The Instinctual Variants Questionnaire
(version 2.0, June 2003)
Note: The Instinctual Variants is an advanced topic for those already familiar with the Enneagram and their Enneagram type. If you do not know your Enneagram personality type, we recommend taking our most popular online Enneagram personality test before exploring this topic. Your IVQ results will be more detailed.
The Instinctual Variants Questionnaire (IVQ)
We recommend that you know your Enneagram personality type before taking the IVQ. Although you do not need to know your Enneagram type to take the IVQ, if you provide it you will be given more information about the interaction between your type and your dominant Instinct. If you need to determine your Enneagram personality type, we recommend taking our most popular online Enneagram personality test before taking the IVQ.
The Instinctual Variants Questionnaire (IVQ), is a forced-choice psychological test with 25 sets of 3 statements each. In each set of statements you are to choose one statement that is most like you and another which is least like you. The test will then determine your "Instinctual Stack", or the three instincts ordered from your most developed Instinct to your least developed Instinct. The IVQ usually takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. To take the test later, please
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Introduction to the Three Instincts
The three Instincts (often erroneously called "the subtypes") are a part of our personality that is extremely important for understanding ourselves and others. A major aspect of human nature lies in our instinctual "hard wiring" as biological beings. We are each endowed with specific instinctual intelligences that are necessary for our survival as individuals and as a species. We each have a Self-Preservation Instinct (for preserving the body and its life and functioning), a Sexual Instinct (for extending ourselves in the environment and through the generations), and a Social Instinct (for getting along with others and forming secure social bonds).
While we have all three Instincts in us, one of them is the dominant focus of our attention and behavior—the set of attitudes and values that we are most attracted to and comfortable with. We each also have a second Instinct that is used to support the dominant Instinct, as well as a third Instinct that is the least developed—a real blind spot in our personality and our values. Which Instinct is in each of these three places—most, middle, and least developed—produces what we call our "Instinctual Stack" (like a three-layer cake) with your dominant Instinct on top, the next most developed Instinct in the middle, and the least developed on the bottom). We believe that the Instinctual Stack develops in childhood and remains fairly constant throughout life. However, extraordinary situations such as dramatic changes in your relationships, career, or health can temporarily produce a shift in your Instinctual Stack.
The Instincts play a major role in our relationships and in how we view all of life’s activities since they are the central clusters of values and attitudes that drive us and all of our behaviors. While the Instincts are independent of personality type, they impact our type in such a fundamental way that they also must be taken into account for understanding anyone.
Regarding relationships, if two people have the same dominant Instinct in their Stacks, they are much more likely to get along easily since their basic values and outlook on life are congruent. Conversely, if the dominant Instinct for one person is the least developed Instinct for the second person, there are likely to be tensions and conflicts due to their opposite values and priorities. For example, one person may have Self-Preservation Instinct as their dominant Instinct while the other person may have Self-Preservation as their least developed Instinct. Misunderstandings and conflicts would likely arise since their values and concerns are so different. This (and other patterns of Instinctual Stack pairings) are important not just in intimate relationships, but in friendships, parenting, and business relationships. For more about relationships, see the 45 Type Compatibilities, and our Enneagram books, particularly the third edition of Discovering Your Personality Type.
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