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July 24, 2024/Daily Health Stories

Why We Like Personality Quizzes

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Prefer city life over nature? A psychologist explains why people are so fascinated by personality quizzes.

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CLEVELAND - Are you an introvert or an extrovert? More of a leader or a follower? Enjoy nature or the city?

You’ve probably seen these kinds of questions on personality quizzes, and if you enjoy taking them, you’re not alone.

“As humans, we are naturally curious. We have an inherent desire to know ourselves better,” said Susan Albers, PsyD, psychologist for Cleveland Clinic. “Personality quizzes are a great avenue for helping us to identify our traits, our reactions, patterns. They can be validating and enlightening.”

Dr. Albers said personality quizzes are not like clinical assessments, where a doctor would make a mental health diagnosis.

Personality quizzes are typically more for personal use or entertainment.

However, she said they can help us in navigating and understanding the landscape of our reactions and intentions.

It can also be fun way to connect with family and friends and see what traits you may have in common.

With the results, we have to have a little caveat. We tend to look at them under what is known as a confirmation bias. We look for information that confirms the results of these assessments,” she said. “So, this may or may not be an accurate description of you. Consider it to be a starting point for investigating a little bit deeper into yourself, your characteristics, and who you are.” 

Dr. Albers said personality quizzes can be useful when it comes to relationships and your career, too.

But again, it’s important to remember they’re just a way to gather insight and shouldn't be taken as fact.

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 81,000 employees worldwide are more than 5,743 salaried physicians and researchers, and 20,160 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,690-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 276 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2023, there were 13.7 million outpatient encounters, 323,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 301,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 132 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/CleClinicNews. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.

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