Dear Martin and Tipsters,

The MBTI has evoked mixed responses from psychometricians. It is almost like 
the Rorschach in that it seems to have its detractors and its devotees. 

On the negative side, in his testing textbook, Richard Gregory says that it has 
a "horoscope-like" quality. On the positive side, reliability coefficients are 
respectable and validity coefficents are not too different from other 
self-report personality instruments.

My own opinion is that on paper the test is not unlike others of its ilk, but 
that it may have been used in ways that are not completely justified. For 
example, if the profiles are used to match people to work together, what is the 
evidence that this improves their ability to do so?

Sincerely,

Stuart
                             

_______________________________________________________


-----Original Message-----
From: Bourgeois, Dr. Martin [mailto:mbour...@fgcu.edu] 
Sent: December 10, 2009 8:59 AM
To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)
Subject: [tips] MBTI

I just received the following email from my university, and before responding, 
I thought I'd get some other opinions. Here's the email:

Based upon Carl Jung's research on psychological types, the Myers-Briggs Type 
Indicator (MBTI) was developed by Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother Katharine 
Cook Briggs, and has become the most widely trusted personality inventory in 
the United States and throughout the world.  Participants will complete the 
MBTI inventory, learn about personality types, and receive their individual 
personality profiles during this series.  In Session #1, participants will 
complete the MBTI inventory, with program and results covered in Session #2.  


My understanding is that the MBTI is held in low regard by personality 
psychologists, and has shown little validity. Any thoughts?
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