Ongoing research

In the coming years, we will validate the HPEI in other languages. The English version is currently being tested following validation of the French and Dutch versions. The questions are the same in all languages in order to achieve symmetry of the tool, so enabling research to be conducted on very large sample populations. The questions are translated by people with not only knowledge of the language but also of the Enneagram, the translation necessarily being affected by the translator's Type.

As we have a sufficient number of conducted questionnaires, we will introduce standardised scores. Since the different Types respond on a Lickert scale in the questionnaire (1 to 5) with variable weightings. For example, a response of 4 (on a scale of 1 to 5) to a given question does not necessarily have the same weight depending on which Type is answering. Some Types do in fact tend to give higher scores for the questions. Research on standardisation enables us to convert the raw score into a standard score based on the reference population studied. Which also enables us to substantially refine interpretation and analysis of the results.

One of the advantages of the tools is being able to verify their predictivity. In very simple terms, predictivity expresses the practical advantage of using the instrument. We have already observed this with the HPEI in relation to the field of team roles and orientation. We will be launching further research looking at crossovers of the Enneagram with leadership styles. For this, we will use the "Transformational Leadership Behaviour Scale" developed by Podsakoff and MacKenzie. We should find significant links between the leadership styles and the 9 Types.

As is the case with all good tools, we will publish a manual in the course of 2011. It will summarise Enneagram theory, the various studies and psychometric research projects, case analyses and procedures for interpreting HPEI results. It will be presented at various conferences, so helping establish the tool's scientific credibility.

Apart from theoretical research, we are implementing research projects with more directly operational targets. Take the field of therapy and coaching for example. Linkage between given tasks in short term therapy and the use of resources relating to the Enneagram configuration of a person proves to be very promising. For work on beliefs, the crossover between the Enneagram and a therapy such as EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is particularly effective. There are innumerable spheres of application for the Enneagram. We will gradually set up research groups in a number of fields such as medical, educational, therapeutic, etc.