Introduction - Personality Tests and PLN
Hello blog readers! Have you ever taken a personality test, whether for school, work or just for fun? Were the results what you expected, or did the test conclude in ways you did not suspect? Maybe the test made you think more deeply about yourself and your place in the word? This past week, I have taken three different personality tests and I wanted to share with you, my results and my reflections on the tests’ conclusions. The three personality tests I took were FiveThirtyEight, Personality Type Indicator, and 16 Personalities. Each of the three personality tests I took this week were not the typical personality quizzes one usually finds in magazines or on recreational websites, but were created to reflect my relationship to my Personal Learning Network, or PLN, as its acronym is known, highlighting my strengths and weaknesses, areas that I can improve upon. PLNs can take many different shapes and forms, helping individuals with finding resources and networking with their colleagues and peers in a variety of different career fields, education or personal hobbies. Personality tests such as the ones listed below can help us discover more about ourselves, not only areas in which we need to improve, but our strengths of character and positive personality traits, as well as what positive contributions we bring to our professions, our education goals, our hobbies and peer groups.
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| Image source: FiveThirtyEight site. |
The first quiz I took was the FiveThirtyEight personality
test. According to its results, I scored highly in openness to experience,
agreeableness, and conscientiousness, each category evening out at a score of
88 out of 100. According to the quiz’s scoring system, this qualifies me as
feeling “a deep identification with the possibly too-trusting, unfailingly
polite and relentlessly helpful Ned Flanders” (FiveThirtyEight, 2024). I can’t
help but agree that there is some truth to that statement! I have been told by
my family and friends that I have a kind, caring personality. I believe its
important to be compassionate to others, try to be helpful where I can, and I
do my best to look for the best in those around me. I was surprised by how
highly I scored in openness to new experiences, and how the test clarified that
people who score highly have interests related to the arts, which I strongly
do! I love art, literature and musical theater.
Whereas, I scored 46 out of 100 in both of the categories of negative emotionality and extraversion, which the site deems as moderate. Thinking over the results, I feel they’re more or less correct about my personality. I can be shy and introverted, but become livelier and wittier around people I’m comfortable with in my personal life. Looking over these results as a whole, I feel that it highlights that I am someone who tries my best to be friendly, open-minded and compassionate to others. While I have shy tendencies in unfamiliar environments, I am bold enough to still talk with new people and try to be open-minded to new experiences. Based on this test feedback, I think in a workplace environment, my personality would translate to being an employee who does her best to get allow with her co-workers and bring a positive energy to the work environment.
The Second Personality Test
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| Image source: Personality Type Indicator site. |
The second personality quiz I took was Personality Type
Indicator. This quiz is different in that it is graded on a sliding scale of “agree”
to “disagree” in its answers to a variety of questions. According to its score
results, my personality type is ISFJ: The Protector. ISFJ is acronym which means
Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Judging. I found this result particularly interesting,
as the site states that ISFJs make up 12% of the world population. The quiz
results found from my answers that I am “naturally practical, dependable, and
flexible. When interacting with others, you are warm, kind-hearted, and
generous” (Personality Type Indicator, 2024). The
results further state that “You are evolving into the person you always wanted
to be,” which I personally feel is accurate to my perception of self and
personal growth over the past few years as an individual person (Personality
Type Indicator, 2024). Lately, I have been trying to step back and appreciate
the progress I have made in school and in my personal life. I was shy and awkward
growing up, but I try to be more confident in myself and my abilities as of
late. In terms of applying what I learned from these test results to my future
profession, I think it reflects that I do my best to be a hard-worker at any
task I am faced with, and that as a “Protector” personality type, I am someone
who likes taking care of others, and I think this trait can transfer to being
helpful in my work environment.
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| Image source: 16 Personalities site |
The third and final personality test I took this past week
was 16 Personalities, which similar to Personality Type Indicator, judges
answers to questions based on a sliding scale of “agree” to “disagree.” According
to the quiz results, it classified me as an INFJ-T: Advocate personality type.
According to the test results, I am “a unique combination of idealism and
insight that sets you apart in today’s world” (16 Personalities, 2024). I don’t
know how true that is per say, but I do try to look on the bright side of
things in life, and desire to be a positive presence in the world. Furthermore,
the results state that I am a Visionary Problem-Solver, Purpose-Driven
Professional, an Empathetic Team Player, and Insightful Communicator (Personality
Type Indicator, 2024). I feel that these test results indicate that I can work
well with others in a professional environment, and that I can bring an empathetic
perspective to challenges at work, the professional environment and working
relationships in a potentially positive light.
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| The Advocate. Image source. |
Reflecting back on each of the three personality tests I
took part in, and looking over the four main types of peer relationship roles in
PLNs, I found I feel that I best fit into the relationship role of an Encourager,
someone encourages others in the group with kindness and warmth, always ready
to help. I think my personality type as an INFJ person means I can empathize and
connect with peers in PLNs with a focus on compassion, growing positive
relationship in my profession and appreciation for personal growth. My shyness and
trait of putting other people’s needs ahead of my own are weaknesses I needed
to overcome in the work environment and in my personal life. I feel that the biggest
area of my personality I need to work on is learning to be bold, to set
boundaries and more confident when talking to others when I need to, whether
professionally or in my personal life. Steps I can take to improve my confidence
in forming professional and personal relationships is by initiating
conversations in the student lounge and student chat rooms at the end of class
each week when assignments are done. I can also join conversations in Facebook,
Tumblr or Twitter threads, practicing for my professional work environment by voicing
my thoughts in everyday conversations with peers more often. I can also look
for new clubs at school to join in the Spring semester, working on my
self-confidence by being more proactive in my social interactions with people. In
essence, while I have weaknesses I need to improve upon, I do feel pride in the
compassionate, caring traits I possess that were brought up in the three personality
tests I took part in this week.
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