I don't like the Spiral Dynamics quizzes and assessments

[trenton]

I think there are problems with these online tests that are intended to point you to your level of development which make them misleading. These tests seem to be oversimplified because they give a limited multiple choice set up which then places you in one of the boxes. Furthermore, they don't seem to evaluate you according to each line of development. I think these kinds of tests would be better if they instead used written answers to explain how you would approach different situations and how you would think about them. I think it would be better if these written answers were evaluated by a human who is an expert in developmental psychology. The online tests appear to focus on cognitive development rather than all of the other lines which are necessary in order to get an accurate evaluation. In my case, I have been exploring a lot of different developmental models, not just Spiral Dynamics. I think this helps by adding additional perspective in terms of possible room for growth.

In order to get an assessment, I went to AI like Claude and had it design questions to assess me. I did my best to study Trenton as if he were a separate subject. After giving some information about the subject, the AI gave the following questions. Some of them include chess questions, so they these questions don't apply to everybody.

1. Meaning and Purpose Questions

These questions explore how the subject constructs meaning from his/her experiences and what he/she sees as his/her purpose:

"What patterns or lessons do you see emerging from your life experiences so far?"

"If you could design a system to help people overcome challenges like those you've faced, what would be its core principles?"

"What moments in your life have felt most meaningful or purposeful to you and why?"

"How has your understanding of your purpose evolved as you've moved through different living situations?"

"What do you hope people would understand about your life if they knew your full story?"

2. Epistemological Questions

These questions explore how the subject knows what he/she knows and evaluates truth:

"When faced with conflicting information about a situation, how do you determine what's true?"

"How has your chess training influenced the way you analyze problems outside of chess?"

"What role does intuition play in your decision-making compared to systematic analysis?"

"Which philosophers or thinkers do you find most resonant with your own understanding of reality?"

"How do you differentiate between helpful systems of knowledge and potentially harmful ideologies?"

3. Developmental Framework Questions

These questions explore how the subject understands development and growth:

"How do you understand the relationship between different developmental stages in the models you study?"

"In what ways do you see yourself still developing, and what's driving that growth?"

"What do you believe is the relationship between individual development and societal progress?"

"How has your understanding of your family members evolved as you've learned about developmental frameworks?"

"What aspects of development do you find most challenging in your own journey?"

4. Ethical Framework Questions

These questions explore the subject's moral reasoning and ethical priorities:

"When you're faced with a moral dilemma, what principles guide your decision-making process?"

"How do you balance your value for truth with potential harm that truth-telling might cause?"

"What responsibilities do you believe individuals have toward vulnerable people in their communities?"

"How do you reconcile the tension between systemic change and immediate individual action?"

"What ethical principles do you believe should never be compromised, regardless of circumstances?"

5. Shadow and Integration Questions

These questions explore the subject's relationship with disowned aspects of himself/herself:

"What aspects of yourself have been most difficult to accept or integrate?"

"How do you recognize when you're projecting your own disowned qualities onto others?"

"What parts of your family history do you find yourself most resistant to examining?"

"In what situations do you notice yourself shifting into defensive or reactive patterns?"

"How has your understanding of human darkness evolved through your experiences?"

6. Systems Thinking Questions

These questions explore how the subject understands complex systems:

"How do you balance seeing both individual responsibility and systemic factors in social problems?"

"What recurring patterns have you noticed in dysfunctional systems, whether family systems or larger institutions?"

"When you envision more effective systems for helping vulnerable people, what principles guide your thinking?"

"How do you understand the relationship between micro-level interactions and macro-level system behavior?"

"What barriers do you see to implementing the kinds of systems you believe would be most helpful?"

7. Relationship and Connection Questions

These questions explore the subject's understanding of human relationships:

"What qualities do you most value in the relationships that have been supportive to you?"

"How has your approach to forming connections with others evolved over time?"

"What do you believe creates the conditions for healing within relationships?"

"How do you balance your need for autonomy with your desire for connection?"

"What patterns from your family of origin have you found most challenging to transcend in your own relationships?"

8. Future and Possibilities Questions

These questions explore the subject's vision for the future:

"If you had unlimited resources and support, what kind of impact would you want to have in the world?"

"What gives you hope when you consider the future despite having witnessed significant darkness?"

"How do you envision your relationship with your family evolving over time?"

"What kind of legacy would you like to create through your work and relationships?"

"What aspects of your potential do you feel are still waiting to be fully expressed?"

 

After finishing all of my detailed responses which took about 30 pages, I shared the document with the AI to see how it would evaluate  me along each line of development.

Cognitive line: Advanced (Yellow/Teal) - Highly developed systems thinking, metaperspectival awareness

Moral line: Advanced (Yellow/Teal) - Nuanced ethical reasoning that integrates multiple perspectives

Interpersonal line: Moderate (Orange/Green) - Understanding of relationship dynamics but practical challenges

Emotional line: Underdeveloped relative to cognitive (Orange with trauma disruptions) - Emotional self-regulation challenges

Identity line: Inconsistent (Green with trauma disruptions) - Ongoing identity integration challenges

Aesthetic line: Moderately developed (Orange/Green) - Appreciation for beauty and form, especially in structured systems

Somatic line: Underdeveloped (Purple/Blue with trauma disruptions) - Significant mind-body split

Spiritual line: Theoretical understanding exceeding direct experience (Orange/Green with Yellow theoretical understanding)

 

Here is the percentage breakdown.

Purple (Magical-Animistic)

Estimated presence: 5-10%

Red (Power-Gods)

Estimated presence: 5-10%

Blue (Traditional-Mythic)

Estimated presence: 10-15%

Orange (Modern-Rational)

Estimated presence: 20-25%

Green (Postmodern-Pluralistic)

Estimated presence: 25-30%

Yellow/Teal (Integrative)

Estimated presence: 20-25%

Turquoise (Holistic)

Estimated presence: 0-5%

The other online assessments ended up giving me a higher level of development, but I sensed that the tests were overestimating me because they seemed oversimplified. Some of these questions asked me to describe how my understanding of life evolved over time. Due to growing up in a chaotic environment, there were significant trauma disruptions such as those which led to me becoming more withdrawn in social situations.

Something that stands out to me is the gap between my cognitive and moral development compared to my somatic development. The mind body split is when I started prioritizing intellectual ideals over physical desires. Part of this leads to trauma being stored in my body, creating a disconnect between my theoretical understanding and my embodied emotional reality which is full of depression, anxiety, and other unpleasant experiences. I am scheduled to finally see a trauma therapist sometime next month. Hopefully that helps.

The AI also pointed out that I appeared to be operating off of extrinsic values which further complicates my understanding of purpose and identity. Some of my values focus on transcending my humanity, especially my physical and emotional nature which were disowned due to trauma. Some of these extrinsic values include achievement and helping others in the hopes of justifying my existence despite deep suffering. I have other approaches to purpose I could try though.

What do you think about this method of getting an assessment for developmental levels? Do you like these tailored questions and written responses more than the multiple choice questions? How else can I study myself as if I were a separate subject? Outside opinions seem to be unreliable unless I am being studied by an expert. I don't really trust my family's evaluation of me because they operate off of many projections and misguided assumptions when describing me.