My Spin On The Myers Brigg

[HuaiDan]

Can any free-thinking individual take the Myers-Brigg seriously? I've taken the so-called typology test numerous times, and each time I try I get a different result. I believe it says a lot about what kind of person you think you are, rather, rather than what kind of individual you actually are, and trust me, everyone is delusional on some level when it comes to self-assessment. People believe what they want to believe about themselves. Milgram experiment anyone???

 

Here's where I tear the Myers Brigg apart, question by question. I won't get to every question in one post, I think this is going to be a bit of a project, motivated by my desire to put this piece of garbage out to pasture. Here goes.

 

1.You are almost never late for your appointments

YES NO

 

Straightforward on the surface, I have to ask: by whose standard? I would say no, my boss might say yes. Is 90% almost never? Some people would say anything later than 15 minutes early is late. It seems to me a person who is not so uptight about timetables, ie., someone who is more likely to be late, would be more likely to answer this question 'yes', yet someone who is more self-critical about their punctuality, ie., someone who is more likely to be on time, would be more likely to answer this question 'no'.

 

1.You like to be engaged in an active and fast-paced job

YES NO

 

Well, active and fast paced jobs pay more, don't they? This answer is one that truly can change with the weather. Have a stressful day at work? You'll be more likely to answer 'no'. Happy with your life? You'll answer according to whatever fits with your job. Not happy with your life? You'll answer the opposite. And again, the more laid back you are, the more likely you will be to think your job is fast paced by comparison. I'm sure the pot head pool cleaner thinks his job is fast paced.

 

1.You enjoy having a wide circle of acquaintances

YES NO

 

The social introvert in me really has difficulty with this question. At first, yeah, sure, a wide circle of acquaintances is certainly useful. But who needs all those people clamoring for your attention? So, logically, it's good to have a wide circle of acquaintances for both personal and professional reasons, but people don't like being kept on standby. Where does a medium circle of acquaintances fit in a yes/no answer?

 

You feel involved when watching TV soaps

 

No no no no no no I despise soap operas. But I'm riveted by Prison Break, Lost, and Heroes. They're not soap operas. Or are they? Many of my Chinese friends call Friends a soap opera, and I insist that it's not. Or is it? What makes Heroes different from a soap opera? That they can fly and stop time? I don't see what bearing that has on my psychological profile. What is a soap opera? Just how do I answer this question?

 

You are usually the first to react to a sudden event:

the telephone ringing or unexpected question

 

Well, in a crowd of a hundred people, if you were the first to react, that would make you extraordinary indeed. If you are the kind of person who likes to be alone most of the time, and you were the first to react, it wouldn't be special at all, in fact it would be the only possible outcome. So somewhere between one extreme and the other lies the non-answer. However many people you usually hang out with seems to be the primary determinant. And I usually answer questions when they are directed to me. I answer the telephone when it's my telephone ringing.

 

 

 

More later....

[Grandpa Harley]

There are usually 'check and balance' questions... the more 'subjective' ones tend to be early in the test, with then puts the testee at ease. The structure is also such that the most subjective questions (Are you too good natured?) are lowest weighted in the test, if it's been constructed correctly.

 

The best tests are the ones in a very limited time frame, although the 'error' level may be high (scan reading questions) , there will be a higher proportion of 'honest' answers. Anyone can fool a test, but they end up at the far end of the Bell curve.

[HuaiDan]

Ok then, when I have some more time to pursue this endeavor, I'll pick questions at random rather than go in order. A rather non-scientific approach to what I see as non-science anyway.

[Grandpa Harley]

You'd be better employed looking at the underlying logic and almost performing a meta-study than cherry picking questions. It's like Gospel reading otherwise.

[R. S. Martin]

Grandpa Harley's advice is sound. In addition, you should read a batch of books to get familiar with the theory, and all the while do a lot of self-analysis, BEFORE you take the test. Compare yourself with the profiles to see which ones fit you best. Then DON'T go for the free online tests. No serious scientist goes for free online info if he/she expects scientific results. The sources I posted will lead you to solid scientific information but you will have to do your own leg-work to find it.

 

The bottom line is that some people don't get it. But it has helped me make sense of life. It continues helping me make sense of life. It helps me in relationships on a daily basis. For me, that is no small thing. Chances are you can't be bothered. Then don't bother.

[HuaiDan]

I don't get it. I can get two totally different results depending on my mood, and I'm not particularly exceptional in any way. And I've done it enough times to know the questions are basically the same, free or not.

[Vigile]

Ok then, when I have some more time to pursue this endeavor, I'll pick questions at random rather than go in order. A rather non-scientific approach to what I see as non-science anyway.

 

I'm not sure it's fair to refer to social science as non-science. It's a soft science, to be sure, and not to be confused with the hard sciences of biology, chemistry, etc...

 

Social science uses the same scientific method, but when human interaction is involved a certain degree of subjectivity must be accepted. They attempt to account for it, but it will never have the same level of significance that a hard science will, and will always be more subjective. The alternative is to refuse to study politics, economics, psychology, sociology etc... because a wider standard error renders study results less meaningful.

 

You might also consider HuiDan that you are an outlyer in the study. The existance of outlyers doesn't make the bell curve on MB utterly meaningless. The test isn't meant to be exact and no one expects it to be.

[R. S. Martin]

Can any free-thinking individual take the Myers-Brigg seriously? I've taken the so-called typology test numerous times, and each time I try I get a different result. I believe it says a lot about what kind of person you think you are, rather, rather than what kind of individual you actually are, and trust me, everyone is delusional on some level when it comes to self-assessment. People believe what they want to believe about themselves. Milgram experiment anyone???

 

Here's where I tear the Myers Brigg apart, question by question. I won't get to every question in one post, I think this is going to be a bit of a project, motivated by my desire to put this piece of garbage out to pasture. Here goes.

 

1.You are almost never late for your appointments

YES NO

 

Straightforward on the surface, I have to ask: by whose standard? I would say no, my boss might say yes. Is 90% almost never? Some people would say anything later than 15 minutes early is late. It seems to me a person who is not so uptight about timetables, ie., someone who is more likely to be late, would be more likely to answer this question 'yes', yet someone who is more self-critical about their punctuality, ie., someone who is more likely to be on time, would be more likely to answer this question 'no'.

 

1.You like to be engaged in an active and fast-paced job

YES NO

 

Well, active and fast paced jobs pay more, don't they? This answer is one that truly can change with the weather. Have a stressful day at work? You'll be more likely to answer 'no'. Happy with your life? You'll answer according to whatever fits with your job. Not happy with your life? You'll answer the opposite. And again, the more laid back you are, the more likely you will be to think your job is fast paced by comparison. I'm sure the pot head pool cleaner thinks his job is fast paced.

 

1.You enjoy having a wide circle of acquaintances

YES NO

 

The social introvert in me really has difficulty with this question. At first, yeah, sure, a wide circle of acquaintances is certainly useful. But who needs all those people clamoring for your attention? So, logically, it's good to have a wide circle of acquaintances for both personal and professional reasons, but people don't like being kept on standby. Where does a medium circle of acquaintances fit in a yes/no answer?

 

You feel involved when watching TV soaps

 

No no no no no no I despise soap operas. But I'm riveted by Prison Break, Lost, and Heroes. They're not soap operas. Or are they? Many of my Chinese friends call Friends a soap opera, and I insist that it's not. Or is it? What makes Heroes different from a soap opera? That they can fly and stop time? I don't see what bearing that has on my psychological profile. What is a soap opera? Just how do I answer this question?

 

You are usually the first to react to a sudden event:

the telephone ringing or unexpected question

 

Well, in a crowd of a hundred people, if you were the first to react, that would make you extraordinary indeed. If you are the kind of person who likes to be alone most of the time, and you were the first to react, it wouldn't be special at all, in fact it would be the only possible outcome. So somewhere between one extreme and the other lies the non-answer. However many people you usually hang out with seems to be the primary determinant. And I usually answer questions when they are directed to me. I answer the telephone when it's my telephone ringing.

 

 

 

More later....

 

HuaiDan, I have now looked at the questions you posted here. These are NOT scientific tests of either Keirsey OR Myers-Briggs. They look to me like someone's homemade version that is supposed to represent the general gist of either. You can find oodles of those online. For the real thing you have to pay. Keirsey's Temperament Sorter should be more specific and I think there's a free version online that is free.

 

In Keirsey style, the question You are almost never late for appointments would be stated more like (choose one):

 

For appointments you

a. late more often than on time

b. on time more often than late

 

I am looking at the question You are usually the first to react to a sudden event.

 

I am also looking at your answer as follows:

 

Well, in a crowd of a hundred people, if you were the first to react, that would make you extraordinary indeed. If you are the kind of person who likes to be alone most of the time, and you were the first to react, it wouldn't be special at all, in fact it would be the only possible outcome. So somewhere between one extreme and the other lies the non-answer. However many people you usually hang out with seems to be the primary determinant. And I usually answer questions when they are directed to me. I answer the telephone when it's my telephone ringing.

My comments:

1. Again, this question is poorly stated. I am unsure which Myers-Briggs function it means to address--the introvert/extravert function, or the judging/perceiving function. I assume the first. In the Myers-Briggs test, the situation indicated for the ringing telephone is in the family home. The question targets the introvert/extravert function. Extreme introverts tend not to answer the phone if given their choice whereas extreme extraverts will fight over the opportunity to answer it. Most people fall somewhere in the middle. My sister and I, both of us introverts, would sometimes discuss who was expecting a call, or which of us most felt like answering. Extraverts might discuss who got to take the last call.
   
2. Your answer suggests a public situation, i.e. crowd of a hundred people, "I answer the telephone when it's my telephone ringing."
   
3. You refer to whether or not it would be special to react first. That is not part of the test's focus.
   

The question You enjoy having a wide circle of acquaintances addresses the introvert/extravert function. Your response sounds like you are an introvert. Again, it is poorly stated and the professional scientific tests would state it much more specifically. All the same, I could think of half a dozen sitatutions when I was doing the Myers-Briggs test, and the answer would differ for each case.

 

I cannot do the test "honestly" because I know what each of the questions are for. I also know my type, based on the theory and my self-analysis. So I answer questions to prove that my self-analysis is correct. It's based on broad preferences rather than absolute black and white facts of this is how I do things each and every time under all circumstances. The human psyche is a very elusive thing to pin down. Learn about the unconscious and it gets even more complicated. All the same, I am fascinated by it and will probably study it as a hobby to my dying day.

 

PS I do not think religion or lack thereof plays into the situation. I was religious when I learned Myers-Briggs and I am not religious now. I do not notice any difference at all in how I view Myers-Briggs. It's just a tool.

[R. S. Martin]

HuaiDan said:

 

No no no no no no I despise soap operas. But I'm riveted by Prison Break, Lost, and Heroes. They're not soap operas. Or are they? Many of my Chinese friends call Friends a soap opera, and I insist that it's not. Or is it? What makes Heroes different from a soap opera? That they can fly and stop time? I don't see what bearing that has on my psychological profile. What is a soap opera? Just how do I answer this question?

 

There are versions of the Myers-Briggs test for other cultures and in other languages, than English and the English-speaking world. I am not sure of your nationality and/or first language. You could check whether there is a Chinese version, if you think that would fit better to your situation.

[RankStranger]

I've found the Myers-Briggs classifications to be a very useful working model for understanding the personalities of people that I interact with- something that hasn't been easy for me especially when I was younger. With the vast majority of people I meet, I can pretty much figure out their 4-letter profile after having been around them for a day or so. It gives me a profile to start with as I get to know them. I always test as an INTJ, and the profile is so accurate in my case that it's scary.

 

I agree with VDF on the soft-science angle. While it's easy to nitpick specific questions, that doesn't invalidate the whole test. Statistical analysis can be used to get all kinds of insights out of a large test with a large sample size. It isn't as rigorous as any of the hard sciences or pure mathematics, but it's useful just the same.

 

As an INTJ, I'm just not wired to be a social scientist... which is why I'm majoring in mechanical engineering. But the wife (INFJ) is. And while she was getting her master's in psychology, I was subjected to lots of these tests with fuzzy questions that are open to interpretation. I've found that I get the most consistent results if I use similar criteria in evaluating each question. I'm not a "face value" kind of guy (and it looks like you aren't either), but for the sake of time and consistency, I try to take such questions at "face value".

[Amethyst]

Actually I'd say they're fairly accurate. I'm INTJ. I'm very geeky. I'm not a social butterfly at all. I love computers, technology and anything remotely geeky. I do know that when I try to get a job outside of my personality, I get bored to tears and all around miserable and feel like I can't fit in because I have nothing in common with people there. However, when I get jobs that are with geeky types, I tend to do well.

 

I know that in order to succeed, I need to be with people who are at least somewhat like me and understand what it means to be introverted and geeky. I'm also the kind of person who's naturally curious and inquisitive, who doesn't do well in jobs that are dull with nothing to learn. But that leaves me out of a lot of jobs, I think. Most jobs are dull with nothing new for me to learn, at least after the first month or so.