While I'm thinking of it

[jwgh]

urbeatle posted earlier that he took one of those online Myers-Briggs tests, which reminded me that a few years back my employer paid for me to take an 'official' personality test from the Frank Whyte Education Services people and later to take a training class where we learned about the different kinds of personalities and what-not.

I'm deeply suspicious of the whole thing because, first, it's not really clear to me how falsefiable it is (I believe the instructor said at one point that the test was incredibly accurate and at another that your results might vary depending on what was going on the day you took the test, etc.) and also how meaningful it is (the choice of the four dualities seems pretty arbitrary; I bet there are others that could have been chosen that would be as measurable or more so). But, you know, the whole thing was sort of interesting.

Anyway, while I was cleaning my room the other day I happened to find the report they sent me, so let it be recorded that I am an INFP! Now if someone asks me while I'm online I might actually be able to find this information.

They also gave me a little bar graph showing that my test results showed that my preferences had the following level of 'clarity':

Introversion: Moderate [opposed to Extraversion]
iNtuition: Clear [opposed to Sensing]
Feeling: Clear [opposed to Thinking]
Perceiving Moderate [opposed to Judging]

These are along a scale that goes: [no label], Slight, Moderate, Clear, and Very Clear. [Insert Scientology joke here if desired.]

My recollection is that the majority of people are I, N, F, and P as opposed to their opposites, making me a super-freak! Phear me!

Comments

More sensible, or ideational?

[dumplechan.livejournal.com]

I think the results, other than the introversion/extroversion axis, are questionable at best. Where's the experimental validation? But then, I tend toward critical thinking, because I'm an ISTJ. *rimshot*

One hilariously bad part of the tests comes when they give results for various famous historical figures. "Thomas Edison died before Jung codified his four axes of temperment, and before the test was developed, but we picked a result for him anyway!"

Here's an article that's critical of the MBTI, which makes the sixteen types sound little better than the twelve astrological signs:
http://bpo.indiana.edu/bpo-cgi/HRMWebsite/hrm/articles/develop/mbti.pdf

My favorite part of the article is the mention of the "Barnum effect". Or to explain it in a little scene:

A: "Joe, you're acting like a total asshole. We need you to stop constantly insulting your subordinates."
B: "Oh yeah? Well screw you! And my name's not Joe, it's B!"

A: "Joe, your test results came back. They say you're intelligent, witty and roguishly good-looking, but that you have problems with insulting your subordinates."
B: "Wow, they totally described me to a T! I'd better be nicer to my subordinates."