quiz

How Happy Are You?

By in Living Well Tags: , , ,

Happy_Employee (2)

It’s important to be happy at your job. Happy employees are more effective, productive, and successful. They feel trusted by their colleagues and supported in their efforts. And they’re less likely to suffer from feelings of stress, anxiety, and burnout.

So how happy are you at work? If you’ve never given it a lot of thought, now is your chance! The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, has created an online quiz that you can use to measure your level of happiness. Click the link below to take the short quiz and see how you really feel about the work that you do.

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/quizzes/take_quiz/happiness_at_work

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Is Your Organization Compassionate? Take This Quiz and Find Out!

By in Living Well Tags: , , , ,

Close up hands giving colorful yarn heart handmade. Valentine da

Compassionate organizations tend to be more successful. When employees feel like they have their company’s support when they’re going through a difficult time, they feel safe and secure. They’re more willing to admit to mistakes and work as a team to find a solution. They’re more creative and innovative, because they know they won’t be punished if a new idea doesn’t work out as planned. And they tend to be more loyal, productive, and engaged in their work.

So would you describe your organization as compassionate? Do the people in your company behave in a kind and caring manner? Or is your workplace a little more disengaged?

The CompassionLab at the University of Michigan and the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley created an online quiz that will help you to answer these questions. Click the link below to take the quiz! After answering the questions, you’ll receive a score that will tell you how compassionate your organization is. You’ll also be provided with some tips on how to make your office a more caring, supportive place.

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/quizzes/take_quiz/compassionate_organizations

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Suttie, J. (2017, March 17). How to awaken compassion at work. Greater Goods Magazine. Retrieved from: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_awaken_compassion_at_work

Are You Emotionally Intelligent? Take This Quiz and Find Out!

By in Communication Tags: ,

African american colleagues businessman and businesswoman talking in office

People who are emotionally intelligent are good at recognizing, regulating, and channeling their feelings. They’re also good at recognizing and empathizing with the feelings that other people are experiencing.

Some research suggests that people who are high in emotional intelligence have an easier time getting along with coworkers and clients. Thus, they may be more effective when negotiating with others or working on team projects.

So how well can you read other people’s expressions, and understand what they might be thinking or feeling? The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley has created an online quiz that will help you to answer that question! Just click the link below to test this ability. You’ll find out how good you are at reading and understanding other people’s emotions.

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/quizzes/ei_quiz

 

Do You Know When People Are Trying to Scam You Online? Take a Quiz and Find Out!

By in Technology Tags: ,

Phishing4

One of the most common ways for people to steal your money or personal information is through a process called “phishing.” Phishing is a technique that criminals use to obtain sensitive information (including user names, passwords, social security numbers, bank account numbers, and credit card numbers).

It generally works like this:

  • You receive an email that appears to be from a legitimate company or person (for instance, a bank, a credit card company, an auction site, or an IT Administrator).
  • The email usually urges you to click on a link or attachment included in the email. (It may claim that there’s supposedly some sort of problem with your computer or account that needs to be rectified.)
  • If you click the link, you’ll arrive at a website that looks legitimate, but is actually a fraudulent site created by the identity thieves.
  • Once there, you’ll be asked to enter sensitive information. If you enter this information, it can then be used by the criminals to access your personal data, make illegal purchases, and commit fraud.

So how good are you at identifying fraudulent emails? Google has created a quiz to help you find out! Google’s Jigsaw unit recently posted an eight-question quiz that asks you to try and tell the difference between fraudulent emails and legitimate ones. If you get a question wrong, they’ll tell you why, so you can get better at spotting fraudulent emails in the future.

Click here to take the quiz, and see how you do! I personally thought it was pretty challenging. (I felt lucky to get six questions correct.)

And should you receive an email message you suspect is a phishing scam, please forward it to spam@jhu.edu and then promptly delete it. Do not follow its instructions.

If you have already entered your JHED credentials in response to any message you suspect to be phishing, please go to the Johns Hopkins portal to change your password immediately. Contact the Help Desk at 410-516-HELP to report the incident.

 

Can You Spot When You’re Being Phished? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://phishingquiz.withgoogle.com/

 

What Kind of Decision Maker Are You?

By in Learning Tags: ,

DecisionMaker

We’re all experienced decision makers. We make hundreds of decisions a day, often without really thinking about it. But in reality, the decision-making process is complex, and many different factors influence the decisions we make. Our family, our values and emotions, advertising, and societal pressure can all influence our choices.

Another factor that can influence the way we make decisions is habit. We tend to make decisions in a certain way. It’s called our “decision-making style.” Take this questionnaire to discover your own decision-making style.

(This questionnaire is an adaptation of the General Decision Making Style questionnaire developed by Scott and Bruce, 1995)

 

DIRECTIONS

Rate each statement as a 1, 2, or 3:
1 = This statement is false.
2 = This statement is sometimes true. It depends on the situation.
3 = This statement is true.

 

  1. I make sure that I have all the facts before I make a decision.
  2. When I make a decision, I do what feels right.
  3. I often ask other people to help me make important decisions.
  4. I don’t like making decisions, so I try to avoid it.
  5. I make decisions quickly.
  6. I make decisions in a slow, logical way.
  7. When I make a decision, I rely on my instincts.
  8. I don’t make big decisions without talking to other people first.
  9. I usually won’t make an important decision until I’m forced to do so.
  10. I don’t think too much about the decisions that I make.
  11. Making decisions requires careful thought.
  12. A decision doesn’t need to make sense – it just needs to feel right.
  13. When I need to make an important decision, I like to have someone point me in the right direction.
  14. I try to put off making important decisions because thinking about them makes me feel uneasy.
  15. When I need to make an important decision, I just do what seems natural at the moment.
  16. I consider all of my options before making a decision.
  17. I rely on my inner feelings when making decisions.
  18. When I make a decision, I rely on other people’s advice.
  19. I usually make important decisions at the last minute.
  20. I often make impulsive decisions.

 

SCORING

Within each box, indicate the number (1, 2, or 3) that you assigned to the statements on the questionnaire. Then add those numbers up to get a total.

ScoreCard

 

RESULTS­­

Take a look at your total scores.

  • If A is your highest number, you’re systematic.
  • If B is your highest number, you’re intuitive.
  • If C is your highest number, you’re dependent.
  • If D is your highest number, you’re avoidant.
  • If E is your highest number, you’re spontaneous.
  • If you have equally high scores in more than one area, it means that you regularly use more than one decision-making style.

A – Systematic
You make decisions slowly and carefully. You make sure that you have all the facts before you proceed. You carefully consider all of your options in order to make the best choice.

B – Intuitive
When you need to make a decision, you tend to rely on your feelings. You make decisions based on “hunches” and instinct. You do what feels right at the moment.

C – Dependent
You find it hard to make decisions without other people’s support. When you need to make an important decision, you ask other people for advice and direction. You’re uncomfortable making decisions alone.

D – Avoidant
You don’t like making important decisions. They make you feel uneasy and uncomfortable. So you try to avoid making decisions as much as possible. You only make important decisions when you’re pressured to do so.

E – Spontaneous
You make important decisions quickly and easily. You’re often impulsive. You don’t spend much time thinking or worrying about your decisions. You just make a choice and see what happens.

 

One style isn’t better than another. They each have their strengths and weaknesses, and they each work well in different situations.

  • For instance, the systematic approach would work well if you have a big decision to make and a lot of time to make it.
  • In an emergency situation, it might be better to be intuitive or spontaneous.
  • If you don’t know much about a certain decision that you need to make, it might be good to be dependent and rely on the opinions of others.
  • And sometimes it might be best to avoid making a decision altogether.

It’s OK to favor one of these styles more than the others. But if you rely exclusively on one decision-making style, you could end up making some bad decisions. For instance, it’s fine to be spontaneous sometimes – but it’s not the best way to go about making a major life decision. And it’s fine to avoid decisions now and then, but you’re going to run into problems if you avoid them all. Skilled decision-makers are able to use more than one style. They’re able to be flexible, and use the style that best fits the situation.

 

Scott, S. G. & Bruce, R. A. (1995). Decision-making style: The development and assessment of a new measure. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 55(5), 818–831.

What Type of Person Are You?

By in Learning Tags: , , , ,

TypeA

A lot of research has been done on the connection between heart disease and stress. It’s been found that people in stressful lines of work are at a higher risk of having a heart attack. Others claim that your personality and the way you deal with stress may have an impact on your health. For example, in 1959, Friedman and Rosenman claimed that there are two types of people: Type A and Type B. They described Type A people as being competitive, impatient, and always striving to do more in less time. They described Type B people as being calm and patient, and less hurried. They hypothesized that Type A people were more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease than Type B people.

Which type are you? Take this quick quiz to find out!


DIRECTIONS:
Answer “yes” or “no” to each of the following questions:

  1. Do you find it difficult to restrain yourself from hurrying others’ speech (finishing their sentences for them)?
  2. Do you often try to do more than one thing at a time (such as eat and read simultaneously)?
  3. Do you often feel guilty if you use extra time to relax?
  4. Do you tend to get involved in a great number of projects at once?
  5. Do you find yourself racing through yellow lights when you drive?
  6. Do you need to win in order to derive enjoyment from games and sports?
  7. Do you generally move, walk, and eat rapidly?
  8. Do you agree to take on too many responsibilities?
  9. Do you detest waiting in lines?
  10. Do you have an intense desire to better your position in life and impress others?


RESULTS:
How many times did you answer “yes?”

  • 8 or more times – You’re Type A
  • 4 to 7 times – You have both Type A and Type B qualities
  • 3 times or less – You’re Type B

So are you Type A? If so, don’t worry. Early studies indicated that Type A individuals were at greater risk of developing heart disease. But later, researchers found that only certain aspects of the Type A personality are linked with heart disease. In fact, researchers have only found a strong relationship between “cynical hostility” and coronary disease. It’s only the Type A people who are moody, suspicious, resentful, distrusting, and quick to anger that are at greater risk. So most of you Type A people can rest easy! Unless you tend to be hostile much of the time, your heart should be just fine.

(And hey – even if you are an angry, hostile person, it’s never too late to change! Check out this website for some tips on how to control and eliminate those damaging emotions: http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/controlling-anger.aspx)

 

Friedman, M., & Rosenman, R. H. (1959). Association of specific overt behavior pattern with blood and cardiovascular findings blood cholesterol level, blood clotting time, incidence of arcus senilis, and clinical coronary artery disease. Journal of the American Medical Association, 169(12), 1286-1296.

Protect Your Time

By in Living Well Tags: , ,

Time

Time is a very valuable commodity. People who spend their time wisely tend to be more relaxed, accomplished, and productive.

One of the greatest obstacles to time management is what we might call “time wasters.” It’s easy to get distracted by wanted and unwanted interruptions.

How susceptible are you to time wasters? Try taking this short quiz and find out!

 

DIRECTIONS

Rate each statement as a 0, 1, or 2:
0 = Never
1 = Sometimes
2 = Always

  1. I do things that interfere with my work because I hate saying “no” to people.
  2. I am easily distracted.
  3. Even when I am doing important work, I will still take a break to chat with co-workers if they stop by my office.
  4. I check my email frequently.
  5. When I have something difficult or unpleasant to do, I procrastinate.
  6. I spend little time planning.
  7. The day before a big project is due, I have to rush to get it done.
  8. When I am researching a topic for work, I end up searching for information on unrelated topics.
  9. I lose track of time.
  10. I spend more time surfing the internet than I do on work.

Add up your scores to arrive at your total.

 

RESULTS

If your total score is between 0 and 4: You are good at managing your time and avoiding distractions.

If your total score is between 5 and 12: You make an effort to manage your time and avoid distractions, but you are not always successful. As a result, you may sometimes feel overscheduled and overwhelmed.

If your total score is between 13 and 20: You are not managing your time very effectively, and you do engage in a lot of time-wasting activities. This most likely causes you to feel a lot of stress. You would like to do everything, but you often have a hard time completing critical tasks. You may feel frustrated and overwhelmed – like there are simply not enough hours in the day.

 

If you’re not very happy with your result, don’t despair! There are techniques that you can use to manage your time more effectively and avoid time wasters.

  • Make a list – Make a list of the things that you need to accomplish during the day to help you stay focused on what you need to do. Arrange them in order of importance and try to get the most important things done first.
  • Remove distractions – When you’re working, try to find a quiet spot, away from noise and distraction. Only check your email or take phone calls during certain, prearranged times during the day.
  • Learn how to say “no” – It is just not possible to make everyone happy all the time. If you say “yes” to every request, you will end up overscheduled and under stress. You need to protect your time and learn how to say “no.”

Your time is very precious. Time-wasting activities can rob you of that time, often leaving you with nothing to show for it. So try using these time-saving ideas and techniques and start spending your time on the things that really matter!