How to Use the Jordan Peterson Personality Test? (+5 Key Insights)

In the following article, we will discuss various aspects of the Jordan Peterson personality test, or as it is called, the Big Five Aspects Personality Test. We will go through , by first understanding , what is personality?What is psychometric testing? What are personality tests?. After this we will move on to understand the Big five aspects test in detail, and how it can be used. 

What is the Jordan Peterson personality test?

The Jordan Peterson personality test is the test that  was developed by Colin DeYoung , Lina Quilty and Jordan Peterson. It is a personality test which is called the Big Five aspects Personality Test. 

What is personality?

Personality is defined as an individual’s distinct manner of thinking, acting, and feeling throughout their lives. This term should not be confused with the term “character,” which refers to judgments made about a person’s morality or ethical behaviour. 

The term “temperament” is frequently used interchangeably with the concept of personality. The term temperament refers to a persistent characteristic or traits that an individual is born with.

What is psychological testing?

Interviews and behavioural observations are straightforward attempts to learn about a person’s ideas, attitudes, and difficulties.

 Psychological tests, on the other hand, are a less direct way of determining psychological traits.In contrast to the recreational tests that we occasionally find in magazines or on the internet, these tests are scientifically produced.

The response of a subject to standardised stimuli is compared to that of other people with similar demographic features, with the help of certain test norms or test score distributions

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From these results or comparisons, a clinician or a psychologist can draw conclusions about how much a person is different from that of a reference group.

 Such tests can measure a lot of different aspects, such as levels of anxiety or depression, certain personality factors, values, adjustment levels , intellect and so on. 

What is a personality test?

A personality test is a technique for determining a person’s personality. Personality testing and evaluation are approaches for determining the patterns of qualities that people exhibit in a variety of settings. 

Such tests are frequently used for diagnostic purposes, the predict or underdant, how a certain person may behave in a given situation and to further therapeutic interventions. There are two types of personality tests, they are;

• Self report inventories: These tests involve the person reading certain statements and assessing whether they are true for them or not. 

• Projective techniques: In these tests, the test taker is presented with a vague, ambiguous stimuli ( it can be a photo, an object or a situation) and the person is asked to either construct a story around the presented stimuli or give their opinion about it. 

What are personality tests used for?

As mentioned earlier, personality tests are used in a clinical setting for various purposes, such as, diagnostic clarification, to predict a person’s behavior or to decide on the course of therapy. 

Personality tests can also be used to screen applicants for a certain job. They are often used to assess the change in one’s personality too. 

In a forensic setting they are often used to conduct risk assessment and confirm competence. Some other areas that personality testing is used in, are, educational\school settings, occupational counselling etc. 

What are the big five aspects of personality?

The big five ( sometimes referred to using the acronym OCEAN), are 5 trait dimensions, used to describe the core of human personality. 

Openness to experience

In simple terms it can be referred to as the person’s willingness to try out new things, new experiences

This factor is concerned with people’s ability to be vulnerable and to think outside the box. Common traits that are associated with openness are, originality, preference for variety, cleverness,creativity etc

.People who score high on this aspect are individuals who, prefer trying out new things, creative, engage in a creative hobby\career and are always open to meeting new people. On the other hand, people who score low on this aspect tend to be people who prefer routine, and do not lean towards the abstract. 

Conscientiousness

This trait can be defined as the person’s inclination to behave in a socially acceptable manner and keep his\her impulses in check.

 People who score high on this aspect are generally dependable and often engage in behaviors that facilitate goal directed activity

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 These are the people who are always mindful about being on time. Certain traits within this factor include, predictability, hard work, resourcefulness , control reliability etc. People who score low on this dimension may be the people who are always late to a meeting, unorganized and less mindful of others. They may borrow something from you and return it in a poor condition. 

Extraversion

This term was first used by Carl Jung. This factor has 2 aspects: extroversion and introversion. This aspect is concerned with how a particular individual derives their egengry.

Extroverts get their energy by socializing, being in a large group of people. These people tend to be outgoing and social. On the other hand, introverts get their energy from being alone. They find large groups of people or interacting with individuals exhausting.

 There are people who dislike being the center of attention. People who score high on extraversion tend to be people who seek out other people, gregarious and “the life of the party” . People who score low, on the other hand, are reserved, thoughtful and quiet.

Agreeableness

This factors in concerned with determining how well a person gets along with other people. It can be referred to as the basic emotional style of a person.

 This factor helps us understand a person’s orientation towards other people. People who score high on this aspect tend to be easygoing, well-liked, respected and are mindful about the needs of others. 

They can be described as kind, polite, humble, modest, helpful, sensitive, cheerful etc. People on the low end of this factor tend to be callous, rude, grumpy, crabby and difficult to get along with. 

Neuroticism

This factor refers to one’s emotional stability or instability. It does not, however, refer to meanness or the incompetence of a person.

 Certain terms associated with this factor are, insecurity, lack of confidence, oversensitivity, instability, testiness etc.

 People who score high on this dimension are generally people who tend to be excessive worriers, overanxious, moody and they may have low self esteem. 

They have a short temper and are uncertain about themselves. People who score low on this factor tend to be confident, even-tempered, adventurous, they do not spend much time worrying or in self doubt. 

Currently, the Big five aspects are regarded as the most efficient way to understand individual differences.

 This test measures all of these five traits and 2 more aspects for each trait.in total, there are 5 traits, 10 facets and 30 subfacests that a person can be assessed on. It is a self report inventory, containing 100 questions.

The reports that this test generates, includes, not just the five factors but also the facets and the subfacets on each factor. 

For instance, let’s consider conscientiousness, which is one of the big five traits. The test also measures the facets of this trait, which are industriousness and orderliness. The subfacets that are measured for these traits are achievement striving, competence, self discipline, deliberation, dutifulness and order.

 In the case of agreeableness, the facets that are considered are compassion and politeness. The sub facets are tender mindedness, altruism,trust compliance, modesty and straightforwardness.

 For neuroticism, the facets are volatility and withdrawal. The sub facets are angry hostility, impulsiveness, anxiety, depression, self-consciousness and vulnerability.

 Considering openness to experience, the facets are intellect and aesthetic openness. The sub facets are ideas, actions, aesthetics, fantasy, feeling and values

. For extraversion, the facets are enthusiasm and assertiveness. The sub facets are gregariousness, positive emotions, warmth,excitement seeking, activity and assertiveness. 

The test is available on the website called understand myself.

You should take the test only when you are in a good state of mind. Do not do it if you’re hungry, in a bad mood, or feeling down. 

Try to be as honest as possible while answering the questions. 

Try not to be very hard on yourself but also don’t be too good to yourself, be as accurate as possible. 

How can you use the score on the Big Five Aspects Test?

You can use these results to determine if you are the right fit for a certain job.

 For example, a person who is an introvert, may find it difficult to work in an office surrounded by people all day long.

 On the other hand, an extroverted person may find it hard to do a job, isolated in their office\cubicle all day long. 

This test can also be helpful for recruiters. They can find out if the candidate can work well in a team, is open to new experiences, is goal directed\procrastinator etc. Based on the job structure, once you are able to identify the personality of the candidate, the selection process may be easier and more accurate. 

FAQ: Jordan peterson personality test

What is the Jordan Peterson Personality Test called?

The test is called the Big Five Aspects Test, available on the website Understand Myself

How much does the test cost?

On the website understand myself, it costs 10 dollars.

What is Jordan Peterson’s big five?

The aspects are labeled as follows: Volatility and Withdrawal for Neuroticism; Enthusiasm and Assertiveness for Extraversion; Intellect and Openness for Openness to Experience; Industriousness and Orderliness for Conscientiousness; and Compassion and Politeness for Agreeableness.

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Conclusion

In the above article, we have discussed the meaning of personality, how personality testing works, and how psychological testing works.

 We discussed the Big Five Aspects test in detail, while going over each facet and sub facet that it measures. The OCEAN model of personality has also been mentioned in detail.

 The link for the website that provides the test is mentioned, along with the possible uses of the test. 

References:

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_22.htm

https://www.understandmyself.com/