Positive Psychology, the Nudge Unit and 'Sham Tests'

There are a couple of articles in the Guardian about a 'sham test' that jobseekers are being compelled to do.

Main Guardian article

Follow up article

The video at the top of the article is worth looking at.

As is the original blog post about the test, and the test itself is worth looking at, signature strengths test.

I am horrified that people are being told that they have to take the test, with the threat of a sanction (removal of benefits) if they do not.

Having completed the test these were my results:

Thanks for completing the signature strengths questionnaire, your results are below.



This exercise has been shown to find peoples' strengths in scientific studies and you may find it useful to identify your strengths and use them to inform your job search, CV or use in interviews. You may also find it useful to try to incorporate your strengths in your daily life and play to them whenever you can.



You should aim to use your strengths whenever you can. This could be in the your job search choices, your CV or at interviews. You could also apply these to your daily life. <strong> You should aim to use each one of your signature strengths in a new way everyday for at least a week.</strong>



Strength 1. Fairness

Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.



Strength 2. Love of learning

You love learning new things, whether in a class or on your own. You have always loved school, reading, and museums-anywhere and everywhere there is an opportunity to learn.



Strength 3.  Originality

Thinking of new ways to do things is a crucial part of who you are. You are never content with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible.



Strength 4. Bravery

 You are a courageous person who does not shrink from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain. You speak up for what is right even if there is opposition. You act on your convictions.



Strength 5. Loving

You value close relations with others, in particular those in which there is sharing and caring. The people to whom you feel most close are the same people who feel most close to you.

As far as I can tell this is a shotened version of the VIA character strengths survey, available upon registration here. That test has 240 items, compared to only 48 on this version, last time I took the VIA these were my top five.

Here are your scores on the VIA Survey of Character Strengths. For how to interpret and use your scores, see the book Authentic Happiness. The ranking of the strengths reflects your overall ratings of yourself on the 24 strengths in the survey, how much of each strength you possess. Your top five, especially those marked as Signature Strengths, are the ones to pay attention to and find ways to use more often

Your Top Strength

Curiosity and interest in the world You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.

Your Second Strength

Fairness, equity, and justice Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.

Your Third Strength

Forgiveness and mercy You forgive those who have done you wrong. You always give people a second chance. Your guiding principle is mercy and not revenge.

Your Fourth Strength

Love of learning You love learning new things, whether in a class or on your own. You have always loved school, reading, and museums-anywhere and everywhere there is an opportunity to learn.

Your Fifth Strength

Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.

There are a number of issues that arise for me.

Coersion

Forcing people to take a test under threat of stripping their benefits does not seem a good way to get people to reflect upon themselves. (I know I've already mentioned this, but it is very important).

Lack of Validity of a Short Form

There are twenty four character strengths in the VIA, with ten  questions per strength.
 That allows for each character strength to have a score of (depending on scoring system, but lets assume 1-5 per question) of between 10 and 50. The short form allows between 2 and 10. With the possibility of multiple ties. Indeed completely tied responses give a 'top 5' character strengths. Precisely how those are chosen is very difficult to know and might be a propaganda tool.

This is not a personality test

This has been talked about as if it were a personality test. It is not. I obviously (see previous posts) have issues about positive psychology but it is deliberately trying to achieve something different to personality testing.

The allegiance between positive psychology and government

In my conference presentation, and in the paper I am working on, I am worried about the ways that positive psychology appears to be forming allegiances with aspects of state power. This continues to worry me and needs a more thorough analysis.