eDiscover DSS Designed by Chike Nzegwu, James Wong, and Joseph Hamilton

The problem Meeting people online is a tough process –Most websites are dating services only –Hard to tell if the person is real or pretending –Interests alone can’t tell if you fit with someone Other services attempt to match based on interests or predicted feelings

MBTI History MBTI is a personality identification test –Created by Katharine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Meyer –Based on philosophies of Carl Jung –Widely used for various purposes, such as: Employee selection Team counseling Placement

How MBTI Works 4 dimensional test –Introversion or Extroversion Where do you get your energy from? –Sensation or Intuition Do you focus on the actual or the possible ? –Thinking or Feeling Do you decide based on logic or value? –Perceiving or Judging Do you like structure or creativity?

How MBTI Works Each question measures a specific trait After all questions are answered, the value of each trait is weighed against it’s opposite There are 16 personality types: –ISTJ- ISTP –ISFJ- ISFP –INTJ- INTP –INFJ- INFP –ESTJ- ESTP –ESFJ- ESFP –ENTJ- ENTP –ENFJ- ENFP

Paper vs. Computer MBTI Paper –Longer questionnaire –Calculations must be done by hand –Error checking not present Computer –Questionnaire is short and easy to use –Personality calculations done automatically –Error checking prevents mistakes –Able to be ported for several applications

eDiscover DSS - Model Suggestion Model –User completes a short questionnaire based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator questionnaire –User’s personality type is determined –System “suggests” best personality types that match the user’s personality type.

eDiscover DSS - Database After the DSS model determines personality types that best match the user, the system searches the database of users for matches of those personality types. Database is populated manually in the current implementation, but will automatically populate in the future.

eDiscover DSS - Input The first step in the eDiscover DSS is capturing user information Only allowable ages are 1-99

eDiscover - Questions 7 questions per page, 21 questions overall Checkboxes stop user from attempting to select both answers User is not given indication of which trait the question measures

eDiscover – Personality Type After completing the questions, the results are tallied and each trait category is determined The result also brings up an explanation of the personality type, based on the Jung philosophies.

eDiscover – Personality Matches After the user’s personality type is discerned, the DSS model selects personality types that match. The matches are applied to the database to pick a list of compatible users.

eDiscover – User Match User information can be displayed in separate window, allowing users to see the age and gender of their matches. User can also see an image of the user.

eDiscover – Potential Applications Stand-alone system –Useful for UMBC team building –Placement in Shriver Center internships or programs Web application –Add-on to facebook.com or myspace.com to help introduce compatible users. –Possible component for Student Life system to acquaint new students at UMBC.

Questions?