#MetaYouthAre: Taking the Cube Test!!
The ‘Cube’ test is a projective (?) personality test, that uses a relatively simple set of questions to gauge and learn about someone’s personality in a short amount of time.
By using simple objects in a simple scenario as a platform for the subconcious to project on, we can learn a great deal about a person, including how they viewthemselves, their close relationships, and how they handle stressful situations.
First, we asked our participants to imagine a particular scenario:
Imagine that you are in a desert. You are not physically in the desert, but merely watching over the landscape like an omniscient being. There is nothing and no one around you.
Now imagine that in this desert, you see a cube. Describe it. What color is it? How big is it? What is it made of? Is it floating, or is it on the ground? Can you see through it?
Now along this cube, you see a ladder. Where is it in relation to the cube? Is it standing up on its own? Is it leaning on the cube? What is it made of? Is the ladder old or new? How many rungs are on the ladder? Are any of the rungs old or worn?
In addition to the cube, and the ladder, you now see a horse. Where is it in relation to the cube and the ladder? What does the horse look like? Is it old, young, or middle aged? Is there a saddle on the horse at all? Is it tied down in any way? Does the horse seem playful , cautious, etc. etc.?
Now picture some flowers. How many are there? Where are they in relation to the cube, the ladder, and the horse? What color are they? Are they bunched together, or apart?
And finally, imagine that a storm comes along. What kind of storm is it? Is it windy at all. How fast does it come? What happens? Does it reach the cube, ladder, horse, or flowers? If it does, what happens to them?
But what does everything mean?
Human beings as a species, are symbolic thinkers. By asking the participant to imagine a cube, and various other objects in this desert, we engage and actually interact with the subconcious. Any traits and attributes assigned to the cube and the other objects later on, are projected onto them from the subconious. Each of the objects are symbolic in nature and represent various aspects of their personality.
The cube symbolizes the self. The size indicates ego, position indicates wether they are a grounded person or a ‘dreamer’. Color can represent different traits they possess and the opacity of the cube correlates directly with how open they are. The material of the cube indicates how fragile or strong the person perceives themselves to be.
The ladder symbolizes their close relationships, be it friends, fmaily, or a mixture of both.
The condition of the ladder reflects how they feel about their current close relationships in their lives and wether they feel old, brand new, or somewhere in the middle.
The material of the ladder represents the overall strength of their close relationships.
The number of rungs on the ladder represent how many close relationships the person feels they have, and the condition of the rungs indicates how they feel about the relationship with some of them. For example, if the ladder is mostly new but has a few worn rungs it could indicate that they feel that most of their relationships are new and have potential, and that some of their older relationships are still reliable and older than the others.
The position of the ladder in relation to the cube indicates wether the person relies on those friendships and vice versa. For example, if the ladder is leaning on the cube, it means that the participant feels that their friends can rely on them.
The horse symbolizes the participant’s ideal partner. Qualities and attributes given to the horse are what the participant seeks in a potential partner. If there is a saddle present, it represents that the participant has more control in the relationship.
The flowers symbolize future children. The number of flowers represent how many the participant likely would want to have. The location of the flowers in relation to the cube, horse, and ladder indicates if they want their children to be closer to themselves, friends, or their partner. Colors can indicate preferred sex of the children, or even desirable traits they would want them to have.
The storm symbolizes stress and how the participant deals with it. If there is strong wind, it represents disorientation. How violent the storm is represents how they view their stress. If it’s more of a peaceful rainstorm it symbolizes that they view stress as something that isn’t so pressing. How fast the storm approaches represents how quickly they see stress coming upon them. How the storm affects the cube, ladder, horse, and flowers is how stress affects these aspects of the person’s life. For example, if the storm wipes everything away except for the cube it indicates that their stress can drive their friends family, potential partners, and future children away from them.