Quick Personality Profile

Quick Personality Profile

I’m sure you have heard the phrase “time flies when you’re having fun.” I’ve certainly felt it to be true. And as usual, some quirky scientist is there to study the perceived passages of time. One study actually found that when a couple is reunited after some extended period of time, they frequently underestimate the passage of time. Science has found many other quirks in the human psyche, such as the subconscious interpretation of inaudible sound waves as anxiety or fear, and a disproportionate number of marine biologists with the name Dr. Fish, meaning name matters. One such finding is a quick and easy personality test you can perform on others. Here’s how it works.

Ask a friend to draw an uppercase letter Q on their forehead. Pay attention, looking to see if it is drawn for the observer or the drawer to read. If you can read it, the person you are analyzing will most likely be a high self-monitor. Such people are conscious about how others perceive them, often altering their actions to be perceived more pleasantly by a crowd. This is why they subconsciously draw the Q so the onlooker can read it. Self monitors also tend to be skilled at manipulating others and themselves. In the study leading to these results, many self monitors took offense to the statement that they were good at deception and manipulation, and in fact convinced themselves they had drawn the Q the other way. Next, they attempted to convince the surveyor they drew the Q the other way as well. The test is not as decisive about individuals who draw the Q so it appears backwards to onlookers.

Richard Wiseman, who uncovered these quirks, views humans as essentially head cases. For instance, if you have a vivid imagination, and interestingly are easily hypnotized, you will most likely create uneasy feelings when asked to walk through a specific place and explain what you see. Such findings are vastly important to scientists and statisticians alike, since these findings show that wording is crucial when conducting a study. In order to get unbiased results, survey makers and conductors must determine the optimal wording. For a pharmacist, finding the best drug cannot be left up to something as unpredictable as the human mind. Therefore the numerous quirks that make us human need to be taken into account. But first, they need to be uncovered.