OutOfService.com, created by Jeff Potter, has run personality and self-awareness tests since 1997. The tests are derived from scientific psychological research and the feedback provided to participants is based on statistical analyses of large amounts of data, unlike many other "tests" on the web.
Many of the tests on OutOfService have been developed in collaboration with several respected researchers and professors as parts of ongoing research. Most notably, Dr. Samuel Gosling of the University of Texas has provided thoughtful guidance and opportunities. [But any errors on the site are mine and mine alone! -Jeff] The site has been featured in everything from tabloids and underground zines to the New York Times, US News & World Report, CNN, the London Metro, the BBC, ABC News, Slashdot, and even the SciFi channel. In the first five years, the site has received many millions of unique visitors, and word continues to spread.
The feedback given to visitors like you is based on the average scores of tens of thousands of responses, taken from this same website. Your results are generalizations that show only how your responses compare to those of an average web surfer. We've done comparisons between traditional and web-based methodologies, and while differences do exist, they are very minor. This means that your results are good representations of your personality, in general.
We want to emphasize that we are talking about generalizations here, and these generalizations don't apply to all people. To illustrate, consider the generalization that men are generally taller than women. This does not mean that every man is taller than every woman. Instead, it means that, on average, men are taller than women. This same logic applies to the feedback that is given on this site: it generally describes your personality quite well, but if it doesn't fit, you may be an exception to the rule!
The name OutOfService can mean two things: a sign that something is in disrepair, or that the matter at hand has been done out of service for the benefit of all. Hopefully you will find the fun nature of the tests on this site to be thought-provoking and the results enlightening.
