# Can ADD or Asperger's Syndrome influence how you test?



## Halfjillhalfjack (Sep 23, 2009)

Hey,

I've been thinking that it seems possible that psychological problems could influence how you test or are typed by other people, but do you happen to know if especially ADD and Asperger's Syndrome can influence how people test on e.g. the cognitive functions test or other MBTI-related tools? 
Thanks a lot in advice!


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## Seducer of the Homeless (Jun 14, 2009)

i sometimes wonder if i am J-type with ADD


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## 480 (Jan 22, 2009)

I would guess it's very possible that conditions that affect personality would also affect personality tests. 

The thing is... whatever disorders you may have... the way you behave with those disorders is your personality, it's who you are.... your test results would most likely be just as accurate as anyone else's. Unless it's a disorder that has an effect on test taking in general... (ones that might affect the quality of your responses).

If you go on medications and it "removes" the conditions... test again. The results would be your personality without them.


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## sunshine (Jul 18, 2009)

I think ADD makes people lean more toward ENFP, and Asperger's makes people lean more toward INTP. Like Grim said, it's the individual's way of handling life and the disorder that helps create their personality, but I do think personality can be strongly influenced by disorders (or perhaps vice versa?).


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## Marino (Jun 26, 2009)

I think I may be an Aspie INFP or just a sensitive INTP. I am definitely P though - I am VERY disorganized, possibly due to ADD. :tongue:


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## Arion (Apr 8, 2009)

Yeah, my brother has Asperger's and is exactly as described - a sensitive INTP. However, I think he would be just the same without Asperger's.... of course, that's not very accurate, since I've known my bro my entire life.
Sometimes it can be very hard to distinguish one's personality from their medical condition. You have to know them very, very well to really say for sure.


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## ks90 (Oct 13, 2009)

Marino said:


> I think I may be an Aspie INFP or just a sensitive INTP. I am definitely P though - I am VERY disorganized, possibly due to ADD. :tongue:


What the hell does that have to do with anything? I am strongly T but I'm more disorganised than anyone I know.


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## mcgooglian (Nov 12, 2008)

ks90 said:


> What the hell does that have to do with anything? I am strongly T but I'm more disorganised than anyone I know.


Based on most descriptions, Js are the ones who prefer organization while Ps don't.


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## Verdant Hollow (Aug 25, 2009)

My father is INFP with mild ADHD, super disorganized, sloppy, somewhat ambivalent, late for everything, etc.

But my father's girlfriend has major ADHD and is ENFJ. She's really really J. Hates clutter, hates indecision, very prompt, has eaten the same breakfast/lunch/dinner for 30+ years, etc.

I would say that the ADHD is manifested through the lens of the persons type, not the other way around.


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## Gothicamew (Oct 7, 2009)

Personally, I believe there is no such thing as ADD or ADHD. We all have these two disorders in some sort of varying intensity. I believe it's simply just a ploy by the government to get more money off of us. Almost all of my friends have some degree of this disorder. It's dumb. All you need is to actually disciplne and encourage your children. Asperger's, on the other hand, might change it.


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## Verdant Hollow (Aug 25, 2009)

Gothicamew said:


> Personally, I believe there is no such thing as ADD or ADHD. We all have these two disorders in some sort of varying intensity. I believe it's simply just a ploy by the government to get more money off of us. Almost all of my friends have some degree of this disorder. It's dumb. All you need is to actually disciplne and encourage your children. Asperger's, on the other hand, might change it.


It may be over-diagnosed, but that doesn't mean that it isn't real. This is evident in people who have all of the characteristics of ADHD.

I gave the example of my father's girlfriend. She's in her 60's, she has a job, and has made a fine life for herself. It wasn't a lack of discipline or anything of the sort, she did well in school and work. She simply has a collection of traits that can interfere with her daily life on such a level that it can be disabling.


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## Gothicamew (Oct 7, 2009)

She happens to have a more intense degree of ADHD. She needs self-discipline. That's what I believe. These weirdo, synthetic drugs are totally unneccessary.


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## teaflower (Oct 11, 2009)

I feel that Asperger's could influence a test, but again it's who you are. Trust me.

Now my big question is if Bipolar influences tests as well. My mood swings quite sharply, to the point that when I'm depressed I am a total different person in my own eyes, at least. Would I need to take multiple tests for my two distinct moods?


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## Gothicamew (Oct 7, 2009)

No. There are certain types that are actually quite bipolar at times(INFP and INTP are examples of this). You should simply wait until you are in a more neutral mood before you test.


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## Verdant Hollow (Aug 25, 2009)

Gothicamew said:


> She happens to have a more intense degree of ADHD. She needs self-discipline. That's what I believe. These weirdo, synthetic drugs are totally unneccessary.


Ummm... I disagree with the self-discipline part. Both my father and my father's girlfriend are, and always have been, very self-disciplined. It's a stereotype that people with ADHD, across the board, have difficulty in school and trouble succeeding. However, this isn't the case for either of them, they are both very successful. Their ADHD has both helped them and hindered them, but not through a lack of self-discipline. They have that in abundance.

About fixing the issues through therapy... with two masters in psychotherapy and social work, I would imagine that she would have fixed it by now if she could have. Maybe not though, but that's what I've seen with other adults too. One might also ask, you agree that she has these ADHD traits, but most people learn how to control themselves, might the ADHD be the lack of the ability to control these traits? If so, ADHD is still real, it's just the origin that's different.

Medicating for ADHD is a completely different discussion. I agree that a concerted effort should be made to alter unwanted behavior through therapy, and that it shouldn't be assumed that a person with ADHD can't use their skills to propel themselves. Also, it shouldn't be assumed that they are a lost cause if their ADHD can't be "cured", because that's simply not the case. There have been many successful individuals with rampant ADHD.


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## Gothicamew (Oct 7, 2009)

The main reason I am dismissing ADD and ADHD as medical problems is because everybody has it to some degree. And of course there's the stupid stereotype and such, but yes, I really don't think it needs to be medicated or anything. Should everyone get therapy for it? I seriously think _everyone_ has "ADD and ADHD."


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## ks90 (Oct 13, 2009)

Gothicamew said:


> The main reason I am dismissing ADD and ADHD as medical problems is because everybody has it to some degree. And of course there's the stupid stereotype and such, but yes, I really don't think it needs to be medicated or anything. Should everyone get therapy for it? I seriously think _everyone_ has "ADD and ADHD."


You won't know what ADD is until you have it my friend, and trust me, people with it struggle through life. BIG TIME. It's a really serious mental illness that isn't often mentioned, or well, not put into the same light as schizophrenia though ADHD in itself is probably worse, especially ADD-Type I. You don't know what it's like, dear friend. It's such a curse I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemies.


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## Gothicamew (Oct 7, 2009)

How do you know that I don't have it? Maybe I do. Maybe I've forced myself to get over it without the use of some stupid pills prescribed from a doctor who just wants to make money by inventing something that the whole population has?


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## Verdant Hollow (Aug 25, 2009)

Gothicamew said:


> How do you know that I don't have it? Maybe I do. Maybe I've forced myself to get over it without the use of some stupid pills prescribed from a doctor who just wants to make money by inventing something that the whole population has?


Ah, but there are people who have tried hard and have failed to overcome it. Maybe you could argue that they weren't trying hard enough or that they weren't trying the right way. However, having met people with severe ADHD, I doubt this.

I was talking to a physician about this some time ago and they mentioned that there are studies showing significant differences in brain waves between young with ADHD, delinquents, and "normal" kids. This might again indicate something more than simply a lack of self-discipline.


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## Gothicamew (Oct 7, 2009)

Yeah, probably a government funded study made to look like there was something wrong with those poor kids.
Even if there's a real clinical reason behind it, I still think everyone has it...


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## slowriot (Nov 11, 2008)

I would say that ADD and Aspie might influence you on a test since that will not be accurate. Remember the test is made for people with low to none personality altering conditions. So if you are for instance Aspie your way of answering the questions might influence your personality traits. I do know that certain traits in the INTP description could suggest Aspie as do INTJ. But still I have not seen a study on the function of introverted thinking (for the INTP) to suggest that this means all aspies are INTP's.

I would be very careful to suggest that because you have a certain condition you have become a certain type, it might have influenced (with lack of better wording) I will go as far as that. Thats like saying because I have congenital myopathy and because I might have lacked the muscle power as normal kids, I procrastinated more because of my weaker muscles. It might have very little to do with it, but is it the complete answer? No. My mother is a Judger and she has the same problems as me. But she dont procrastinate.

The answer can never be that simplified. Could an Aspie be an ESFJ? Why not, its a little bit out there but why not?


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## Xenophile (Oct 15, 2009)

teaflower said:


> Now my big question is if Bipolar influences tests as well. My mood swings quite sharply, to the point that when I'm depressed I am a total different person in my own eyes, at least. Would I need to take multiple tests for my two distinct moods?



I know its off topic for the thread, but I feel the need to reply. I'm Bipolar I and whenever I'm in a more depressed or manic state, be it despite my medications or because i slipped off of them I'm very, very INFP, erratic and emotional, while when I'm more stable I'm INfJ, so it makes quite a large difference in my case.


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## Gothicamew (Oct 7, 2009)

Xenophile said:


> whenever I'm in a more depressed or manic state, be it despite my medications or because i slipped off of them I'm very, very INFP, erratic and emotional, while when I'm more stable I'm INfJ, so it makes quite a large difference in my case.


 
XDXDXDXD
So INFP's are erratic and emotional, huh?
Awesome. Ah well. I did mention that certain types are naturally bipolar, and INFP was one of them.


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## de l'eau salée (Nov 10, 2008)

I guess it depends on the person. My best friend is diagnosed with Asperger's and he's an xNFP with an extremely high F(e) preference. He's actually _the_ most emotionally in-tune person I know which I found weird at first because I thought Asperger's was often associated with non-feeling.


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## ks90 (Oct 13, 2009)

Gothicamew said:


> Yeah, probably a government funded study made to look like there was something wrong with those poor kids.
> Even if there's a real clinical reason behind it, I still think everyone has it...


You my friend, have no idea. 

I suggest you work with some of these kids. Especially the inattentives, -- that will change you rather quickly. =)


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## Gothicamew (Oct 7, 2009)

No. Everybody has "ADD" and "ADHD." Therefore, it is not something these poor kids should be medicated for.


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## ks90 (Oct 13, 2009)

Gothicamew said:


> No. Everybody has "ADD" and "ADHD." Therefore, it is not something these poor kids should be medicated for.


So you want to argue people with emotional problems, problems with communication and self-esteem (the two of which are related), issues sometimes with dependency, severe addiction/compulsion and anxiety are completely normal?

Where the hell do you live, anyway?


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## Gothicamew (Oct 7, 2009)

*A-freaking-merica!!*


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## ks90 (Oct 13, 2009)

Why don't you get out of your trailer and see the rest of the world then, dimwit?

You'll be kissing the ground upon your return to the states. 

People suffer as much from these conditions in Europe as they do in the United States; trust me, I know. I've lived it, I've seen it, I've worked with it, I know how to treat it the most effectively. 

In Spain alone for instance, 1/3 of the female population is taking some form of antidepressants/mood meds. Do you want that in the US? I advise you to stay in your trailer and keep your mouth shut then; you know nothing of these conditions, nor how to even treat them, yankee.


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## mcgooglian (Nov 12, 2008)

This is going to be my only warning: please refrain from arguing and using insults otherwise they will be deleted. Keep this a good discussion.


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## Gothicamew (Oct 7, 2009)

XDXDXDXDXD
No, it's quite okay. The funny thing is that I really did just move out of my parent's trailor, like, a month and a half ago. And I just got called a Yankee? That's awesome! XD Arisa Uotani and Tohru's mother! AWESOME!!!!!! 
Kya ha ha ha ha!
And America's retarded. Nuff said.


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## teaflower (Oct 11, 2009)

I think we should just stop feeding our kids candy and stop writ memorization in school. But that's just me.

I took the test the first time and it was ISFJ, and I think I was more manic then. I mellowed out and now I'm INFJ. That fits me more, really.


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## intheclouds (Oct 13, 2009)

I'm glad someone mentioned the connection of food to symptoms of ADD and hyperactivity.
I don't think it's the amount of sugar kids are consuming -I correlate that with today's high risk of diabetes.
I do believe, however, that the chemicals and food dies in highly processed foods are responsible for the illusion of a disorder.

At a young age, I was given Ritalin (a form of speed) to produce the reverse effect of slowing me down enough to focus.
Looking back, I don't think that I even had ADD, even though I thought that I had it for years.
I think it was just a racing, curious mind paired with unhealthy foods.

ADD symptoms may influence your ability to take the test but how could it influence the answers?


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## ks90 (Oct 13, 2009)

intheclouds said:


> I'm glad someone mentioned the connection of food to symptoms of ADD and hyperactivity.
> [...]
> I think it was just a racing, curious mind paired with unhealthy foods.
> 
> ADD symptoms may influence your ability to take the test but how could it influence the answers



While it's a possibility, and probably quite a strong one, ADD brains develop differently from childhood, and most of the time, and this is depending on type, it is a result of low self-esteem; a pattern I've observed. But even if you change that, it won't break the cycle of arising symptoms or comorbidities. Hell, could be the comorbidities causing the thing in the first place, and those don't arise out of nowhere from what I've seen; there's a cause. While e.g some people maybe predisposed genetically to being born with schizophrenia, the chances that you may become schizophrenic under the right environmental conditions is quite phenomenal. You see, it's a developmental issue; these mental illnesses are all related in one way or another, and I believe, I've as of recently, correctly grouped them phylogenetically showing relationship between one and another, -- the significance is well, quite astounding; it's so hard to believe so many doctors over so many years have overlooked these things in their patients.


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## Mutatio NOmenis (Jun 22, 2009)

I think aspergers is another way to say INTP. Just compare a description of the INTP type and of AS, and you'll see a lot os similarities.


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## Mutatio NOmenis (Jun 22, 2009)

Gothicamew said:


> America's retarded. Nuff said.


 So true *mental sob*.


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## teaflower (Oct 11, 2009)

Mutatio NOmenis said:


> I think aspergers is another way to say INTP. Just compare a description of the INTP type and of AS, and you'll see a lot os similarities.


*glances at her type*

There are similarities, but it doesn't mean that just because you have it doesn't mean you're an INTP. And just because you're an INTP doesn't mean you have it. Look at me, for example.


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## DouglasMl (Nov 3, 2009)

Asperger's syndrome and its effects on personality type?

I have Asperger's syndrome myself, so here are my best guesses:

The syndrome definitely pushes people toward Introversion rather than Extroversion.

I've seen some people say it propels people toward INTP--but I don't really believe the P part of it. My liking for order and decisiveness would probably be closer to Judging than to Perceiving...


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## Marina Del Grapes (Dec 8, 2009)

teaflower said:


> *glances at her type*
> 
> There are similarities, but it doesn't mean that just because you have it doesn't mean you're an INTP. And just because you're an INTP doesn't mean you have it. Look at me, for example.


Or me. I'm an extroverted woman with Asperger's who is usually an ENTJ, and occasionally an ESTP or an ENFJ. Extroversion is inborn personality. A lot of people with Asperger's are introverts because their social "blindness" creates too much social anxiety for them to bother dealing with. I am an extrovert regardless, so I'm a bundle of jitters who loves to socialize. Fun times.

My husband was considered hyperactive as a child (though I find that hard to imagine, and he says he was called such because he would walk off to the bathroom in class without coming back until he was found hours later swinging on the playground). As an adult, he was diagnosed ADD. This doesn't limit him in the least. He is introverted just by nature, and his specific personality "type" is an INFP. 

You are ultimately an individual, hopefully not a stereotype, and your personality is ultimately individual.

As an edit, I find it amusing that the last three responses were from people with Asperger's who are Type 6 Enneagram. I dare say I could start this all up again and theorize that there's something to _that. _Pretend this edit went unsaid.


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## iceman44 (Nov 11, 2009)

Regardless of disorder, your personality type is yours. Don't you understand that the disorder you have doesn't determine your type. You determine who you are and not the condition. Don't you know that the disorder does not make the person. Your personality preferences are inborn and not determined by your condition.roud:


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