It all began when a dating site called her in to ask her, what makes us fall in love? Fisher didn’t know it then, but this question would prompt her to create the first personality test that was based not on linguistics but rather chemicals in the brain, leading to a better understanding of how our biology shapes our personality. Once you answer the questions, the test tells you which chemicals are more dominant in your brain and, subsequently, what your personality is like as a result. To study the validity of the test, Fisher had people take the questionnaire and then get MRI scans on their brains. Sure enough, people who showed estrogen dominance in the questionnaire, for example, consistently had more activity in brain regions linked with empathy and social skills. People who scored high on the serotonin scale showed activity in the part of the brain linked with social norm conformity. “I’ll never forget that moment, looking at that data,” Fisher says, “and thinking, I’ve snuck into Mother Nature’s kitchen and found some basic patterns of human behavior.” Below are the four temperament suites according to the Fisher Temperament Inventory. People will often have two of the four that are more pronounced, Fisher adds, so you could be a Negotiator/Explorer, or Builder/Director. But mainly, the test serves as a way to help understand why you (and even your friends or loved ones) are the way you are. “It’s important to understand who you are,” she says, “but it’s important to understand who you are not.” In additional research, Fisher has found that those with dopamine dominance typically prefer to date people who are also dopamine dominant. Those high on the serotonin scale usually prefer partners who are also high on the serotonin scale. Directors and Negotiators typically choose each other for romantic partners. Again, Negotiators and Directors usually go for each other romantically. That’s because most personality questionnaires are built from linguistic studies, which are not really possible to scientifically “test.” The FTI is unique because the MRI research showed they were able to measure the questionnaire results and brain imaging matching up. Of course, whether you swear by the FTI, your Myers-Briggs type, your horoscope, or any other “type” assessment out there, it comes down to what resonates with you and helps you better understand yourself.
