|
|
|
Test your mind power By Randy A. Salas
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT) Only you know what's going on inside your head. Or do you? These interactive online tests might help you reevaluate how you think about yourself and the world around you. These are serious tests, by the way. Set aside some time to take them, and follow prompts for any necessary plug-ins you might have to install.
implicit.harvard.edu/implicit The Implicit Association Test first came to my attention via Malcolm Gladwell's bestseller, "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking." The quick-reaction tests show inherent biases among people toward gender, race, weight and other touchy areas. For example, the race test, which I took, shows that most Americans generally have an automatic preference for white over black - no matter the test-takers' skin color. To measure this, images of white and black people are flashed in combination with words that have good and bad connotations. How quickly you react to what's being shown and identify it as good or bad, black or white, reveals this automatic preference. (Click on Demonstration on the Project Implicit home page and then follow the links to find the tests.) My result: No automatic bias toward black or white.
www.mensa.org/workout2.php The Mensa Workout is presented by the brainiacs at Mensa, the society for people with a high IQ. Even if you've taken intelligence tests, this one will quickly make you feel inferior - and it's not even the official test given for membership in the society. "If two typists can type two pages in two minutes, how many typists will it take to type 18 pages in six minutes?" My head still hurts. My results: "Your score was 23 out of 30. That is a very good score, you would have a good chance of passing the official Mensa test." Do I get extra credit for noticing the comma splice in that last sentence?
www.startribune.com/a1295 What do you think when strangers smile at you? Do they seem genuinely nice? Or are they faking it just to be polite? Can you tell the difference? The BBC's series of fascinating mental and psychological tests includes this measure of whether you can spot the difference between a fake and real smile after watching videos of various people doing it. My results: I got 19 out 20 correct. Don't even think about fake-smiling at me - because I'll know.
web.tickle.com/tests/inkblot Tickle presents this nifty test that evaluates what you think you see in various ink blots. It's quite involved. Most interesting is when the questions reveal what other people have said they saw in the blots. Let's just say that there are a lot of people with dirty minds out there. My results: "Your subconscious mind is driven most by Peace." Ah, that makes me feel better.
www.queendom.com/tests/alltests.html QueenDom's Self-Esteem Test (scroll down under Free Premium Tests to find the link) evaluates what you think of yourself. Give yourself some credit for taking it no matter how you do. My results: "You have a reasonably high level of self-esteem. There is, however, still some room for improvement." I just knew I wouldn't be perfect. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Randy A. Salas is a columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Do you have a favorite Web site or a question about how to find something on the Internet? Send a note by clicking here.
© 2006, Star Tribune Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. |
Columnists
Toons
Lifestyles | |||||||||||
