Why Most Personality Tests Are Wrong
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- Опубліковано 8 сер 2018
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The Big Five personality test: www.personal.psu.edu/~j5j/IPIP/
You're not a static personality type like tests such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Suggest. Rather, you're a dynamic interaction of personality traits that can be shaped over time.
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BrainCraft was created by Vanessa Hill (@nessyhill) and is brought to you by PBS Digital Studios. Talking psychology, neuroscience & why we act the way we do.
REFERENCES 📚
Personality traits and well-being: pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6b8e...
Time Twins study: lazypawn.com/wordpress/wp-cont...
MBTI study: www.indiana.edu/~jobtalk/Artic...
Big Five personality test: www.personal.psu.edu/~j5j/IPIP/
Did you try the Big Five test?! One of my highest scores was "Imagination" so excuse me while my head returns to the clouds 🌈
cute
"Imagination" is what you used to make up that personality trait, right? Cause it sure isn't in the Big 5...
I Don't Know how to describe your personality, but this is how i perceive you: A highly aware human being that is highly intelligent and highly educated, so yeah 71 years of wisdom might not be that far of :D
Do the test! You get individual scores for things under the big traits. From memory I think imagination is under “openness”
Yes. Consistently INTP on Myers-Briggs. The *test* is imperfect - but if I got a different test result, it wouldn't change that INTP is a far more accurate description of me than any of the other 16. Regardless of how the want to sell it, it's much more accurately represented as a point in a 4D space, with 16 neighbouring regions that blur at the boundary.
Big 5 tests are usually completely inconsistent for me because they ask for either or choices when it's both.
As a scientist, I'm not sure what to make of Psychology as a field, I suspect they place to little importance on how people describe themselves.
MBTI is more about how someone approaches a problem and processes information than their preferences or values so of course it's not going to predict choices. It does broadly correlate to career/subject interests.
Any good links about why it's wrong?
I get that the Big 5 is the most predictive personality test you mentioned. But you never mentioned the Sorting Hat...
WHERE MY RAVENCLAWS AT
Eh, just ask the hat to put you where you want to go. It'll humour you.
Poldovico We are who we choose to be.
Ryan M I don't choose to be lazy.
Hahaha genious
In my intro to psychology class we took a personality test. I'm not sure how, but I failed the test.
I failed a personality for a job interview once when I was like 18. It was one if those strongly agree - strongly disagree things. Apparently that was the last step in the interview and they didn't hire because my opinions weren't 'strong enough' even tho some of the questions weren't black and white.
That's ok, the only test ive ever passped was a drug test... i got an A and a B on that one 😁
Same xD
Mr Ferris
That reminds me of the time I took a hepatitis test, I got a B. I thought it was a good grade but it made my girlfriend sad for some reason.
Hope it wasn't the dark triad test xD
"If I was running, I guess it'd be more obvious." 😂 I love your dry sense of humor.
Haha that made me chuckle 😂
Greyhound fursona confirmed XD
I was told I have an apathetic personality. I told them, I don't care.
I was told that I had an empathetic personality and I couldn't care less.
I love to see how people get upset when you criticize something mainstream and bend-over to disprove these opinions.
There are certainly a lot of commenters here who would score on the MBTI with a "DUPE."
"Screenshot this and send it to your crush with no context"
That cracked me up
Warning - WALL OF TEXT - Personality is static within the MBTI theory. The problem is that the online tests gets everyone to focus on the their 4 letters, which are completely misleading, and then distances everything negative to increase marketability. Very few individuals talk about the main point of the theory - cognitive functions. These are namely: Se (extroverted sensing), Si (introverted sensing), Fi (introverted feeling), Fe (extroverted feeling), Te (Extroverted thinking), and Ti (introverted thinking). According to the theory, these are functions that every individual possesses and uses all the time. What type categorization does is attempt to identify which traits are more preferable - or dominant - to each individual and places each trait on a spectrum based on frequency of choice. For example, when the test says you are introverted it is merely saying that you fall into 49th percentile or lower in extroversion. So if you fall into the category of perception over judging with a percentile of 75, that indicates that in approximately 3/4 situations you would prefer to wait and observe rather than judge and act. This does not indicate that in all situations you would do that. And this is where the confusion lies. Individuals are given their 4 letters and then assume they only have the traits associated with that type. For example, lets say an individual typed INTJ, well their percentiles could be anywhere from 51 - 99, and their most likely result would be Introversion preference- 51% iNtiution preference - 51% Thinking preference - 51% and judging preference - 51%. This means that they will only actually act in INTJ fashion 6.7% of the time, however that is still more than the likelihood of acting in any other ONE fashion, with the least likely being acting like an ESTJ in 5.7% of situations. That's only a 1% difference! And thus their mood at the time of the test will have a massive impact on how they test! Even an extreme introvert of 99% (which is incredibly unlikely, and I doubt anyone like that actually exists) would still act extroverted in one out of 100 cases. And often times other factors like maturity and grooming come into play. For example I test as an INTP but I recognize that you can't comfort a crying child with logic, I would have to be extroverted and act on an emotional level with the child, even if I am less comfortable in that way. Myers Briggs does not attempt to predict how you will act in situations, but how you are most comfortable acting. Even more so all of the traits correlate nearly exactly to one of the big 5 traits (except for nueroticism, because we wouldn't want to offend anyone would we? That would drive away our paying members!). So in essence what the Myers Briggs test does is attempt to put a dividing line through the center of the of the population of 4 of the of the big 5 traits. And then from that infers how those individuals like prefer to act, not how they act. The problem occurs when none pays attention to the fact that there are different degrees to each of these traits. The other major problem is that it is very difficult to be pinpoint precise with with questions. Is being nice really an extroverted or an introverted trait? Answer: It really depends. Anyways, with all that said, I don't really put much stock in the test. Because really its less useful and flexible than the the big 5 for any scientific use. The only thing the MBTI is useful for is marketability for masses and profit UNLESS you are speaking of the in depth cognitive functions. But those can actually stand alone from the questionnaires associated by name easily. Any way if you read this far, thanks!
i've taken the test on 16personalities a few times over the course of years and got the same every time
Woody me too. It was very accurate. But I don't expect these tests to fit 100% or that you can predict future behaviour. This criticism in the video was kind of silly.
I've taken the test 3 times over the course of a couple years and got one result the first time, a different result the second time, and then the same result from the first time.
Same
The MBTI is really accurate if you learn more about the cognitive functions but most people don't do it and thats really sad
Probably you have ocd , but the test is faulty to measure behavior as we change our habits when growing up and bc of our genes that predict certain behavior and personality is unique.
I think it's important to note that the MBTI is not a personality type test but a cognitive type test. The reason it has little predictive power is because *how* a person thinks is very loosely related to *what* a person thinks, and by consequence their actions. While it doesn't let you predict most behaviors in an individual, it does allow you to predict how a person will think, and more significantly how different people who think differently will interact. For example, it is very, very useful in helping a person find a suitable career, but certainly not the end-all. The MBTI's reputation also isn't helped by the fact that people misunderstand and spread misinformation about what the different cognitive functions mean. For example, being introverted or extroverted isn't 'where you recharge energy' but rather whether you think about the external world or the internal world of ideas. Where you recharge is merely a consequence of where your environment matches your thinking type. When you really, really do understand the real meaning of the types, and when you understand that they're a tendency and not an absolute for behavior, you do gain quite a bit of predictive power. Although it's not nearly as easy as it sounds, or like internet quizes will make it out to look like, it is, useful.
To make specific critique of this video, it's not that you 'either or' in each MBTI cognitive function, it's that you either or a tendency to each one. You either default to introversion, or you default to extroversion. (Hence an introvert uses a lot of energy being outside, and thus they 'recharge' at home)
Consistent results on the MBTI is not necessary because by definition of the MBTI you're going to get different results. In different contexts people have different default cognitive functions. At different times they may use or prefer different ones. But I will agree that it's not the best test in the world. A lot of questions are unfair because they make it seem like it's asking whether you value one thing over the next rather than tend towards on thing or the other by default. But again, while the test is mediocre, the MBTI types themselves are useful.
So while it's not the best, it's highly useful and does have predictive power. But since it is only a cognitive tendency, you need a lot more information, like how they change in different situations, the person's individual values, the person's behavioral tendencies, the person's psychological history, etc. If you know those *in addition to* the MBTI type, the MBTI becomes useful. The idea of a single 'personality test' is absurd.
Agreed, but I believe the MBTI is particularly usefully to introverts BECAUSE it's not a perfect predictor; an introvert -- like myself -- will internalize the questions and results by his very nature, and almost endlessly cross-reference those against personal experience. In the end, the introvert will FEEL that the MBTI ıs "in essence" accurate despite the generic nature of the questions, whereas an extrovert is more likely to expect a completely accurate and ambiguity-free fact-list for results.
What do you think of the big five test ?
MBTI Is a personality (tool) and not a personality test bc is not a total predictor of your career and behavior , just a tool to measure how you feel today or certain times bc fail the reproducibility test also personality is unique and changes by environmental factors.
could you elaborate on "whether you think about the external world or the internal world of ideas"?
Funny how ive taken the myers briggs 4 times always getting isfj. I guess i just dont change.
I've taken the MBTI test in many different sites and I got always INFJ. So... Maybe... My mind just works that way...?
Im always an INTJ
@@xXTheHDNoobXX I am also... maybe we can advocate for each other LOL...
@@xXTheHDNoobXX Hello fellow INTJ friend, though I was one a INFJ (but with a 55-45 margin).
@@scubasteve1742 We are a rare breed brother.
You're right that MBTI isn't indicative of behaviour (and right that the Big Five is a better indicator) however it is supposed to be a categorisation of cognition. In other words, people's behaviour can be the same however their justification may be different. A huge failure of the test is it relies on self knowledge and self reporting. Therefore there can be quite a bit of bias on the self reporting.
*Tbh you shouldn't really rely on a test to know your mbti type but more on the cognitive functions and various different descriptions. Mbti should never really be used for a detailed description on your personality but for a guideline on understand how you think and the base of your personality. I will however say that some descriptions tend to go in too much detail and describe things in your personality that are different for every individual. This however is at the fault of whoever wrote the description and not the Mbti types. Mbti was a way of opening doors to discovery into your own and others personalities not a way of explaining your choices and behavior.*
xXCreative CrystalXx Exactly
Not _really_ arguing for the myers-briggs, but I get INFJ or INTJ every time, with a borderline F/T dimension, which is pretty repeatable.
The Big 5 are a solid psychological constructs, but not without weaknesses. This video implies that they are more perfect than they are in reality, the whole message is too shallow
Hey! Yes this is always a valid point and I always find it difficult to fit *everything* into these short videos. All testing has some bias built into it. And with the Big Five, people still try to influence the results by faking certain traits when they are used in job testing. I did not mean to imply that it was perfect.
What are the weaknesses of the big 5?
I am not going to write pages uppon pages, but a quick google search should make it clear that criteria like validity and reliability are weak in some aspects. I am not saying the Big 5 are a bad construct, they are generally accepted as the second best proven larger construct after IQ, butevery psychological constructs has weaknesses, and it's always important to point those out and be aware of those, otherwise we get improper research and a misinformed public
I agree with a large part of this video besides the reasoning against the Myer-Briggs personality test. Yes, it is a bit too simple when comparing to all the different types of people in the world, but the data on how the tests weren't accurate as you mentioned for a "bunch" of people who took the test 5 weeks apart, that just reads to me that they weren't honest with their answers and answered how they wanted to perceive themselves, not how they actually do. I've taken the test for years now, nearly once a month, and I always get INFJ -A, results on the dot. The first time I took the test, I realized I wasn't being honest because my goal was to share my results with other people, but now I am solely curious for myself and who I am, so my answers are all true, even if I don't like to admit some of them.
But that's not the only thing I find is helpful in describing oneself. I take as much as I can from psychology to describe who I am to people. From my impulsiveness, to my personality type which has always been the same (INFJ -A), to my stoic viewpoint of my life and the world, as well as any papers that have been peer reviewed and become credible.
The issue with personality tests isn't only that many of them are just baseless attention grabs, but that many require the person taking them to be completely and brutally honest with themselves, otherwise of course its predictions won't work. Furthermore, people rely on just one of these tests, when we are the most complex forms of life on the planet. It can't be drawn on one linear line, it's everywhere, in every direction, and I think that point should be made.
Hi fellow INFJ!
A "-T" fellow here.
I’m assuming you use 16Personalities because if the -A
16Personalities isn’t actually a Myers-Briggs test; it’s its own thing. I like to think of it as a Big 5 disguised as a Myers-Briggs.
Don’t forget about the cognitive functions that correspond to each MBTI type. Plus the result you get in any MBTI related test, is just the first step in figuring out which type suits you best. Also before jumping into the functions, I should probably mention that the four functions (or mental processes, if you’d rather call them that) you’ll see is only the main four. There are 8 functions and the last four of a type are known as shadow functions. Socionics and MBTI go hand in hand but have one key difference in the way they judge a type. Socionics bases it on the first function and MBTI bases it on the first extroverted function. You’ll see what I mean when you start exploring this.
But yes, I get the point of the video and you are right. Most of the time, the test result doesn’t always match who you are.
Please, no. Not the shadow functions! /facepalm.
I deeply respect your opinion, and I love your channel, but I think you’ve misunderstood what the MBTI test is about...or...at least...what it SHOULD be about. Each personality has huge room for variation, and realistically your traits fall on a spectrum between each of the four dichotomies - I know plenty of people who sit almost in the middle of certain factors. But whether or not there’s been scientific proof of its accuracy, generally speaking(which is the lens with which the test should be viewed always) it’s blown my mind, helped me to understand myself better, and my friends have all said the same.
It’s not the same as a test meant to match your personality to something specific. It’s meant to give you a general idea of who you are and help you to understand others.
That being said, I’m definitely interested in this, and am looking forward to investigating!
Thank you for your quality content, I always look forward to videos from you! 🙂
I find the biggest flaw ultimately lies in it's partitioning, particularly when you align close to the middle of a given factor, or worse, multiple factors. Variation in personality and/or response is a given. So consider the person who basically lies in the middle of all 4 factors. At any given point in time any one of the 16 types will seemingly be applicable to some degree or another. Differentiating between the types ultimately becomes meaningless for this person, because the accuracy of analysis performed for a given type will essentially mimic that of reading one's horoscope. Stated alternatively, the specific applicability of any type's analysis is necessarily biased towards the statistical outliers on any given spectrum because the attributions are defined by their extremes.
Excepting perhaps the S-N axis, the distribution curves of the population assignments to given traits are close enough to center that for most people, simply flipping one of the letters and reading analysis for that other type will still bear a significant degree of applicability and can even shed light on circumstantial differences that the original analysis might not provide. In this way, most people are actually best described as an amalgam of types rather than staunchly one specific type (though those people certainly can and do exist). For a significant number of people, this implies a great deal of reading and slogging through potentially repetitive and over-generalized non-sense just to get a glimpse of a true description of their personality.
I would never argue that what MBTI measures isn't worthwhile to investigate, but I think for most people it actually requires a more nuanced explanation/discussion with a trained professional, particularly one with knowledge of you outside the measured domains, to really dig into the analysis. The typical canned and over-generalized type-summaries just get in the way and arguably do your personality a disservice.
"But whether or not there's been scientific proof of it's accuracy..."
*EXACTLY THAT'S THE REASON WHY IT CAN'T BE A VALID ACCEPTABLE INSTRUMENT TO OFFICIALLY VALIDATE SOMEONE'S PERSONALITY. THESE TESTS ARE JUST LIKE HOROSCOPES WITH MORE BULLSHIT CONTENT*
@@MRS-pz4me they are definitely not like horoscopes. There's some part of truth in the MBTI. Serious studies need to he done to see how acurate or really useful the MBTI is and what should be changed. There is no scientific evdidence of the multiple intelligences but it makes sense, or at least which are the real intelligences that exist. But until we know them we can try to guess them, more studies have to be done, obiously.
@@Ignasimp ok listen... An "approximate" Is NOT acceptable as scientific evidence. If you can prove me wrong and the SCIENTIFIC METHOD as well... Go ahead, I'll be waiting for your revolutionary new approach.
@@MRS-pz4me who claimed any of this has scientific evidence? Because I don't. But knowing how accurate it can be is really interesting and I'd like to see more studies that show to what extend the MBTI works or not. In the same way that I want to really know which are the real different types of intelligence. We just don't know it yet. I'm not a neurologist so I don't have the knowledge nor the tools to do this studies, so I depend on the scientific community to work on this. But saying this is like the horoscope is plain bullshit. The horoscope has been proven false countless of times, the MBTI hasn't.
What happens if people take the Big 5 test twice, 5 weeks apart?
That's what I want to know.
Myers Briggs uses 4 of the 5 "Big 5" criteria, just with different names. the problem isn't the system, it's the tests.
Exactly, the tests are ruining the reputation, but typing with the cognitive functions is working well
ikr, that was all that was going through my head in the end of the video
"Screenshot this and send it to your friends with no context" - Chaotic evil
Haha "some people just want to watch the world burn"
To be fair, personality does change over time, with life events, the weather, how you've been feeling lately, etc. And people might also change MBTI types because they're somewhere in the middle: many of us enjoy being social but also enjoy being alone. Of course, Meyers-Briggs is too simplistic and there are more than 12 types of people in this world, but personality isn't entirely static.
Allie Madelyn no personality does not change over time. What you describe is more like weather, while the personality is climate. It might shift a little bit over a long period, but you won't have a tropical beach at the north pole - as long as there are no traumatic events. But then still it depends on the personality how the person deals with this trauma.
Personality does change with time... it changes as we grow, take new goals in life and change as a person. Or it does for a lot of people... i am 3 years in intj type (i take it every year) and it reflects my personality perfectly so i also disagree on it not being useful. Big life events can change a person and every person goes trough big life events.
"it changes as we grow, take new goals in life" - you mistake cause and result. actio and reactio as you will. these things are the result of your personality, not your personality itself.
solokom sure becouse surly it cant be both... No no no thank god we have a yt scientist on our hands here bois what would we do without you
Personality may shift at times but the core remains the same. I am more confident now than when I was a child, but looking back only the superficial things have changed. I'm still the same as I was then. Not sure about trauma but I doubt an introvert will suddenly turn into an extrovert!
I have taken the Myers Briggs several times in my life, always the same, INFP. Also, it is necessary that a person have the ability tobe honest with themselves in order for it to be useful. You say it has no predictive power, but in therapy I've seen it used to give someone an accurate description of themselves quickly, in order to give context to what they were sharing in the group and it was helpful. When I tell someone on 4chan that I'm an INFP, they stop thinking I'm a girl, and understand where I'm coming from LOL. It is useful.
August Greig Myers Briggs test isn't useful, it is faulty.
Science Power Well, myself and others have gotten good use out of it, so you can't really say that. She talks about it's poor predictive power, but all of psychology is poor at predicting behavior.
Things can be faulty and still be useful, the internet at my house is faulty yet it is useful
The RainbowPitt It is so faulty that it can't even do its 'intended' purpose. It practically useless except for a party game.
I agree, one of the main reasons people mistype is that they lie to themselves taking the test. They over inflate themselves, or misread how to take it in the first place. Someone might say they care about homeless people, while another person actually helps out at a soup kitchen. Both have a reason to state they are empathetic, but one acts on it.
The best way to type is to have people who know you answer some main questions. Do you gather, or organize? Are you more about the self or the tribe? Right there you have N vs S and T vs F.
This is one of the best videos I've seen on this topic. Love the humor. Well done! :D
Vanessa, your series has been amazing to watch. Every thursday im looking forward to what new thing you have to share with the world. Keep it up, and know your doing great stuff!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the big 5 is not a personality test, it's a personality model. There are several tests to measure your big 5 personality, including the NEO PI-R, which is (as far as I know) the best test to date.
Another great video as always. Now, let me go take this test!!
I get the same result on the Myers-Briggs test since 4 years ago. (INFP)
So I wouldn't say that it has no real predictive power.
I am afraid you are misled: the MBTI being shown to fail to "predict EVERYBODY's behaviour" does not mean that it cannot "predict SOMEBODY's behaviour here and there" (and thus, that its result can remain consistent to somebody throughout the years here and there). In an analogy, we could say that astrologists cannot make accurate fate predictions to everybody, but it does not prevent them from making some accurate fate predictions to some people, here and there. In both cases, we would say that those tellers are still unreliable, because you have no way of being certain IN ADVANCE whether the prediction made about yourself is among the inaccurate or accurate pile...
Would you say that an astrologist who gets it right half the time has some predictive power? I do not think so, otherwise you would also say that a coin flipping has some predictive power, right? (which is surely wrong, I hope we agree there ^^"?)
@@IA3213 The MBTI test however has 4 GENERAL categories (Analysts, Diplomats, Sentinels, and Explorers) along with it's 16, which gives it wiggle room. Secondly, personalities DO change.
Being an INTP (Logician) I fall into the [Analyst] category. BUT since personalities do change to a degree, I can see how if I became more extroverted and comfortable in public debate and arguing on the fly that I could fall into the INTJ (debater) category with time.
But I don't EVER see myself falling into the NF (Diplomats), SJ (Sentinels), or SP (Explorers) categories. EVER! I would still fall into one of the 4 Analytical types. I think the same holds true with everyone else.
But I find that the INFP type is very very accurate though, and I took the test about 30 times over the span of 2 years and I got consistent results. I find that my interests align with exactly what the INFP type indicates but only with small differences which obviously it would have since it is more of a broad indicator rather than determining exactly what a person does. So I don't even know. I myself cannot seem to find any proper argument against the Myers-Briggs Personality Test because they all seem to get a misconception that the person's type explains everything. Rather it is mostly just a guidline to me. I also find people who are INFP like me are very similar and act in similar ways. Our interests are similar too, so I am not sure if there is some underlying reason or if it is just coincidence.
But I also did the Big Five Test as well. And it seems pretty similar to the INFP thing as well, haha
Yes, I do the same thing too. I always love to read about the INFP profile and learn more about myself and learn how to be the best version of myself as well as learn about my friends'. (^^)
I'm INFP as well and I found this podcast awhile back and I've never felt more understood in my life. open.spotify.com/episode/2KbuiREOaNb4cCfl0I2fsV?si=Hw0_ng9NSImkM-olE_GTbQ
I hope you don't mind if I share here.
And my best friend is an infp as well and I have a super strong bond with him because we understand each other so well
represent
@@shutnawi6635 I'm INTP now
Whenever I take a Myers Briggs I seem to be in an INTP state of mind.
These videos are so awesome to watch! :D
Thank you for this great video ☺
I'm sorry but I voted for Physics girl, but yeah you're my second fav PBS channel
Forgiven because Physics Girl is awesome
Ibrahim Mohsin even I feel bad to vote for physics girl, I wish I could enter 2 channels
BrainCraft you know I love you, but Dianna is Wonder woman 😉😅
1:00 Every time I see a baby drawn like that, I think of Eraserhead. Thanks for the nightmares, Mr. Lynch.
Still certain I am an INTP. I have been for years.
UH mbti shouldn't be discredited. after knowing someone for a few days I can type them with about 90% accuracy. if you study the cognitive functions it really helps you understand the way people think. it's TREMENDOUSLY helped me in my life anyway
So many shows I didn't know existed. Where is the time?
I'm glad that you made this video, thanks!
Of course! Thank you for watching!
I did that "big 5" and it basically same result as Myers-Briggs...
btw I got "1" point in extraversion...
She says one is good and one is bad as if they don't have overlap.
This comment is not related to this video in particular...but I wanted to thank you for making the videos of "Bad Behaviour" series, it helps me( and i think everyone else) to visualize things in a more light and clear way And I love all your other videos too.
Keep doing great content, Vanessa ♥
This is under the assumption that you fit neatly into one category. I suggest you take the test and consider your results and the 2 closest other personalities. Read the descriptions and take what you find most fitting for more accurate results.
Wow that was a beast of a survey. But I know it means alot to your show so I took it and you're my top for sure. Keep making the great content!
Where can we take this big 5 test? Or which 1 do you recommend
Great video as always, Venessa.
Go Aussie! :-)
The Enneagram personality test is incredible. Everyone I know who's taken it is just amazed by the accuracy. It's awesome because it shows who I am at my most healthy and most unhealthy selves. I think the construct itself is the most accurate, however many tests for it are not always as accurate so I'd suggest taking one and then going through the types and seeing which one resonates with you the most
I've taken the Myers-Briggs test many times over the course of two years and always gotten ESTJ.
if you want to know your mbti with certainty, get your closest friends to do the test for you. and you'll notice their results will be pretty similar
That's actually a pretty good idea - it would be interesting to both do it and compare results! have you done this?
Kind of ironic when you know that researchers have established a correlation between the Myers-Briggs factors and the big 5 personalities factors
Would you share some sources and references please :)?
I've heard many times that the Myers-Briggs test is not accurate/useful, but every time I hear someone say that they also say or imply that each of the 4 letters is binary. While people often treat them as binary, when you actually take the test it returns each letter as a percentage, so E-I is a spectrum rather than binary, as are N-S, T-F, and P-J.
If these percentage ratings are taken into account rather than just simplified to one letter or the other, would that increase the validity of Myers-Briggs compared to the Big 5? Or are there other fundamental issues with the test other than the perception of the letter scores as binary rather than spectral?
They are binary, yes... But really, get into the cognitive functions. N and S are opposite, but more at Ne and Si are opposite, vs. Ni and Se. Then, realize that the preferences of each individual can lean one way or another. Meaning an ISTJ could be more Se/Ti while another could be more Se/Fe. However, both would likely be utterly against the fantastic or imaginary, and would totally abhor a chaotic life (hence the J, even though we don't look at that in cognitive functions).
Though I always got INFP over the years, but the percentage on every spectrum kept varying and that's why I think it's similar to the Big 5.
I don't need a personality test, I just want to know which Hogwarts house I'm in.
my personality type is INTJ and they describes me very well ... i also like you so much and that can be explained because you're an ENFP
I keep having this thought in my mind so I'll put it out there. You last commen, "Excuse my while my head returns to the clouds," makes me think of a Jimi Hendrix tune that had, 'Excuse my while I touch the sky." I really don't know much about Hendrix's music, but I do remember that. I once did a science fair project to see if music affected plants, and my friends who were slightly older got Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze album for me, and we contrasted that with Beethoven. Needless to say, I was so involved in so many other things, including sports (I once went from a track meet, jumped in a small airplane and flew to my band's recital), that I really never had enough time to complete the science fair project--it got displayed, but I really hadn't had time to devote to it.
Anyway, you can see part of my fascination with your crocodile video.
Alternatively, just this evening I got to thinking about the John Lennon 'Imagine' album, where he is lookin up at the clouds.
cognitive functions
Thanks. Great video.
Its hilarious that they discount mbti but talk about the big five as real. They're the same thing but measuring different self reported behaviors. The only difference is, Myers-Briggs takes the extra step and summarizes the different behavior scales for ease of consumption and the big 5 doesn't.
Dude. The fact that Myers Briggs failed being empirically verified in experimentation whereas big five succeeded is A PRETTY FUCKING HUGE DIFFERENCE XD
Stonehawk I don't buy it. They tested the four spectrums and not the 16 functions which shows a fundimental misunderstanding of the system. The spectrums are the wholesale, easily digestible layer for the lay person, while the 16 cognitive functions are where the prediction power lies. Also, if someone got 50/50 on a single spectrum, that doesn't change the entire personality, because the difference between say, an EN(T)P and an EN(F)P is really minor, in that they share 90% of personality traits, with the major cognitive functions being exactly the same. In order to judge the big five the same way, you'd have to discount it completely if they were 3% off from a previous test.
Michael Carpenter since you don’t seem to care for the statistical explanation as to why the big 5 is better let’s look at some other things. All the big 5 traits with the exception the conscientiousness have physiological parallels in the brain. Openness and extraversion correlate with the dopamine circuits. Agreeableness and neuroticism correspond with serotonin release. Conscientious is hard to find but it’s the biggest deciding factor in workplace success and across all cultures that the factor analysis is conducted it is a distinct personality trait, therefore it must exist.
Does MBTI have any of that? Not really. It’s has the basic spectrum and some kind of obfuscated sub function pseudo science that’s not even remotely scientifically backed. And yes, I do know what sub functions are because I have researched MBTI, I used to believe in it. I mean, think about it though, does it really make sense that there’s a test where if you are moderately inclined on a trait you would be in an entirely different personality depending on the day you take it? And you can’t say it doesn’t matter because the other traits match because then you have to throw out the sub functions because they do make each personality unique. And what if you like me and you have 2 traits that flip periodically? That makes no sense. Why isn’t there a moderate category?
And lastly the Big 5 have strong predictive capabilities without esoteric sub functions. You can predict a persons relationships, career choice, even workplace success with the Big 5, and you can do it consistently. All you really need is a decent understanding of the traits themselves. With just one trait you can make huge prediction about a person. Even assuming the MBTI works the ease of which one can use the Big 5 makes it far more useful practically.
Dafuzz finally an individual who understands the importance of practicality. I like Jung and some of his analysis, but MBTI isn’t really applicable for practical use. My professor said all semester that MBTI only good for team building exercises.
Plus look at how the big five was developed. Brute force statistical analysis based on language! Repeated consistently across multiple countries and languages. No major psychological theory involved. Mostly data.
What do you call someone who loves attention but doesn't like meeting new people or traveling? Is that introvert or extrovert?
Not enough information to tell, I suspect.
I really liked this video! Personality tests are weird, and so many of the online ones can be easily manipulated. It was nice to learn more of the science behind the accuracies and inaccuracies!
I've used MBTI with my friend fully aware that it's not scientific, I use it for fun and to get my friends to start talking about themselves.
Well, MBTI is a THEORY about how the brain functions in different people, not the behaviour.
And it makes more sense if you learn a lot about the cognitive functions.
You did not mention grips, loops, just straight simple lines and stereotypes with no structure, but you are funny.
I don't say it's legit but this theory helped a lot of people that knew a lot about it because they begin to understand why some things are the way they are.
And people that use it for important life changing experiences such as giving a job to someone are not that...smart, proving that they don't know much about the world around them.
Like the guys on dating apps that think they will marry you because you're a libra.
are there any research done on significant personally changes?
Welp time to toss the INJF results I've been getting out and take the Big 5! Thanks for the info! I actually resonantly read a paper about how high agreeableness and conscientiousness helping with genetic predispositions to anxiety and depression, so kinda curious where I stand on the Big 5
MBTI is NOT just divided into intuition, thinking, sensing and feeling it's further divided into 8 cognitive functions which are pretty accurate for most of the people
Exactly !
Eyap
Well, that has more to do with Jung, and she definitely just skipped over that. Probably because there isn't any standard empirical evidence for it.(that I know of) Which I understand. But, the functions themselves go pretty deep. It's a pretty useful frame work, I wish it was tested seriously.
Exactly... and people favor certain functions more within a certain personality type thus a wide variety of variations within a personality type.
Lyanna Stark Ur right no one did. There are 16 types each devided in subtypes and even tho they can describe u really well there will never be two people exactly the same. Just beacuse MBTI describes ur world view, decision making.... doesnt mean it takes away ur free will
If you really want some heavy accuracy I recommend the Enneagram instead. It even specifies that all of the types within that test are within us and work on a spectrum of conscious usage. And either do the test through the similarminds website (free and most accurate for myself and many of my friends) or directly from the enneagram site (that one isn't free tho).
The reason why some people may get different results on the 16 personality test (besides not being honest) might be that they are borderline cases on one or more of the spectra.
You are not "either or" but "mostly" one or the other.
So if they presented the information as 4 percentages depending on how close far you are relative to the extreme, while clarifying that they are merely descriptive indicators rather than predictive, it would be better. And it would no longer be a "16" personality test
BrainCraft, I'm sorry but there is a lot more theory in mbti than what you describe in this video. I do agree that the test are inaccurate but there's a lot more to it. Mbti and socionics are based on functions:
-perceiving functions
Extraverted sensing(Se)
Introverted sensing(Si)
Extraverted intuition(Ne)
Introverted intuition(Ni)
-deciding functions
Extraverted feeling(Fe)
Introverted feeling(Fi)
Extraverted thinking(Te)
Introverted thinking(Ti)
It's also not about how much you are of E vs I, S vs N, etc.
For example, I'm an infp so my function stack is:
1 - Fi
2 - Ne
3 - Si
4 - Te
- - -
5 - Fe
6 - Ni
7 - Se
8 - Ti
Feeling and thinking are also misleading names. Of course everyone feels and thinks. Everyone have ALL the functions, it's just a matter of which one you prefer.
Feeling=value and thinking=reason, so introverted feeling(Fi), for example, is an internal system of values. Te for example is like an external system of reason, sounds weird but it's like fitting logic/reasons into a frame work outside of yourself, this may not be the best explanation of Te.
P and J actually stand for what type of function your first extraverted function is. An ENFP is a P because their first extraverted function is Ne which is a perceiving function. I am also a P even though my first function is a judgement function, my first extraverted function is Ne, a perceiving function.
If you want to know more I highly recommend watching davesuperpowers and nt support YT channels.
Davesuperpowers video - ua-cam.com/video/pSNTdSSLauQ/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/aQ2QbS-EgrM/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/YR_O2eXWSzo/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/BEB5Le9kfgo/v-deo.html
Nt support - ua-cam.com/video/34R-B_HFQqo/v-deo.html
I like how the Big Five gives you a score instead of putting you into a specific category :) (at least I think so bc I saw how long it is and didn't bother doing it lol)
Huh. Maybe I'm just a statistical outlier, but I've taken the Meyers Briggs test a few times over the years with different versions (once for a psych class, once in a health class, and a few others on my own), and I've only ever gotten ENTJ or ESTJ, (because the N-S trait for me is right down the middle) with similar margins on the spectrums for each stat. Of course, my experiences aren't more valid than others', but I can't help but wonder if reading comprehension, honesty in answering questions, and the specific types of questions asked and the way answers were quantified might be the culprits than the idea of a personality test itself. Nevertheless, science is about results that can be replicated, and if these can't be, then it's not science; I simply found it surprising that some peoples' changed so much, when mine have been fairly consistent. This was an interesting and informative video; I'm gonna take a look at that other test.
I agree on a pro-N _and_ pro-T bias in most test in general. Yet, oddly, it's the SJ's who run this world...
My company just spent several weeks (and probably a lot of money) on manager training using the DISC model. Anyone know how the science backs up that approach?
How to use the results of big five personality?
One thing I understood very early from when I started studying the more basic psychology in high school is that in that field you rely a lot on perspective, just like in geography with different map projections.
A 2D map may project Africa properly, but will display Greenland just as big, but it's not 100% wrong because of that, you just need to bring a few more maps alongside with other projection types to reach a more reliable conclusion.
Psychology is similar to this - it's not always about hardproofing concepts about the mind, often it's just about describing the mind through different angles and projections to give a better understanding of the mind - or in this case the personality.
Lately there has been a new wave of research aiming solely at the power of statistics and replicability of tests, this has been both for better and worse.
Better as it has debunked old statistical research done poorly improving the field, and worse as researches have tried to test abstract concepts on the paper through replicable studies that clearly doesn't translate well, causing floods of results ranging all across the spectrum (such as ego depletion just to take a random example) simply because what they're testing simply can't be tested empirically at this stage in the field and they have to rely on methodologies that are flawed from the ground up, all because they fail to see the concepts for what they are - psychological angles to describe the mind in context with others and, guideöines thjat should be taken with a grain of salt - not hard science that should go through an empirical study in all black and white.
Just my rant.
The website doesn’t work anymore
Instead of The Big Five, I’ve taken IPIP-NEO which tests on the same things. While my exact numbers aren’t the exact same, I tend to always get around the same results, even years apart.
The same is true for my 16 Personalities/MBTI. In fact my MBTI has only gotten stronger results. Originally I was an ENxP, but am now a strong ENTP. And saying I like to debate things is an understatement.
I think all it comes down to is how truthful you are and it gives an accurate description of you at that moment. Of course our personalities change(see developmental psychology and social psychology), I don’t even act the same way around my parents than I do around my friends. But it’s cool to chart my results with these tests every now and again.
Why are your books horizontal?
I really like ur personality!!💯💫
Hmmmm, this is really interesting. In your research did you come across the Enneagram test? I think it's super unscientific, but like most tests, it's fun!
What is the scientific rationale for personality classification?
People fall in between personality types because they have learned to adapt socially. What’s important in personality tests is that the subject clearly understands the responses to test questions are their honest, natural, innate response. And not self-adjusted reactions to fill a social need. Some people writing these tests feel ambivalent because they have forgotten whom they were.
i really enjoy this topic. im starting to read Carl Young as well. i have found a very old system that dates back to Greek times. right now i cant remember it . but i had an idea for a topic i would love to see on Brain Craft. the idea is what personality muscles are being used when someone is talking to a camera. Like when you do an episode of Brain Craft. it is extremely new skill set. less than 100 years old. its not acting . but it has a script. your talking to thousands of people and no one simultaneously. you are being expressive and sometimes creating a response to what a viewer might say . i think of weird stuff. . im the son of a psychiatrist so im guessing it is just the way that goes. question how damaged are the children of psychiatrist and psychologist???? on average.
Years and years ago, when we used to wear onions on our belts, which was the style at the time, I used to play a "game" that was a Myers-Briggs personality test on my good old trusty Commodore 64. For fun, I would play the game after school and being a scurious child I would see how my mood at the time would adjust my "personality." Now, the test had hundreds of test questions. But after doing that for many months, I learned what each question was asking about. After I learned how to direct the personality test to what I wanted, it became fun to imagine myself as someone and answer the questions as that person, just to see how the person "felt."
Much later, when I joined the ranks of the illustrious psychology experimental group, i.e. college freshpeeps, I would scandalously figure out what they were trying to find out about me before I finished the experiment.
I'd tell you about those stories... but my onion seems to be rolling down the hallway and the nurse has to fetch it back for me.
I had a boss once that had the whole company (20-30 people) take the Myers-Briggs test so we could sit around and discuss our various outcomes. I had massive objections to this. Either the test was true health info and he was violating HIPPA regulations by having me discuss my results with people who I did not want to have that info, or it was totally bogus and we were wasting time. Either way, I was ticked off.
The Meyers-Briggs was never intended to be predictive. The purpose of the test is to help people understand themselves, rather than understanding how they look at the world around them. You're not supposed to take the results as gospel and nobody in the field of psychology say that you should. Take the extrovert/introvert scale as a an example. Being an introvert doesn't mean you always want to be alone or that you avoid public places, it just means that the answers you gave indicate that you perceive yourself as someone who enjoys a quiet book over a loud party. It doesn't mean that you will always avoid parties in the future, it is only revealing an honesty about yourself. No test based on someone's subjective feelings about themselves can be predictive of future behavior, it can only shed light on how they feel about themselves at the time they took the test. This fact in and of itself is the structure of the different personality types. They only indicate the various ways in which you could have answered the questions and since you were only given a limited number of options, you chose the one that best fit your mental state at the time of the test. So if you come out of it as an introvert, but you would rather go to a party than read a book at home, you're supposed to ask yourself why the results conflict with your perception of yourself. Using it as confirmation or affirmation of a personality type to predict future behavior is asinine and definitely not the reason the test is supposed to be administered. Those who administer the test with the intent of predicting behavior are doing a disservice to themselves and those around them.
Uhhh...you COMPLETELY forgot to discuss the viability of the D&D alignment system!
i hesitated to watch this at first lol but since i love your video then here i am 💕
since i was little i really love all these personality tests just for fun! i would randomly google some and have fun with how they judge me based on very generalize questions but among these, i just never believe the astrology one because its just too random and why would a girl born on 3rd of september has the same personality as all other virgo girls i just cant comprehend it lol
but tbh, while i was growing up i had a difficult time understanding myself and why people don’t understand me those are very intense period of time (+ teen girl problems) i was quite depress but then i found out about the mbti test and out of curiosity i took it.. i got infj and for the first time in my life- i read a very detailed descriptions about me that i could even never think of before. it made me see myself as a whole new person again and i started to understand many things afterwards. i took the same test after a year and i got infp so i became quite unsure of the credibility but then i realized i was really changing due to my environment at that time (i was in 2nd semester of degree) i took it again after a year and a half and im back to infj until now.
maybe most introverts would feel connected more to all of these personality tests than an extravert lol and bdw even if its true that it gives me a kind of a self assurance to make myself feel good about it but then why not? now i feel so good about myself and love myself moreeee 💖
bdw dont worry i still love your videos 👌
Torn between you and Physics Girl on this survey. This video was very well presented.
I've heard that people who think you're faking your identity will sometimes ask for your star sign as a quick test. I don't know mine.
Always here to watch BrainCraft in Action
You lost me at the Big Five. smh
lmao.. me too.. i know eventually she's gonna promote another type of test.. couldn't bring myself to continue..
Big five is solid in academia, why did it lose you ! :(
Thanks to the inverse-square law, the gravitational pull of the stars on a person, while real, is weaker than that of a local bus.
So if you want to determine your personality or predict the future, look to a time table. In some regards, it can actually work- you'll at least know when the next bus is.
thank you!
Thanks for making this video. Companies will sometimes do DISC or Myer Briggs to allow teams to discuss their similarities and differences. Which is innocent enough but is presented as more predictive than it really is. They could just skip ahead to the differences or do the more time consuming big 5 and include how they'd like it to change in the discussion.
Hmm whereas it's indisputable that personality tests are not based in Science nor can they be used to predict things about ourselves I do still think they are very useful. I feel that they are quick and easy ways of giving someone a snapshot of your personality (if you agree with points in the bio you are classified into), obv we are far more complex but things like Myers Briggs and Enneagrams are a good jumping off point for getting to know someone on my opinion.
Why do subtitles stop at 4:53
you are totally an ENFP-T. This translates with high correlation to High Extrovertion, Medium-high Openness to experience, High agreeableness, balanced in conscientiousness and high in neuroticism.
Fun fact!: youre sun sign (the sign every one knows isnt your only sign)
You have a rising sign, moon sign, a sign for the 9, yes 9 planets because it includes Pluto, you also have a sign in each of the 12 houses. You also have your lilith sign, the north and south nodes, many many signs go into ones personality and can changes minute to minute and if youre not born in the eact same place that will also have an effect.
Plus its actually impossible to raise two people exactly the same even when they are twins and even astrologers will tell you that the zodiacs isnt everything its about 50/50 your environment has impact as well, its just a base for you to look at and see where you may have struggles and can just help you to improve them :)
Main problem with all tests of this type, regardless of the science, is that 12, 16, types is just not enough types to predict humans. There are more flavors of ice cream than that. My personal system has over 20,000 types, and no two people in any one type category.
The key thing about the Big Five, is that it was derived objectively using statistical analysis, rather than any subjective theory of human nature.
They just took a huge collection of statements that people used to describe their own character traits, and then distilled them down into five categories based on which answers were closely correlated. Converting words into numbers.
For example, you could do the same in a test about food preferences. "I like marmalade." and "I like hamburgers." would probably have no correlation. Whereas "I like marmalade." and "I like fruit." would probably have a strong correlation.
I love your videos so much
The biggest problem that I have with the M-B tests is that in too many cases I could choose equally between two of the answers, as both seemed to apply. Or that none of them did. On another subject, some years back I was using online dating sites to find someone (I did, and it's still working well :-). One site in particular was a pay site, which I tended not to use, but which offered a free trial at some point. Signing up got me into a questionnaire, which was supposed to evaluate me and allow the site's algorithms to match me up with suitable people. So I answered all of these questions, and at the end of the process they didn't know what to do with me, not at all...
What about 16personalities I took it and it was pretty spot on?
No need to screen shot here are some links:
imgur.com/a/3b5yzGA - "Your choices and behaviour can't be explained by your Myers-Briggs type"
imgur.com/a/2YgoDq5 - "The Big Five has the ability to predict how you'll behave in relationships"
If it comes to personality typing it is a lot more complicated than the simple dichotomy of factors. There are also cognitive functions that are really important in MBTI assessment. The best way to discover your type is to be types by someone who is a certified MBTI practitioner. Also MBTI is more about how interact with the world and view not how you behave.