The Systemizing Quotient (SQ) | Science

 Posted on January 25, 2024  |  8 minutes  |  1700 words  |  Larita Shotwell

The Essential Difference front page | The Empathy Quotient (EQ) test

The Systemizing Quotient (SQ)
The Systemizing Quotient gives a score based on how interested you assess yourself to be in each of the following forms of systemizing. Systemizing is the drive to analyse and explore a system, to extract underlying rules that govern the behaviour of a system; and the drive to construct systems. Please read each of the following 60 statements very carefully and rate how strongly you agree or disagree with them by circling your answer. There are no right or wrong answers, or trick questions.

How to take the test
1. Print out this page and circle your answers.
2. Work out your SQ score using the points system explained at the bottom of this page.

1. When I listen to a piece of music, I always notice the way it's structured.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
2. I adhere to common superstitions.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
3. I often make resolutions, but find it hard to stick to them.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
4. I prefer to read non-fiction than fiction.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
5. If I were buying a car, I would want to obtain specific information about its engine capacity.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
6. When I look at a painting, I do not usually think about the technique involved in making it.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
7. If there was a problem with the electrical wiring in my home, I'd be able to fix it myself.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
8. When I have a dream, I find it difficult to remember precise details about the dream the next day.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
9. When I watch a film, I prefer to be with a group of friends, rather than alone.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
10. I am interested in learning about different religions.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
11. I rarely read articles or webpages about new technology.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
12. I do not enjoy games that involve a high degree of strategy.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
13. I am fascinated by how machines work.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
14. I make it a point of listening to the news each morning.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
15. In maths, I am intrigued by the rules and patterns governing numbers.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
16. I am bad about keeping in touch with old friends.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
17. When I am relating a story, I often leave out details and just give the gist of what happened.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
18. I find it difficult to understand instruction manuals for putting appliances together.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
19. When I look at an animal, I like to know the precise species it belongs to.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
20. If I were buying a computer, I would want to know exact details about its hard drive capacity and processor speed.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
21. I enjoy participating in sport.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
22. I try to avoid doing household chores if I can.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
23. When I cook, I do not think about exactly how different methods and ingredients contribute to the final product.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
24. I find it difficult to read and understand maps.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
25. If I had a collection (e.g. CDs, coins, stamps), it would be highly organised.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
26. When I look at a piece of furniture, I do not notice the details of how it was constructed.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
27. The idea of engaging in "risk-taking" activities appeals to me.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
28. When I learn about historical events, I do not focus on exact dates.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
29. When I read the newspaper, I am drawn to tables of information, such as football league scores or stock market indices.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
30. When I learn a language, I become intrigued by its grammatical rules.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
31. I find it difficult to learn my way around a new city.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
32. I do not tend to watch science documentaries on television or read articles about science and nature.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
33. If I were buying a stereo, I would want to know about its precise technical features.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
34. I find it easy to grasp exactly how odds work in betting.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
35. I am not very meticulous when I carry out D.I.Y.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
36. I find it easy to carry on a conversation with someone I've just met.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
37. When I look at a building, I am curious about the precise way it was constructed.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
38. When an election is being held, I am not interested in the results for each constituency.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
39. When I lend someone money, I expect them to pay me back exactly what they owe me.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
40. I find it difficult to understand information the bank sends me on different investment and saving systems.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
41. When travelling by train, I often wonder exactly how the rail networks are coordinated.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
42. When I buy a new appliance, I do not read the instruction manual very thoroughly.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
43. If I were buying a camera, I would not look carefully into the quality of the lens.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
44. When I read something, I always notice whether it is grammatically correct.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
45. When I hear the weather forecast, I am not very interested in the meteorological patterns.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
46. I often wonder what it would be like to be someone else.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
47. I find it difficult to do two things at once.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
48. When I look at a mountain, I think about how precisely it was formed.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
49. I can easily visualise how the motorways in my region link up.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
50. When I'm in a restaurant, I often have a hard time deciding what to order.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
51. When I'm in a plane, I do not think about the aerodynamics.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
52. I often forget the precise details of conversations I've had.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
53. When I am walking in the country, I am curious about how the various kinds of trees differ.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
54. After meeting someone just once or twice, I find it difficult to remember precisely what they look like.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
55. I am interested in knowing the path a river takes from its source to the sea.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
56. I do not read legal documents very carefully.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
57. I am not interested in understanding how wireless communication works.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
58. I am curious about life on other planets.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
59. When I travel, I like to learn specific details about the culture of the place I am visiting.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree
60. I do not care to know the names of the plants I see.strongly agreeslightly agreeslightly disagreestrongly disagree

How to work out your SQ score
Score two points for each of the following items if you answered 'definitely agree' or one point if you answered 'slightly agree': 1, 4, 5, 7, 13, 15, 19, 20, 25, 29, 30, 33, 34, 37, 41, 44, 48, 49, 53, 55.

Score two points for each of the following items if you answered 'definitely disagree' or one point if you answered 'slightly disagree': 6, 11, 12, 18, 23, 24, 26, 28, 31, 32, 35, 38, 40, 42, 43, 45, 51, 56, 57, 60.

All other questions are not scored.

What your score means
On average women score about 24 and men score about 30.

0-19 = You have a lower than average ability for analysing and exploring a system.

20-39 = You have an average ability for analysing and exploring a system.

40-50 = You have an above average ability for analysing and exploring a system.

51-80 = You have a very high ability for analysing and exploring a system. Three times as many people with Asperger Syndrome score in this range, compared to typical men, and almost no women score this high.

What type of brain do you have?
Once you have worked out both your EQ and SQ scores, click here to work out what type of brain you have.

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