This informal, nonacademic paper contains my results on questionnaires, or self-tests, focusing on a variety of subjects. In my mind, all of them relate - directly, indirectly, or, in the case of codependency, perhaps inversely - to the autism spectrum. Links are provided, within each of the seventeen sections, for those readers who wish to take one or more of the tests. Obviously, I cannot guarantee that these questionnaires will always be available, and I assume no responsibility for anyone's degree of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the outcomes.

Sections I, II, III, IV, V, and VI present results on self-tests designed to measure (not diagnose) Asperger's autism (Aa). It should be borne in mind, however, that there are no generally accepted clinical tests for Aa. Most psychiatrists and clinical psychologists rely upon taking a verbal history and on direct observation.

Section VII reports self-test findings for symptoms related to what occupational therapists and some elementary school educators term sensory processing disorder (SPD). Although SPD is not recognized in the DSM-IV-TR, it has been included in the Diagnostic Manual for Infancy and Early Childhood of The Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders (the ICDL-DMIC). Some skeptical clinicians define its traits as properly belonging to the autism spectrum. Others consider it to be a primary disorder in its own right or a comorbid condition to certain "ASDs." From my reading, the prospects of it being placed in the DSM-V, at least as a primary disorder, are dubious.

Section VIII describes the end products of three tests intended to indicate codependency. As a social scientist, I am highly skeptical regarding the overall empirical utility of the variable. I also regard it as more social criticism and philosophy, than psychotherapy. The codependence construct, in my view, reflects exaggerated conceptualizations of American notions of freedom and rugged individualism. However, my postulate that codependency, in the manner in which it has generally been constructed (control and enablement), would be inversely associated with Aa appears to be borne out in my own case. All three scores were in their lowest respective categories.

Section IX discusses a test designed to measure narcissism, perfectionism, and aggression. My type (NP) is the one which can, according to the author, be positively associated with the autism spectrum (namely, successful persons on the spectrum, including those with Aa) and with borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and, from his video, OCD.

Section X reports the results of six online versions of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Some people have speculated on a possible connection between Aa and the INTP type. Based on four of these tests, I am an INTP. According to the fifth, I am an INTJ or, if not, an ESFJ or an INTP. However, from my reading of the category descriptions, I believe I am clearly an INTP.

Section XI focuses on Enneagram type 5. At least on face validity, it appears to be the one most proximate to the autism spectrum. The descriptions also seem virtually indistinguishable from those for the INTP Myers-Briggs type.

Section XII includes seven tests of personality disorders. Actually, I do not think I have a personality disorder, but it was interesting to observe the high degree of divergence in the results of these questionnaires. Some writers have suggested that certain type A personality disorders, such as schizoid and schizotypal, may be isomorphic with the autism spectrum.

Section XIII presents six tests of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to all five, I most likely do not have ADHD. Some writers have proposed that ADHD should be regarded as a category of the autism spectrum.

Section XIV gives the results of two tests designed to measure prosopagnosia (face blindness). I scored fairly low on the first one and very low on the second.

Section XV, the last one, gives the results of seven tests designed to measure OCD. The first two indicate an absence of OCD. The remaining five suggest that I have OCD.

Section XVI tests for Psycho Trauma Exposure (PTE). I apparently scored rather high on this measure of childhood trauma. I suspect that many aspie autistics would show similar results.

Section XVII tests for accurate recognition of facial expressions. I performed very poorly.

Section XVIII, the final one, is a measure of the sex of one's brain. The portion on empathizing and systemizing, on which I scored higher on the latter, is from Baron-Cohen.

Finally, online questionnaires, particularly without clinical evaluation, cannot diagnose. To assert otherwise is a misuse of statistical measurement. Accordingly, this process was performed solely to advance my own constructivist learning process. No assumptions are made regarding the validities and reliabilities of the tests or, indeed, whether such analyses were even conducted.

Diagram 1: Actual Aspie-Quiz Results

Diagram 2: Current Aspie-Quiz Results

I took this final version of the test twice on 4/14/2008. According to the test designer, some of the factors, which are indicated in the two PDF files (linked below), can also predict specified conditions. Here is my summary of his conclusions:

1. An above-average score on aspie compulsion can be associated with OCD.
2. An above-average score on aspie activity can be associated with ADHD and bipolar disorder.
3. An above-average score on aspie communication can be associated with Tourette syndrome (and with stimming and unusual nonverbal communications).
4. An above-average score on aspie perception can be associated with sensory issues (over sensitivity or under sensitivity).
5. An above-average score on neurotypical social and neurotypical compulsion can be associated with extraversion.
6. A below-average score on neurotypical communication can be associated with autistic and aspie social deficits.
7. A below-average score on neurotypical social can be associated with social phobia.
8. A below-average score on neurotypical hunting can be associated with dyslexia and dyscalculia.
9. A below-average score on neurotypical perception can be associated with dyspraxia.

I asked the test designer at what age I should personally imagine myself when taking the test. He recommended my late teens. Therefore, imagining myself in my late teens, my aspie score was 183 out of 200, while my neurotypical score was 15 out of 200. "You are very likely an Aspie." Detailed results are available in this PDF file. For comparison, my current scores are: 160 out of 200 (aspie) and 57 out of 200 (neurotypical). "You are very likely an Aspie." Detailed results are in this PDF file.

According to the test designer, I have learned to compensate well for some of my aspie traits, whereas in areas like Aspie talent and compulsion, I have not needed to compensate. He suspects that these two aspie traits may have actually helped me in my career. In other words, many of the problematic traits of Aa have, through compensatory learning, been significantly reduced from my childhood and teens. However, the continued high aspie score indicates that, within those areas I have not needed to compensate, I continue to have aspie traits (including neutral and positive ones).

Regarding other tests on the site: On a test of ADD (ADHD), taken on 11/24/07, my score was 18 out of 78, "You are unlikely to have ADD." On a test of dyslexia, taken on 12/14/2007, I scored 3 out of 20, "You are unlikely to have dyslexia." On a test of Tourette syndrome, taken on 12/25/2007, I scored 21 out of 100, "You are unlikely to have Tourette syndrome." On a test of giftedness, taken on 1/11/2008, "Giftedness-score: 139 of 152." Finally, on the EAT-26 test of eating disorders (developed by Garner et al. in 1982), taken on 3/25/2008, I scored 5 out of 78. "You probably do not have an eating disorder."

On 10/24/07, I scored on 34 of 54 items on the Gifted Adult's Inventory of Aspergerisms (GAIA) test. Higher scores would indicate the presence of more Aa-type traits. The median (ordinal average) score of those test takers with diagnosed Aa is 30.5.

Paul Coojmans wrote:

A questionnaire cannot diagnose. Although it was originally conceived to detect Aspergoid features, it may actually be measuring a more general disposition for psychiatric disorders without being able to point to one specific disorder.
-- http://paulcooijmans.lunarpages.com/pers/gaia.html

The above qualification appears related to the piloted data he posted on this page:

http://paulcooijmans.lunarpages.com/stat/gaia.html

He refers to the median scores of the persons he tested. For instance, he states that he only finds "[v]arious diagnoses and serious problems" with those respondents who replied affirmatively to at least 9 statements. He next asserts that, first, a diagnosis of Aa is "not unlikely" with at least 17 affirmative responses, and, second, that the median score for those with diagnosed Aa was 30.5 (between 30 and 31 affirmative responses).

Here are several additional medians I compiled from his website:

As he mentions in the preface to the test, he found correlations between numerous issues (not just Aa) and median responses to statements. Thus, he is reporting conclusions, not diagnosing.

On 11/16/07, I took the test, Reading the mind in the eyes, by Simon Baron-Cohen, Ph.D.:

Your score: 26
A typical score is in the range 22-30. If you scored over 30, you are very accurate at decoding a person's facial expressions around their eyes. A score under 22 indicates you find this quite difficult.

My (10/24/07) score on Baron-Cohen's Autism Spectrum Quotient test was 36.

Most people with Asperger Syndrome or high functioning autism score about 35

I likewise had a score of 36 (out of a possible 50) on the Asperger's Syndrome Test (10/24/07). The explanation for this equivalence, as I realized while taking the second questionnaire, is that I was completing two working copies of a currently nonfunctioning testing instrument on the Wired Magazine website, i.e., from Wired Magazine's AQ (Autism-Spectrum Quotient) Test. (The What's your AQ?, the ASHTA Questionnaire, and the Autism Spectrum quotient test were also identical, but I did not use them.) Nevertheless, it was interesting to observe that, even though my responses were not always identical, I somehow managed to obtain the same score twice. I took this test again (4/14/08) on the Aspie-Quiz website, and my score was 40.

The following is from the results page of the second test. It is almost identical to the comments on Wired.com:

Psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen and his colleagues at Cambridge's Autism Research Centre have created the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, or AQ, as a measure of the extent of autistic traits in adults. In the first major trial using the test, the average score in the control group was 16.4. Eighty percent of those diagnosed with autism or a related disorder scored 32 or higher. The test is not a means for making a diagnosis, however, and many who score above 32 and even meet the diagnostic criteria for mild autism or Asperger's report no difficulty functioning in their everyday lives. You scored 32 or above. Do with that what you will.

You scored higher than 99% on points

The theoretical basis of Baron-Cohen's testing strategy is a focus on empathizing and systemizing. His assumption is that persons on the autism spectrum should perform better on the first than on the second.

When I then completed his systemizing quotient (SQ) and emphasizing quotient (EQ) tests (11/21/07), my score on the SQ quotient was the higher of the two (below). However, according to Baron-Cohen's theory, what matters is the difference between the scores, not the absolute values. (See below.)

Accounting for the differences in numbers of questions (N), as indicated by Baron-Cohen (below), I calculated simple proportions: EQ of .60 and SQ of .91. Therefore, my SQ is the higher of the two scores when adjusted for N. I am a systemizer (S), but not an extreme systemizer (Extreme S). In addition, since the Wired.com test, in which I scored a 36 (and later a 40), was also developed by Baron-Cohen, I presumably satisfy his criteria for Aa.

Here is the description supplied by Wikipedia:

[Simon] Baron-Cohen, in his capacity as Director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge, developed the EQ SQ paradigm as a consequence of his research into the causality of autism. Baron-Cohen argues that an individual with autism or Asperger syndrome, viewed in the construct of the EQ SQ Theory, may have an extreme S-type brain, with good systemizing and poor empathizing behaviors. The fact that most autistics are male, by a factor of 4 to 1, seems to support the EQ SQ Theory about the possible origins of autism. He claims that people with Asperger Syndrome excel at systemizing and are less capable of empathizing.
-- Wikipedia, EQ SQ theory [Retrieved October 25, 2007]

The following information is copied from the EQ SQ test results page:

Respondent	Average EQ	Average SQ	Brain Type
Males	39.0	61.2	Systemizing
Females	48.0	51.7	Empathizing
Your Score	24	68	Systemizing

Generally, the higher the score the greater your natural ability for that trait. However, the EQ test has 40 questions compared to 75 in the SQ test. As a result, although the unprocessed quotients may be used for comparing each trait ability between individuals, the absolute scores do not tell an individual if he or she has a greater tendency to empathize or systemize. A calculation taking into account the quantity of questions in each test is used to determine a person's brain type along the following continuum:

• Extreme Empathizing (Extreme E)
• Empathizing (E)
• Balanced (B)
• Systemizing (S)
• Extreme Systemizing (Extreme S)

The important factor to consider is not your absolute score, but the difference between the two. This indicates whether you have more natural ability as an Empathizer or a Systemizer. If your scores are about the same for your EQ and SQ, then you have well balanced empathizing-systemizing capabilities.

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The Autistic Spectrum Components (ASC) test was taken as if I were a child or teen on 1/11/2008. The scale is 0-10. The higher the score, the more autistic spectrum components.

Diagram 3: Autistic Spectrum Components

• Repetitive or restricted Behaviours and Interests (RBI) - Stereotyped, repetitive behaviours and interests
• Social Impairment (SI) - Social understanding
• Language problems (L) - Speech, words and sentences
• Planning, Organization and Concentration problems (POC) - Cognitive skills related to being able to plan, organise and stay focused
• Imaging and Recall problems (IR) - Visualisation, imagination and remembering past events
• Reasoning and Problem solving problems (RP) - Cognitive skills related to rational deduction and working things out
• Sensory problems (S) - Impact of senses
• Motor problems (M) - Control of own movement

My own scores:

Autistic Spectrum Code (ASC) 1.0, more a set of metrics than a test per se, is based on Robert Hayden's The Geek Code (which has a decoder), through which persons on the autism spectrum can describe themselves. It was posted to the Usenet newsgroup, alt.support.autism by "growingjoel" (Joel Smith) on February 24, 2002. My own code is:

It can be interpreted either by using this Autistic Spectrum Code 1.0: Decoder (results further down the page), by Jeremy Reece, or through Joel Smith's description (immediately below):

Autistic Spectrum Code (ASC) 1.0

This is a "first draft". It's based on the "Geek Code" if you've seen that before. I'll welcome suggestions and may include them in ASC 1.1

You can include this code on your web page, in your signature, etc...

Note that the code is case sensitive. For instance, there is a "p" and a "P", but they are different things.

VARIABLES

@ for this variable, said trait is not very rigid, may change with time or with individual interaction. For example, autistics who like math but dislike Geometry may list themself as m++@

() for indicating "cross-overs" or ranges. Autistics who could go from s++ (mostly) to s--- might indicate it with s++(---) @ is different from () in that () has finite limits within the category, while @ ranges all over.

> for 'wannabe' ratings. Indicating that while the geek is currently at one rating, they are striving to reach another. For example, m-->++ indicating someone who wants to someday become good at math, but is poor at it right now.

? Unless stated otherwise within the specific category, the ? is placed after the category identifier and indicates that the autistic has no knowledge about that specific category. For example, a person that has never ever heard about trains would list t?
! Placed BEFORE the category. Unless stated otherwise, indicates that the person refuses to participate in this category. This is unlike the ? variable as the ? indicates lack of knowledge, while the ! indicates stubborn refusal to participate. For example, !t would be a person that just plain refuses to have anything to do with public transit, while t? would be a person that doesn't even know what public transit is.
TYPE OF AUTISTIC
AA - Autistic "Disorder"
AC - Autistic Cousin [conditions related, or similar, to the autism spectrum]
AS - Asperger's Syndrome
AP - PDD [PDD-NOS]
A - General Autistic Spectrum

Append a "!" if there is an official DX, a "?" if the status is unclear. Apply a ">" if person is a wanna-be autistic.

DRESS

d++ I tend to wear conservative dress such as a business suit and tie
d+ I dress in "business casual" clothing - slacks, button-shirt, etc.
d I dress in a bland, boring way.
d- I'm usually in jeans and a t-shirt.
d-- I dress in torn jeans and dirty t-shirts.
d--- I wear whatever I woke up wearing!
dx Cross Dresser.
d? I have no idea what I am wearing right now, let alone what I wore yesterday.
!d No clothing. Quite a fashion statement, don't you think?
dpu I wear the same clothes all the time, no matter the occasion, forgetting to do laundry between wearings.

SHAPE

Autistics come in many shapes and sizes. Shape code is divided into two parts. The first indicates height, while the second indicates roundness. Mix each section to fit yourself. Examples include: s:++, s++:, s++:--.

s+++:+++ I usually have to duck through doors/I take up three movie seats.
s++:++ I'm a basketball/linebacker candidate.
s+:+ I'm a little taller/rounder than most.
s: I'm an average autistic.
s-:- I look up to most people. Everyone tells me to gain a few pounds.
s--:-- I look up to damn near everybody. I tend to have to fight against a strong breeze.
s---:--- I take a phone book with me when I go out so I can see to eat dinner. My bones are poking through my skin.
s!:! I refuse to discuss my height/roundness!

AGE

a+++ 60+
a++ 50-59
a+ 40-49
a 30-39
a- 25-29
a-- 20-24
a--- 15-19 a---- < 15 !a None of your business!

COMPUTERS

c++++ I have submitted Linux code changes and received a response from Linus!
c+++ I can program and run a network well.
c++ I've written a script or two. I know what an ARM is.
c+ I like computers, but don't program them.
c I don't mind computers, but don't particularly like them.
c- Computers aren't fun to me.
c-- I don't like computers.
c--- Computers don't like me.

PERSEVERATIONS

p+++ I am currently perseveration on more then 10 things!
p++ I am perseverating on 5-10 things right now.
p+ I perseverate on just a few things at a time.
p I only have one major preservation.
p- I can't concentrate on one thing for long.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

t+++ I memorized the timetable for my city's transit system.
t++ I ride buses and trains for fun.
t+ I enjoy transit.
t I ride transit to get around town.
t- I think the bus smells.
t-- I hate transit!
t--- I'll walk, thank you very much!

FACIAL RECOGNITION

f++ I never forget a face.
f+ I can still recognize all my childhood classmates.
f I am average at recognizing people.
f- I sometimes have trouble recognizing my coworkers.
f-- I have trouble recognizing my friends.
f--- I can't even recognize my immediate family!

SENSORY ISSUES

S++ I have very sensitive senses.
S+ Some of my senses are slightly over sensitive
S I have normal senses.
S- Some of my senses are slightly under sensitive.
S-- I have very insensitive senses.

POLITICS

p++ I am very liberal.
p+ I'm more left then right.
p I sit in the middle.
p- I'm more right then left.
p-- I'm very conservative.

EDUCATION

e+++ I have a postgraduate degree.
e++ I have a college degree.
e+ I've done some college.
e I graduated high school.
e- I never finished high school.
e-- I haven't even started high school.

HOUSING

h++ I live in a large house.
h+ I live in a small house or large apartment.
h I live in a basic apartment.
h- I live in a small apartment.
h-- I live in someone else's apartment/house.

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS

r++ I'm married.
r+ I'm in a serious relationship.
r I date frequently.
r- I've dated a few times.
r-- I've never dated.
r* I don't want to have a romantic relationship.

NT EMULATION

n+++ No one would ever think I'm different from any NT!
n++ I emulate NTs well enough to hold a steady job.
n+ Some people know I'm different, but they can't figure out why.
n I can act like an NT for a short period of time, but I can't keep the act up forever!
n- I have trouble with even the most basic NT rituals.
n-- I can't emulate an NT no matter how hard I try!
n* Why would anyone want to emulate an NT?

INERTIA

i++ I can't get moving no matter how important the task.
i+ I can force myself to act on REALLY important tasks.
i I will act on a task if I think I need to get it done.
i- I generally act on tasks whenever I have a spare moment.
i-- I'm a "go-getter", always doing things like cleaning my house and paying my bills.

PETS

P+++ Pets are the perfect creature. I hope to be reincarnated as a cat/dog/lizard.
P++ I have many cats/dogs/whatevers.
P+ I have one or two cats/dogs/whatevers.
P I have a single pet.
P- I don't dislike pets, but I don't own any, either.
P-- I don't want to share my space with an animal.
P--- Who would want to own a smelly, noisy, and irritating thing?

MATH

m++ I've mastered math above Calculus.
m+ I can still do Calculus.
m I learned algebra.
m- I can still do arithmetic.
m-- Math? Me? Not likely!

MUSIC

M+++ I'm a professional musician.
M++ I perform publicly.
M+ I'm a decent musician.
M I'm an average singer and might even know the basics of an instrument.
M- I am not a good musician!
M-- I can't sing. At all.
M--- Cats run away when I sing or play an instrument.

Here is the interpretation of my script from the decoder:

1. Autism Type       AS!       Diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.
2. Dressing Habits       d-(pu)@       I range between "I tend to usually dress in jeans and a t-shirt" and "I tend to wear the same clothes all the time, no matter the occasion, forgetting to do laundry between wearings", but mostly the former. I can stray all over the range, though.
3. Shape       s+:       With regards to my height, I am a little taller than most. With regards to my weight, I am an average autistic.
4. Age       a++       I am 50 to 59 years old.
5. Computing Knowledge       c+       I like computers, but don't program them.
6. Perseverations       p+       I perseverate on just a few things at a time.
7. Transit       t--       I hate transit.
8. Facial Recognition       f->++       Currently, I sometimes have trouble recognizing my coworkers but I hope one day, to never forget a face.
9. Sensory Issues       S++@       I have very sensitive senses. I can stray all over the range, though.
10. Politics       p++       I am very liberal.
11. Education       e+++       I have a postgraduate degree.
12. Housing       h>++       Currently, I live in a basic apartment but I hope one day, to live in a large house.
13. Romantic Relationships       r->       Currently, I have dated a few times but I hope one day, to date frequently.
14. Neuro-typical Emulation       n++(+++)@       I range between "I emulate NTs well enough to hold a steady job" and "I think no one would ever believe I'm different from any NT!", but mostly the former. I can stray all over the range, though.
15. Inertia       i+(++)@       I range between "I can force myself to act on REALLY important tasks" and "I can't get moving, no matter how important the task", but mostly the former. I can stray all over the range, though.
16. Pets       P->       Currently, I don't dislike pets, but I don't own any either but I hope one day, to a single pet.
17. Maths       m(-)@       I range between "I learned algebra" and "I can still do arithmetic", but mostly the former. I can stray all over the range, though.
18. Musical Ability       M(++)@       I range between "I am an average singer and might even know the basics of an instrument" and "I perform publicly", but mostly the former. I can stray all over the range, though.

Smith also provides a Volume and Pitch Difficulty Test. He wrote:

I have trouble determining if a given note is higher or lower in pitch then another if the volume is also different. To me, pitch and volume are seen as the same thing to my conscious mind, although I can appreciate music and tell when something is wrong with a musical piece....
These are the test tones. Click each one ONCE and try to guess which tone has the highest pitch (the first, second, or third tone). None of my friends have any difficulty telling which is the highest pitch, although I find it very difficult.

Surprisingly to me, on June 5, 2008, of the four groups of three tones, I only correctly identified the highest-pitch tone in one of the four cases. Smith, who is also autistic, had similar results, and neither of us is tone deaf. As indicated by my results, the tests were, for me, basically a crap shoot.

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According to this test, from SLS Residential (taken on October 28, 2008), I have a current score, at 52 years old, of 25 out of 39. According to the testing evaluation, "The average score for men in the age range 50-59 is 18," and, " Aspergers could be an appropriate diagnosis; professional further evaluation is needed." When I imagined myself at 18 years old, my score was 37 out of a possible 39. According to the testing evaluation, "The average score for men in the age range under 30 is 18," and, "Aspergers is a probable diagnosis; professional evaluation is needed to confirm this."

This test was, for some reason, written to be completed by an individual other than the Asperger's autistic. However, I simply responded as that person. Here is the definition provided on the site:

Asperger's Disorder is a milder variant of Autistic Disorder. Both Asperger's Disorder and Autistic Disorder are in fact subgroups of a larger diagnostic category. This larger category is called either Autistic Spectrum Disorders, mostly in European countries, or Pervasive Developmental Disorders ("PDD"), in the United States. In Asperger's Disorder, affected individuals are characterized by social isolation and eccentric behavior in childhood. There are impairments in two-sided social interaction and non-verbal communication. Though grammatical, their speech is peculiar due to abnormalities of inflection and a repetitive pattern. Clumsiness is prominent both in their articulation and gross motor behavior. They usually have a circumscribed area of interest which usually leaves no space for more age appropriate, common interests. Some examples are cars, trains, French Literature, door knobs, hinges, cappucino, meteorology, astronomy or history. The name "Asperger" comes from Hans Asperger, an Austrian physician who first described the syndrome in 1944. An excellent translation of Dr. Asperger's original paper is provided by Dr. Uta Frith in her Autism and Asperger Syndrome.

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The Highly Sensitive Person is the term used by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D., for sensory processing disorder, which can only be formally diagnosed by occupational therapists. Although Aron herself distinguishes between being a highly sensitive person and being an Asperger's or a high-functioning autistic, the large majority of those persons on Wrong Planet, both diagnosed and self-defined with Aa, who reported taking the test scored in the "highly sensitive person" range. Aron herself does not consider being a highly sensitive person to be a disorder and defines it here by posing a series of questions:

• Are you easily overwhelmed by such things as bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics, or sirens nearby?
• Do you get rattled when you have a lot to do in a short amount of time?
• Do you make a point of avoiding violent movies and TV shows?
• Do you need to withdraw during busy days, into bed or a darkened room or some other place where you can have privacy and relief from the situation?
• Do you make it a high priority to arrange your life to avoid upsetting or overwhelming situations?
• Do you notice or enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, or works of art?
• Do you have a rich and complex inner life?
• When you were a child, did your parents or teachers see you as sensitive or shy?

In Aron's Are You Highly Sensitive?: A Self-Test (10/28/07), my results read:

You have indicated that 19 of the items are true of you....

If you answered more than fourteen of the questions as true of yourself, you are probably highly sensitive. But no psychological test is so accurate that an individual should base his or her life on it. We psychologists try to develop good questions, then decide on the cut off based on the average response.

Aron also conducts workshops for Highly Sensitive People under the name, LifeWorks.

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I took the Codependency Test on 10/20/07. The following information is from the results page:

Diagram 4: Three Stages of Development

You scored 23% Enabling, 12% Dependent, and 95% Stable!...

Congratulations!! You are a well-adjusted person. Chances are you have a lot of friends because they recognize that you are interested in being a 'real' friend and don't just look at them as someone to rescue or be rescued by. You will have much success with relationships if you keep up this healthy trend away from codependency. Thanks for taking my test, please rate it honestly! (If you skipped a significant number of questions, you may have gotten this category in error.)

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
You scored higher than 99% on Enabling
You scored higher than 99% on Dependency
You scored higher than 99% on Stability

With the Codependence Self-Test, taken on 10/26/07, my affirmative responses to only 4 out of 25 statements placed me in the least codependent category (0-5 out of 25).

... you have relatively healthy boundaries, confidence and wisdom in relationships. You can care about people without feeling responsible for their choices.

According to the Relationship Attachment Test - Abridged, taken on 12/6/07, my score is 0 out of 100. Here is their description of relationships and codependency:

When it comes to relationships, one would think that there could never be too much of selflessness and giving. However, for people with dependent personalities, selflessness is very problematic because it's driven by fear. Dependent individuals operate to avoid rejection, to keep their relationship intact, and to earn love. They often seek approval and validation from their significant others to the point of abandoning their own opinions, feelings, and values. Because the idea of abandonment generates trepidation and the feeling that they won't survive, dependent persons' desire to please their partner overrides their own individuality.

People with dependency problems usually team up with those who like to be in control. In the beginning, such relationships might seem just right because the two people involved complement one another and fulfill each other's needs. However, in a codependent relationship, the pleasure is sucked out of giving, and both partners end up unhappy, frustrated, and distressed. The controlling person often starts feeling suffocated and annoyed at the neediness of the other and the dependent person often end ups feeling taken advantage of and bitter. When the codependent relationship does finally crumble, the dependent person is worse off than s/he was at the beginning. S/he is left with no sense of self, and no one to take care of him/her.

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[Last I checked, the links in this section no longer worked. However, I PDFed a Wikipedia article (which Wikipedia has since deleted). Benis' YouTube account, which hosted his videos, has also been closed.]

I took this 50-question NPA test (narcissism, perfectionism, and aggression) on 11/17/07. It was developed by Anthony Martin Benis, Sc.D., M.D. (cardiology), and is based on concepts described initially by Karen Horney, M.D. (psychiatry). As to definitions:

Dominance is defined as, "Individuals having the trait are continually competing with each other on a scale of dominance and submission"; narcissism as, "The trait of narcissism may reveal itself in the context of conceit, exhibitionism, vanity and messianism"; and perfectionism as, "Acts associated with the trait are obsessiveness, compulsiveness, repetition, and the desire for neatness, order and symmetry. A clue to the nature of the trait lies in the compulsive, repetitive mannerisms of autistic children and some adult schizophrenic individuals."

The results in my own case were NP (P=1), which is construed by the author of the test as:

Narcissistic - perfectionist personality. Obsessive-compulsive personality. Bovine personality. 'Nervous bird' personality. 'The quiet achiever.'...
An example of a borderline type is the N-P type ..... Narcissistic - perfectionisitic borderline personality: This is the borderline or 'successful' autistic personality (infantile autism: Kanner or Asperger syndrome).

Here are the particulars:

focus
your F-score = 63
0-20 = low: diffuse, expansive
20-70 = moderate: reflective, pragmatic
70-100 = high: contemplative, analytical

temperament
your T-score = 15
0-10 = low: phlegmatic
10-20 = low: reserved
20-30 = moderate
30-60 = high: reactive
60-100 = high: volatile

submissiveness, anxiety, depression
your S-score = 65
0-30 = low
30-60 = moderate
60-100 = high

Your S-score was greater than 30 (elevated).

The S-score is a measure of anxiety, depression or submissiveness in social relations on a scale of 0-100. If the score is >20, then it becomes likely that either trait N or A, or both, is only partially expressed. This test does not explore the many possible reasons for a high S-score. The most common reason is suppressed aggression (submissive types) or suppressed narcissism (narcissistic borderline types). In individuals having consulted a mental health professional common reasons might be depression or bipolar disorder. The T-score is a measure of temperament, also on a scale of 0-100. Low temperament individuals tend to be reserved or phlegmatic. High temperament individuals tend to be reactive or volatile. The F score is a measure of the degree of organization of an individual's personality, again on a scale of 0-100. Organized individuals with analytical tendencies will tend to score high on this scale, while less focused, expansive or practical individuals will tend to score low.

Your character type tends to:
NP
(narcissistic-perfectionistic)

Since your S-score was elevated, it is probable that your character type is non-dominant: Narcissistic-Perfectionistic (NPA-) Submissive.

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There seems to be a strong correlation between those with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism (HFA) and the INTP type of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): description 1, description 2. Another theory states that Asperger's correlates to the INTJ personality type, whereas high functioning autism correlates to the INFJ personality type."
-- Aspergers Syndrome Characteristics

According to the Keirsey Temperament Sorter (taken 2/01), I am an INTP (Introverted-Intuitive-Thinking-Perceptive), the Architect:

Architects need not be thought of as only interested in drawing blueprints for buildings or roads or bridges. They are the master designers of all kinds of theoretical systems, including school curricula, corporate strategies, and new technologies. For Architects, the world exists primarily to be analyzed, understood, explained—and re-designed. External reality in itself is unimportant, little more than raw material to be organized into structural models. What is important for Architects is that they grasp fundamental principles and natural laws, and that their designs are elegant, that is, efficient and coherent.

Architects are rare—maybe one percent of the population—and show the greatest precision in thought and speech of all the types. They tend to see distinctions and inconsistencies instantaneously, and can detect contradictions no matter when or where they were made. It is difficult for an Architect to listen to nonsense, even in a casual conversation, without pointing out the speaker’s error. And in any serious discussion or debate Architects are devastating, their skill in framing arguments giving them an enormous advantage. Architects regard all discussions as a search for understanding, and believe their function is to eliminate inconsistencies, which can make communication with them an uncomfortable experience for many. Ruthless pragmatists about ideas, and insatiably curious, Architects are driven to find the most efficient means to their ends, and they will learn in any manner and degree they can. They will listen to amateurs if their ideas are useful, and will ignore the experts if theirs are not. Authority derived from office, credential, or celebrity does not impress them. Architects are interested only in what make sense, and thus only statements that are consistent and coherent carry any weight with them.

Architects often seem difficult to know. They are inclined to be shy except with close friends, and their reserve is difficult to penetrate. Able to concentrate better than any other type, they prefer to work quietly at their computers or drafting tables, and often alone. Architects also become obsessed with analysis, and this can seem to shut others out. Once caught up in a thought process, Architects close off and persevere until they comprehend the issue in all its complexity. Architects prize intelligence, and with their grand desire to grasp the structure of the universe, they can seem arrogant and may show impatience with others who have less ability, or who are less driven.

Also, all Rationals (NTs) share the following core characteristics:

• Rationals tend to be pragmatic, skeptical, self-contained, and focused on problem-solving and systems analysis.
• Rationals pride themselves on being ingenious, independent, and strong willed.
• Rationals make reasonable mates, individualizing parents, and strategic leaders.
• Rationals are even-tempered, they trust logic, yearn for achievement, seek knowledge, prize technology, and dream of understanding how the world works.
• Architects need not be thought of as only interested in drawing blueprints for buildings or roads or bridges. They are the master designers of all kinds of theoretical systems, including school curricula, corporate strategies, and new technologies. For Architects, the world exists primarily to be analyzed, understood, explained—and re-designed. External reality in itself is unimportant, little more than raw material to be organized into structural models. What is important for Architects is that they grasp fundamental principles and natural laws, and that their designs are elegant, that is, efficient and coherent.

According to the Discover Your Perfect Career Quiz (taken on 5/27/08), I am an INTP:

People of this type tend to be quiet, independent and private; logical and unemotional; creative, ingenious and innovative, global thinkers; curious and driven to increase their competence; casual and adaptive; nonconforming and unpredictable.

The most important thing to INTPs is their privacy and the opportunity to solve complex problems in unique ways.

Great careers for INTPs

Here are just a few popular and often satisfying careers for people whose Personality Type is INTP:

• Computer software designer / developer
• Legal mediator
• Financial analyst
• Economist
• College professor: philosophy, economics
• Musician
• Intellectual property attorney
• Web site designer
• Investigator
• Strategic planner
• Neurologist
• Pharmaceutical researcher
• Network integration specialist

Based on the Personality Test from Sonja Elen Kisa's website (taken on 11/19/07), I am an INTP:

The Jung Typology Test, from Human Metrics, also found me to be an INTP (on 11/16/07). I am a:

• moderately expressed introvert
• moderately expressed intuitive personality
• slightly expressed thinking personality
• moderately expressed perceiving personality

Diagram 5: Personality Cluster

According to The Duniho and Duniho Life Pattern Indicator (V3.41), I am an INTJ or, if not, an ESFJ or an INTP.

Assuming that you are an INTJ,
Your DOMINANT function is Introverted Intuition.
Your AUXILIARY function is Extraverted Thinking.
Your TERTIARY function is Introverted Feeling.
Your INFERIOR function is Extraverted Sensing.

According to the TypeFocus Extravert-Introvert Report (December 3, 2008), I am an introvert.

As an Introvert, you prefer your energy to flow inwards, and your attention is naturally drawn to the inner world of understanding. Because you focus inwards, you tend to become more thoughtful, and your interests are deeper.

Picture of Introvert: thinking about something; making sure it "fits" before sharing with others....

Being an introvert, you are energized by understanding your world. You would be wise to look for work that fits your strengths. The following types of jobs appeal to introverts:

library work physical science computer specialties architecture

civil engineering mathematics optometry law

People in these jobs are rewarded for their natural strengths: thinking deeply and often working alone.

The following comes from the "Rational Portrait of the Architect (INTP)" page on the Keirsey website:

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My observation, though not a particularly original one, is that Enneagram type 5, on face validity, appears to be the construct most isomorphic with the autism spectrum.

According to the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (RHETI), taken on 11/16/07, I am type 5 ("The Thinker"), defined as the "perceptive, cerebral type." A descriptive statement would be, "I need to understand the world."

Based on the Enneagram Personality Test (taken on 11/17/07), "Your main type is which ever behavior you utilize most and/or prefer. Your variant reflects your scoring profile on all nine types: so = social variant (compliant, friendly), sx = sexual variant (assertive, intense), sp = self preservation variant (withdrawn, security seeking)."

Diagram 6: Main Type Diagram 7: Overall Self

Enneagram Test Results Type 1 Perfectionism |||||||||| 34% Type 2 Helpfulness |||||| 30% Type 3 Image Focus |||||||||||||| 58% Type 4 Hypersensitivity |||||||||||||| 54% Type 5 Detachment |||||||||||||||||||| 90% Type 6 Anxiety |||||||||||||||| 66% Type 7 Adventurousness |||| 18% Type 8 Aggressiveness |||||||||||||||| 62% Type 9 Calmness |||||||||| 38% Your main type is 5 Your variant is self preservation

According to The Quick & Painless ENNEAGRAM Test (taken on 11/17/07), my type is five (the Observer and Thinker).

"I need to understand the world"

Observers have a need for knowledge and are introverted, curious, analytical, and insightful.

How to Get Along with Me

• Be independent, not clingy.
• Speak in a straightforward and brief manner.
• I need time alone to process my feelings and thoughts.
• Remember that If I seem aloof, distant, or arrogant, it may be that I am feeling uncomfortable.
• Make me feel welcome, but not too intensely, or I might doubt your sincerity.
• If I become irritated when I have to repeat things, it may be because it was such an effort to get my thoughts out in the first place. don't come on like a bulldozer.
• Help me to avoid my pet peeves: big parties, other people's loud music, overdone emotions, and intrusions on my privacy.

What I Like About Being a FIVE

• standing back and viewing life objectively
• coming to a thorough understanding; perceiving causes and effects
• my sense of integrity: doing what I think is right and not being influenced by social pressure
• not being caught up in material possessions and status
• being calm in a crisis

What's Hard About Being a FIVE

• being slow to put my knowledge and insights out in the world
• feeling bad when I act defensive or like a know-it-all
• being pressured to be with people when I don't want to be
• watching others with better social skills, but less intelligence or technical skill, do better professionally

FIVEs as Children Often

• spend a lot of time alone reading, making collections, and so on
• have a few special friends rather than many
• are very bright and curious and do well in school
• have independent minds and often question their parents and teachers
• watch events from a detached point of view, gathering information
• assume a poker face in order not to look afraid
• are sensitive; avoid interpersonal conflict
• feel intruded upon and controlled and/or ignored and neglected

FIVEs as Parents

• are often kind, perceptive, and devoted
• are sometimes authoritarian and demanding
• may expect more intellectual achievement than is developmentally appropriate
• may be intolerant of their children expressing strong emotions

According to, Enneagram Test with Instinctual Variant (taken on 11/23/07):

You are most likely a type 5 (the Investigator) with 4 wing [and are a] Sexual variant

People of this personality type essentially fear that they don't have enough inner strength to face life, so they tend to withdraw, to retreat into the safety and security of the mind where they can mentally prepare for their emergence into the world. Fives feel comfortable and at home in the realm of thought. They are generally intelligent, well read and thoughtful and they frequently become experts in the areas that capture their interest.... Fives are often a bit eccentric; they feel little need to alter their beliefs to accommodate majority opinion, and they refuse to compromise their freedom to think just as they please....

... Fives fear being overwhelmed, either by the demands of others or by the strength of their own emotions. They sometimes deal with this by developing a minimalistic lifestyle in which they make few demands on others in exchange for few demands being made on them....

Fives, especially with the Four wing, sometimes mistype themselves as Fours. Such Fives recognize that they have strong emotions and don't identify with the often extremely cerebral portrait of type Five. But, Fives, unlike Fours, always retain some degree of discomfort when it comes to the expression of their emotional states. However much facility they may gain with it, the language of emotion is not their native tongue.

And, on this page of the site:

People of the sexual variant are very much interested in one to one contacts. They are looking for intimacy and this may show in sexuality, though not necessarily. Being in a relationship is very important to them. They are the most passionate of the subtypes, being temperamental and having more energy. They have less of a problem with getting into a fight and care less about rules and responsibility.

Here is a useful summary (11/17/07):

Seeking control over their lives, Fives seek to increase their competency by withdrawing into their minds to gain knowledge. Fives tend to live in the mental world of ideas rather than in the outside world. They are good at creating systems, but their need to be in control makes it difficult for them to work within systems. They tend to work better outside the system than within it. At their best, Fives understand things more deeply than other people and advance science and human knowledge by sharing their insights. Stephen Hawking is an excellent example of a Five at his best. Although wheelchair-bound and almost completely paralyzed, Hawking lives in his mind, exploring the secrets of the universe.

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Personality Disorder Test Results (2/23/2008) Paranoid |||||||||||| 50% Schizoid |||||||||||||||||||| 86% Schizotypal |||||||||||||||| 70% Antisocial |||||||||||||| 54% Borderline |||||| 22% Histrionic |||||||||||| 42% Narcissistic |||||||||||||| 54% Avoidant |||||||||| 38% Dependent |||||| 26% Obsessive-Compulsive |||||||||||||| 58%

This next test was also taken on 2/23/2008:

The Personality Disorder Quiz was taken on 6/14/2008:

Diagram 8: Personality Disorder Quiz

According to the What Personality Disorder Are You? test, taken on 6/14/2008:

Diagram 9: What Personality Disorder Are You?

According to the The Cluster A Personality Disorder Test , taken on 6/14/2008, I scored highest for schizoid (7 points), followed by paranoid (3 points) and schizotypal (1 point).

Based on the What's Your Personality Disorder test, taken on 6/14/2008, I have schizoid personality disorder.

From the Schizotypal Personality Test (SPTA), these were my scores:

Ideas of reference: 0 out of 9 (unsure: 0)
Excessive social anxiety: 1.5 out of 8 (unsure: 0)
Odd beliefs or magical thinking: 1 out of 7 (unsure: 0)
Unusual perceptual experiences: 1 out of 9 (unsure: 0)
Odd or eccentric behavior: 5 out of 7 (unsure: 0)
No close friends: 5 out of 9 (unsure: 0)
Odd speech : 0 out of 9 (unsure: 0)
Constricted affect: 1 out of 8 (unsure: 0)
Suspiciousness: 1 out of 8 (unsure: 0)
Total SPQ-A: 15.5 out of 74

Within the population in which the instrument was created, the mean scores were 26.9 (sample 1) and 26.3 (sample 2). Therefore, my mean of 15.5 was only slightly elevated.

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According to the Adult ADHD Test, taken on 9/27/2008:

You scored a total of 22

You have answered this self-report questionnaire in such a way as to suggest that you do not likely currently suffer from an attention deficit disorder. You should not take this as a diagnosis or recommendation for treatment in any way, though.

Here is the scoring key for the above test:

Diagram 10: Adult ADHD Scoring Key

The same site has a Quick Adult ADHD Screening Test, which I also took on 9/27/2008:

You scored a total of 6

You have answered this self-report questionnaire in such a way as to suggest that you do not likely currently suffer from an attention deficit disorder. You should not take this as a diagnosis or recommendation for treatment in any way, though. You experience the normal ups and downs of life.

Here is the scoring key for the above test:

Diagram 11: Adult ADHD Scoring Key

This is the graphic generated for both of the above tests:

Diagram 12: Adult ADHD Score

According to the Attention Deficit Disorder/ADD Test, taken on 9/24/2008:

Dr. Amen [Daniel G. Amen, M.D.] suggests: "More than 20 items with a score of three or more indicates a strong tendency toward ADD. Your total number of items with a score above three is 17.

Based on this calculation, you DO NOT HAVE a strong tendency toward ADD.

According to the Adult ADD/ADHD Screening Quiz, taken on 3/25/2008, my score was below 70, which is not associated with ADHD. "Your answers to this adult ADHD screening test suggest that you are not in the range associated with a high probability of ADHD."

According to The Adult ADD Screener, taken on 3/25/2008, from the World Health Organization's Composite International Diagnostic Interview, "Your responses do not indicate a likelihood of Adult ADD."

According to the ADHD Self Test, taken on 3/25/2008, "Based on your answers, sufficient signs and symptoms of ADHD are probably not present."

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In both of the following tests, I simply guessed. I am awful at remembering faces.

From the Online Cambridge Face Memory Test, taken on June 5, 2008:

Out of 72 faces, you correctly identified 48. In other words, you got 67% correct.
On our previous version of this test, the average person with normal face recognition was able to recognize about 80% of the faces. If you correctly identified less than 65% of the faces, this may indicate face recognition difficulties.

On the Famous Faces Test, taken on June 5, 2008:

Out of 30 faces, you correctly identified 10. You were familiar with 26 of the people in this test.
If we exclude the ones you were unfamiliar with, you got 38% correct.
On our previous version of this test, the average person with normal face recognition was able to recognize about 85% of the faces they were familiar with. If you missed more than half of the faces you were familiar with, this may indicate face recognition difficulties.

According to the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), taken on September 27, 2008:

Your YBOCS Score is 19, which is in the moderate range.

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According to the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Screening Quiz, taken on September 27, 2008:

You scored a total of 2.

You have answered this self-report questionnaire in such a way as to suggest that you do not likely currently suffer from an obsessive-compulsive disorder. You should not take this as a diagnosis or recommendation for treatment in any way, though.

According to the University of Hamburg Obsession-Compulsion Inventory Screening Form, completed on September 27, 2008, I only have two obsessions and one compulsion. According to the scoring criteria:

If the total number of true answers circled for these questions is 1 or 2: You probably do not have clinically significant obsessions....

If the total number of true answers circled for these questions is 1,2,or 3: You probably do not have clinically significant compulsions.

According to the Online OCD Test, taken on September 27, 2008, there is a 60% chance I have OCD.

According to the Adult OCD Self Test, taken on September 27, 2008:

Your results show that you may be experiencing some symptoms associated with obsessive-compulsive behavior. You might find it beneficial to speak with a mental health care provider in your area to learn more about your options for diagnosis and treatment.

According to The Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory OCD Screening Test, taken on September 27, 2008:

Based on the above results, it appears you may have OCD or a related disorder. However, only a qualified mental health provider can make a more accurate diagnosis. If you are experiencing psychological distress it may be advisable to see a clinician for further evaluation.

According to The Do You Have OCD Test, taken on September 27, 2008, I have mild OCD.

According to Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), taken on September 27, 2008:

Your YBOCS Score is 19, which is in the moderate range.

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According to this test for Psycho Trauma Exposure (PTE), from SLS Residential (taken on October 27, 2008), "Your Score Is 210 of a possible score of 400. The average score for men in the age range 50-59 is 161."

You are reporting severe levels of trauma and probably should consult with a behavioral health professional with expertise in traumatic stress to have this assessed. The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress can help you find a specialist at www.aaets.org.

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On this test (taken on January 29, 2009) of being able to accurately match the photographs of ten faces with seven facial expressions (sad, angry, surprise, fear, disgust, contempt, and happy), I correctly identified only two out of ten.

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My Sex I.D. Profile, from the BBC, is in this PDF file. I noted, in particular:

Your empathising score is 8 out of 20. This is an indication of your ability to read and respond to others' emotions.
Your systemising score is 12 out of 20. This indicates how much you enjoy exploring the intricacies of systems, for example playing strategy games and putting together flat pack furniture.

this:

Out of 10 pairs of eyes, you matched 4 with the correct mood.

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