Personality Types and Their Measurement
Social Psychologists have developed several instruments used primarily in counseling and as part of employee selection. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is prominent and typical. Four idealized “personality dichotomies” based on Jung’s theory of psychological types underlie the instrument.
The “sensing-intuition” (S-I) scale determines how subjects perceive or acquire information. “Sensing” types tend to accept and work with what is given, so are realistic, practical, and good at remembering and working with a great number of facts. “Intuitive” types go beyond the information of the senses to look at the big picture, seeing new possibilities and ways of doing things. The “extroversion-introversion” (E-N) scale identifies whether a respondent focuses primarily on others or his own “inner” world, whether he prefers to communicate by talking or by writing, and whether he learns more by experience or thinking things through. The “thinking-feeling (T-F) scale measures how information is used to make decisions. “Thinking” types rely on analysis while “feeling” types emphasize values. Finally, “judging-perceiving” (J-P) distinguishes those preferring control, planning, and order to adaptability, flexibility, and spontaneity.Respondents are “typed” based on 92 questions, 43 asking which of two words “appeals to you more.” The remaining 49 ask which of two, sometimes three, choices describes how the subject “usually feels or acts.” Each respondent is then scored and “typed” as one of 16 personality types (Figure 7.1), which is to say (assuming equal distribution among types) that everyone shares their personality with about 437,500,000 others among the world’s people.
Myers-Briggs claims to identify difficulties stemming from personality differences in work groups and to be useful in forming teams that can solve problems efficiently. But, both cases require further assumptions.
Is it best to put similar types together for compatibility? Or is it better to mix personalities in hope of studying the problem from numerous angles? Critics point out that technical skills or inclusion of opinion leaders who can “sell” the solution to a wider audience are among many other factors to consider in team formation.Further criticism extends to the validity and reliability of the instrument itself. The underlying theory originates with a hodgepodge of ideas borrowed from ancient philosophy and modern science. The model oversimplifies. For example, it assumes that extroverts have broader interests than introverts. However, academics tend to score as introverts, but interests tend to expand with education. A person scoring 24-0 on a particular dichotomy will be “typed” the same as one scoring 13-11.
If it is ethical in a job interview to put your best foot forward, as long as you do not resort to lying, is not the same standard true with tests like Myers-Briggs? When asked whether “compassion” appeals more than “foresight,” or whether you prefer a friend who has “new ideas” to one with “both feet on the ground,” it is easy to think of situations in which either answer is true. Knowing which characteristics the job requires determines which situation to consider in answering the question. You may not always guess right, but you should be able to do so often enough to improve your chances of getting the job.