Are online tests accurate? mental, psychological etc

[crimsonhaze]

http://socyberty.com/psychology/online-tests-are-they-accurate-enough/

 

[wolfy]

Tests are tools. The thing with tools is that how effective they are is in how you use them.

 

[ThatGirl]

Yes, extremely accurate.

 

[miss fortune]

no... self reporting bias completely destroys the credibility of any form of online testing

even if house is wrong and everyone doesn't intentionally lie, people rarely know enough about themselves and how they fit into society and how others honestly view them in order to accurately answer questions evaluating them... and to make it worse most of the online tests are rather crappy and dreadfully designed (from a survey designing viewpoint)... they are rife with false dichotomies and inadequate descriptions :horor:

no, online tests are NOT accurate

 

[garbage]

there are good, sound psychometric evaluation techniques out there. chances are that any given online test doesn't employ them, though.

 

[highlander]

there are good, sound psychometric evaluation techniques out there. chances are that any given online test doesn't employ them, though.

I agree with this. Some tests are good. MBTI Step 2 is one example of something that I think it good. I recall a DISC assessment that Jaguar posted a while back that was pretty good. A lot of the free personality assessments are crap though.

As far as IQ tests go, I don't know much but it would seem that they have been around for a while and there are probably some good ones online.

On the OP link - if you're wondering if something is wrong with you - I think the online tests would be pretty worthless.

 

[Such Irony]

Most online tests aren't very reliable and haven't undergone statistical analysis as to their validity. Anyone can make a test and post it online. Most are just amateurs who aren't trained in psychometrics. It still doesn't stop me from taking online tests though. I see them more for their entertainment value as they can be fun to take.

There are some tests available online that are more accurate like the official MBTI test, but most of those cost money.

 

[OrangeAppled]

Personality tests are indicators (that's what the I in MBTI stands for) which point to what type you likely are based entirely on your responses at the time. They are not foolproof in indicating your type, and their success in indicating your probable type depends on how well the test is written and how accurately you respond to the questions (poor self-awareness or misunderstanding a question can lead to very wrong results).

I don't think tests which are meant to diagnose are very accurate. Self-diagnosis is not a great idea, and it often defeats the purpose of diagnosis (to treat it, not to create an excuse to be dysfunctional). At best, it may be useful to prompt you to seek professional help. When professionals administer tests or use questionnaires to aid in diagnosis, they are interpreting the info they gather using their expertise, not some automated scoring system or by having you yourself interpret it based on some short paragraph result of the test.

 

[sleuthiness]

Bet you didn't know I ate a pretty good cheesesteak for lunch; though the processed cheese didn't quite marry with my tastebuds, the accompanying spices were enough to nullify that minor inconvenience.

 

[lunalum]

Tests are tools. The thing with tools is that how effective they are is in how you use them.

Yep pretty much. They are underrated as a starting point to get you thinking....

people rarely know enough about themselves and how they fit into society and how others honestly view them in order to accurately answer questions evaluating them

If I wanted someone's opinion of me I would just ask them That's not what type is about, at least....

edit: tests involving mental disorders are a more complicated matter, and yes those really need to be treated by a professional. But even still it's usually you who have to observe something in yourself that seems wrong and seek out help, only difference in mental disorders is that some of them in their nature might not be detected by the person who is affected.

edit2: Online IQ tests are just for the LOL's

 

[Mole]

Fancy

Online tests like mbti are a form of self hypnosis.

And under hypnosis our critical faculties go to sleep and our creative faculties wake up.

So online tests wake up our fancy. And we can fancy whatever we like.

Fancy that!

 

[Ginkgo]

Online tests like mbti are a form of self hypnosis.

And under hypnosis our critical faculties go to sleep and our creative faculties wake up.

So online tests wake up our fancy. And we can fancy whatever we like.

Fancy that!

 

[miss fortune]

If I wanted someone's opinion of me I would just ask them That's not what type is about, at least....

Speak for yourself

 

[Tyrinth]

Well, I can't say I can speak for every test, but if the MBTI tests out there were completely accurate I feel like I would be able to settle on a type...

Then there are tests like the personality disorder ones where I scored high on everything but my actual psychologist won't diagnose me with anything.

I guess it really depends on how much accuracy you're looking for. Do you want a shotgun blast to point you in a direction, or a sniper rifle round to show you exactly what you are?

Plus, I can only hope that the accuracy of these tests increases when administered by a professional.

 

[lunalum]

Speak for yourself

You don't have individual preferences? I'm not speaking for myself, but of the difference between type and persona. If you only have a persona then I guess you don't have a type

 

[miss fortune]

You don't have individual preferences? I'm not speaking for myself, but of the difference between type and persona. If you only have a persona then I guess you don't have a type

I DON'T know what or who I am... I'm quite aware of what I can be though... that's just as much a part of a person as anything underneath in a way

 

[lunalum]

I DON'T know what or who I am... I'm quite aware of what I can be though... that's just as much a part of a person as anything underneath in a way

Exactly.

Do you believe that other people would give you the same answer on what you can be?

 

[miss fortune]

Exactly.

Do you believe that other people would give you the same answer on what you can be?

I am for other people, therefore I am to other people... you can't see the entire picture from the inside any better than you can from the outside

 

[Mole]

Sweet Delusion

Online tests are sweet self delusion.

We all love our sweet selves, even if it takes a little delusion.

 

[King sns]

Online tests are sweet self delusion.

We all love our sweet selves, even if it takes a little delusion.

But it's only a little delusion along with putting "sweet" in my name to enhance the sweetness of it all.