to not believe in Myers Briggs type tests?

[Stripeyclock]

I've recently tried a Myers Briggs type test online. It was recommended to me by someone who swore it was brilliant. Someone else said it saved their marriage because it helped them to understand their partner better.

This particular site isn't a fly by night silly one, it has a proper scientific basis. It has hundreds of positive Facebook comments with people saying things like 'this was so accurate I cried' and stuff to that affect.

I've tried it twice now and I have been as honest as possible. Both times I came out with a different 'type' and neither of them sounded anything like me.

For example both of my types said that I would be very popular with loads of friends. I literally have no friends right now, which in fairness is partly because I'm a SAHM, but yeah, I have never ever ever been popular. Also both types said I would be the sort of person to hate hierarchy and rules, but I think the opposite about myself - I'm pretty submissive and feel pretty comfortable in a hierarchy.

There wasn't really anything that rang true for me at all.

I know many people have to do these sort of tests as part of their career and in other circumstances. I'm wondering if anyone else has felt similarly at odds with their results?

DH and I have both one it and felt it was spot on.

Spot on for me. To the letter. Each time as well, and i have taken the test in different guises at least 20 times.

Perhaps you are not gving true self responses, but how you feel you should answer...

YANBU. Google "Myers Briggs controversy" to get an idea of how much doubt there is surrounding this particular "test".

For me, the main value in these sorts of things is when they are used as a gentle introduction to a personal development process that seeks to raise awareness of one's own broad preferences and tendencies, and brings in the NEWSFLASH notion that not everyone is the same, and that other people can see things very differently and have wildly varying motivations, values etc and yet THAT IS OK and everyone's approaches are equally valid.

As an exercise to put you in one of sixteen boxes and thereby seek to prescribe every single one of your feelings, thoughts and actions - yeah, not so much.

You might find these articles of interest

www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2013/mar/19/myers-briggs-test-unscientific

careers.theguardian.com/careers-blog/myers-briggs-employee-personality-test-accurate

See also: the observation that individuals will give high accuracy ratings to descriptions of their personality that supposedly are tailored specifically for them, but are in fact vague and general enough to apply to a wide range of people.

The test divides people into one thing or another. Some people fall between some of the personality types. The online testing is reasonably accurate, but when this happens, you need a person who understands it all to fathom it out.

I'm sure it varies from day to day, too.

Thank you for the posts everyone.

FunkyboldRibena I really really tried to be as honest as possible and give genuine answers that I thought reflected myself.

puntasticusername and tyneteas thanks for the links.

Oh no, YANBU. It was devised by two people with little to no scientific background based on Jungian psychology, which has also been roundly derided and debunked. IMO, it fails to take into account that people behave completely differently in different situations and with different people. Do it for fun if you like, but I couldn't take it seriously. Isn't it mainly used by corporations to put people into neat little boxes?

Psychologically speaking the Myers Briggs test has a poor scientific basis. Yes you can argue it's a useful in road for discussion however as is often the case once it's on paper this sort of thing tends to be treated as the solid gold truth - and that it ain't.

Careers guidance theory is very complex and evolving all the time. There tests are only one aspect of helping people to develop awareness of self and others.

Obviously they're never going to be completely accurate, and shouldn't be used in such a way. But, if you're looking for a way to help understand yourself or others better, or just to do something for fun... then they're accurate enough.

It shouldn't be too hard to fit yourself into one type, even if it's not perfect. Any personality test may not be accurate, but if you read through the descriptions I imagine there's one that'd fit best?

I think all these personality tests are - well, not exactly a load of old nonsense, clearly if you prefer staying in to going to parties you are more likely to be an introvert, but I just don't think they help anybody do anything. Allegedly some companies use them in recruitment but it seems very unlikely that they do - has anyone come across this? And really, they go out to advert for a job thinking 'well we need more finisher-closer types for this one' [or whatever the jargon is] and if they do think that, why don't they put it in the advert? And if you happen to be an introvert who manages a very extroverted job by having a very quiet personal life, what business is it of anyone's? Has anyone ever been rejected from a job because they were INFP instead of ESP or whatever the crap it is?

I take it as being the same level as the 'What kind of girlfriend are you?' quizzes in Just Seventeen tbh.

Myers Briggs is a load of nonsense and I used to be paid to administer them

I belive there is some truth in the test, I fit the description of a typical INFJ and I have done the test several times always with the same result.

*believe

YANBU they are bobbins.

Yes bexicles but what does it achieve? You are an INFJ - have you therefore thought 'so I shouldn't learn to surf' or made any decisions on the basis of that result?

Bit of fun but shouldn't be taken too seriously.

I've done this test at work. I felt it was accurate but hardly earth shattering stuff - 'you're an introvert who likes accuracy' - well, hardly a surprise to me.

What annoyed me was the whole team did it, were told that different 'types' responded differently to different situations so you should adjust your behaviour accordingly - fair enough. But did the management change the way they did things to accommodate the introverts? Did they hell. Same old cringeworthy role-play shit, group working. Idiots.

I did my first one years ago and - with the benefit of hindsight - lied my arse off. But I didn't know that was what I was doing. My boss then re-did it as she saw me, we compared both and I can honestly say it was one of the most important moments of my working life. Not that I was wrong, not that she was right - but it showed me that the 'you' in your head really isn't the 'you' everyone else sees.

When I did something similar 10 years later it was very 'meh' because by then I had proper self-knowledge and self-awareness

These types of tests are fine as a starting point for discussion but not as a diagnostic fact based tool.

Human minds are so complex it would be impossible to categorise people into a fixed number of personality types.