Golden Facet Scales

Talkative individuals are animated and expressive. They enjoy being sociable and gregarious. They often report that it is difficult to keep others from discovering how they feel because they have a strong need to communicate both verbally and nonverbally.

Socially Bold individuals initiate and facilitate. They often introduce themselves rather than waiting to be introduced. They initiate conversation and then take the lead. They often describe themselves as outgoing, friendly, and bold.

Outgoing individuals have a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. They derive a special satisfaction from knowing a lot of people. They dislike working alone and will often be more productive in a group or team. They prefer work settings that offer an opportunity to interact with others. They often have difficulty leaving a party because they want to make contact with everyone there.

Participative individuals are active, energetic, and highly involved in the world around them. They like to have ready access to, if not live in, a city that can provide stimulating things to do. On weekends, they would rather go out with others than stay at home. They are apt to believe, “if life isn’t exciting, it isn’t worth living.” They prefer to learn through discussion.

Quiet individuals are calm and serene. When talking with strangers or friends, quiet individuals tend to say less than others. They only speak if they have something to say. They are private and have a hard time opening up to others, thus finding it difficult to confide in others and getting others to know them. They often do not show their feelings, even when greatly upset.

Reserved individuals follow the lead of others. They usually wait to be approached rather than initiating contact with others. They often wait for others to initiate conversation and they hate to give speeches. They often describe themselves as shy and standoffish, but not necessarily unfriendly.

Intimate individuals have a few close, long lasting friendships. They prefer to be one-on-one with a person and to spend their social time with close friends, rather than acquaintances. At work, they often prefer to work alone and can work for long periods without interruption. At a social gathering, they feel no need to mingle, prefer not to attract attention, and leave without fanfare.

Reflective individuals believe that silence is golden. They are attracted to a life that offers sanctuary from constant stimulation and to environments that offer peace and quiet. On weekends, they typically enjoy a quiet evening at home, watching television or a video, or reading. They find being in crowds uncomfortable and need quiet time or solitude to reflect and recharge. They prefer to learn by reading.

Concrete individuals prefer hands-on activities, dealing with tangible facts rather than abstract ideas. They prefer people to speak plainly and to demonstrate common sense. They focus on what is rather than what could be and prefer working out details to looking at possibilities.

Practical individuals adapt existing methods by focusing on what’s known to create a new solution. They’re more interested in preserving than creating, in applying a concept than in the concept itself. They are more interested in the end result than the range of possibilities to get there. They prefer not to introduce new concepts in their work and do not like having to improvise.

Conventional individuals value customs and set practices. They follow standard practices and dislike standing out or appearing unusual. They are the ones who are likely to say, “we have always done it that way.” They prefer living in a conservative home built according to tried and true principles.

Traditional individuals are predictable and established. They are careful of the facts, do not go beyond the facts, and can be adamant that details be correct. When looking at a graph or chart, they are cautious not to make inferences beyond what the data show. They have little interest in undertaking new projects that let them do things their way. They tend to follow established patterns and oppose change for the sake of change.

Abstract individuals prefer the abstract focus on theories and ideas. They prefer talking about possibilities and the future to realities and the present. Valuing imagination that goes beyond the obvious, they search for patterns and enjoy people who find new and unusual ways of expressing ideas. Detailed facts often bore them.

Innovative individuals create better methods to improve upon the obsolete. Innovative people like variety and coming up with new ideas and concepts. More inclined to think up new and better methods than to apply existing methods, they prefer tackling problems that have never been solved. They like improvising and resolving a crisis with a solution that has never been tried before.

Visionary individuals value inspiration and uniqueness. They do not mind appearing unconventional and non-conforming. They value the original and inspiring more than the conventional. If they were to build a home, they would prefer that it be distinctive, incorporating visionary construction advancements.

Trendsetting individuals focus on change and the big picture. Trend-setting or trend-spotting people like work that offers new challenges, intellectual stimulation, and freedom to do it their way. Focusing on the big picture, they are constantly on the lookout for new trends. They become bored with routine and detailed work.

Rational individuals make decisions based on impersonal analysis and logic. They often report that they can reason clearly even in highly charged situations. They approach problems dispassionately by objectively gathering and analysing information and prefer others to do the same. They tend to de-emphasise how they feel about matters and would prefer to be known as logical rather than compassionate.

Autonomous individuals are fair, impartial, objective, and independent. They are relatively unaffected and unruffled by the emotional currents created by others. They treat others as they’d like to be treated, fairly and impartially. As managers, they tend to take a more task-oriented than relationship-oriented approach and are not apt to know what others think and feel, nor the impact of a new project.

Analytic individuals apply scientific principles to problem solving and decision making. They typically report being better informed about science and technology than the humanities. More likely to believe something if it makes scientific sense, they like being known as analytical and look for opportunities to use these skills.

Competitive individuals value debate, criticism, and skepticism. They, as is typical of those with a preference for thinking, tend to be tough minded and enjoy a good argument. When listening to someone speak, they often concentrate more on finding the flaw in the argument than on something to praise. In the extreme, this skepticism can be headstrong and opinionated.

Empathetic individuals make decisions based on values and affect on others. They place themselves in the role of participant rather than objective observer. They are more likely to empathize strongly than reason clearly. They carefully consider both their own and others’ values, and the effects on those they care about. They would prefer to be known as compassionate rather than logical.

Compassionate individuals are affected by the feelings, beliefs, and needs of others. They genuinely care about the welfare of others and want to make the world a better place. Good at knowing what others think and feel, they’re concerned about getting people to work together in harmony. As managers, they tend to place greater importance on relationships than on the task. They are apt to start a new project by first determining its impact on people.

Warm individuals apply humanitarian values to problem solving and decision making. They value being personable more than being logical or analytical. Typically they are better informed about the arts, literature, and the humanities than scientific matters. They value how things are connected more than how they can be taken apart.

Nurturing individuals value acceptance and accommodation. They value cooperative and supportive behaviours. As is more typical of those with a preference for feeling, nurturing people prefer getting along to confronting or competing, even if it sometimes leads to appeasement. When listening to someone speak, they typically concentrate on finding something to praise.

Planned individuals like closure and schedules. They enjoy planning the details before they start and try to anticipate contingencies. They like to follow a schedule and find pleasure in being organized.

Reliable individuals start early and meet deadlines. They value being prompt, punctual, and responsible. Good at starting early and getting things done in the proper order, they are focused and give 100 percent.

Deliberate individuals are exact, cautious, and methodical. They tend to be goal oriented and purposeful, even in their recreational activities. They prefer a settled lifestyle and are unlikely to undertake a high-risk project, even though the rewards may also be high. They tend not to take risks, nor act impulsively.

Conforming individuals seek a secure and stable environment. They like to know the rules of the game and abide by them. They prefer work that provides security, a secure income, and a stable environment. They work best when given clearly stated goals and told how to achieve them.

Open-Ended individuals like working things out as they unfold. They value being adaptable and flexible and often find schedules too confining to follow regularly. They like to be able to modify plans when they do make them, especially during vacations, holidays, and free time. They avoid premature closure and handle contingencies as they occur.

Casual individuals like diversions and are energized by deadlines. They tend to get a late start in tackling projects and to let work pile up while tackling other tasks. They often perform their best work when the deadline is upon them. They sometimes report being distractible.

Spontaneous individuals are impulsive, ad-hoc, and opportunistic. They enjoy risk taking. They typically report being restless, changeable, and more inclined to undertake a project if both the risk and reward are high.

Nonconforming individuals seek freedom to develop their own rules and goals. They do not seek the security of a stable environment and income. They dislike following rules and being given specific directions, which limit their responses and opportunities.

Concerned individuals are likely to worry about unpredictable events and things they can’t change. They worry about what the future holds and the opinions of others. They have a hard time not taking insensitive remarks personally.

Unsure individuals report that, despite appearances to the contrary, they are shy, easily embarrassed, and perhaps overly concerned about what others may think of them. Describing themselves as anxious and ambivalent, they report that they have felt depressed and worried fairly often in the past two years.

Optimistic individuals tend to not worry about being in unfamiliar or unpredictable situations, or about things that they can’t change. They usually shrug off insults or insensitive comments.

Confident individuals describe themselves as decisive, confident, and cheerful. Relatively unconcerned about what others may think of them, they report that they’ve generally felt good emotionally and haven’t been worried very much in the last two years.