How good are you at reading other people’s personality from their writing? The answer gives you clues to your own personality. Read the following pieces of writing and decide whether the author scores high or low for neuroticism (ie, is he or she a worrier?)
“I love cross country. I ran throughout school, doing cross country and track and field, but cross country is where my passion is. I love getting a runner’s high and running large distances on tracks in natural settings. Finishing a long run is amazing. I am empty but full at the same time.”
Now, the same question for the author of “A letter to my mother”:
“I’m so thankful to have you in my life, you are the reason why I try my hardest at school, work, and any situation I come across. If there’s one person I know I can count on, anywhere, anytime, it is you. Even when I am away from home. Despite all the mistakes I’ve made in my life so far, you still love me for who I am and I would be nowhere without you. Thank you Mama.”
Perhaps surprisingly the writers of both passages scored “low” for neuroticism in a standard personality test. But what did your feelings about the pieces reveal about you? In the study in question, people who were good at this task – ie guessed accurately if the writers were worriers or not – were themselves less neurotic and less dominant. They were more agreeable, and conscientious, more likely to read for pleasure (particularly fiction), and more likely to have a high vocabulary. Women slightly outperformed men, with an average of 82% vs 79% for correct judgments.
A fully referenced version of this article is available at benambridge.com. Order Psy-Q by Ben Ambridge (Profile Books, £8.99) for £6.99 at bookshop.theguardian.com
