Seymour
Vaguely Precise
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2009
- Messages
- 1,579
- MBTI Type
- INFP
- Enneagram
- 5w4
- Instinctual Variant
- sx/so
Don't you hate it when someone totally "steals" the idea you've been mulling over by coming up with the same idea on their own, and then going one step farther by actually DOING something about it?
When, this just happened to me, but I can console myself that there's a new, useful way for determining MBTI preferences that you can take yourself (skip to TLDR at end if you don't care about the details).
The IAT
The Implicit-Association Test (IAT )is a instrument introduced in 1998 that attempts to measure a person's automatic (that is, unconscious) associations between concepts.
Typically, the IAT measures associations between two separate concepts by requiring the test taker to quickly categorize words or pictures.
Initially, the subject categorizes into a single concept. In the first two rounds, the subject categories items by one concept (gender, for example, with categories of "male" and "female"), and then by another concept (rationality, with categories of "logical" and "illogical").
Then, the subject must categorize the same items into paired categories (such as "female + logical" and "male + illogical"). Eventually the pairings are reversed (so one might have "male + logical" and "female + illogical"), and the subject re-categorizes words.
All responses are timed, and the timings are used to reveal an association. People tend to be faster at categorizing when the concept are associated, so the IAT can show (possibly unconscious) associations.
The IAT is sometimes used to get at racial bias (by combining categorization of black/white pictures with categorization of positive/negative words), and better predicts behaviors than self-report measures.
IAT meets MBTI
Recently, the Journal of Psychological Type published an article by Robert W. McPeek and Judith Breiner called
Implicit, Explicit, and Best-Fit Assessments of Psychological Type: Explorations in 'Shoes off' Measurement.
The article used two separate studies to compare preferences as measured by the MBTI, the IAT, and as determined by a facilitated "best fit" type process. Some of the interesting findings:
Furthermore, facilitated best-fit typing may be influenced by faciliator bias and may lead to less accurate (rather than more accurate) results in some cases. Consequently, perhaps a standardized, online best-fit process should be used before faciliator interaction.
IAT, MBTI and You
So, given the above, I used the terms from the research and free web-based IAT library to cobble together IAT Jungian Type Preference tests.
Each IAT test takes about five to ten minutes of uninterrupted attention. Since IAT tests are timed and one is supposed to go as fast as possible, they are somewhat tiring. I'd recommend using them mostly as an additional datapoint for clarifying middling preferences.
There is a test for each preference pair, and the tests are available here.
The original IAT library required a physical keyboard to work, so I modified it to give the (minimally functional) option of using on-screen buttons. The mobile version is still somewhat irritating, so if you have a physical keyboard you're better off using it (and likely to get more accurate results).
Summary/TLDR
New research indicates a way to determine preferences that may be less skewed by social desirability and perceived utility (and may get at unconscious preferences).
You can take a version of those tests here. There's one test per preference pair. Each test takes about 5-10 minutes, and since you want to go as fast as you can, may be a little tiring.
This approach may be particularly good for clarifying middling preferences, and for working around the tendency to "overthink" one's type.
When, this just happened to me, but I can console myself that there's a new, useful way for determining MBTI preferences that you can take yourself (skip to TLDR at end if you don't care about the details).
The IAT
The Implicit-Association Test (IAT )is a instrument introduced in 1998 that attempts to measure a person's automatic (that is, unconscious) associations between concepts.
Typically, the IAT measures associations between two separate concepts by requiring the test taker to quickly categorize words or pictures.
Initially, the subject categorizes into a single concept. In the first two rounds, the subject categories items by one concept (gender, for example, with categories of "male" and "female"), and then by another concept (rationality, with categories of "logical" and "illogical").
Then, the subject must categorize the same items into paired categories (such as "female + logical" and "male + illogical"). Eventually the pairings are reversed (so one might have "male + logical" and "female + illogical"), and the subject re-categorizes words.
All responses are timed, and the timings are used to reveal an association. People tend to be faster at categorizing when the concept are associated, so the IAT can show (possibly unconscious) associations.
The IAT is sometimes used to get at racial bias (by combining categorization of black/white pictures with categorization of positive/negative words), and better predicts behaviors than self-report measures.
IAT meets MBTI
Recently, the Journal of Psychological Type published an article by Robert W. McPeek and Judith Breiner called
Implicit, Explicit, and Best-Fit Assessments of Psychological Type: Explorations in 'Shoes off' Measurement.
The article used two separate studies to compare preferences as measured by the MBTI, the IAT, and as determined by a facilitated "best fit" type process. Some of the interesting findings:
- MBTI results showed a shift towards E, N, T, and J when compared to IAT results. (Research has shown that those preferences are more socially desirable.)
- MBTI results shift toward T for men compared to IAT results. Surprisingly, women also tended to shift toward T on the MBTI, but less so than men (perhaps explained by the high value placed on Thinking in the workplace).
- Best fit results show S->N, E->I when compared to MBTI.
- Best fit facilitated by an MBTI professional tended to shift results toward the preferences of the facilitator for individuals with E, N, P (and females prefering F).
- Facilitated fit results tended to shift men towards Thinking and women towards Feeling, when compared to the MBTI results.
- Results tended to shift towards intuitive when going from IAT->MBTI->Faciliated Best Fit.
Furthermore, facilitated best-fit typing may be influenced by faciliator bias and may lead to less accurate (rather than more accurate) results in some cases. Consequently, perhaps a standardized, online best-fit process should be used before faciliator interaction.
IAT, MBTI and You
So, given the above, I used the terms from the research and free web-based IAT library to cobble together IAT Jungian Type Preference tests.
Each IAT test takes about five to ten minutes of uninterrupted attention. Since IAT tests are timed and one is supposed to go as fast as possible, they are somewhat tiring. I'd recommend using them mostly as an additional datapoint for clarifying middling preferences.
There is a test for each preference pair, and the tests are available here.
The original IAT library required a physical keyboard to work, so I modified it to give the (minimally functional) option of using on-screen buttons. The mobile version is still somewhat irritating, so if you have a physical keyboard you're better off using it (and likely to get more accurate results).
Summary/TLDR
New research indicates a way to determine preferences that may be less skewed by social desirability and perceived utility (and may get at unconscious preferences).
You can take a version of those tests here. There's one test per preference pair. Each test takes about 5-10 minutes, and since you want to go as fast as you can, may be a little tiring.
This approach may be particularly good for clarifying middling preferences, and for working around the tendency to "overthink" one's type.
Fun test! Thanks [MENTION=8074]Seymour[/MENTION].
