Glossary
True Colors Test
What is the True Colors Test?
The True Colors Test is part of the True Colors personality-description and training system. It uses four colors—Blue, Green, Orange, and Gold—to discuss personality preferences. The provider traces the system to Don Lowry in 1978 and Keirsey's temperament ideas.
What do the True Colors personality colors mean?
In the provider’s descriptions, Blue emphasizes relationships, Green emphasizes analysis, Orange emphasizes action, and Gold emphasizes organization. The official color overview also says that people have a mix of colors. These labels describe the True Colors personality test system; they are not four exhaustive natural categories of people.
How is the True Colors Test used?
Programs use color descriptions to discuss self-perceptions and communication in personal development, teams, education, and leadership training. Those are intended uses, rather than proof that the test improves career choices, relationships, learning, or productivity.
The assessment uses relative choices among descriptions. Its scores should not simply be read as four independent trait quantities.
What evidence is available?
A 2021 report from the Assessment Standards Institute, distributed by the provider, evaluated 10,000 company-submitted records. It examined correlations among the color scores and concluded that the pattern met its stated construct-validity criteria.
This is evidence about the score relationships examined in that report. It is not a randomized test of workshop outcomes.
Shortcomings and criticisms
- Oversimplification: A color description can leave out important differences between people. Avoid treating a color as a complete explanation of someone's personality.
- Reliability and validity: Ask what the specific study measured. The cited score-correlation report should not be used to claim proven test-retest stability or better decisions.
- Commercial claims: A provider-distributed report does not establish every advertised benefit. Judge the claim against the study.
Why it matters
A memorable description can start a conversation. It should not end the investigation into what a person is like or what would suit them.