What’s Your Type: The Appeal The history of personality tests

Since World War I, personality tests have been a work in progress, despite its wide usage in workplaces, school, and individual use.

Before the popular personality tests that America utilizes in the modern day — from the novelty Harry Potter based Pottermore to the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) — which widely circulate the internet, personality tests have held different purposes.

The first personality test, created by psychologist Robert S Woodworth in World War I, evaluated a soldiers’ potential for suffering from shell shock, a form of PTSD. Distributed to limited groups of soldiers, Woodworth’s Personal Data Sheet included 45 yes or no questions including: “Do you usually feel well and strong?” and “Did you have a happy childhood?” This test would be the predecessor for new tests implemented for different functions.

For example, personality tests have become rooted in the workplace, with millions of American workers assessing their strengths and weaknesses to bolster collaboration and productivity.

The accessibility of these tests have led to major dependence on nonscientific conclusions, which has led to minor concern. Some argue that personality tests pigeonhole people into stereotypes, whereas others counter that these tests are a convenient indicator for organizations, institutions, and individuals.

Arguably the most influential personality test created, the MBTI, came to conception from the research of Katharine Briggs in 1917. Carl Jung, a Swiss psychoanalyst and the creator of analytical psychology, had a major influence on Briggs’ research. Categories of the MBTI such as introverted/ extraverted were drawn from some of Jung’s concepts.

Above all, Jung’s theory of collective consciousness is evident in the intent of Briggs’ research. Collective consciousness states that all people have certain traits hidden deep in sub-consciousness. Jung created four personality types from this theory, which share parallels with the four categories created by Briggs.

The popularity of the MBTI has risen in previous years. Mainly hosted on website 16Personalities, the MBTI has also become a social media phenomenon.

Confusingly, to the unaware viewer, the four letter combination often seen on social media profiles seems to be meaningless. From “INTJ” to “ESFP,” each combination is like a barcode that is assigned to a role. For example, “ISFJ” correlates to “the defender” and “ISFP” correlates to “the adventurer.”

However, although MBTIs are widely used in workplaces and other environments, experts and researchers believe the test to be wildly inaccurate.

Some argue that, due to Briggs’ lack of scientific background, the MBTI is not to be trusted. In a study conducted by David J Pittenger of Marietta College, 50% of the subjects received a different personality type after taking the MBTI a second time.

This is a problematic revelation. Despite this realization, the MBTI has had continual usage in professional settings. This calls the authenticity of productive teams into question, completely undermining the ‘meaning’ behind the MBTI. For individual use, it brings a minor existential crisis into play.

The question is, “Who am I really?” Taking multiple personality tests will only reveal different answers; they reveal molds for individuals to shape themselves into until the same mold shifts into something else.

A more refined and trusted test is known as the Five Factor Model (FFM). First developed in the 1980s and 1990s by Dr Paul Costa and Robert McCrae, the FFM is based on lexical hypothesis.

As the Encyclopaedia Britannica states, lexical hypothesis suggests that, “the fundamental traits of human personality have, over time, become encoded in language.”

The five factors of the FFM are derived from multiple languages and cultures, sifting common adjectives that are universally shared. Unlike the MBTI, the FFM takes the background of the test-takers into consideration. Still, critics find flaws in the FFM. For example, the “all-encompassing” theory heralded by the creators has been perceived as “tunnel vision” and “too narrow” to fully address the multiple languages and cultures it claims to incorporate.

As evidenced by the multitude of tests introduced over the years, the history of the personality test has evolved with the development of new psychologies. Trial and error will pave the way for more accurate tests in the future.

nuanceLacking

Personality tests, mainly popularized validation but do not address

Personality tests have become a phenomenon, spreading are familiar with the notorious BuzzFeed quizzes or MBTI their personality, even when entirely inaccurate. People of self-actualization; there are layers to the unique experience

At the epicenter, people want to feel understood and validated, create a community of supposedly like-minded people, a powerful — however barren — motivates people that want to gain an understanding

The generalizations created by these tests put people into neat little world, one could find a person’s personality type and gain wisdom the awkward icebreaker stages. However, the eight billion people

As different beings, people will have different tendencies that cannot

On another level, the unconscious bias of oneself can interfere with can only answer to the best of their knowledge. One can deliberately may not recognize aspects of their personality that other people see. the test-taker is entirely truthful.

These tests are suitable when analyzing group trends of human surroundings. Even a single person may tweak their exhibited personality test was taken in changes the validity of the results. Human behaviors difference between two distinct results.

Human minds store information in a schema — a mental representation categorize everything and everyone around them, allowing humans assumptions about others may be helpful on the surface but detrimental maps grant less practicality than expected.

Personality tests offer the sense of comfort in normality yet individuality to know they are special one way or another, but find peace quizzes can bring attention to aspects of their personality This concrete definition of self may be affirming for some, Perhaps the most important factor of personality quizzes confirming a piece of the puzzle that is your true self Whether the personality test analyzes someone’s animal, there is a boost of self-awareness in their weaknesses to continue the good and improve

At the end of the day, a personality quiz more about yourself, but the results

Humans are flexible, ever-changing not put people in boxes when to change

With the personality tests of the past being altered to fit the modern day, the history of identity-based tests continues to be furthered. From the concept of “Soldier, Poet, King” to aligning oneself with a Winnie the Pooh character, ultimately the growth of these tests continue to evolve. The value of these tests rest in the eyes of the beholder and how they choose to apply these tests to their individual identity.