, they were each created to measure two separate things and give us an understanding of two different aspects of human behavior. For example, the questions asked in a personality test differ from the questions asked in an IQ test. The IQ Test provides a depiction of the test taker’s level of intelligence while the personality test gives us insights into how the test taker thinks and deals with the world around them. IQ tests still have their place in society and are especially useful for determining mental strengths and weakness. However, personality tests can give you some very pertinent information that you can use in more practical matters for the rest of your life (such as what career you would be best suited for).
IQ tests aim to measure mental abilities and give a general intelligence quotient that is based on an average. When a test group takes an intelligence quotient test, the average of their results is given a score of 100. Then subsequent test takers are assessed based on the test results. Therefore, a score of less than 100 is below average and a score of more than 100 is above average. Many IQ tests break results down into multiple categories of intelligence such as visual, logical, geometric, spatial, intuition, and computational speed. These types of results can show you where your strengths and weakness are when it comes to your mental abilities. Sometimes, knowing where your weaknesses are can help you improve them with practice.
Personality Test
A personality test is vastly different. It measures your psychological type and gives you insights into how you learn, make decisions, and think. The most powerful personality tests are those based on the Myer’s Briggs Type Indicator, MBTI. Theses types of tests give results that explain your personality type, and this information can be especially helpful in everyday life. For instance, knowing your personality inventory can help you understand and maintain your current relationships; study more effectively; determine what job you are best suited for and much more.
In a personality test you will be given questions that aren’t considered difficult. They simply ask your preferences when placed in certain situations and inquire about your thought processes when making decisions. In the popular and widely used Myers Briggs personality quiz, four specific categories of personality traits are assessed. For each category, there are two specific traits, one in which the test taker will likely be most dominant. By determining the dominant trait in these four categories, a personality type is determined, with 16 different types being possible. This type of personality test is actually quite complex but very accurate and helpful in understanding our own behaviors and preferences, as well as those of
the people around us.
Categories of Personality Tests
The first category in the Myers Briggs personality test deals with your natural orientation toward the world. Specific questions are designed to determine whether you are an introvert (I) or an extrovert (E). Generally, a person will lean toward one side or the other. That means that when taking the personality test, you may give some extroverted answers and some introverted answers but the one that yields the most answers is the type that plays a dominant role in your personality. The second category deals with perceiving and understanding with the two types being Sensing (S) and Intuitive (N). People who are dominant in the sensing type generally deal with the things that can be verified with their five senses. Those who are intuitive dominant often analyze and interpret all information that is collected.
The third category deals with how we make decisions. The two types in this category are Thinking (T) which is often associated with logical thinking patterns that are detached from emotion, and Feeling (F) which is associated with decision making based on emotion. The final category deals with how we store information and organize thoughts. The first type in this category is the Judging (J) type which is associated with very outwardly organized people who make plans and have a difficult time when those plans are disrupted. The other type in this category is Perceiving (P) and is associated with people who take things in as they come. These types of people are often open-minded and are very flexible, with the ability to adapt to changes as necessary.
Once you have taken a personality test that is based on the Myers Briggs personality inventory, you are given a sequence of four letters, which are associated with one of the types in each category. This four letter code is the key to unlocking how your mind works. Descriptions of each of the sixteen personality profiles are available and can be difficult for an untrained person to analyze, given that each of the separate traits interact with each other differently and give rise to the several different possible personality types.
Often, after taking a personality assessment, you will also be given information about what type of job or career pathwill best suit your personality type. For example, those with an INTJ type are often scientists, doctors, or professors. And those with an ESFP personality type are often artists, child care providers or photographers. Providing insights into likely career paths is one of the best things that personality tests do, which IQ tests fail to do. While IQ tests can be a fun way to boost your ego or to determine why you are terrible at visual-spatial tasks, they really don’t give any information into how your mind works. Instead an IQ test simply tells you how well your mind is working at the moment, which really isn’t useful information that you can apply to your decisions down the road. Unless of course you happen to be brilliant enough to be accepted into Mensa International, or one of the other high IQ clubs.
Understanding your personality type can be one of the most valuable tools that you have at your disposal on an everyday basis. On top of that, it’s also helpful to know about the other personality types that people have and how their minds work. If you get really good, you may even learn how to determine other people’s personality type after talking with them for a little while. Having this knowledge is a tool that unfortunately not many people have. This seemingly trivial knowledge can actually help you improve your relationship with your family or friends and can even help you understand why you and some of your coworkers can simply never get along.
Even though the true Myers Briggs personality test must be administered by a trained professional, there are many free personality tests available online which are quite sufficient. While taking a free personality test online won’t give you access to a trained psychologist who can explain the subtle nuances about your personality profile and why you can’t get along with certain people with a specific personality type, there are many free type descriptions that are very accurate and can be quite helpful in aiding your understanding of yourself and the people around you. Once you have found all the information about your type, you can really start improving your life. You can begin surrounding yourself with people who fit best with your personality type or alter your study habits in a way that maximizes your learning ability. Plus, you can alter your environment or daily routine in a way that makes your more efficient and successful in your daily activities.