Science Vs - Personality Tests: Who Are You Really?

Personality Tests: Who Are You Really?

12/07/23 • 44 min

3 Listeners

Personality tests like the MBTI are all over the internet, the workplace, and dating apps — but some say it’s all a bunch of baloney. So are any of these tests legit? And what can science actually tell us about personality? We talk to psychologists Dr. Alexander Swan, Dr. Emorie Beck, and Dr. Ted Schwaba.

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsPersonalityTests

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Chapter 1: Personality tests and their impact

(05:49) Chapter 2: Personality and the MBTI

(13:21) Chapter 3: Why personality ‘types’ flop

(24:52) Chapter 4: The scientist’s personality test

(30:05) Chapter 5: What personality can predict

(33:24) Chapter 6: Can you change your personality?

This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Nick DelRose, Rose Rimler, and Joel Werner. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Peter Leonard, So Wylie and Bobby Lord. Special thanks to all the researchers we spoke to for this episode, including Dr. Nicholas Turiano, Prof. Howard Friedman, and Prof. Paul Duberstein. And special thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsPersonalityTests

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Chapter 1: Personality tests and their impact

(05:49) Chapter 2: Personality and the MBTI

(13:21) Chapter 3: Why personality ‘types’ flop

(24:52) Chapter 4: The scientist’s personality test

(30:05) Chapter 5: What personality can predict

(33:24) Chapter 6: Can you change your personality?

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Previous Episode

Caffeine: How Much is Too Much?

Caffeine is a drug that tons of us take every day. But is that a bad thing? And if we get it in the form of energy drinks, is that super dangerous? We talk to Dr. Astrid Nehlig, Prof. Gregory Marcus, and Prof. Sachin Shah.

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsCaffeineEnergyDrinks

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Chapter 1: We love/hate caffeine

(02:12) Chapter 2: Coffee and our guts

(07:12) Chapter 3: Coffee and our brains

(12:40) Chapter 4: Coffee and our zzzzzzs

(17:42) Chapter 5: Coffee makes us go vroom vroom vroom!

(20:30) Chapter 6: Are we caffeine addicts?

(28:04) Chapter 7: Are energy drinks dangerous?

This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, as well as Nick DelRose, Joel Werner, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Sarah Baum. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger and Peter Leonard. Special thanks to all the researchers we spoke to for this episode – including Dr. Bryan Saunders, Dr. Sergi Ferré, Prof. Andreas Heinz, Prof. Christine Curran, Dr. Erikka Loftfield, Dr. Felix Oberhoffer, Dr. Alan Wayne Jones, and Dr. Vijay Yadav. Extra special thanks to Jason Vytlacil and the Zukerman family.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. We are everywhere that podcasts are! If you are listening on Spotify, follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. And if you like us, give a five star review!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Next Episode

Ayahuasca: WTF is up with DMT?

DMT might be the weirdest drug in the already weird world of psychedelics. It’s the active ingredient in ayahuasca, but on its own, DMT can give you what’s nicknamed “the businessman’s trip” — a psychedelic journey that can be done and dusted inside 15 minutes. So what is this drug doing to our brains? And could it help people with depression? We catch up with Dr Chris Timmermann, Dr Graham Campbell, Michelle Baker Jones and Dr David Olson to find out.

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsDMT

Listeners, we need you! Tell us: What should we versus in 2024? Also, we’re looking for your questions on topics including sex, diet and menopause! In the U.S., leave us a voicemail at 774-481-1238 or send an email or voice memo to [email protected].

Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @science_vs / TikTok: @wendyzukerman / Twitter: @sciencevs

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

(00:59) Celebs love ayahuasca

(04:58) DMT

(08:06) The ‘Rick and Morty’ Trip

(13:30) Is DMT a portal?

(15:42) DMT in our brains

(21:53) DMT for depression?

(29:33) Plastic psychedelics

(36:10) Risks of DMT and ayahuasca

(39:09) Where do we land on DMT?

This episode was produced by Joel Werner, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler, and Nick DelRose. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, and Bobby Lord. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr Rick Strassman, Dr David Erritzoe, Dr Jimo Borjigin, Dr. Steven Barker, Dr Brandon Weiss, Dr Pascal Michael, Dr Michael Gatch, Professor Jerome Sarris, Professor Deepak Dsouza, Sean Chiddy, and David Nickles. Special thanks to Jack Weinstein and Hunter, Katie Vines, Finn and Jules, Christian Darío Vásquez, Valentina Powers, Zac Schmidt, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices