It Just Means I Have Them Fooled
Posted on October 28, 2007 Posted by John Scalzi 49 Comments
Via Elizabeth Bear, I took this online test to see just how filled with Aspergian tics I might be:
Apparently, not very.
To which a little voice in my head said, You’re neurotypical? They’ll kick you out of science fiction for that! Well, what can I do. I am who I am. I hope the slans will still accept me into the tribe.
If this little self-administered test does indeed have any relation at all to actual Apergian and/or neurotypical states of mind, I have to say I’m not entirely surprised; generally speaking I am pretty well socialized. I also suspect that if I took this or a similar test when I was, say, 14, my responses and behaviors would offer up a somewhat different result. I don’t know that would ever have been clinically described as Aspergian, but I wasn’t precisely normal either, as anyone who knew me at 14 would tell you. Certainly my socialization skills were a bit of out of whack, partly because I was a 14-year-old boy, and you know how they are, and partly because of other more personal factors. I suspect I finally got the hang of socialization thing in my mid-20s, which was lucky break for me, since that’s when I met my wife.
I have some mild curiosity about whether my allegedly neurotypical mindset is a matter of my brain growing into itself, or of me being smart enough to pick up clues and incorporate them, or some combination of the two. When it comes down to it I don’t know enough about Asperger’s or autism to do anything more than speak out of my ass about it, so I’m at a distinct disadvantage there. I’ll have to ask my friend Natasha, who is a psychologist, and who has known me since we were 14. I imagine she’d have a lot to say on the subject, much of it told while giggling as she recounts my 14-year-old self.
On second thought, maybe some things are better left unknown.
Update: Krissy was curious how she would fare, so she took the test too:
Clearly, we’re made for each other.
I got pretty much the same thing. The only difference is that I got a neurotypical score of 175 of 200, so, you’re obviously more neurotypical than I. But, that’s only because of the bodies I have buried in the back yard.
If you ever want to know more about Autism look me up. I have a 7 year old autistic son and we strongly suspect my husband is on the Aspberger’s scale. I did a blog post similar to your one on being poor here: http://michelelee.blogspot.com/2007/04/autism-means.html
Mine tends a little more to Asperger’s, but not greatly. I’m not surprised since my Meyers-Briggs Temperment Indicator is INTP. If you search the archives of the INTP mailing lists (http://int.org http://intp-list.org) you’ll find all sorts of comments about having Asperger’s.
These online tests should come with disclaimer of entertainment purpose only. Autism and especially Aspberger is the trendy fad for the self diagnose to excuse ourselves crowd much to the detriment of real patients.
Oops I think I’m leaking pieces of a rant and here and there. Where’s the broom and dust pan?
I had an aspie score of: 71 out of 200
with neurotypical score of 163 of 200
I am apparently very likely neurotypical
Yet the higher number in the aspie suggests that I’ve got alittle bit more of the wierd incorporated in my thinking and behaviors. Oh well. Makes life more interesting, I guess.
Now to go sniff out the coffee aisle in the supermarket but not drink it cause well, it tastes like ass.
Bryan Price:
The last time I took a Myers-Briggs test — which was in high school, come to think of it — I clicked in as INTP, but was pretty much borderline in all the categories (i.e., one or two responses from dead center on each axis). I have no idea what I would click in as now.
I also stopped paying attention to that particular test when people started using them as a sort of modern-day update to astrological signs: “You’re an INTP? So am I! Let’s date!”
Spiderman, spiderman, does whatever a spider can.
Yay! I’m normal.
**what’s that?**jumps six feet to his left**squeezes toothpaste too hard**
Yay!
my results
http://tinyurl.com/2wzbhp
I did it too, and I got a scarily similar test result to yours and Krissy’s, John. I am apparently so boringly *normal*. Sigh.
http://tinyurl.com/2awctk
Eeep. Guess I’m well rounded even in my eccentricities. I wouldn’t really put it down to Aspergers though….
Most of a bullseye, centered, tilted a bit towards the Intellectual and the Compulsive. And as a Physicist, I am happily an INTP, too.
Of course, some of the answers about movement are most definitely affected by my being very large and a klutz. (grin)
Dr. Phil
Funny, John. Now I’m waiting for the first person who says to me, “Hey, baby, what’s your type?”
I’ve read that INTPs are the least likely personality type to recognize validity in typeology. Although they can see the meta-structure of the universe all around them better than the rest of us, they personally hate being put in a box. Most of my good friends are INTP and they tolerate my obsession in a rather good natured fashion since, as an INFP, I look for psychological patterns everywhere.
Of course, its not a hard test to jimmy the results on:
http://tinyurl.com/yta73n
I’m surprised I can get out of bed in the morning.
Oops, last link didn’t work.
try this one.
http://tinyurl.com/ys83lc
My chart almost exactly the mirror image of yours. (i.e., reflected about the y-axis, but not maxed out like Aspie Nathan’s.) Coincidentally, the last time I took a Myers-Briggs, I was an INTP.
I don’t put much stock in either one of these. I figure being able to take the quiz puts a fairly high floor on the how functional the quiz-taker is. The personality test questions were so cryptic that I had no idea what the result had to do with the questions.
I once took a political test that had me so close to center you might as well say I have no political leanings (Apparently I sway slightly left and libertarian, but not enough to hug a tree or legalize cocaine).
This test was like that. I rated as – literally with a score of 100 – as half-in-half.
I must be schizo.
Or did everyone figure that out before me? No biggie. The schizoid’s usually the last to know.
[And the voices in Jim’s head are saying, “Dude, we’re, like, talking to you. Of course you’re schizo! Why do you think the Devil gave up telling you to kill? He thinks your nuts!”]
Your Aspie score: 105 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 118 of 200
You seem to have both Aspie and neurotypical traits
http://tinyurl.com/26hxjt
I was pulling out questions for my boyfriend’s amusement, such as “Do you answer rhetorical questions literally?”
PixelFish, my sister!
I took this last night after I saw it on Bear’s blog, and I don’t want to see the spouse’s scores.
Aspie 100 of 200, Neurotypical 120 of 200.
I’m an XNTJ. I’m always NTJ, but I’m a very weak I or E, depending on the day I take the test. If I like people that day, I’m an E. If I think humanity sucks, I’m an I.
I’m aspie 59/200, neurotypical 164/200.
INTP when forced to pick, but each test usually shows me as -N– ie borderline on 3 dimensions. Someone told me that just meant I don’t have a natural response in activities covered by those. I once did the test under formal supervision along with work colleagues. We were divided up based on our results to perform certain activities like planning picnics, describing objects … the results were certainly revealing (and sometimes hilarious). At the very least it was a good exercise in seeing how different problem-solving and communication styles work better with different personality types.
The last person I dated used to lick the walls of elevator shafts if there wasn’t a door on the elevator, so I’m dying to send him this test…
I’m normal:
Your Aspie score: 89 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 127 of 200
You are very likely neurotypical
High on the compulsions, but then I have OCD.
It was an interesting test, but several of the questions were poorly worded and/or misleading. Additionally, reading the pdf page, I’m not sure about their grading process–the results were displayed as a score of 0 to 2, and the average scores for aspies and normals were given, and then your total for that category was give, however, it didn’t seem to take into account whether your answers matched the aspie or normal scores, only what your total score was…
And I think I may have put too much thought into that.
I wobbled more to the center of the chart, but still on the normal side. No surprise there. One of my cousins has a son with autism on the aspergers end of things, and it was interesting to me how many of his behaviors I recognized in the questions, although I have no idea on the accuracy of the test or how well phrased the questions are.
Your Aspie score: 109 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 93 of 200
You seem to have both Aspie and neurotypical traits
Interesting… I was mostly clumped in the center, except for Talent/Compulsion towards the Aspie side…
Hmmm..
[img]http://www.rdos.net/eng/quizpoly.php?p1=78&p2=16&p3=80&p4=90&p5=12&p6=8&p7=83&p8=14&p9=89[/img]
Your Aspie score: 167 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 38 of 200
errr… maybe I should get this checked properly
Tania: I can never remember what my Myers-Briggs is….but it usually wobbles on the day I take it as well.
Your Aspie score: 128 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 63 of 200
That doesn’t really surprise me. After all, I am usually sitting alone at home on weekends.
Oh, so here is where all the INTPs live. I got that result as well, and isn’t it something like only 2 percent of the population? And they are all SF? Interesting.
I’d like to second what Adele said. As a former sped person who took a gazillion assessment and statistic classes, this asperger’s fad thing has gotten out of control. I’m not saying people don’t really have some of these characteristics, I’m saying the definition of normal has gotten so narrow (and people feel so entitled to have a ‘perfect’ kid) and teaching to a test that measures a certain kind of intelligence has gotten so narrow that anyone, with any even very slight personality difference, can now be labeled and placed on the spectrum. To be clear, I’m all for people getting the kind of help/teaching/social strategies they need, I just don’t know if we all need to be labeled a magic label to be able to “qualify” for these things. Oh, I think I have gathered up some more pieces of Adele’s rant.
I haven’t taken this one, because these never work for me given my other disabilities (vision/hearing impaired). i.e. Do I like to socialize in crowds? Well, no. Because I’m deaf. Not because I hate crowds. I used to handle socializing in crowds just fine. So, there is no point in taking these, I always turn out to be a so-called neuro-atypical.
INTPs may play well together, but many MB types do well to date/marry out of type. Myers-Briggs get misused for all sorts of nonsense, but we listened to some tapes and the description on the INTP/INTJ pairing was eerily absolutely spot on — and unlike horoscopes, other pairings were increasingly not relevant as one changed letters.
But that doesn’t mean you use MB to choose employees or mates — only to understand the interaction dynamics.
Dr. Phil
PS – John, I am finding that on the iPod Touch (only) that I am getting the name email and website of the last poster filled in. Very odd. The system used to remember my info, even on the Touch.
Your Aspie score: 111 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 78 of 200
You seem to have both Aspie and neurotypical traits
My social part was way aspie, but the rest was pretty average. Yeah… as expected.
Your Aspie score: 77 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 151 of 200
You are very likely neurotypical
Talk about having them fooled!
My boyfriend’s teenage daughter has Aspberger’s – she was diagnosed nearly ten years ago. She’s a good kid, but can be difficult. Oddly enough, there have been times when I’ve identified with some of her behaviors. I think because I’m picky in my eating habits and I’ve been known to be compulsive/obsessive on occasion, without quite tipping over into OCD.
Hmm… I was INFJ in high school, but that flopped over to INTJ the next time I took it. I’m too lazy to do it again just now. And also too lazy to find out whether I’m Aspie or not. ;)
Okay, all the normal people here are just freaking me out.
Your Aspie score: 110 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 107 of 200
I also could go lost of ways with the questions. Like conversations in a crowd. I blew some hearing in the various bands I was in, so the “cocktail party effect” doesn’t work anymore, so I am able to track multiple conversations at the same time. That’s why in a large group I tend to be real silent.
First off,
I think I demonstrated that you can manipulate these test results very easily. The questions are all fairly obvious, so IF I’m Aspie and don’t want to show it, no problem.
Second, I’m speaking from complete ignorance of Autism and the other syndromes addressed here, but do sufferers recognize their symptoms; do they realize there’s something different about them; can they identify those differences?
Years ago when I applied for the Director’s Guild Training Program, the first step was taking the Minnesota Multi-Phasic Examination. There ARE NO right answers. You’re trying to match the scores of the control group who took the test before you. Ergo, if the 25 most successful Unit Production Managers are Schizoid, Paranoid, Coprophiliacs, that’s what you’re aiming for, but there’s no way to know.
I’m not sure this test is very useful…other than giving John and all of us Scalzi-Monkeys™ fodder for another day of blogging.
Aspie: 89 of 100
NT 100 ot 200
The curve looks like the two shown, only rotated around the Y axis and smaller. Not sure what that means. They say it means I have both aspie and neurotypical traits.
Nathan, Scalzi-Monkeys? Is that why I scratch my underarms when nobody is looking and steal bananas from other people’s lunches?
Your Aspie score: 99 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 112 of 200
You seem to have both Aspie and neurotypical traits
I expected to have a relatively high Aspie score, although I am pretty typical in a lot of ways. I was sort of intrigued because some of these were fairly accurate descriptions of me. I do bring up things few people actually care about and I think most rhetorical questions are fallacious reductio ad absurdum arguments that people need to be called out on. I guess that does make me a bit weird.
Steve,
The connection is tenuous at best. I have it on good authority that your scratching and eating habits were a bit odd long before you started reading our host’s work. Note your score on this test.
(I kid, i kid, my friend.)
That’s where my banana went! Damn you, Buchheit!
He he he, hoo hoo hoo, ahh ah ahh.
You dropped the ball Steve! If you’d said “OOK” you could have claimed to be a librarian.
And I know orangutans aren’t monkeys.
Delurking….
I actually have aspergers, and I scored a 161 of 200 on the aspie scale, and 29 out of 200 on the NT scale. And I must say, from my perspective, that test was one of the better ones for actually identifying asperger traits.
Aspie: 142/200
NT: 72/200
I am very likely an Aspie.
Not really much of a surprise, once I read up on it a little. There sure does seem to be a fair bit of overlap with being introverted though. It’s a good thing I work a tech job with a bunch of people (engineers, programmers, etc) who probably wouldn’t score all that differently. Things get weird though, when the few normals/extroverts in the company try to organise a social function.
Lisa Said: I’m not saying people don’t really have some of these characteristics, I’m saying the definition of normal has gotten so narrow (and people feel so entitled to have a ‘perfect’ kid) and teaching to a test that measures a certain kind of intelligence has gotten so narrow that anyone, with any even very slight personality difference, can now be labeled and placed on the spectrum.
Hallelujah! It was ADD/ADHD not too long ago and now it’s ASD. I’m not saying that some people aren’t testing on the scale, but here in Poorsville I know, personally people who go to doctor after doctor after therapist to get their kids the diagnosis they want and once they have all three kids diagnosed with something they stop keeping jobs and just live off that and other forms of public assitence.
We fought for over year before our son was diagnosed. We thought he was just developmentally delayed, and quirky. We knew he was smart and adaptable and certainly capable, if you could just get through to him. We didn’t want him to be labeled as autistic because we felt that in the end that’s all people would look at him and see. (And we weren’t wrong, but somehow it was the people we trusted that refused to see past the word, and the people we didn’t think would understand that did.)
My Aspie score: 129/200
My non-autistic score: 103/200
Very interesting….
*sigh* Somehow I knew I’d be the odd man out. I broke the test.
I didn’t get a score, just a statement (in red letters!) saying “You have scored inconsistently on too many control questions.” That’s hysterical!
In Asperger’s terms, I think I’m perfectly normal. I think the test was noticing all those character traits that optimize me for being an artist (sees things differently than others but finds it easy to communicate these ideas; likes being alone but is happy in social situations, etc.).
Ha! I got the same results when I first did it, Karl.
Then I went back and closely looked over the answers and with a few changes it said I was a supergenius!!!
Your Aspie score: 101 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 122 of 200
No surprise for me here, I’ve been saying I think I’m half an Aspie for a few years now. Test even picked out many specific things that I have Aspie-like problems with, among other things to which I exhibit no Aspie-like difficulties. There are some emotional/social processes that just don’t work well for me, while other related emo/soc processes work just fine. Makes things like relationships and career advancement extremely difficult for me.
My brain is wired funny.
I’m a mild Aspie, and have known that for many years. What I find impressive about this test is the physical questions (light sensitivity, trouble with humidity) and the really small things that apply to me and I never associated with Aspberger’s. Maybe science is getting a handle on this finally.
I work with an 11 year old boy who is aspergian.
Is there a website or a book available for me to read on what I should be teaching him?
I’m already doing self grooming, food prep and organizational skills.
Why else can I do to help him more?
Thank you for your time!!!
It’s much appreciated.