Tests & Quizzes
5 Love Languages
There are many compatibility tests out there... This is not one of them. This test was developed many years ago by Gary Chapman to help his parishioners have better, more satisfying marriages.
Since it's inception, the test has evolved to not only include relationships between partners in a romantic couple, but also relationships at work, with your children, between family members and between friends.
The idea is really very simple - the test looks at how you give and receive love and appreciation - and then matches that with how your significant other gives and receives love. If you don't get a match - don't be discouraged! It is entirely possible to learn the other person's love language with a little effort and dedication.
DAS 21
DAS stands for Depression, Anxiety and Stress, and the test consists of 21 simple questions that explore your state of mind in the last week or two. It's a qualitative measure and therefore does not constitute a diagnosis. However, if you find that you have got a high score on any of the 3 axis, we suggest that you may need to book in to see your GP or Psychologist - you may need a little help coping with life just now.
K10
K10 is a qualitative measure of psychological distress. It differs from DAS 21 in that it measures the totality of your stress over the past 4 weeks, taking in the small annoyances that add up over time (the dog chewed your slippers, you spill your coffee over your work clothes, you leave your phone at home) and the bigger deal life events (split up with your partner, losing your job). We don't often see it that way, but our bodies react to positive stress the same way they react to negative stress. That promotion at work could be a stressor. So can be moving house, a new serious relationship, winning the lottery... you get the idea. Change is stressful - whether it's the "good" kind, or the "bad". Both large and small stressors add up to how stressed you feel overall.
It is well known that a little stress in our life can be a positive thing - it keeps us sharp and dancing to the tune of life. However, prolonged or overwhelming stress can be detrimental to your mental and physical health.
If you get a high score on the K10 - do your body a favour, and book an appointment with your GP.
Resilience Test
Most people who find themselves in this space, have in the past experienced adverse life events that may have led to heightened, or sensitised, experiences of stress in everyday life. The more resilient of us, can cope with life easier, whilst some of us get overwhelmed by smaller stressors quicker.
What is resilience? One opinion is that resilience is about the balance between "negative" events and "positive" support during our formative childhood years.
There are a lot of ACE (Adverse Childhood Events) tests out there. However, we find that completing these tests alone can plunge one into an untimely depression all on it's own - isn't that ironic?! So here at Black Cat & Co., we decided to balance the scales a little, and add the PCE (Positive Childhood Experiences) scorecard to our resilience test.
Quite apart from the test, here is a link to some good, easy to understand resources:
https://www.albertafamilywellness.org/what-we-know/the-brain-story/
And when all is said and done - please remember that a test score is not a diagnosis. And a diagnosis is not a definitive determination of how your life has to unfold - but it might be a trigger for getting some help.
Personality Test - Big 5
Now we know, there is a plethora of personality tests out there right now - from inkblot to Myers-Briggs and everything in between. Not a day goes past, but this author comes across a test that purports to tell you who you are by assessing whether you see a "dove" or a "woman's face" in an optical illusion picture. Most of them are, let's just say - less than scientifically sound. But a lot of them can be a hoot (which is why we, at Black Cat & Co., try them all at least once).
The Big 5, however, is founded on pure numbers science. The researchers got a lot of people to participate in a lot of testing and worked out that when people use certain descriptors when talking about themselves, those descriptors correspond to certain personality traits. And the surprising thing? You cannot always guess which matches up with what, either! Lets just say, this Cat was thoroughly amazed at the results.
There are some free Big 5 tests out there. We recommend this paid one though, because the quality of the test itself, and the profile you get at the end is just so worth it. At the time of writing, the test costs $9.95.
Note: Black Cat & Co. does not receive royalties of any kind from "Understand Myself"