Frequently Asked Question

WOW Factors India (FAQ)

1. How valid is the NBI™ ?
2. Who is Kobus Neethling?
3. How reliable is NBI?
4. What about more personal applications?
5. So Whole Brain Thinking can apply to education too?
6. How do you score the NBI® to produce the profile?
7. Does my profile change over time?
8. What is the scope of learning and development after conduction of the Thinking Preference Profile and the Personality Inventory?

1. How valid is the NBI™ ?
   The NBI® was developed after extensive International research since 1980 on left/right brain functions. Kobus Neethling under the research guidance of Prof. Paul Torrance of the University of Georgia, first developed the NBI® for adults before applying similar methodologies (as explained in the research documents) to develop a number of other whole brain instruments. More than 200,000 adults and children from a number of countries have been profiled by means of the NBI®.
   
2. Who is Kobus Neethling?
   As the creator of the Neethling Brain Instruments (NBI®), Kobus Neethling received worldwide recognition for the contribution these instruments have made towards unique insights into the self, creativity and change. He is also the author of more than 70 books and has written and presented many television series.He is also the founder and Director of the South African Creativity Foundation and the Kobus Neethling Group. He holds 6 University degrees (Cape Town, Potchefstroom and Georgia USA), including two Master’s Degrees, a Doctorate and Post Doctorate (Cum Laude) on the identification and development of Creative Behavior. He is an award winning, internationally renowned speaker in the field of creativity. He was included in the 500 Leaders of Influence by the American Biographical Institute.
3. How reliable is NBI?
   One of the measures we use for reliability in testing is the test/re-test reliability factor.  This measures the likelihood of a result being repeated by the same person after a specific interval.  The test/re-test reliability of the NBI® as researched in July 2004 with an 8 month interval between tests was as follows for each quadrant in The NBI® profile:
   L1   0.851
   L2….0.840
   R1….0.867
   R2   0.918
4. What about more personal applications?
   On a personal level the NBI® can help with understanding partners, improving family relationships, developing better understanding and reducing conflict. The two NBI® student instruments can help with subject and career choices at an early stage and increase the likelihood of personal success and satisfaction.
5. So Whole Brain Thinking can apply to education too?
   Most certainly! A number of schools have had great success with adopting whole brain teaching and learning strategies. The possibility of combining the results from the teachers, students, and parenting NBI® profiles is currently being considered by a number of forward thinking schools.
6. How do you score the NBI® to produce the profile?
   There are a number of advantages to completing and scoring the NBI®. There is no need for any special software and you won’t be tied to one scoring computer. In fact the NBI® can be completed on-line and the results produced and the profiles printed from ANY computer ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD which has access to the Internet and a color printer available.
7. Does my profile change over time?
   This depends on the individual. It is quite possible and perfectly natural for people to change their view of the world as they grow older, particularly if they have changed jobs, partners, countries or personal beliefs. The latest research suggests that our social environments can influence everything from cardiovascular function to genetic expression, immune activity, disease, personality disorders, trauma, and possibly even genetic constitution.
8. What is the scope of learning and development after conduction of the Thinking Preference Profile and the Personality Inventory?
   The NBI® is a measure of thinking preference, presenting the results as a profile in 4 quadrants, with each quadrant Divided between two dimensions. Thinking preferences and personality are different constructs, with the basic differences best explained by looking at the pyramid or ‘iceberg’ diagram below :
   The black line is the water line – with most of the iceberg below the water.  Most of our human characteristics are also hidden from view.  Just our behavior is visible above the water line.  As well as being instantly observable, behavior is also instantly changeable – you can stop doing one thing and start another. As you go down the chart – deeper under the water – the characteristics become more fixed.  For example, most psychologists and researchers seem to agree (roughly!) that around 70 to 80% of thinking preference is environmentally determined, with only 20 to 30% being hereditary. Personality would also seem to be more ‘fixed’ than thinking preferences. As you can also see from the chart, thinking preference is closer to and therefore has a more immediate impact on behavior which leads to lots of scope for development. Given that thinking preferences are more changeable and more closely related to behavior the NBI® would therefore be the better choice in a learning environment. Whereas in a Personality Inventory there is only an assessment there is no scope of learning and development within the inventory.