桌面物品的摆放方式可揭示人格特征

你的桌面是乱七八糟还是整洁干净？英国一项心理学研究显示，桌上物品的摆放方式可以揭示人格特征。环境心理学家构思出了五种不同的“书桌人格类型”。那么你属于哪种呢？是内向极简型、还是惬意杂乱型？

 

Are you the kind of person whose desk is alwa­­ys spick and span? Or is it a bit of a mess? How you organise¹ your working space can say a lot about you. In fact, environmental psychologist Lily Bernheimer developed five distinct "desk personality types" in a study commissioned by UK co-working firm Headspace Group. Which of them best reflects you?

 

First up: are you "the clutterer"? Clutter² means mess – and Bernheimer says a clutterer's desk is likely to be colourful, chaotic³ and covered in trinkets. These people are usually more extroverted⁴ and welcoming, and love being at the "crossroads" of the office. The hitch⁵ is that they're often too busy to tidy up after themselves!

 

Or perhaps you're "the minimalist"? A polar opposite to the clutterer, the minimalist has nothing unneccessary on his or her desk. These workers are often highly conscientious⁶ and disciplined, if a little cautious. But Bernheimer says this does not necessarily mean they're introverts⁷ – they just love structure.

 

Type three is "the expander". Personal space is very important to them, and it creeps ever outwards⁸, even if this is not a consciously aggressive act. Berheimer says: "They may try to claim more and more territory for themselves by moving their coffee cup and their sandwich out further and further."

 

"The personaliser" is our fourth type, and it’s quite self-explanatory. These people customise their space with photos, mementos⁹ and personal objects. "A simple, stylish¹⁰ or unusual workspace tells people that you’re high in the trait called 'openness', which means you're likely to be high in creativity, intellectuality and openness to new experience," says Bernheimer.

 

And finally, there's "the surveyor". These people feel insecure in the middle of the office, and seek out the quieter corners. From an evolutionary¹¹ perspective, looking for well-protected spots from which to keep an eye out for potential threats makes sense. Surveyors are often introverted, but also highly productive and creative, if given the space and support they need.

 

Whichever type you are, making personal statements through presentation is deep in our nature, says Sam Gosling, professor of psychology¹² at the University of Texas: "One of the reasons physical spaces, including one's office desks, can be so revealing is that they're essentially¹³ the crystallisation of a lot of behaviour over time."

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