Here is a questionnaire that will help you assess your basic style of approaching problems and decisions. To the degree that there is a correlation between intuitive style and the quality of intuition, you rscore might relfect on the latter as well. For each item, choose the alternative, A or B, that best applies to you.

1. When I don't have a ready answer, I tend to be:

A. patient.

B. uneasy.

2. When faced with uncertainty, I usually:

A. become disoriented.

B. remain comfortable.

3. In challenging situations, I am highly motivated and deeply committed:

A. most of the time.

B. infrequently.

4. When my intuition differs from the facts, I usually:

A. trust my feelings.

B. follow the logical course.

5. When working on a difficult problem, I tend to:

A. concentrate on finding the solution.  

B. play around with possibilities.

6.  When I disagree with others, I tend to:

     A.  let them know about it.

     B.  keep the disagreement to myself.

7. Generally speaking, I:

A. prefer the safe way.

B. enjoy taking risks.

8. When working ona problem I change strategies:

A. seldom.

B. often.

9. I prefer to be told:

A. exactly how to do things.

B. only what needs to be done.

10. When things get very complicated, I:

A. become exhilarated.

B. become insecure.

11. When faced with a problem, I usually:

A. create a plan or outline before getting started.

B. plunge right in.

12. In most cases:

A. change makes me nervous.

B. I welcome unexpected changes.

13. My reading consists of:

A. a variety of subjects, including fiction.

B. factual material mainly related to my work.

14. When my opinion differs from the experts, I usually:

A. stick to my beliefs.

B. defer to authority.

15. When faced with a number of tasks, I:

A. tackle them simultaneously.

B. finish one before going on to another.

16. When learning something new, I:

A. master the rules and procedures first.

B. get started and learn the rules as I go along.

17. At work I prefer to:

A. follow a prearranged schedule.

B. make my own schedule.

18. At school I was (am) better at:

A. essay questions.

B. short-answer questions.

19. Basically, I am:

A. an idealist.

B. a realist.

20. When I make a mistake, I tend to:

A. second-guess myself.

B. forget it and go on.

21. The following statement best applies to me:

A. I can usually explain exactly why I know something.

B. Often I can't describe why I know something.

22. When offering a description or explanation, I am more likely to rely on:

A. analogy and anecdote.

B. facts and figures.

23. I can usually be convinced by:

A. an appeal to reason.

B. an appeal to my emotions.

24. When I am wrong, I:

A. readily admit it.

B. defend myself.

25. I would rather be called:

A. imaginative.

B. practical.

26. When faced with a difficult problem, I am likely to:

A. ask for advice.

B. tackle it myself.

27. Unpredictable people are:

A. annoying.

B. interesting.

28. When setting an appointment for the following week, I am likely to say:

A. "Let's set an exact time now."

B. "Call me the day before."

29. When something spoils my plans, I:

A. get upset.

B. calmly make a new plan.

30. When I have a hunch, I usually react with:

A. enthusiasm.

B. mistrust.

31. Most of my friends and colleagues:

A. believe in the value of intuition.

B. are skeptical about intuition.

32. I am best known as:

A. an idea person.

B. a detail person.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Give yourself one point if you answered "A" on the following items: 1, 3, 4, 6, 10, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 22, 24, 25, 30, 31, 32.

Give yourself one point if you answered "B" on the following items: 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29.

If your total score is 24 or above, you tend strongly toward an intuitive approach to decisions and problems. More than likely you trust your intuition, as well you should, since it it probably highly accurate!

If your total is between 16 and 23, you tend to vary in style but are more intuitive than analytic or systematic. Your intuition is probably correct more often than not.

If your total is between 8 and 15, you tend to mix styles but lean more toward the analytic and rational than the intuitive. Your intuition might be erratic.

If you total is below 8, you lean heavily toward a systematic rational approach to problems and decisions. Chances are you do not trust your intuition very much, perhaps due to past experiences when it has been wrong.

In evaluating these results, do not regard this test as a definitive measure of your intuitive capacity. For one thing, there are no universally accepted standards for making such judgements; no systematic attempt to determine either intuitive ability or style, including this one, has been validated with long term use. Also, keep in mind the points made in this chapter: you are likely to be more intuitive, and to trust your intuiton more, in some situations than in others. A high score on the questionnaire is a good indication of positive, intuition-enhancing behavior. IN that respect, the questions can also serve as a tool for introspection and improvement.