Enneagram Analysis

This paper is a request for comments on an analysis system to be used with enneagram personality profile test results for helping to interpret the results of the test.

If you want to skip directly to the servlet, scroll to the bottom of this page and read the section titled "The Request".

Personality profile tests are useful tools for analizing and determining a person's type in the Enneagram system. These tests usually result in a set of scores, one score for each of the enneagram Types, where the highest score is supposed to be the test taker's core Type. Scores in other Types are used to determine the dominant Wing and whether the person is in a stress or security point. Other analysis based on the results of such tests can be made, and theories about attributes, such as Harmonics, have resulted from such analysis.

The RHETI is one such test, and is perhaps the definitive enneagram scoring system. There are 288 total statements in the test, each of which corresponds to one of the types. Each enneagram Type, then, has 32 statements. Each statement is paired with a statement from another Type, resulting in each Type being "compared" to each other Type a total of 4 times each. This results in a total of 144 forced-choice questions, in each of which the user must choose between two statements.

Being a computer programmer, when I was introduced to the Enneagram my first response was to build a computer program to administer an enneagram personality profile test and perform some rudimentary analysis on the results. The RHETI, for example, contains 144 questions which makes it relatively accurate, but also rather tedious to take and total the results from. I wanted to provide a system which would ease the test-taking process, in addition to providing various charts and diagrams about the results; essentially, convenience items. While in the process of building this system, I encountered some questions about the fundamental nature of the enneagram. How important is the highest score in determining the core Type? How important are the scores in attributes such as Wings, stress/security points, and Harmonics? In essence, how best do we determine our core types based on the results of a personality test?

I've tried numerous models for interpreting the results of a test, and the one I've settled on is described below. I would like to emphasize that I do not believe that automatic, computerized analysis of enneagram tests can replace human analysis. In particular, the program is a tool which can be used to aid human analysis, not replace it. The program merely does that which computers do best: tracking and charting numbers, and presenting the data in various forms. This program is practically useless without additional sources of information. At it's best, this program is used in conjunction with a number of enneagram books and the results of this program may provide a compact form for taking to a qualified enneagram teacher for consulting.

The program consists of three parts, one of which is hidden. The first part is the test administrator, which allows a person to take an enneagram personality profile test. Since there is no such test that I know of that is in the public domain, and since at this point I do not have permission from any person holding a copyright on such a test to distribute their test, the data files on which this part of the program relies have been ommitted from distribution. Consequently this feature of the program is unavailable. The second part of the program is a graphical chart of test results. If the user has the results from a test, such as the RHETI, they can enter the data into the program and see the results charted. The third part of the program is an analysis of the results; this is partially hidden from the user, only visible through the charting of the results.

This program will be distributed entirely free, and with source code. The only restriction on distribution will be that the program can not be sold.

The analysis of the results is what concerns us in this paper. The computer requires a formula for determining which Types are dominant. The equations are below, and are simple to perform with a calculator.

In all cases, the "score" is the current Type being evaluated; the dominant Wing is the Type on either side of the current Type with the highest score; the dominant s/s point is the Type on the enneagram graph with the highest score; and the dominant harmonic is the Type 2 away from the current Type to either side with the highest score. Here are some examples; it helps to have an enneagram graph to look at while reading the examples:

     Type      : 5
     Wings     : 4, 6
     S/S Points: 7, 8
     Harmonics : 7, 3

     Type      : 9
     Wings     : 8, 1
     S/S Points: 3, 6
     Harmonics : 7, 2

The first equation shown is for the RHETI, or any other test where the maximum possible score in any type is 32, and the minimum is 0. This is the simple version of the equation, but only works for tests like the RHETI, where the maximum score in a type is 32.

f(n) =  0  <= n < 9    ->  0
        9  <= n < 14   ->  1
        14 <= n < 19   ->  2
        19 <= n < 24   ->  3
        24 <= n < 33   ->  4

d(type t) = f( t's dominant wing score ) + 
           f( t's dominant s/s point score ) +
           f( t's dominant harmonic score ) 

g(type t) =  t's score - ( 12 - d( t ) )

total(type t) = t's score + d( t )

Start with the type with the highest score and calculate 'd' of the type, and 'total' of the type. Then calculate 'g' of the type. The number you get from 'g' is the minimum score; you can ignore all Types with scores below this number as being potential core types. Then get the type with the next highest score and repeat. Stop when there are no types left with a score at least equal to the highest 'g' value.

Nothing beats an example.

Type : 1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9
Score: 10   13   12   19   25   12   21   6    26

The highest score is in Type 9. 9's dominant wing is 1, the dominant S/S point is either 3 or 6 (they have the same score), and the dominant harmonic is 7.

d( type 9 ) is then:

  f(9's dom. wing score)+f(9's dom. s/s point score)+f(9's dom. harmonic score) =
  f( 10 ) + f( 12 ) + f( 21 ) =
  1 + 1 + 3 =
  5

  9's score + d( type 9 ) =
  26 + 5 =
  31

  9's score - ( 12 - d( type 9 ) ) =
  26 - ( 12 - 5 ) =
  19

Since 'g' is 19, we can ignore all types with a score less than 19 as potential core types, which rules out 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8, and leaves 4, 5, and 7 as potentials.

The next highest score is 5, and we repeat. 5's dominant wing is 4, its dominant s/s point is 7, and its dominant harmonic is also 7.

d( type 5 ) is:

   f( 19 ) + f( 21 ) + f( 21 ) =
   3 + 3 + 3 = 9

   25 + 9 = 34

   25 - ( 12 - 9 ) = 25 - 3 = 22

In the end, we have:

   Type :   9    5
   Total:   31   34

So the odds are good that, while 9 has a higher score than 5, 5 is really the dominant type. This is because 5 has relatively strong scores in its wing, s/s points, and harmonics, while 9 has relatively weak scores in these areas.

If you are using a test which does not have a maximum type score of 32, you must use the more complicated version. The basic rules are the same, but all values are normalized to 32.

Let 'min' be the minimum possible score, and 'max' be the maximum possible score. Let 'x' be 32/(max - min). For each of the scores, calculate (score-min)*x. Then use the results in the Enneagram Servlet, or the equation in the simple equation.

This is much easier to do with a program, but all it does is modify the algorithm to work with a different scoring system.

The high score is heavily weighted in this system. For example, a high score in a wing only counts for 1/8th of the total score, and together all secondary attributes (wing, s/s point, harmonic) together can count for a maximum of 1/2 the total score.

There are many variables in such a system; how much do secondary characteristics count for, and which are important? For example, wings and s/s points are well-established enneagram attributes, but harmonics are somewhat more obscure. Some secondary attributes may not be represented at all, and it may be that dominant types tend to have low scores in wings, rather than high scores as this algorithm assumes.

An offshoot of this research will be whether it is possible to apply this algorithm recursively to the wing, s/s, and harmonic types to resolve ambiguous scores in those attributes as well.

I ask that people who have test results, especially the RHETI, calculate their results with this system and email me with comments about the system. Please answer the following questions; any of the information is, of course, voluntary, although please avoid emailing me only your RHETI scores without comments. I'm trying to gather data as to the accuracy of the system, and RHETI scores alone will not help. The whole purpose is to determine if such an analysis helps determine the core type and secondary characteristics.

• What do you think your core type is? Your dominant wing? Your currently dominant s/s point? Your dominant harmonic?
• Does it seem to accurately reflect your type?
• If you have been to a trained enneagram teacher, does it reflect what s/he told you about your type?
• If you have ambiguous test results, such as identical high scores in two or more types, does the system help you determine your type?
• Finally, please include your RHETI scores

I will email you with notification that I received your email. Unless you request a response, I will not answer with a long email, and I will delete your email after extracting the information; specifically, I will not record your name or email address, to ensure anonymity.

You may now run your results through a servlet and have the analysis performed for you, automagically. Visit the Enneagram Servlet, enter your RHETI results, and click the "Submit" button. This servlet is similar to the Enneagram program I've described above, and in fact uses much of the same code. The Enneagram application has more features which are impractical in a servlet; the table of results is sortable in the application, while it isn't in the servlet, for example. The servlet is entirely processed on the server, so your browser does not need to run Java, and there is nothing to download. Please be patient with the servlet. Since everything is running on the server, depending on the load it could take a while for results to be returned to you.