Yes, there’s a real test. Yes, it’s legit. Yes, it’s weird that it exists. The psychometric test in question is called The Nerdy Personality Attributes Scale, and it was developed to objectively quantify nerdiness. (We assume the scientists who designed the scale scored very, very high.) Since “nerd” is essentially an objective social label, designing the test involved surveying a very large pool of nerds and asking them which personality attributes they possess. In other words, the scale can estimate how similar your child’s personality is to that of the average person who identifies as a nerd. It’s shockingly instructive.
Meet The Nerdy Personality Attributes Scale
Ask your child to answer the following 26 questions with either Disagree (1), Neutral (3), or Agree (5). The average score is 50. Any higher than that—and your kid might just be a nerd.
Well, You Have A Nerdy Kid. Now What?
First, rejoice. Some of the greatest minds (not to mention billionaires) would have scored pretty darn high on the Nerdiness Scale, too. But with great nerdiness comes great responsibility. Because of your nerdy kid’s dispositions, studies suggest they may be more likely to be bullied. In small doses, a little ribbing isn’t worth worrying about. But if the bullying becomes sustained and starts affecting your child’s emotional health, you may have to intervene. Besides speaking to teachers and adults who can control potential bullies, experts suggest promoting positive body language in order to make your child a less inviting target, coaching your kid to walk away from confrontation, and rehearsing appropriate responses to bullies. There are also studies that suggest some natural-born nerds — especially young women — intentionally underperform in school so as not to be perceived as nerdy. It would be a tragedy to see your math whiz flunk calculus due to social pressures, so make sure to reinforce the nerdiness at home. There’s nothing uncool about a free ride to college. Right, dad?
