How to test with self assesments

[rawr]

I thought about this yesterday and realize that when I take self-assessments, I usually go with what I think is me most of the time. Not an ideal me, I don't test trying to be someone/something I'm not, but I test what i think is the mode (and hence, usually the mean or average) for me.
Is that a good or bad strategy or way to go about self assessments? Should I go with more of how I feel at that specific time? or do what I am doing? How do personality tests recommend you go about this?

and, how do you self-asses?

 

[under skies]

I clearly don't self-assess very well, as I had myself majorly mistyped for a very long time. (Blah blah blah....)

As for me, I think I have a tendency to look at test questions like that and think too much about what I think would be ideal (you know, the opposite of what you do). How I think I should act is not always how I actually act, though. When I am honest with myself about what I'm really like most of the time, my results turn out quite differently.

And that's my impression, that you should answer based on how you normally behave (and not let your values/opinions/bias get in the way). Am I wrong?

I am actually sort of wondering the same thing now and have for awhile, sporadically.

 

[Gaze]

I think with self assessments, they usually want you to go with who you are most of the time, but personality tests can a little tricky. I think the cognitive function/processes tests are testing our natural proclivities so i think they want the ideal response. Could be wrong.

 

[IndigoSensor]

When I do it, I focus pretty intently on how I honestly am. Never will I answer "well I am this way most of the time when I want things to be like this, and that, ect.". I try to make it as black and white as possible, and as such I will dwell on question for white some time to determine which is the most accurate representation of myself. NEVER how I prefer to be or how I ideally am. That inparts inaccuracy, and from what I have noticed and experienced, its a trap many people fall into.

In principal it is rather simple, answer for who you are, and ONLY for who you are.

 

[Quinlan]

I tend to go with whatever answer I am most comfortable with, I try and look past any outside constraints/influences that may lead me to choose something that isn't natural for me. Like for instance maybe my boss or family highly value J-ness I might assume a J type role a lot of the time but the truth is I would rather be Ping all ofver the place instead.

I compare it to sexuality, a homosexual may behave straight due to societal/cultural/family expectations but deep down inside they would truly prefer something else.

The actual behaviour is interesting but so is the preference whether it is acted on our not. I think Jung was more focused on preference and Keirsey more on behaviour (with Myers/Briggs somewhere between).

It's about peeling back nuture influences to get as close to natural as possible. What do I really want to do? Is the question.

For example: I'm sure a lot of people would like me to be an extravert and I may even act like an extravert the majority of the time to please them however being an extravert is never going to be truly fulfilling because my true preferences is introversion.

 

[Quinlan]

I was thinking of the ways we could type ourselves:

Actual type (How we behave most of the time)
Preferred type (How would we prefer to be, what type would be most fulfilling)
Should type (How we feel we "should" be)
Potential type (How we could be if we really applied our selves)
Admired/ideal type (How we would like to see ourselves)
Social type (How others see us)

For me-

Actual type: IXXX
Preferred type: ISFP
Should type: ESTJ
Potential type: ISTJ
Admired/ideal type: ENFX
Social type: Major Introvert mute!

 

[rawr]

I was thinking of the ways we could type ourselves:

Actual type (How we behave most of the time)
Preferred type (How would we prefer to be, what type would be most fulfilling)
Should type (How we feel we "should" be)
Potential type (How we could be if we really applied our selves)
Admired/ideal type (How we would like to see ourselves)
Social type (How others see us)

For me-

Actual type: IXXX
Preferred type: ISFP
Should type: ESTJ
Potential type: ISTJ
Admired/ideal type: ENFX
Social type: Major Introvert mute!

I think there was an online test similar to this.

for me it would look something like:

Actual Type: INFJ
Preferred: INFJ/INTJ/INFP
Should: ESTJ/ISTJ/ISTP/ESTP
Potential: INTJ
Admired: INFP/INFJ/ENFJ
Social: introvert.. what more?