The Myers-Briggs personality test was created during WWII to encourage people to join the workforce after many men had left their jobs to fight in Europe. Now it, along with parallel tests such as Truity.com and 16Personalities.com, is a subject of debate between self-discovery and over generalizations. So what are the tests, and what’s the point?
The test consists of answering questions to determine where you lean in the 4 to 5 categories that make up your personality type. These categories show where your energy is focused, how you prefer to take in information, how you make decisions, and how you live your outer life: extroverted vs. introverted, observant vs. intuitive, thinking vs. feeling, and judging vs. perceiving, respectively. There also may be questions to rate how you interact with stress, being either turbulent or assertive. Combined, these produce 16 base personalities with two stress variations each, such as ENFJ-A or ISTP-T. These results are typically correct: 16Personalities claims better than a 90% accuracy rate. After discovering your type, you can read general information about each personality, like common traits and job careers, while emphasizing that no personality type is inherently good or bad.
Many test-takers believe that it is a helpful and useful tool. One of the most common responses was that the algorithm gives an accurate enough response that people are validated by having their true self noticed. Blake’s Social Psychology class, which is taught by Ben Cady and Dion Crushshon, shows another benefit. Cady says that the reason he has his students take the test is “to [do] some introspection” and to “have them start thinking about themselves,” something that “ultimately [culminates] in writing a paper about ‘who I am at this stage in my life.’” People can use this newfound information for benefit: the awareness received about your personality’s strengths and weaknesses can help you be more mindful of your actions.
Despite these apparent upsides, some people don’t like the tests. Cady says a reason for this is because “everybody’s got things about themselves that they don’t like…and I think sometimes when you take those tests and have those pointed out to you still can be a little hard to take.” But another reason has to do with the idea behind these tests. Crushshon explains that the main purpose of personality tests, which usually is seen as discovering your general tendencies at their core, is not as useful as it may appear. He says that “social dynamics and situations can influence our behaviors,” meaning that regardless of personality, you will act differently in different situations. He theorizes that people taking the test create context around the questions and answer them accordingly, saying that “[the test questions don’t] account for that if-then statement,” and because of this the tests show more of “an average” or “go-to type” than an all-encompassing trait.
Your opinion of the tests is up to you, but whatever way you lean, as Cady says, you have to “take them all with a grain of salt,” because “it doesn’t have to define who you are.”
Words of affirmation
Shows appreciation, words include saying what a person does well or what you like about them.
Quality time
Uninterrupted, quality conversations, can involve an activity as long as it’s about spending time together.
Physical touch
DO NOT PRESSURE, ask what partner likes or doesn’t like, holding hands, cuddling, etc.
Receiving gifts
Not about the money spent, but rather the thought and showing appreciation for them
Acts of service
Offering help and doing things without being asked what they know they would enjoy.
1. When looking at a stressful week ahead, how do you prepare?
a) Take deep breaths and do a relaxing activity
b) Make a schedule/to-do list
2. Your closest friend needs advice. Do you…
a) Talk them through the situation, and tell them to
follow what their strongest emotions and intuition
are saying
b) Help them create a comprehensive list outlining
the pros and cons of their situation
3. You just won the lottery! You’ve purchased everything you would want and more, but have some left over cash. What would you use it for?
a) Get all your favorite musicians/artists to perform your favorite songs
b) Create a potentially lucrative business empire
4. When studying for a large exam, what is your preferred method?
a) Watching helpful content related to the exam
b) Writing and reciting flashcards
5. When organizing your desk, what do you prioritize?
a) Aesthetically pleasing visuals
b) Practicality and convenience
6. What do you feel is more important in a loved one?
a) Having empathy and support for people
b) Being honest and straightforward
7. What subjects do you prefer?
a) English and Arts
b) Math and Science
8. What is your preferred childhood activity?
a) Make-believe games
b) LEGOs
9. Say you’re writing an essay and receive
a thesis prompt. Which do you prefer?
a) Open-ended questions
b) Prompt with a clearly outlined essential question
10. Would you rather play word games or puzzles?
a) Puzzles
b) Word Games
Would you rather spend your Friday night at home, or out with friends? Do you like meeting new people or is it your greatest fear? Or, are you somewhere in the middle? If you like hanging out with your friends but don’t love reaching out to new people, you may be an introvert. If you love meeting new people and can always be seen hanging out with friends, you are most likely an extrovert. However, there are so many ranges of being introverted or extroverted that many don’t believe they lean one way or the other.
Addie Wethington ‘27 believes that her extrovert side allows her to be more open to reaching out to new people, and also assists in advocating for herself. Introvert Oliver Engel ‘27 says that he is more timid when meeting new people for the first time. Although neither prefers being by themselves or being around people, Engel says “I think it just depends on what’s happening the day and how I’m feeling.” Wethington mentions that it depends “[whether] I’m in a fun mood I’ll hang out with people more.”
Dion Crushshon, a teacher of a social psychology class, says “I truly believe the extent to which we are extroverted or introverted is context-dependent and dependent on your environment.” He also agrees with Engel’s statement that the kind of day and how he is feeling plays a large role in whether he would rather be alone or with friends. He says “as teachers, sometimes we see kids that seem really quiet but then on the basketball court or in theater they are the opposite.” Wethington and Engel both believe that the general population of students at Blake are introverted. From the social psychology perspective of Mr. Crushshon, their estimates are based on themselves and their friends, or those who come to mind first when asked this question. This is part of something called an “availability heuristic”, which means that we “estimate the number of particular things…by how easily we can bring examples to mind.”
