Hi all
Happy Sunday!
Does anyone have any recent research/ articles/ thinking on the validity of MBTI? I have noticed a number of articles recently giving it a bad press, however it does still seem to be universally used so I was keen to get people's thoughts on why that may be and the benefits of using it?
Also what personality/ behavioural preference tools seem to be popular at the moment?
Any thoughts welcome!
thank you
Tracey
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Replies
Hi Tracey,
The MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) will always get bad press from people not familiar with the instrument and how is it applied. It is very, very easy to criticise as it is often very poorly used even by qualified practitioners and it is not as robust as other psychometrics, such as the Big Five. This is compounded by many people being unaware of that there are two forms of MBTI - Step I and Step II.
Step II is much more empirical than Step I.
Most of the criticisms are about Step I which looks at clarity of preferences in four areas
This leads to 16 Types. A good practitioner is NOT looking to place people into a box, by any means, but to use this as a starting point to explore how the preferences are expressed.
Use of the instrument should be used a part of a coaching process but all too often it is delivered in a sub-standard fashion as part of a half day workshop that leaves people with their Type, a bit of information about Type and a lot of confusion. ("All very interesting but so what?") The NHS is guilty of doing this on a massive scale. Most doctors have been on one of these workshops at some point in their career. This adds to the negativity about MBTI.
Here is a link to an article from OPP, who are the European suppliers of the assessment. It gives links to references and research to support the validity of the instrument. https://www.opp.com/download/item/8985eb8755ad4a6f94afa68789ead286
I have no commercial affiliation with OPP. I am qualified in MBTI Step I and II, DISC, NEO-PP, OPQ, EQ-i 2.0 and a range of other psychometrics. MBTI has its place and used appropriately it can be very powerful.
Hope this helps.
Robin
This is fantastic Robin, thank you so much for your honest feedback and analysis of this. And you are right it is not about putting people in to boxes. Looks like you have lots of qualifications and experience in using a range psychometrics so its great to get that feedback. Thanks again Tracey
Hi Tracey,
I have been MBTI -ied if I may use this word !
It is a tool that one ends to know why it should be used and what outcome you are seeking. I have to be honest without offending anyone who uses it is that it had put me in a box with some complex assessments which has made me think about myself- more so confused me too. Am I an introvert or extrovert and what would I want to be at work? Its a big brand in the field but it depends again on certain businesses using it.
I found the whole process cumbersome too. It is definitely a great tool for marketing yourself as a coach but again depending on what clients your re dealing with, you need to use it accordingly. Hogan on the other hand has been well known and useful along with Facet 5- I know of few who had used them- found it quite useful. I have heard of STRENGTH too and its positive as people have gained confidence.
If the assessment doesn't help most to ascertain where you are and where you want to be or identify ones' strengths, it perhaps can put individuals in a difficult position to understand about oneself to move forward. The "boxed" assessment type isn't for all. I faced a bit of difficulty with MBTI-however others might have had a positive experience.
Without sounding negative, it is an expensive package to get qualified in too as I was exploring the option of becoming an assessor before I was assessed.
Does this help? Happy to talk further. Thanks,
Spandita
Thanks so much for your honest insight Spandita. The more I hear the more I am thinking it may not be the right tool I would like to use personally for my own practice. As I mentioned below I like to use DISC as I prefer the simplicity and flexibility of it. This is definitely food for thought! Thanks again
Hiya
the stats that sit under MBTI suggest it is repeatable & you get the same outcomes time & time again. It also has stats suggestion if you are THIS type, you are like to work in IT/ HR/ Acting etc etc - but that stuff is really patchy.
The evidence developed is by the company who sells the tool, so be thoughtful of that. ... MBTI was never particularly popular, but very good sales & marketing, slick selling of accreditation & the development of Step 2 ( all of which seem to have been developed under Occupational Psychologists, so I'm not doubting the validity of the expertise) all make it sort of ubiquitous now...
Where it comes more undone seems to be there very little evidence to show that, once people know their "preference" (which is self-selected, so arguably if you have very poor self-insight, you can skew the data for yourself - decide you want to be an introvert etc) they actually shift or develop. It's a photograph ( albeit a blurry one) of where you are at now (if you choose that's where you are) Other self -selecting tools include stuff like: which animal are you.... it's sort of in that territory albeit with a slicker budget.
So. Pros I can see: It's a good tool for saying: here are some things you might be & might not be. it's a potential thought piece that might open up some conversation and support personal insight. In groups it can generate a "Shared language" - though Insights tool seems to do this somewhat better, as the colour thing seems to generate understanding and shared experience.
It's known, a brand, so has face validity for clients ( though tends to be clients who are less immersed in the Development side of things, perhaps?)
Cons: Expensive to become accredited & the reports etc are pricey - with very very little evidence of long-term behavioural shifts as a result of the conversations, it's shaky territory for effective change.
The whole Box thing is just... well... that whole Box thing, really
Strengths is gathering momentum, I know little about it, but have 2 clients who have been through it & it has really helped their confidence and focus ( though look at Matthew Syed's stuff & he'll tell you strengths is a bit of a myth)
I rate Hogan for senior leaders - it's the only one linked to Clinical as well as Occupational Psych. It's expensive though & takes AGES to feedback - but it is thorough & if you run it with a 360, the stuff the people are experiencing is a direct reflection of the good & dark stuff the tool throws up ( done this 3 times now, worked every time).
FACET5 & DISC do the Big 5 factors well, cover the basics, nice easy reports, good solid stats behind them.... again, the behavioural change stuff that comes out of these "Development" tools is questionable.
Overall, it's kind of client specific and the big question is always : why? What are the outcomes they are looking for? and do you agree with that assessment?
Happy to chat further - not meaning to offend anyone who uses these tools or promotes them, I have used many in my time too.
Hi Julie thanks so much for your response, this is really insightful. I am accredited to run DISC and use it with coaching clients and have been looking in to Insights and MBTI accreditation as well, so its useful to ask the question. I would love to chat further if you have time, so let me know if you fancy a Skype soon! Take care and speak soon Tracey
I"d love to - drop me an email : julie@fuchsiablue.com - I think it's been a year since I saw you at the Learning Show...would be great to hear how you are doing
Hi Tracey
This article points to research that shows the failings of MBTI - hopefully it will be a useful piece of background reading.
Martin
thanks Martin this is great! KR Tracey
I how this is useful. I'd encourage you to identify what the tool needs to do for you (i.e. The learning needs being addressed) & look at the results people have had who have used tools which provide solutions for those needs.
Good luck,
Zoe
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