posted
Assume a psychological test- a number of questions to be answered by a willing participant- exists. It doesn't take long to complete. Something along the lines of the Meiers-Briggs personality tests, but far more effective for purposes of analysis.
If someone gets ahold of the results of this test and interprets them, they will know you intimately. They will know what pleases you and what irritates you, and why. They will know what inducements are more likely to cause you to make a particular choice, and what detriments are more likely to cause you to avoid a choice.
Would you ever consent to take such a test? If so, who would you allow access to the results?
A spouse, significant other, parent? What if they said their first priority in gaining that information would be making you happy? What if they would take the test themselves, and give you the same access to their own results?
What if an employer demanded you take the test for them for a high-paying job, knowing that they would likely use the information to keep you working as hard as possible?
Is there any circumstance in which you would allow such information to fall into the hands of other commercial enterprises?
Assume, since this is purely hypothetical, that the test *cannot* be cheated; that answering falsely immediately gives you away.
Posts: 3826 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
Ill get back to your question later, but it seems to me that such a test would not work forever as I find that my personality has not remained constant my entire life, and likely will not remain so through the rest of my days.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Would you ever consent to take such a test? If so, who would you allow access to the results?
Yes. Whoever might be interested.
quote:A spouse, significant other, parent? What if they said their first priority in gaining that information would be making you happy? What if they would take the test themselves, and give you the same access to their own results?
Sure, on all counts. Sounds great to me. I'd love to see their results, too.
quote:What if an employer demanded you take the test for them for a high-paying job, knowing that they would likely use the information to keep you working as hard as possible?
As long as they compensated me as hard as possible, that would be fine. However, what I don't like are "personality" tests designed by employers that automatically assume you're an unethical person and are only trying to gauge degree. Those bug me. If it's an impartial test, I wouldn't mind.
quote:Is there any circumstance in which you would allow such information to fall into the hands of other commercial enterprises?
I really don't hide much about myself. They can use whatever info they want to help craft their products or their advertising better, in hopes of gaining sales in my demographic. As long as there's no contact information included, and I don't get hit with phone calls, junk mail, and emails, I'd have no problem with this. I often answer product surveys as it is.
(Edit: Sterling, I don't know if you saw it, but I linked you to a means of getting Feng Shui material in the Limewire thread, in case you were interested.)
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
I would be happy for people I care about to have the results. I delight in being "known" by people I love - or even like very well.
I wouldn't be so excited to have the results available to people with whom my relationship is less personal - work, commercial, etc.
Posts: 11187 | Registered: Sep 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Sterling: If someone gets ahold of the results of this test and interprets them, they will know you intimately. They will know what pleases you and what irritates you, and why. They will know what inducements are more likely to cause you to make a particular choice, and what detriments are more likely to cause you to avoid a choice.
I’d like to take such a test, and I’d be ready to share the results with anyone interested.
The idea of “knowing oneself” as well as possible is quite ancient and I think it would do a lot more good than bad in general (those that prefer to believe delusions about themselves might be the exceptions).
Plus, I am naïve enough to suppose that people are good by nature, and that they won’t use that information “against me”. And if they do, they would actually use it “against themselves”, revealing “their true nature”. I am already vulnerable such as it is, so it won’t bring any “additional damage power”.
posted
Id love to take it, as long as I got first crack at seeing the results. Even then, I wouldnt so much mind sharing them. I don't think anything nefarious could really be accomplished with them.
Posts: 375 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Wouldn't take it unless I and only I would see the results. Wouldn't even show my spouse. I share with her anything I share with anyone, but some things I don't share with anyone, nor should I.
Posts: 454 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
I'd enjoy taking it, and would be glad to share the results. The things that it'd be inconvenient for people to know about me are visible at a glance, anyway.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
A little different aspect of this is that all your purchasing history and medical history is being recorded and used for marketing (purchase history) and hiring (medical history) purposes. So essentially, everyone is already being tested by your buying and medical habits and you are being targeted by marketing departments, advertisers, employers at large corporations, and health insurance.
I would not take the test because I'm such a negative person when it comes to privacy.
Posts: 1209 | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
For some reason, the idea of someone else being able to coerce me is one I find frightening, even if I'd enjoy what I was being coerced to do. Even if I wouldn't necessarily know. Even if the coercer thought it was for my own good.
(I'm going to make an awful senior citizen.)
P.S. I got the Atlas Games link, Flying Cow. Thanks.
Posts: 3826 | Registered: May 2005
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However, what I don't like are "personality" tests designed by employers that automatically assume you're an unethical person and are only trying to gauge degree. Those bug me. If it's an impartial test, I wouldn't mind.
