Within 3 years, I have taken the Myers-Briggs test at least 5 times – every time I get the same result: ENFP (except that one time when I got ENTP).
The Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the most widely used assessment for career counselling4. Bratskeir (2016) and Fox (2016) argues that the MBTI is meaningless and only a form of entertainment like horoscopes or psychics. They draw upon a study indicating that half of the participants did not receive consistent classifications and the fact that the MBTI were created by two women who had no psychological background. They argue that personality is too dynamic and complex for the MBTI to classify within 16 personality types. 1, 3
Although we cannot expect the MBTI to be spot-on every time, scholars do suggest that there are general consistencies with the MBTI, that the MBTI can predict behaviour2, and that the MBTI is a valid measure of personality5. The MBTI is a way to allow for an empirical assessment of personality based on Carl Jung’s theory of personality (his theory consisted of terms and phrasing that were too ambiguous and ill-defined)2. However, the MBTI is not a predictor of which academic specialization an individual chooses but only because factors such as culture and education were not included in the study4.
I believe that Bratskier (2016) and Fox (2016) does not recognize that the MBTI does not solely identify a person with one trait or the other. The MBTI generalizes an individual’s type within each dimension, but also includes a detailed assessment on where one lies on the spectrum of the dimension. Looking at the conclusion is not enough if an individual wants a personality analysis of him- or herself – they will need to analyze the more detailed report. Explanations of inconsistencies in studies may be that a person has a high degree of Machiavellianism or self-monitoring: changes in behaviour and thought impacting their attitude, and hence their answers to the MBTI, because of environmental changes. Another possibility that has not been really identified is if certain personality types are more easily subjected to change.
Word count: 349
References
1 Bratskeir, K. (2016, February 10). The Myers-Briggs personality test doesn’t actually mean anything [Blog post]. Retrieved from The Huffington Post website: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/myers-briggs-personality-test-is-moot_us_56bb69abe4b0c3c5504f9b36
2 Carlson, J. G. (1985). Recent assessments of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(4), 356-365. Retrieved from UBC Library Catalogue database. (Accession No. 6388089)
3 Fox, A. (2016, October 27). The Myers-Briggs personality test is fun, but not so informative [Blog post]. Retrieved from The Huffington Post website: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/personality-tests-not-accurate_us_58123acfe4b064e1b4b0fd8a
4 Pulver, C. A., & Kelly, K. R. (2008). Incremental validity of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in predicting academic major selection of undecided university students. Journal of Career Assessment, 16(4), 441-455. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072708318902
5 Thompson, B., & Borrello, G. M. (1986). Construct validity of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 46(3), 745-752. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164486463032
Image Source
16Personalities. (n.d.). Campaigner personality [Illustration]. Retrieved from https://www.16personalities.com/enfp-personality
16Personalities. (n.d.). “It’s so incredible to finally be understood.” [Illustration]. Retrieved from https://www.16personalities.com/