| RE: (defective test) red/blue schism - us/them mentality | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: David Heimann (heimann world.std.com)
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| Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 21:45:14 -0800 (PST) | |
Hi Robin,You're definitely right. Below is how I would have answered the questions; certainly neither (a) nor (b) for the most part!
An unbalanced choice. What if the second statement were "Many of people's misfortunes result from the mistakes they make"? As stated, I'll practically always prefer a tends-to statement like (a) to an absolute statement like (b).From: "Alexander Robin A" <alexande.robi [at] uwlax.edu> Subject: RE: [C-L]_ red/blue schism - us/them mentality To: "Cohousing-L" <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>, <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org> Message-ID: <67BCC833093AED47AAD955E247A4BEFA018018FD [at] MAILPVS01.intra.uwlax.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"I agree that the test is not a good one. It consists of a series of false dichotomies. My answer to most would be c - a more complex alternative.Robin A. Eno Commons Locus of Control based on J.B. Rotter (1966) Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement, Psychological Monographs, 80, (1, Whole No. 609). Instructions Welcome, null! Click on the button next to the one statement that best describes how you feel. You can always go back to a question and change your answer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Many of the unhappy things in people's lives are partly due to bad luck People's misfortunes result from the mistakes they make.
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I find both (a) and (b) to be true. However, it would be wonderful to have fewer wars, so I choose (a), and continue to cringe when people made snide remarks about politics and politicians.2. One of the major reasons why we have wars is because people don't take enough interest in politics. There will always be wars, no matter how hard people try to prevent them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. In the long run, people get the respect they deserve in this world. Unfortunately, an individual's worth often passes unrecognized no matter how hard he tries.
Put these two sentences together and they describe a lot about life.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. The idea that teachers are unfair to students is nonsense. Most students don't realize the extent to which their grades are influenced by accidental happenings.
Relating to statement (b): I'm not a mind reader. Now if it said, "Most students grades are influenced by accidental happenings" I could go with it, especially compared to (a). That doesn't preclude my belief that most students' grades are a lot more influenced by their efforts and learning!
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Without the right breaks, one cannot be an effective leader. Capable people who fail to became leaders have not taken advantage of their opportunities.
Forget (b). However for (a) the right breaks represent in my view a small part of what it takes to be an effective leader.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. No matter how hard you try, some people just don't like you. People who can't get others to like them don't understand how to get along with others.
(b) confuses liking someone with getting along with them.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. I have often found that what is going to happen will happen. Trusting to fate has never turned out as well for me as making a decision to take a definite course of action.
At least both these statements state personal experience rather than absolute dogma. I go with (b).
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. In the case of the well prepared student, there is rarely, if ever, such a thing as an unfair test. Many times exam questions tend to be so unrelated to course work that studying is really useless.
I'll take "professor's license" on this one!
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Becoming a success is a matter of hard work; luck has little or nothing to do with it. Getting a good job depends mainly on being in the right place at the right time.
So? Getting a good job depends both on hard work and on being in the right place at the right time. At least it has in my career!
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10. The average citizen can have an influence in government decisions. This world is run by the few people in power, and there is not much the little guy can do about it.
All right, these represent a balanced choice. I'll go with (a).
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11. When I make plans, I am almost certain that I can make them work. It is not always wise to plan too far ahead because many things turn out to be a matter of luck anyway.
Unbalanced choice; the first represents a matter of personal experience while the second represents an opinion. What if the second choice were "I usually do not plan too far ahead because many things for me turn out to be a matter of luck anyway."? (in that case I would choose (a))
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12. In my case, getting what I want has little or nothing to do with luck. Many times we might just as well decide what to do by flipping a coin.
Change the "we" in the second choice to "I". My choice is about one-quarter of the way from (a) towards (b).
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13. What happens to me is my own doing. Sometimes I feel that I don't have enough control over the direction my life is taking.
Both choices are balanced. However, my choice is to connect the two choices with the word "but".
------------------------------------------------------------------------ To score your responses, click on the button below. Check your score Clear ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scores range from 0 - 13.
A high score indicates an external locus of control while a low score indicates an internal locus of control.
And me? And folks you know who would answer in the style I did?
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