We might favor a decided way of life (Judging) or we could prefer a more adaptable lifestyle (Perceiving). Judging (J) or Perceiving (P): The final preference covers how we behave, or our “orientation to the outer world”. Some of us value objectivity and an impersonal approach (Thinking), while others put more weight on personal and social factors (Feeling). Thinking (T) or Feeling (F): The preference between thinking and feeling describes how we make decisions. Sensing (S) or Intuitive (N): How do we take in information? Do we pay attention to what we sense through our five basic senses (Sensing) or do we focus more on the meanings and patterns in what we see (Intuitive)? According to the Myers-Briggs Foundation, these are:Įxtroverted (E) or Introverted (I): This trait refers to our preference to focus on the world around us (Extroverted) or our inner world (Introverted), and how we get our energy from these systems. The framework divides people into 16 different human personality types, each made up of four binary preferences. Since the first official publication of the test in 1962, millions of people around the world have taken the test and discovered their “type”.¹ It was designed that way because its creators “thought that would be very motivating for workers to believe the only purpose of the indicator was to match them to the best job that was suited for them,” Emre said.At some point in your life, you’ve likely done a personality test, and the most popular personality test worldwide is the MBTI: the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. So why do people continue to take a test that reporters from Vox said in 2015, “has about as much scientific validity as your astrological sign?”Įmre, the Oxford professor, explained that unlike other personality tests, the MBTI is appealing because it is “nonjudgmental” meaning that that all the results are positive.

Today, some 1.5 million people take the test online each year and 88 of the Fortune 100 companies are clients of the Myers-Briggs Company, according to Balasubramanian. 'When you look at validity of the instrument it is just as valid as any other personality assessment,' Balasubramanian said. Balasubramanian claims the research discrediting the MBTI is outdated, but the statistics have been so often repeated by subsequent articles and studies that it created a sort of 'Internet myth.' He added that the problems those researchers encountered have long since been fixed.

Mbti validity and reliability