Dear Tipsters,

I have followed this thread on the MBTI and wish to make one or two comments.


1.   The original "article" was an opinion piece in The Guardian newspaper. 
This may or may not represent research on the test. Notably, one criticism at 
the end states that a yes-no test cannot capture the complexity of personality. 
Yet the Eysenck Personality Inventory (Questionnaire) with its two (or three) 
scales has been widely regarded as a very useful instrument.

2.   A number of studies have examined psychometric properties of the MBTI. 
Generally, reliability seems acceptable (Capraro & Capraro, 2002; Gardner & 
Martinko, 1996) and validity, as reflected in relationships with other 
personality instruments, is reasonable (Furnham, Dissou, Sloan & 
Chamorro-Premuzic, 2007).

3.   However, the typology does not receive much support. In particular, scores 
are not bimodal (Bess & Harvey, 2002).

4.   When it comes to using the test, research does not seem favourable towards 
its value in choosing majors (Pulver & Kelly, 2008), improving leadership 
skills (Brown & Reilly, 2008) or developing team processes (Kuipersm Higgs, 
Tolkacjheva, & Witte, 2009).

5.   However, there is evidence of a relationship between test scores and sales 
performance (Lewis, 1995).

6.   On the other hand, using a person's scores may be helpful in improving 
self-understanding, communication and decision-making (Kuipers, Higgs, 
Tolkacheva, & Witte, 2009; Pulver & Kelly, 2008).

7.   Some researchers recommend that it merits further study (Gardner & 
Matinko, 1996).

8.   I think that the main problem with the test is that it may be used in ways 
that go beyond what research supports. To be fair to the Guardian piece, that 
sentiment is also expressed. And Tipsters who opine that money talks may not be 
far from the truth.

References

Bess, T., & Harvey, R. (2002). Bimodal score distributions and the Myers-Briggs 
Type Indicator: Fact or artifact? Journal of Personality Assessment, 78, 
176-186.
Brown, F., & Reilly, M. (2008). The Myers-Briggs type indicator and 
transformational leadership. Journal of Management Development, 28, 916-932.
Capraro R. & Capraro, M. (2002). Myers-Briggs Type Indicator score reliability 
across studies: A meta-anayltic reliability study. Educational and 
Psychological Measurement, 62, 590-602.
Furnham, A., Dissou, G., Sloan P., & Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2007). Personality 
and intelligence in business people: A study of two personality and two 
intelligence test measures. Journal of Business Psychology, 22, 99-109.
Gardner, W., & Martinko, M. (1996). Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to 
study managers: a literature review and research agenda. Journal of Management, 
22, 45-83.
Kuipers, B., Higgs, M., Tolkacheva, N., & Witte, M. (2009). The influence of 
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator profiles on team development processes. Small Group 
Research, 40, 436-464.
Lewis, R. (1995). An empirical investigation into the relationship between the 
Myers-Briggs model of Jungian psychosocial type and multi-line insurance agent 
sales performance: Implication for agent selection. Dissertation Abstracts 
International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 56 (6-A), December, 
2332.
Pulver, C. & Kelly, K. (2008). Incremental validity of the Myers-Briggs Type 
Inventory in predicting academic major selection of undecided university 
students. Journal of Career Assessment, 16, 441-455.


Sincerely,

Stuart


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Stuart J. McKelvie, Ph.D.,     Phone: 819 822 9600 x 2402
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From: Paul C Bernhardt [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: March 22, 2013 8:42 PM
To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)
Subject: Re: [tips] Nothing Personal: The questionable Myers-Briggs test | 
Science | guardian.co.uk










Comes at an excellent time. My I/O students get a test on Tuesday and the 
Myers-Briggs is covered (negatively) in one of the chapters.

Paul

On Mar 22, 2013, at 3:15 PM, Christopher Green wrote:








Here's a good article about the problems of the Myers-Briggs test that might be 
useful to pass along to students who ask about it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/brain-flapping/2013/mar/19/myers-briggs-test-unscientific?CMP=twt_fd

Chris
---
Christopher D. Green
Department of Psychology
York University
Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
Canada

[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
http://www.yorku.ca/christo/
=========================


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