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Can your movie preferences tell you something about your personality?
A discovery approach using the multiple intelligences model
1. Introduction: individual differences
Although the people who make up the audience of a movie certainly share some characteeristics (e.g. they probably all like a particular film genre, or a particular actress/director, or a particular theme ), no doubt there are individual differences at work, in this case as in any other area of life. Their previous knowledge of the genre, their own personal experiences and their beliefs and attitudes affect their expectations, reactions and judgments about the movie.
Individual differences are a fascinating field of exploration, and are closely linked to the concept of personality. After all, what makes us unique individuals depends on a variety of factors, some of which are biological and innate, while others are the result of the experiences we have gone through since the day we were born, including our socialization processes in the context of our own culture. The "innate" and the "acquired" are not two separate domains, but are inextricably linked in forging our own special way of being unique (although this should not make us forget what makes us similar to each other).
Individual differrences can be described and have been studied in a variety of ways: for example, people are known to differ with respect to their sensory modality preferences (some may be more visual, others more auditory, still others may prefer a kinesthetic approach, i.e. one based on the use of the body and its movements). Or people can exhibit different cognitive styles (i.e. the ways they prefer to process information in their minds - e.g. along the range between analytical and global, reflexive and impulsive) or different social attitudes (e.g. introverted vs extroverted).
2. The multiple intelligences model
A particular way of describing indivudla differences takes into account the concept of intelligence. Intelligence has often been considered (and is still very much considered) as
innate, i.e. something "given" at birth, and therefore not subject to the influences of cultural contexts;
stable, i.e. unchangeable through time;
general, i.e. made up of just one single factor which remains basically the same when applied to different domains;
measurable, i.e. quantifiable on the basis of tests (the well-known IQ (or "intelligence quotient"), which refers to the "norm" or the "average" level of a population, usually assigned the value of 100 - implying that people are more or less intelligent that the "average" if they score, respectively, more or less than 100 on an intelligence test).
This "traditional" view of intelligence haas been severely criticized in the past few decades, and other concepts of "intelligence" have been put forward. The most famous of the "new" models is probably due to psychologist Howard Gardner, who rejects intelligence as being a single factor and identifies a number of different intelligences: according to this view, each of us carries a different combination of intelligences, which are not just the result of our inborn, genetic potential, but are also affected by the cultural contexts in which we grow up - different cultures may value different intelligences and thus affect the individual "profile" of each of its members.
Gardner has identified a number of intelligences, which are best described in his own words (Note 1):
So each of us carries a different "combination" of intelligences (note that the following image (Note 2) gives "equal weight" to all intelligences, but this is clearly a theoretical illustration - the "pie" for each of us would show our unique combination):
3. Can movie preferences give an indication of your own personal "intelligence profile"?
Our "movie watching" habits, just like any other area of activity, can be a source of information about our own "intelligence pie". The following questionnaire will help you to do just this. Please note that any such questionnaire can only give you a general indication of your own profile - it should not be taken as a rigid, definitive "portrait" of your intelligences or your personality. This is why, at the end of the questionnaire, you will be asked to look at the results in a critical way and to use your knowledge of your behaviours, habits, attitudes, etc., to change or better refine what appears to be your own personal profile.
N.B. To answer the questionnaire you can use a pdf version which you can download and/or print here.
===============
This questionnaire will give you an idea of the general profile of your
multiple intelligences.
Choose the answer that you feel most comfortable with. Work through the
statements quickly, without thinking too long about them.
There are no right or wrong answers!
PART 1
Decide how each of the following statements applies to you personally. Circle
the number in the appropriate column.
|
|
This is just like me |
This is a bit like me |
This is definitely
not like me |
|
1. I prefer to watch a movie together with other
people (relatives, friends, etc.). |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
2. I appreciate accurate and detailed historical
settings in a movie. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
3. I often want to read a novel from which a film has
been made. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
4. I often listen to music from movie soundtracks. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
5. I like films that take little for granted and
instead invite us to speculate about what will happen in the story. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
6. I like films in which the forces of nature (e.g.
sea, wind, rain…) play an important role. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
7. I like films that provide strong sensations (e.g.
"scenes that “make your heart pound", or "a lump in the throat", or a
"shiver in the back" ...). |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
8. Before deciding to see a film, I ask the opinion
of others who have already seen it. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
9. I like to understand immediately where a film is
set, also through images of famous or characteristic places. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
10. I easily notice the characters’ regional accents |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
11. I don’t like films set in closed places, with
characters who prefer dialogue over actions and movements. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
12. I like listening to or watching presentations or
debates about a film. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
13. I like films that show extreme natural phenomena
(e.g. volcanic eruptions, monsoons, tornados, earthquakes…). |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
14. I am interested in what others think of a film I
have already seen. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
15. I don't like movies that don't have a clearly
explicit logical development. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
16. I like "on the road" films, in which characters
travel through very different places. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
17. I really like action films, where characters and
objects move often and quickly. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
18. I don't like movies with no musical soundtrack. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
19. I don't like movies that are totally fantastic or
set in unreal worlds. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
20. I like films "that make you dream", which carry
me to situations and places that may be very far from reality. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
21. I like biographical films describing the life of
scientists and their discoveries. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
22. I remember quite precisely films that somehow
moved or even upset me. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
23. After watching a movie, I like to discuss it with
others. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
24. I think that images are much more important
dialogues in a movie. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
25. I prefer films that take place in real natural
settings rather than films shot in artificial sets. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
26. I like films that are totally or partially spoken
in a regional dialect, even if I may miss a few words or phrases. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
27. I think watching a film is a very personal
experience, and I find it difficult to share it with others. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
28. I easily recognize the intonation with which a
character in a film expresses emotions or meanings (for example, when a
character expresses irony, sarcasm, contempt, admiration, etc.). |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
29. I like documentaries that illustrate the life of
people, even not famous ones, who have faced and solved problems and who
tell and explain their experience. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
30. The so-called "film-puzzles" (in which, for
example, the logical or temporal links are not immediately
understandable, or there are unusual or bizarre developments in the
story ...) stimulate me and challenge me to seek explanations. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
31. I really appreciate films that show the
relationship between men and animals.. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
32. I like “sports” films, which highlight the
physical and athletic qualities of the characters. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
33. I share on the Internet (Facebook, Instagram,
etc.) my judgments or opinions on the films I have seen. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
34. I like films that also address environmental
issues. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
35. I like documentaries that illustrate the works of
painters, sculptors, architects. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
36. I like films in which the dialogue plays a
decisive role (e.g. scenes in a courtroom, political debates,
conversations in a group of friends or in a couple ...). |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
37. While watching a movie, I like to recognize songs
or pieces of music that I know. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
38. I like documentaries that describe how scientific
or technological problems have been solved. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
39. I often compare characters and events in a film
with my personal life and experience. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
40. I like watching foreign films with Italian
subtitles. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
41. I like very eventful scenes, e.g. a chase between
cars or people. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
42. I like films, like detective stories, in which
you have to carefully observe the details to understand the development
and the final solution. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
43. I often take the initiative to go to the cinema
with others, or to see a movie together at home. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
44. I really like going to the cinema or watching a
movie at home even if I am alone. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
45. I look at the end credits of a movie to see what
kind of songs or music were used. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
46. I appreciate colours and how they are used in a
film. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
47. I like films that look like video games, in which
I almost take part in the action shown on the screen. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
48.
I really like “nature” documentaries. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
49. I often read movie reviews. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
50. I don’t really like films set in closed places,
with characters who prefer dialogue over actions and movements. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
51. After seeing a film involved me, I often think
about it. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
52. I often recommend a movie that I liked to other
people. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
53. I look carefully at the interiors in which a film
takes place (for example, the look of a flat, how it is furnished, and
other details such as paintings, ornaments, etc.). |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
54. I like films based on literary or theatrical
works. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
55. I like films "that make you think", that is, that
invite me to reflect on the characters and the story. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
56. I enjoy a scene from a movie more if it is
accompanied by music. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
57. I pay attention to how the actors use their
bodies, e.g. through gestures, facial expressions, use of hands ... |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
58. The great natural spaces (e.g. the prairies in
westerns, the jungle, the oceans or the mountains in adventure movies,
the beaches in certain comedies or dramas…) attract my attention a lot. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
59. I like films in which new technologies play an
essential role. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
60. I like animated films, especially when they use
unusual and original shapes, colours and images. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
61. I think music in a film is very important. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
62. I carefully observe the locations in which a film
takes place. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
63. I like to see a movie based on a novel I have
read so that I can compare the two versions. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
64. I often talk about the movies I have seen with
other people. |
2 |
1 |
0 |
PART 2
For each statement fill in one or two square(s) according to your answer,
starting on each line from the first square on the left. Do not fill in any
squares if your answer is “0”.
For example, if for the linguistic
intelligence in statement No. 3 you circled “2”, fill in the first two squares:
|
LINGUISTIC |
3
12 26
36 40
49 54
63 |
■ ■ □ □ □ □ □
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □
|
|
INTELLIGENCE |
STATEMENTS |
|
|
LINGUISTIC |
3
12 26
36 40
49 54
63 |
□ □ □ □ □ □ □
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ |
|
LOGICAL-MATHEMATICAL |
5
15 19
21 30
38 42
59 |
□ □ □ □ □ □ □
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ |
|
VISUAL-SPATIAL |
2
9 16
24 35
46 53
60 |
□ □ □ □ □ □ □
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ |
|
MUSICAL |
4
10 18
28 37
45 56
61 |
□ □ □ □ □ □ □
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ |
|
INTER-PERSONAL |
1
8 14
23 33
43 52
64 |
□ □ □ □ □ □ □
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ |
|
INTRA-PERSONAL |
20
22 27
29 39
44 51 55 |
□ □ □ □ □ □ □
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ |
|
BODILY-KINESTHETIC |
7
11 17
32 41
47 50
57 |
□ □ □ □ □ □ □
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ |
|
NATURALIST |
6
13 25
31 34
48 58
62 |
□ □ □ □ □ □ □
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ □ |
PART 3
Look at the table above: do you agree with your results?
□
YES, because (try to mention any of
your behaviours, habits, preferences …)
..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
and/or
□
NO, because (try to mention any of
your behaviours, habits, preferences …)
..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Notes
(2) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Multiple-intelligence.jpg
