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Keywords:: Isocrat.org, Scot, Astrology | ||||||||
To be blunt, it is difficult to even imagine that human destiny could be set at birth, even in part, by the position of stars with light and gravity insignificant compared to a lamp in the hospital's delivery room. I guess I'm like a Virgo that way... On the other hand, I don't absolutely discount the possibility that astrology my have some small predictive power. I can think of a number of ways in which a baby's birth month could affect their destiny (e.g. seasonal weather patterns, foods, illnesses). For example, research has shown a relationship between births during harvest periods, when parents must attend to their work more than their children, to life expectancy (the effect of course has diminished as fewer humans harvest these days). Nevertheless, not even that evidence is convincing enough for something taken so seriously by a good deal of the population. To address this topic, I created the Inverse Astrology Test. Below I will answer some of the questions this test has generated in its previous incarnations.
- Why pick on astrology?
- Why are you using a self-assessment? Wouldn't a personality test be better?
- What is the value of the statistical results?
- Are you cheating with the math or matching the predicted to the reported sun sign?
- Isn't trying to convert an ardent astrologist pointless?
I hope this test doesn't come off as pointless bullying, as picking on others when we could just leave their faith and the resulting good feelings be. I am sure the belief in astrology feels innocuous enough and so even questioning it, let alone criticizing, could seem like pointless mean-spiritedness. Due to the nature of any belief without or in spite of evidence, though, astrology is not harmless in its more extreme practices. I have heard astrology used in the general public, and it usually strikes me as a bit dangerous. Some decide who they can date, limiting their choices and sometimes using it as an excuse to end a relationship. Some use it to explain away character problems, putting them into a category where they are inevitable and pointless to addressed. Some make financial decisions, or governmental decisions based on star locations, making what is most likely a useless consideration, paramount. I have heard people even question the choice to have children of a particular sign, going into the most important relationship of their lives with a preconceived model, and an anticipation of problems (this example was actually the impetus for the Inverse Astrology Test). Such assumptions can do real harm.
To be clear, like any faith, I don't think astrology is all negative, at the very least it is a good way to get people to open up and talk about themselves and their relationships. If it is not, though, taken as a meaningless game, the problems that result should be addressed seriously. If you disagree, as always, go ahead and make your case.
Why are you using a self-assessment? Wouldn't a personality test be better?
When a credulous person reads a description of their personality based on their sun sign, in my experience, they go through and they pick up on some adjectives (such as ‘nurturing’), which they feel described them, and skip over the others. They notice all the adjectives they feel pertain to their personality, and, ignoring the misses, their faith in astrology is strengthened. It is a pernicious and general problem of humanity, present in everything from faith healing to homeopathy.
Most people read only their astrological description and accept it; they don’t go through and read them all, blinded to the categories, to see if one suits them better. On the Inverse Astrology Test the tables are turned and your self-evaluation is used to place you into an astrological category, instead of being forced to fit the category given to you by birth. This way a willingness to deceive yourself may be made evident (well, 11 in 12 chance; the other 1 in 12 will become astrologists, my apologies.). In this way the real value of this test is found primarily in its one-time use by an individual; the statistical results cannot really give any solid conclusions for reasons described below. The test simply has to be a self-evaluation and it has to be based on the same type of simple descriptions that are found in various astrology books and sites to function in this fashion.
What is the value of the statistical results?
Other than simply being interesting for me to look at? The statistical results speak little to the truth or falsehood of astrology for many reasons. Most any web test is subject to unacceptable tampering. It is a small matter to find out what personality questions should affect what signs and repeatedly fill out the test accordingly, particularly since I've clearly posted the methods. Again the value of the test is found on an individual basis.
Are you cheating with the math or matching the predicted to the reported sun sign?
You can see for yourself in the methods section or by playing with the test (please, not too much though, or it makes the meaningless statistics even more meaningless). There may be nonsensical results when, say, all scores are the same, and that could easily be remedied with a couple if statements, but that is only the case when most of the questions are unanswered, it's a trivial result, and it says nothing about the math. I have tried to be as up front with this as possible.
Isn't trying to convert an ardent astrologist pointless?
Probably. I am sure no internet test would satisfy a professional astrologist, considering the seemingly infinite possible explanations presented by the locations of our many celestial bodies. If it's not the sun sign, it's the rising sign. Where was the moon? Jupiter? Jupiter's moons?.. Maybe a better test would give multiple birth dates, times, and places and ask the professional to match them with people who's personality test results were randomly presented. Nevertheless, sun signs are where it starts, and they are the most widespread tool in the astrological faith. If I could cause doubt in that faith, only in a couple casual astrologists, the test has done a passable job by my measure.
Besides, in the least, it can be just another silly and distracting internet test, with no serious mission.
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isocrat > scot > webtoys > astrology > inv_astro_reasons
Created: 2008-08-10; Last Edited: 2008-08-10; (ID394)