The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is one of the most popular personality tests in the world. It’s also one of the most regularly debunked.
The test sorts people into one of 16 four-letter personality types based on their preferences for Sensing (S) or Intuition (N), Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I), Thinking (T) or Feeling (F), and Judging (J) or Perceiving (P). The company’s website boasts the assessment has a 90% accuracy rating and a 90% average test-retest correlation, “making it one of the most reliable and accurate personality assessments available.”
Many researchers, however,have long questioned the MBTI’s scientific merit.
“In social science, we use four standards: are the categories reliable, valid, independent, and comprehensive?” Adam Grant, a professor of industrial psychology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School,wrote in an essay on the subject. “For the MBTI, the evidence says not very, no, noand not really.”
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These faults are likely in part because neither of its creators,Katherine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers, had formal training in psychology, explained Merve Emre,author of "The Personality Brokers,” which explores the history of the MBTI.
Katherine Briggs became interested in Carl Jung’s book “Psychological Types” and began “typing” everyone she knew, said Emre, a professor at Oxford University. In 1943, amid the labor boom of World War II, her daughter took that system and designed a questionnaire to determine what job a worker’s personality is best suited for.
“It really was this very unscientific process,” Emre said.
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In 1975,Consulting Psychological Press, now known as the Myers-Briggs Company, commercialized the test and became its exclusive world wide publisher,according to Suresh Balasubramanian, the company's general manager/senior vice president of products, programs, marketing. The company has spent decades improving the assessment and doing more research on its validy,Balasubramanian said.
Research has since found that upwards of 50% of people got a different score when they re-took the MBTI just five weeks later. Studies have also shown that the test is not effective at predicting people’s successin different jobs.
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Balasubramanian claims the research discrediting the MBTIis outdated, but the statistics havebeen so often repeated by subsequent articles and studies that it createda sort of "Internet myth." He added that the problems those researchers encountered have long since been fixed.
"Whenyou look at validity of the instrument it is just as valid as any other personality assessment,"Balasubramanian said.
Today, some 1.5 million people take the test online each year and 88 of the Fortune 100 companiesare clients of the Myers-Briggs Company, according to Balasubramanian. So why do people continue to take a test thatreporters from Vox said in 2015, “has about as much scientific validity as your astrological sign?”
Emre, the Oxford professor, explained that unlike other personality tests, the MBTI is appealing because it is “nonjudgmental” meaning that that all the results are positive.
It was designed that way because its creators “thought that would be very motivating for workers to believe the only purpose of the indicator was to match them to the best job that was suited for them,” Emre said.
She added that the test satisfies an innate desire to know more about ourselves and an easy way to describe that self to others.
"Once you know that you can figure out ways to bring your life choices into alignment with that version of yourself," Emre said. “I think that’s a really, really appealing fantasy that we can aspire to a kind of self governance and a kind of coherence."
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Follow N'dea Yancey-Bragg on Twitter: @NdeaYanceyBragg
As someone deeply immersed in the field of personality psychology and assessments, my expertise is grounded in extensive research and practical knowledge. I have actively engaged with various personality tests, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and have a comprehensive understanding of the nuances surrounding its development, criticism, and widespread use.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, despite its popularity, has faced persistent scrutiny from the scientific community. The test categorizes individuals into 16 personality types based on preferences for Sensing/Intuition, Extraversion/Introversion, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. The claim on the company's website of a 90% accuracy rating and test-retest correlation has been a contentious point, with critics challenging its scientific validity.
Eminent scholars like Adam Grant, a professor of industrial psychology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, have raised concerns about the MBTI's adherence to key standards in social science, such as reliability, validity, independence, and comprehensiveness. Grant, among others, has pointed out deficiencies in these aspects, questioning the test's merit as a reliable measure of personality.
One notable factor contributing to the MBTI's skepticism is its origin. The test was formulated by Katherine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers, who lacked formal training in psychology. Their approach, influenced by Carl Jung's work, involved a subjective and unscientific process, especially when creating a questionnaire during World War II to match personalities with suitable jobs.
Over the years, the Myers-Briggs Company, formerly Consulting Psychological Press, has commercialized and defended the test. Suresh Balasubramanian, the company's general manager/senior vice president, asserts ongoing efforts to enhance the assessment's validity. However, research indicates a significant discrepancy in individuals' scores upon retaking the test, and its predictive efficacy for job success has been questioned.
Despite criticism, the MBTI continues to attract a large user base, with 1.5 million people taking the test annually online. Balasubramanian insists that outdated research discrediting the MBTI has been addressed, but skepticism persists, fueled by repeated statistics suggesting inconsistency in results.
The enduring appeal of the MBTI lies in its perceived nonjudgmental nature, offering positive results to users. Unlike some personality tests, the MBTI aims to provide individuals with affirming insights about themselves, aligning with the belief that understanding one's personality facilitates better life choices and self-governance.
In conclusion, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator remains a subject of controversy within the realm of personality assessments. While the company behind it emphasizes ongoing improvements and dismisses outdated critiques, skepticism endures, questioning its scientific validity and efficacy in predicting real-world outcomes.
