Methodology

How Your Self Atlas is made

No black box. Here's how each test is built, where the items come from, how we score, when we update, and where the evidence begins and ends.

Where the items come from

Each assessment starts from a construct well defined in the psychology literature (for example, the five broad factors, or Schwartz's theory of human values). From there, the items you answer have one of two origins:

Open, public-domain sources. Banks like IPIP (International Personality Item Pool) and O*NET, and public-domain scales such as the Rosenberg self-esteem scale — free to use and adapt.
Original items. When there's no suitable open source, we write our own items, explicitly mapped to the construct and its facet, in our own words.

Why we don't use commercial instruments. MBTI®, DiSC® and proprietary item sets are registered trademarks. We don't use them — nor their type names. Our models, type names and symbols are original and our own, even when anchored to the same public theories that inspired those products.

How we score and show the result

Transparent scores. Each answer adds points to a dimension; every test's “How it's calculated” section shows the ruler. No secret formula.
Continuous scales where they fit. We prefer showing intensity (percentages, ranges) over binary labels — truer to how traits actually spread.
No determinism. Results are a snapshot of the moment, not a verdict. Traits shift with context, life stage and the very act of answering.

Primary sources by topic

Each test cites its base. The main public-domain or academic references we rely on:

Five broad factors / traits: IPIP; Goldberg (1992); John & Srivastava (1999).
Career interests (RIASEC): O*NET Interest Profiler; Holland (1997).
Human values: Schwartz (1992), theory of basic values.
Self-esteem: Rosenberg scale (1965), public domain.
Motivation: Self-Determination Theory — Deci & Ryan (1985); Pink (2009).

Update policy

We revise content when the evidence or the wording calls for it — not on autopilot. Each page carries its reference year, and meaningful changes are dated. We don't aggregate or scrape third-party content.

Where the evidence begins and ends

Self-report tests have known limits: they depend on honesty and self-perception, are affected by mood and social-desirability bias, and some popular models have low test–retest reliability. We say so in each test because trust is built on transparency. Your Self Atlas is a tool for self-knowledge, not a diagnosis, and not a substitute for a formal psychological assessment by a licensed professional. If you're in distress, reach out to a professional; in a crisis, contact your local emergency services or a helpline directory such as findahelpline.com.

Who maintains it

Your Self Atlas is an independent project, maintained by Vinicius Fonseca. No affiliation with commercial personality instruments. Found an error or have a suggestion? Write to contact@yourselfatlas.com — reader corrections are welcome and credited where appropriate.

By Vinicius Fonseca · Content anchored in open and academic sources · Updated July 2026

See it in practice

Every test shows its own scientific basis and how it's calculated.

See the tests →