The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality test which is structured to assess the psychological features in the perception that individuals have of the world and the decisions that they make. The MBTI was structured by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers (Lundgren et al., 2017). The initial questionnaire of the test was first published in 1962. The test has its focus on normal populations and puts an emphasis on the value of the naturally occurring distinctions that exist between individuals. Based on the indicator, 16 varying personality types can be identified. The test is made up of a wide range of questions. The participants' choices makes a determination of the aspect of personality the individual has while providing wide assumptions concerning the personality tests.
In accordance to the choices on the inventory questions, individuals can then be placed within one of the 16 personality types (Fretwell et al., 2013). The MBTI objective is to support different individuals in the exploration and comprehension of the different aspects of their personalities and their interests. No personality type is identified as being better than another personality type. It is not a tool structured to assess or find dysfunctions and abnormalities within individuals. Instead, individuals are encouraged to know themselves more.
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The MBTI is made of four distinct scales. The first scale is the extraversion and introversion dichotomy. This dichotomy is used to evaluate the responses and types of interactions that individuals have with the world that surrounds them. Extraverts enjoy a greater level of interaction and are more focused on being with other individuals while introverts are though-oriented and enjoy meaningful interactions while being more comfortable with spending time on their own. The second scale is the sensing and intuition dichotomy, which assesses the ways in which the respondents gather information from the environment that surrounds them. Based on the test, individuals tend to have greater dominance in one area or the other. People with a preference for sensing are more attentive to reality, while those who prefer attention pay greater attention to aspects such as patterns and impressions.
The third scale is thinking and feeling dichotomy. This scale is focused on how individuals make decisions based on the information they have. Individuals with a preference for thinking place an emphasis on objective data, while those that prefer feeling have a higher likelihood of considering other individuals and emotional bases when making conclusions (Fretwell et al., 2013). The last scale is the judging and perceiving dichotomy. This scale is focused on the tendency that individuals have when dealing with the external environment. Respondents that are more on the judging scale have a preference for structure and firm decisions, while those that are more on the perceiving scale have a greater degree of openness and flexibility.
Administration
The Myers Briggs Personality test is usually administered in the form of a questionnaire. The current version of the test is made up of 93 forced-choice questions, which the participants are expected to answer (Lundgren et al., 2017). Forced-choice questions mean that the respondents involved has to make a choice of only one within two answers for every question that is asked. These choices are an integration of word pairs and short statements. The choices involved are not actual opposites but are structured to be a reflection of opposite references within the same scale. Participants are provided with the ability of skipping questions they find difficult to answer. The test uses a psychometric technique for scoring. Hence, based on the choices made by the individual, the test will then have specific scores, and an attempt will be made to identify the preferences of the individual and the clarity of these preferences within every dichotomy included.
After taking the test, the individuals are then expected to engage in the completion of a best-fit exercise which is followed by a readout of their identified type. Typically, the readout includes bar graphs and a quantitative expression to indicate their level of clarity in every preference that was included upon the completion of the test (Montequin et al., 2012). In the early stages during which the test was developed, there was a wide range of items that were included in deciding preferences. Most of these items were eventually taken out as they did not possess high midpoint discrimination. This means that the findings of these items did not, on average, shift individual scores away from the middle point. This would have significantly affect the results of the test. The removal of these items enables the test to have a smaller number of items on it while still presenting enough statistical information as other tools that have a greater number of items.
Reliability and Validity
Based on the Myers & Briggs Foundation, the test can be identified as being reliable and valid. However, there have been studies that have identified that the test has not been scientifically established as valid or reliable. Another study identified that about fifty percent of respondents received varying results after the repeating the test (Fretwell et al., 2013). Due to the qualitative measure of personality, measurement of personality tests may at times be difficult. To establish reliability, respondents come out with two or three similar results when conducting retests. When individuals change their types at retest, it is typically on one of the dichotomous pairs. Validity refers to the level at which an instrument assesses what has to measure. The instrument has established validity in various categories. However, there has been no scientific identification of the validity and reliability of the test apart from the similarity of results when the test is taken several times.
Advantages and Disadvantages
One of the main advantages is that the test is provided as a free assessment for all interested individuals. This means that a wide range of participants has greater access to the test without incurring any costs or charges. This has been highly useful for individuals that are seeking affordable channels through which they can identify their personalities. The test is also structure to provide a better understanding of different individuals and their personalities.
One of the main disadvantages of the test is that it has no scientific validation (Fretwell et al., 2013). This affects the degree to which the results for the test can be believed. Another disadvantage is the stereotypes and misconceptions that are regularly associated with the dichotomies and the results of the test (Montequin et al., 20120. For example, there is a misconception that some personality types are associated with mental issues and problems.
Conclusion
The Myers Briggs Personality test is a test that is commonly used by individuals to identify their personality types. The test is commonly administered in the form of a questionnaire with 92 questions that individuals can use to identify the characteristics of their personality test. The test is made up of four separate dichotomies through which the reactions of the individual to their environment and the making of decisions can be made. This test is highly affordable for individuals, which makes its accessibility a major advantage. However, there needs to be a scientific validation of the test to enhance the usability of its findings and results.
References
Fretwell, C. E., Lewis, C. C., & Hannay, M. (2013). Myers-Briggs type indicator, A/B personality types, and locus of control: where do they intersect?. American Journal of Management , 13 (3), 57-66.
Lundgren, H., Kroon, B., & Poell, R. F. (2017). Personality testing and workplace training. European Journal of Training and Development .
Montequín, V. R., Balsera, J. V., Fernández, J. M. M., & Nieto, A. G. (2012). Using Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as a tool for setting up student teams for information technology projects. Journal of Information Technology and Application in Education (JITAE), JITAE , 1 (1), 28-34.
