Are You a Herbivore or a Carnivore | Explore Your Survival Strategy and Competitive Style

1. What is the 'herbivore / carnivore' personality?

This test is not about dietary preference; it borrows a biological metaphor to describe people's behavioral strategies and psychological tendenciesin workplace, social, and resource competition.

The concept originates from social psychology research on 'Promotion Focus' and 'Prevention Focus' (Higgins, 1997), as well as evolutionary psychology observations of differences in competitive strategies.

• 'Carnivore type': leaning toward proactive strikes, seizing resources, and establishing advantage in competition; more focused on 'winning' and 'gaining opportunities'.
• 'Herbivore type': leaning toward steady defense, maintaining stability, and seeking security in cooperation; more focused on 'not making mistakes' and 'long-term survival'.

2. The psychology behind it

This test mainly draws on the following two classic theoretical frameworks:

• Regulatory Focus Theory: proposed by psychologist E. Tory Higgins, who holds that people pursue goals with two basic orientations— a promotion focus (concerned with growth and gains) and a prevention focus (concerned with safety and responsibility).
• Social Dominance Orientation (SDO): a measure of how much an individual accepts hierarchy and resource distribution between groups; high scorers lean more toward competition and dominance.

We fuse these two theories, using behavioral scenarios rather than direct questions, to assess your 'survival strategy type'.

3. The five assessment dimensions of this test

The test has 18 questions, revolving around the following five core dimensions:

• Resource acquisition style: When opportunities are limited, do you compete for them or wait for allocation?
• Conflict response strategy: In a disagreement, do you confront it head-on or avoid and compromise?
• Risk tolerance: In uncertain environments, do you dare to take risks or play it safe?
• Social proactivity: In a group, do you set the pace or follow and coordinate?
• Goal-drive mode: Do you care more about 'doing your best' or 'staying stable'?

4. Who is this test for?

This test suits anyone who wants to understand their behavior in competitive environments, especially:

• Professionals job hunting, seeking promotion, or facing career choices
• People hoping to understand their role within a team
• People curious about 'strong and weak ties' in interpersonal interactions
• People hoping to optimize their strategies for competing and cooperating

5. Scoring and interpretation

Each question scores 1–5, from 'passive/conservative' to 'active/assertive'. Based on the weighted scores of the five dimensions, the system assigns you one of three typical survival strategy types and offers targeted behavioral advice and directions for development.