Myers Briggs, Part 5C: Criticisms of the MBTI

Are you an INFP? ESFJ? INTP? ESTJ? What do these types mean, and where do they come from?

Part 5B: Today's video will cover the 7 leading criticisms of the MBTI as a valid psychometric.

Warning: This video is going to be pitched at a more academic level than usual. To simplify some of these arguments is a detriment to all the hard work and research that has gone into personality psychology.

Many of these ideas are rooted firmly in scientific methodology. I have tried my best to briefly explain some of the major ideas necessary, but if there's anything else you're having trouble with please don't hesitate to send me a message.

Again, if you have questions please feel free to send me a YouTube message. If a specific question is asked enough, I will answer it here.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• myers
• briggs
• personality
• type
• inventory
• entp
• entj
• intp
• intj
• estp
• estj
• istp
• istj
• enfp
• enfj
• esfp
• esfj
• isfp
• isfj
• infp
• infj

[Cessations]

Interesting. I've taken the Myers Briggs test quite a few times, and every single time, I've resulted in INTP. The only time I've come up with something different was when I took the Big Five test, and had that result "translated" into a Myers Brigg result.

[barcode9588]

Keep in mind: 1) MBTI deals with character TYPE whereas the FFM deals with TRAIT, 2) the MBTI and FFM do not test for the same things in both trait distinctiveness and intensity, and 3) translating a trait model of personality into a type indicator is tricky at best, since elements in one does not always have identical counterparts in the other. (Think about trying to cram 10 pigeons into 7 boxes. Some of them will by necessity overlap, but they aren't the same thing, which leads to error)

[bigbufobufo]

this was an incredibly well crafted post. well researched, logical and sequential. it helps capture the shortcomings of the mbti. my type has changed over the years initially INFP to INFJ to INTJ. I score strongly on I and N. You bring up a valid point on self-awareness influencing self-reporting. Part of growing up and entering the working world involves honing traits like planning, decision making etc. typical J traits. That may be an explanation for the shift in my type.

[browndyke]

I wonder what your opinions are on the enneagram type test?

[DXAHN]

Hey, I enjoyed your informative post. Thanks.

[Arkanj3l]

@barcode9588 I don't understand the difference between the two. Is there anything you can point me towards for better comprehension?

[yebisublack]

Or you could also show someone contrasting portraits of INTP versus ENFJ (which I'm sure that any self-aware INTP would not agree with) or something more outwardly similar, like INTP versus INTJ, which is likely to create confusion. Another thing is the four letters diguises innate differences between types. People think that INTP and INTJ are very similar types, or J/P axis denotes a function, but is actually more like a product of dominant or auxiliary Te/Fe.

[yebisublack]

I haven't gotten deep into the structure of MBTI, but the axis and ordering of functions is intriguing. Socionics uses the same system but (roughly) inverting functions for Introverts, which doesn't quite add up. Yep, would like to see a double blind conducted on MBTI, but I suspect it could be messed up by a lack of self-awarenes.

[yebisublack]

The point about MBTI measuring awareness rather than strength or intensity of functions gave me pause; it might be possible that I'm consistently scoring (X) simply because I'm more aware of my (X) functions, rather than being more proficient at them. Not a fan of Big-5, mainly because it comes across as descriptive rather than explanatory (similar to Astrology, Enneagram etc). Scores observable behavorial traits, but doesn't explain what makes the person tick, which imho MBTI does.

[yebisublack]

That's a pretty good video, you're clear and informative. No. 3. and 4. are sufficient to dam some of my ethusiasm for Mbti, but I think it provides a comparatively better insight into my personality type than other instruments (Disc, Enneagram, even Big-5). My results were fairly consistent, mainly INTP with INFP once or twice, Type 5 on Enneagram.

[Spectic]

original theory. That's not to say it's entirely comprehensive or reliable in the first place, but without that it is significantly less so. ISFJ isn't just that, it's Si>Fe>Ti>Ne, and that's required to explain the description of that type. For example, an ISTJ can seem like a feeler because sometimes their tertiary Fi can show up strongly, and they will be generally closer to the F dichotomy than an ESTJ who has Fi fourth.

[Spectic]

Hello, I have enjoyed watching your videos, and I too have been doubting the credibility of MBTI (for a long time I failed to notice the flaws), but to the best I can say, I am a borderline INTP/INFP.

Anyway, what I wanted to ask, as it doesn't appear to be so, is are you conducting your criticisms under function theory? The dichotomies that give the types are just symbols given for function sets, and when simplified to letters instead of functions, they lose the integrity that makes up the...

[archerfish123]

Absolutely fabulous post that is well structured and thought out. Thankyou very much