In 2007, five former journal editors from Personnel Psychology and the Journal of Applied Psychology reconsidered the use of personality tests in situations where important decisions on personnel selection are made. They discussed the limitations of self-report personality tests, arguing that they have limited validity and they are not reliable predictors of behaviour. They propose an alternative approach to measuring personality traits that overcomes these limitations. This is through a Visual Questionnaire (ViQ) with excellent psychometric properties that exceed self-report tests. The ViQ scales are far better able to predict behaviour than an intelligence test and other personality scales.

You can access the full White Paper: An Implicit Approach in Measuring Personality Traits by the Visual Questionnaire (VIQ) Psychometric Properties, Validation and Scope of Application.

The Six-Dimensional Approach of the ViQ

As visual perception is automatic and pre-rational its interpretation is largely untouched by explicit intentions. The perceiver’s personality and motivation doesn’t affect one’s perception and decision making faculties. Kuhl’s Personality Interactions Theory, that visual stimuli can provide a simple yet robust way of predicting the level of activation of the corresponding implicit personality systems, was the groundwork for the ViQ (Visual Questionnaire).

From PSI Theory to Test Development

Based on PSI Theory six dimensions were defined with significant and specific influence on perception. A large number of items were derived and then formally and systematically tested. 43 items passed the tests, and proved stable over time and across cultures.

The ViQ is online and fully automated with a robust algorithm interpreting the results. Accuracy of measurement was established through internal consistency, retest reliability,  factorial validity, and external validity to other popular personality tests.

Table 2: Matched terminology of C.G. Jung and J. Kuhl (PSI Theory).

Discussion

It is well established that human behaviour is situation-specific. People who are very rational in certain situations (e.g. making a business plan) can be extremely irrational in other situations (e.g. being victim of the endowment effect when trying to sell their old car, meaning trying to sell the car they own it for a higher price than what they’re willing to acquire an identical car they do not own. This is due to valuing what they own higher than what they do not own.). This is why approaches measuring highly generalised traits by self-reports like the Big Five or the California Psychological Inventory have ultimately failed. Nobody is consistently “dominant,” “conscientious” or “agreeable” over a wide range of situations. Those who are the most dominant in certain situations often are astonishingly weak in other situations, such as strong in their professional environments and weak in their personal lives. This “compartmentalisation” of people has been a troubling issue for all researchers in personality and individual preferences.

The consistency paradox can be resolved. Most people think of themselves as quite stable and predictable over a wide range of situations, even though this is not objectively true. As the memory flow is not controlled in the self-reports, memory bias shapes the replies of individual to questions. People reply to questions in explicit tests in keeping with their preferred self-understanding and memories. As memory influences self-reports, they are not accurate enough to be used for predicting behaviour. A more reliable source for measuring personality is an automatic, implicit reaction to visual stimuli. These reactions are more accurate than any self-report tests.

The model of Jung (1923/1971) was a very close to creating visual questions. Jung also described traits that are specific functions rather than generalised behaviour patterns. This functional approach was integral to Kuhl’s (2001) refinement of Jung’s model. Kuhl gave Jung’s model a neuropsychological foundation and elaborated it into a theory. Traits, which are conceived as psychological functions rather than stable behaviour patterns may seem abstract at first glance. However, they are much clearer, and more specific, and therefore can be measured with precision. By way of example, a strongly developed intention memory (i.e. thinking) makes people think logically for a short moment before acting. This is the function of the trait of thinking as conceived by Jung. This is the function of the trait of thinking as conceived by Jung and it is of use in many situations.

Another function is extension memory (i.e., feeling), which appears to be located in the brain's right hemisphere. The visual questions in the ViQ assess this personality system by presenting individuals with a choice between a straightforward, linear stimulus and a more flexible, organic one. The feeling function considers (or "feels") aspects of the entire context, including both personal and others' needs. Results presented in this paper indicate that thinking and feeling seem to independently aid individuals in solving complex tasks, such as suppressing a well-learned incorrect answer to provide the correct one in the Stroop Test. In fact, the combination of thinking and feeling appears to enhance rationality, as individuals are more likely to make choices that align with their own best interests.

Given that numerous studies have shown individuals with chronic diseases like diabetes often experience a decline in these functions, what does this signify? It could imply that people with this personality profile, lacking impulse control and behavioural regulation, are predisposed to developing diabetes (i.e., the personality traits contribute to the disease).Alternatively, it could suggest that diabetes impairs these high-level inferential brain systems. Likely, both factors play a role. Nevertheless, it is crucial to provide support and guidance to patients with low thinking and feeling profiles, offering them direction and meaning in their lives. While sensing and judging functions may remain high or even increase in these patients, providing structure and discipline, they cannot replace the sense of purpose and meaning.

The ViQ also has significant applications in employee selection. By understanding the specific requirements of a position, employers can choose individuals whose profiles align ideally with the role (personality-job fit). For positions that demand independent direction and decision-making, individuals with high thinking and feeling values would be preferred. Conversely, roles requiring adherence to instructions may be better suited for individuals with the opposite pattern and high sensing and judging values.

While further research is needed to definitively confirm the efficacy of using the ViQ in various contexts, one conclusion is evident: the ViQ is exceptionally efficient. No other personality test we are aware of measures crucial functions with such accuracy, speed, and validity.