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Top 10 Personality Tests on the Web October 10, 2009

Posted by opajdara in free stuff, personal growth, psychology, tools & resources.
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Psychological tests aren’t magic; however, they are fun tools for assessing and evaluating our character traits on the magical journey of self-exploration. With so many personality tests on the net, at best they are fun but far from accurate. Selecting just ten online tests that are both fun to do and accurate in personality assessment still meant a lot of research and was a time consuming process. But here are the results. Have fun!

  1. Youniverse – Your Visual DNA

    I found this to be the most inspiring and fun test of all, as it is a means of understanding emotions through images. However, the idea behind Youniverse is more than a personality test. It is a doorway to online network with an ambitious concept, based on harnessing the power of your innate personality and applying it to your social networking activities and online shopping. Whether or not you join the Youniverse community, the test itself is worth taking. It is easy and enjoyable because all of the choices are represented by beautiful, inspiring images. After the test is finished, you get a nice little widget of your visual DNA to display on your webpage or blog. This is what mine looks like:
    Take the Visual DNA Test

  2. Personal DNA

    Not related in any way to Visual DNA. A new kind of personality test developed by professional psychologists. Innovative answering techniques successfully and accurately measure the multi-dimensionality of your character.
    Take the Personal DNA Test

  3. iPersonic Typology

    Award-winning personality test developed by Felicitas Heyne, a well-known psychologist and book-author. It takes only 5 minutes to complete and gives you an overview of your personality, career and relationships.
    Take iPersonic Test

  4. Myers-Briggs Typology Tests

    Based on the sixteen Myers-Briggs types are among the most popular, since the system measures surface traits and the system was designed to accomodate a test. It is recommended you take several of them, over a period of time, for the best accuracy. Here is a selection of the most popular ones.
    Keirsey Temperament Sorter
    Humanmetrics
    41 Questions

  5. Socionics Type Assistant

    Socionics was founded mainly by the Lithuanian researcher Aushra Augustinavichute in the 1970s and is now evolving rapidly. It is similar to Myers-Briggs tests in that it is based upon the sixteen different personality types. The main advantage of Socionics is the Intertype Relations theory. Based on a person’s psychological type, it is now possible to anticipate development in human relationships with incredible accuracy. This makes it a very powerful tool when dealing with problems in relationships.
    Take the Socionics Type Assistant

  6. Draw A Pig

    Just as the name says, here you can draw a pig and find out what your drawing says about you and your personality. Very fun and impressively accurate.
    Draw A Pig

  7. The Color Quiz

    This test is based upon fundamentals in color psychology, and is in part derived from the work of Dr. Max Lûscher, who has devoted his life to the study of how color affects behavior.
    Take the Color Quiz

  8. Musical Visual Intelligence

    AMVI (Associative Musical Visual Intelligence) is a logic test that attempts to measure one’s ability to correlate musical phrases with abstract shapes and symbols. Created by Jake Mandell, MD, music and neuro-imaging researcher, the test is purposefully made very hard, so even trained musicians rarely score above 90% correct. However, no musical training is required to take the test.
    Take Musical Visual Intelligence Test

  9. Spiritual Belief System Selector Quiz

    More simply put, this quiz could be titled “Which religion are you?” A highly enjoyable and insightful, this quiz will reveal what your personal spiritual inclinations are.
    Take Spiritual Belief System Selector Quiz

  10. The Animal in You

    Based on the books The Animal in You and Animal Attraction by Roy Feinson, the test is designed to help you determine your animal personality. There are almost fifty species in the database – each chosen to represent a common personality type. A fun test that takes only a few minutes to complete.
    Take The Animal In You Test

  11. Colorgenics Test

    Created by The Paul Goldin Clinic, the Colorgenics test uses color to give highly accurate results. The GoldinUniverse website itself is full of interesting content.
    Take the Colorgenics Test

TOP TEN VISUAL ILLUSIONS ON INTERNET October 2, 2009

Posted by opajdara in bizzare, fun, internet.
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2 comments

An optical illusion (also called a visual illusion) is characterized by visually perceived images that differ from objective reality. The information gathered by the eye is processed in the brain to give a percept that does not tally with a physical measurement of the stimulus source. There are three main types: literal optical illusions that create images that are different from the objects that make them, physiological ones that are the effects on the eyes and brain of excessive stimulation of a specific type (brightness, tilt, color, movement), and cognitive illusions where the eye and brain make unconscious inferences.

  1. The Sex Illusion

    “In the Illusion of Sex, two faces are perceived as male and female. However, both faces are actually versions of the same androgynous face. One face was created by increasing the contrast of the androgynous face, while the other face was created by decreasing the contrast. The face with more contrast is perceived as female, while the face with less contrast is perceived as male. The Illusion of Sex demonstrates that contrast is an important cue for perceiving the sex of a face, with greater contrast appearing feminine, and lesser contrast appearing masculine.” in words of Richard Russell, Harvard psychologist. To read more about his reaserch in pdf file, click here.

    the-illusion-of-sex1

  2. The Waterfall Effect

    Stare at the center of the spiral for about a minute. Then, when you focus your gaze at another surface it will appear to be moving around in spiral motion. The spiralling aftereffect was first described by Joseph Plateau (1801–1883) in 1849. For a more powerful effect, click here.

  3. Spanish Castle

    Look at the dot on the image.  After about 20 seconds, black and white photograph of spanish castle will appear, but as your eyes adapt to the inverted image you were seeing first, you will see black and white image change to color.  This illusion was created by John Sadowski at whose website you can make your own illusion.

    johnsadowski_castle_anim

  4. The Silhuette Illusion

    Take a look at this silhouette of a spinning figurine. Does she spin clockwise or counter clockwise? Created by Nobuyuki Kayahara in 2003.

  5. Hallucii

    Created in 2006 at the MFA Computer Art, School of Visual Arts, New York, by Goo-Shun Wang. It is based on creative principles of M. C. Escher.

  6. The Checker Board Shadow

    Believe it or not, the squares A and B are the same shade of gray. Designed by Edward H. Adelson, a professor of vision science at MIT. For a full version and detailed explanation, click here.

  7. Drawing Illusion

    Only three words necessary to introduce this illusion: “Parental Guidance Recommended”.

  8. Face in the Beans

    Look closely and find a face among the beans!

  9. Dynamic Luminance – Gradient Effect

    Sit at a comfortable distance and then move forward toward the center of the figure. You will perceive a notable change in brightness and even form — what may be called a “here comes the sun” effect. By moving back and forth, this apparent change will repeat. Created by Alan Stubbs, University of Maine, USA. See illusions and other visual effects at his website PerceptualStuff.

    2006AlanStubbs

  10. Rotating Snake Illusion

    Otherwise known as “anomalous motion illusion”. It was created by Akiyoshi Kitaoka, professor of psychology at Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan. For a larger view, click on the image below.

If you would like to see more visual phenomena, probably the most extensive, well organized and documented place on the web is Michael Bach’s website.

THE TOP TEN BOOKS FOR CHILDREN EVERY ADULT SHOULD READ September 26, 2009

Posted by opajdara in books, children.
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2 comments

It’s been said that all truths are utterly simple. In that sense, each one of these books contains an essential truth within it. The message, wise and simple, seems to be best conveyed in children’s language, yet with such profound depth that makes one wonder if these books may have acutally been written for adults.

Included is a variety of online resources for some of these books.

  1. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

    The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

    There is a lesson in this little book and its message makes a strong impact on any reader. It is a simple story of a unique gift: the unconditional love. More controversially, this book provides a fitting commentary to the behavior of mankind towards nature.

    Here you can watch The Giving Tree movie narrated by Shel Silverstein, made in 1973. Enjoy!

  2. Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr Seuss

    “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”
    To read the full online poem, click here.

    SeussVille     – fun website dedicated to Dr Seuss, with online playground for kids.

  3. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    The Little Prince was first published in 1943, only a year before his creator’s airplane vanished over the Mediterranean during a reconnaissance mission. More than a half century later, this fable of love and loneliness continues to inspire children and people of all ages.

    To read the full book online, click here.

  4. Johnathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

    Jonathan Livingston Seagull stands out from the other gulls in his flock. He doesn’t live to eat, but eats to live and pursue his one great passion: flight. But his search for soaring hights and perfect flight only alienates him from the other seagulls, and eventually he gets expelled from the flock just for daring to be different. That’s when the real journey begins.

    Here is a video clip from Neil Diamond’s adaptation:
    .

  5. The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein

    Like a person searching for his soul mate, the circle goes through life feeling incomplete, and longs for the day when it will finally find the piece it has been missing.

    This is a beautiful fable that gently probes into the nature of quest and fulfillment. I believe it is about a boy’s search for love.

    Watch a video here:
    .

  6. The Missing Piece Meets the Big O by Shel Silverstein

    The second half of this beautiful fable tells how the missing piece becomes whole, all on its own. That’s one long and adventuresome journey, sometimes fun and sometimes lonesome. In any case, it’s one journey worth embarking on.

    This book explores the female principle, so in that sense the story is about a girl’s search for love.

    No comment necessary, just watch:
    .

  7. The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth

    Based on a story by Leo Tolstoy. Nikolai is a boy who is searching for the answers to his three questions: “When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do?” His friends–a heron, a monkey, and a dog–try to help, but to no avail, so he asks Leo, the wise old turtle. Leo doesn’t answer directly, but by the end of Nikolai’s visit, the boy has discovered the answers himself. There is only one important time, and that time is now. The most important one is always the one you are with. And the most important thing is to do good for the one who is standing at your side.

  8. Ambrosia by Dan Manalang

    This beautifully illustrated children’s book addresses the issues of racism and prejudice in a manner that is easy to relate to. Furthermore, it explores the values of diversity and tolerance in modern society and stresses out the importance of embracing our differences.

    The message, as always, is simple: what truly matters comes from within.

  9. The Fall of Freddie the Leaf by Leo Buscaglia

    A simple story that uses metaphor of the annual changes in leaves on a tree to illustrate different phases of life and explore death. loss, and letting go.

    Each leaf leaves the tree differently: some drift down quietly, and others fiercely resist the tug of the wind.

    Watch the movie here:
    .

    Visit The World of Leo Buscaglia

  10. Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud & David Messing

    Words hurt and words heal. This book explores the power of kindness and the impact of a smile. It teaches that we can find happiness by spreading it.

    The analogy of filling a bucket puts across a powerful concept in visual form. Any child can understand it, so why wouldn’t we?
    .

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