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Personality Indicator Test - Any Validity?

CSX2

New Blood
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I am going to an executive management off-site course that will last six weeks. As part of the pre-course activities I was asked to complete a Myer-Briggs Personality Indicator survey. I've done similar versions of these things in the past and found them to be useless. This one had about 60 or 70 questions with two possible responses to each. You are directed to answer quickly without thinking. A test that tells you not to think! I imagine that when we get to class they results will have been analyzed and we will all have been labled on a four quadrant chart as passive, aggressive, proactive, reactive, Type A, Type B, introvert, extrovert etc.

Does any one know of any studies that show the validity of this type of analysis? It seems almost impossible to evaluate since the results are so subjective. Has any one found these to be useful?
 
From what I remember, this is basically an extension of Jung's work. I question its validity.

I thought it was hilarious when I heard of it - just try to simplify MY personality that much! Then I took one (under protest) and when it was evaluated I was told that I hadn't answered honestly and completely, because my scores indicated traits that were all over the map. I just laughed and said well, the test is more accurate than I thought it was.

My personal opinion is that it's complete BS and possibly dangerous because of the potential for abuse. Maybe SOME people's personalities are that simple, but some certainly aren't.
 
Here's the link to the Skeptic's Dictionary:

http://skepdic.com/myersb.html


In my opinion: Mostly harmless. Useless. A waste of time. If you can bite your tongue through it, harmless.

Sometimes used to discriminate. I know someone who requires her job applicants to take it. I'd sue her if I tried to get a job from her.
 
My opinion as an future social psychologist:

ppppppbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbblt.

Myers-Briggs is right up there with horoscopes, if you ask me. I usually test on MB as an INTJ. Fine, I've read the INTJ description, it describes me pretty well. But so do many of the other personality descriptions!

The problem with personality measures in general is that they aren't very good at predicting people's actual behaviour. So when you read a personality description, you can almost certainly remember instances when you behaved in the manner described. Personality tests leave out a really important variable - the situation. Our behaviour is influenced by personality, but it is also influenced by the situation. For example, I'm basically an introvert. However, when the situation calls for it, I can behave like an extravert.

And I don't really see the value in these types of tests anyway. OK, so you find out you're an INTJ, or whatever. What the heck are you supposed to do with that information? Should we all wander around with our personality types pinned to our shirts so that people can change their interactions with us (and I know of at least one company where that actually happened)? "Well, George is a Sensitive, we'd better not promote him, you know how those Sensing types are!"

Blech.
 
I don't know of any research esttablishing their 'validity', but I do find them useful to a limited extent. It is helpful to understand that there are people out there who are simply not like me.
 
I question the "validity" also, but remember the test is not "science set in stone". It is used to type-set your personality as accurately (which in the Myers-Brigs test means 70 - 230 questions long) as possible. As far as I'm concerned, this test is a mini-psycological analysis based on empirical study.

The purpose of the test is for bosses to choose potential employees based on diversity. Its based on the study that shows employees from all different personality backgrounds tend to make companies more successful.

Finally, take the test. They wont give you a job if dont take the test.
 
Yahweh said:
I question the "validity" also, but remember the test is not "science set in stone". It is used to type-set your personality as accurately (which in the Myers-Brigs test means 70 - 230 questions long) as possible. As far as I'm concerned, this test is a mini-psycological analysis based on empirical study.

The purpose of the test is for bosses to choose potential employees based on diversity. Its based on the study that shows employees from all different personality backgrounds tend to make companies more successful.

Finally, take the test. They wont give you a job if dont take the test.
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What evidence is there that these are the correct bins to stuff people into?
 
I did one of these and one similar some years ago, straight up and honestly, and both produced results that were wildly dissimilar from both each other and myself as I and my colleagues know me. :con2:

More recently, I bothered the "junior psychologists" because I filled the forms out but added statistically significant blips (answer similar cross-reference questions radically differently) which gave them brain-ache. The older, more wise psychologist laughed and told me to stop messing with them! We got on well. (I was being evaluated for a management position, not being shrunk.)

They are a seive for snarks. The psychologists should be talking with you if they mean it.
 
Zep said:

More recently, I bothered the "junior psychologists" because I filled the forms out but added statistically significant blips (answer similar cross-reference questions radically differently) which gave them brain-ache. The older, more wise psychologist laughed and told me to stop messing with them! We got on well. (I was being evaluated for a management position, not being shrunk.)
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Being an INTJ, I hate it when they ask repetitive questions. ;)

Also, being a scientist influences my answers. When they ask questions like "which is more important, data or theory", it seems like a totally clueless question to me.
 
Sorry for the delay in replying-- just noticed this thread.

Personality in general is a valid predictor of job performance and should be used in selecting employees (but see below). The MBTI, specifically, however is not a very good test.

I teach organizational behavior and human resource management. I always end discussion of the MBTI by stating: "Do not use this test for any employment decisions (hiring, firing, promotion). If it ever created adverse impact, you would likely not be able to show the test is valid. If you insist on using it (as it's very popular) call it career development to cover your butts.

The key problem with this test is that it's based on a type model of personality (versus a trait model, like the NEO).

Type models of personality state that you're either black or white-- an extravert or an intravert-- there's no in between.

Trait models characterize personality on a continuum.

E------------------------I

Where on the extraversion / intraversion continuum does each person fall?

The problem with type models is that they produce scores that are hard to work with statistically. The data are just nominal (your an S or a T) and forced choice (you must pick one or the other statement that best describes you). Trying to show that scores on the MBTI predict job performance (i.e., are valid) is nearly impossible statistically given the way the test is scored (with trait models, conversely, it's easy to use regression as the data are continuous).

I would tell them that you have problems with the validity of the MBTI.

Ask them how they would defend it were it to create adverse impact.

Further, ask them why they aren't using the NEO which is probably the most researched / valid personality test out there.

There are literally 100's of studies that look at the relationship between the NEO factors and job performance, even several meta analyses.

Hands down, conscientiousness is the best predictor (r's = .20 to .30) with agreeableness being the worst predictor, and extraversion being the best predictor for managers and sales people.

I'd bet a 5 minute measure of extraversion or conscientiousness would better predict what they want than the entire MBTI.

The beauty of personality is even though the validities are relatively weak, they add incremental variance to IQ.

Give me 12 minutes-- five minutes for you to complete the short form NEO conscientiousness scale, and 7 minutes for you to complete the Wonderlic IQ test-- and I'd bet money I could more accurately assess who's manager material than the whole assessment center / battery of garbage they're subjecting you to.
 
My suggestion is to put yourself in a good and happy mood before taking it. Roll with the punches and don't think about it much. If you have to think, think about what a good natured person would answer if they were happy to take the test.

Is it deceitful? Who can really lie on these things? If you feel it at the time, it's the truth. About as true as those tests can get.

However, I have a theory that if many of these tests are taken that are all designed on different paradigms, some useful information could be gleened.
 
I just did one of the silly tests on emode. There were questions like

Most of the time, your workspace is:

Immaculate. Everything is in its proper place

Pretty neat. I can find everything I need quickly

Somewhat messy, but I know which piles to look in when I need to find things

Messy. I keep a lot of clutter around me
________________________________________________

When reading about something new, do you prefer to:

Become an expert on one aspect of it

Learn a little bit about everything related to it
______________________________________________

When making decisions, it's better to:

Go with my gut

Go with the facts
_________________________________________________

What if it depends on the situation? I find the questions hard to answer quickly


I find I generally agree with results I get, but I do put a lot of thought into my answers. What if someone isn't being honest and just choosing answers they think would put them in the 'best light'?

The results are flattering, but how accurate are they?

ISTJ

That means that based on the standard measure of personality traits, you have a quiet determination and sharp mind — you're very focused and buckle down when it comes to work. You are the type of person one looks to in a crisis. While others may provide emotional support in a situation, your clear and logical thinking allows you to solve the problem at hand.

You are adaptable and can work independently or on a team. You are a careful thinker and get all the details before making any decisions. You don't jump to conclusions and stick with the facts provided. In other words, you're the go-to person for the real story, not the spin or gossip. While others may view you as a bit stubborn at times, they begrudgingly respect your ethics and straightforward approach.

The reason employers and recruiters might be on the lookout for you is that only about 7% of the U.S. population shares the unique characteristics of your personality type. Research shows that businesses succeed when employers create a good balance of personality types in the office. And since only 7% of the U.S. population shares your type, that means employers are looking for you.
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http://www.emode.com/tests/classiccareer/
 
Silicon, thanks for the link. Very informative.

Fortunately the test I took is for the training session only and will not be used in any job related actions. This training is probably going to be a workshop type environment where we are split into teams and assigned tasks. I imagine they will use the MTBI to determine the make-up of the teams. In the pre-course material there were exercises where the student was assigned a team and each team member had a biography with personality traits included. This was followed by a quiz where you have to match particular tasks to particular people based on the bio info. Pretty much a waste of time.

Funny thing about this course. It has a module dedicated to critical thinking followed closely by the MTBI module.

In case any one is wondering, this is a Dept. of Defense training course.

I confess that after reading ahead in the MTBI questions (contrary to instructions) I decided against investing 45 minutes to the test and quickly marked all questions with the first answer option. Maybe they'll analyze me as an ISUT (Inpatient, Skeptical, Uncooperative, Troublemaker).

Thanks for all the responses!
 
Urban legend?

I heard an amusing little story which unfortunately I can't confirm concerning Timothy Leary and personality tests. Supposedly he was involved in designing one of these things used for evaluating prisoners. Later on, after his arrest on some drug-related charge, they gave him the test he helped design to decide where to put him. So he answered the questions so they'd put him in a minimum security prison, and he was able to basically just walk out of the place. Might just be an urban legend though.
 
If they use personality tests to determine where prisoners should be instead of having the punishment determined by the severity of the crime, then I think the justice system has really gone down the toilet this time:(
 
Eos of the Eons said:
If they use personality tests to determine where prisoners should be instead of having the punishment determined by the severity of the crime, then I think the justice system has really gone down the toilet this time:(
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I don't think that's always the case, but if it's a choice between minimum security prison and low security prison, for example, the choice is probably going to have a lot to do with what you think the risk is they'll try to break out, not just the severity of what they did. Again, it could be a myth, and I'm not sure a personality test is the way to determine something like that, but it's certainly not just a mater of the crime they commited.
 
Can anyone tell me what the letters ISTJ mean when it comes to personality tests? I know I is introvert. If I had an E it would mean extrovert. That's all I know

:confused:
 
I/E - Introvert/Extravert
S/N - Sensing/Intuiting
T/F - Thinking/Feeling
J/P - Judging/Perceiving

So there are 16 different possible combinations. ENTJ, ISFP, etc etc. This is the Myers-Briggs type indicator.

Although anyone looking at MB should really read the skepdic entry. Says everything I want to say and more clearly than I'd probably manage it!

skepdic entry on Myers-Briggs.
 
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