Love on the roof.An email from the Department of Psychology, Washington University of St Louis, invites me to partake in some research on Blogging and Personality. I spend half an hour filling in a form, the purpose of which is to "investigate the relation between people's personality and the content and style of their writing". Having completed the form, I learn among other things, that I have a higher score than average on 5 different "personality dimensions" - 31.7% on Neuroticism, 69.7% on Extroversion; 53.5% on Openness; 69.7% in Conscientiousness and 30.8% on Agreeableness. That is all - nothing average or below average. No other conclusions are revealed. What do these scores indicate? I am not sure what the exercise means, or who will benefit from my helping to feed one of those beasts that require statistics to stay alive. Or how the self-assessed characteristics, preferences and inclinations which I am asked to grade, will relate, one way or another, to what I write here.
With my camera on the Common, I wander about hoping that a bird, will appear and pose for me; or at best fly past, when my camera, properly adjusted, is pointing in the right direction, and the sun is in the right place to highlight its colouring. I long for a crow, its wings spread, circling a tree before landing. I doubt if it will; and it doesn't. But find that I am enjoying myself in much the same way as a fisherman, waiting for a bite, which he knows is unlikely to materialize, enjoys his solitary sport.
10 comments:
I misread one of those polysyllabic categories as neuro-eroticism. Would you expect a different percentage score for that?
Ha!
Now, I have to go look up what neuro-eroticism means. I misread that word the same way.
everyone in the staff room has been deeply disappointed to learn that our star pupil scored less than 100% in all categories .... joe is an agreeable boy but must try harder next term
Possibly means the eroticism is all in your head. Found a mention of neuro-eroticism at http://dbsweeney.wordpress.com/2007/06/09/things-to-do-on-a-rainy-day that settles the question for me...until I learn otherwise.
Okay, Joe, this will be my last comment, for fear of becoming an annoyance:
"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Neuroticism is a fundamental personality trait in the study of psychology. It can be defined as an enduring tendency to experience negative emotional states. Individuals who score high on neuroticism are more likely than the average to experience such feelings as anxiety, anger, guilt, and clinical depression.[1] They respond more poorly to environmental stress, and are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. They are often self-conscious and shy, and they may have trouble controlling urges and delaying gratification. Neuroticism is related to emotional intelligence, which involves emotional regulation, motivation, and interpersonal skills.[2] It is also considered to be a predisposition for traditional neuroses, such as phobias and other anxiety disorders."
It is twig collecting time among us corvids, so I'm off to gather materials for my nidifice.
Only 30.8 on agreeableness, and shouldn't that be agreeability?
These people know nuffink!
I love doing those surveys, if only to roll my eyes at how off focus they almost always are.
And I am at least not surprized at your lack of averageness.
If, the half hour or so spent in completing that form has proved entertaining to others, prompted dictionary searches and curious misreadings, it has not been in vain. Thank you, Crow and other birds for your visits.
Friend(*) Joe:
Since someone as thoughtful as you took the test, I reconsidered and did the same. Not sure what to make of the results.
(*) 'Friend' is the formal Quaker address, used instead of Sir, Mister, Highness, et cetera. Hardly anyone uses it in my Meeting anymore, but I cherish the kindness and egalitarian implication of the greeting. Hope thee does not mind it.
Thank you Friend Crow. Or as St Francis might have said, Sister Crow.
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