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Criticisms of MBTI

highlander

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Dec 23, 2009
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INTJ
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6w5
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
I thought this video was a pretty good, concise summary of the criticisms of MBTI.


They are:

1. Questionable validity – horoscope or Forer effect, lack of double blind tests
2. Poor at predicting behavior
3. A self reporting scale which has flaws of self enhancement, reporting towards idealized self or socially desirable responding
4. Test retest reliability is “sketchy”
5. Scientific basis (methodology, peer review) – sketchy; Jung’s work based on introspection and anecdotes; conferences are pro Myers Briggs and published papers lack objectivity
6. Lack of internal consistency
7. Analytical structure (normal distribution definition vs. bimodal distribution)

The comparison with the five factor model is interesting too.

Thoughts on this? Also, does anyone want to elaborate on #6 and #7.
 

burymecloser

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Jan 31, 2010
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6w5
Her criticisms seem far less applicable to Jungian typology than to the sliding-scales system made popular by Keirsey. In fact, it's not clear from the video that's she's aware of the Jungian school. I know she mentions Jung once, but she's mostly just talking about MBTI tests.

1. Questionable validity – horoscope or Forer effect, lack of double blind tests
Sure

2. Poor at predicting behavior
No. I think an understanding of cognitive preferences is immensely useful for predicting behaviour.

3. A self reporting scale which has flaws of self enhancement, reporting towards idealized self or socially desirable responding
If you determine your type by taking a test, yes. If you determine it by understanding function preferences, no.

4. Test retest reliability is “sketchy”
Yes. This is criticising MBTI tests, not MBTI itself. I fully agree.

5. Scientific basis (methodology, peer review) – sketchy; Jung’s work based on introspection and anecdotes; conferences are pro Myers Briggs and published papers lack objectivity
There's certainly some validity to this, but absence lack of evidence is not evidence of ... lack.

6. Lack of internal consistency
This is wrong, too. Once again, she's just talking about tests! But I'm actually going to defend the tests on this one. Scientists should appreciate increasing sample size. Language is open to interpretation, and asking similar questions in different ways allows us to better understand a person's true attitude than asking a single question and hoping we get the right answer the first time.

7. Analytical structure (normal distribution definition vs. bimodal distribution)
I'm not sure what she means by this. I wish she'd elaborate on her points -- the first two minutes of the, um, video are basically, uh, reading these, um, bullet points. She seems to take for granted that her audience will accept her arguments. This video appears to be part of a series, so maybe she elaborates elsewhere, but in this clip, she doesn't seem interesting in explaining or justifying her arguments -- there's no proof.
 

Folderol

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May 16, 2008
Messages
83
MBTI Type
INTP
I just went on youtube a while ago and just devoured all the MBTI videos I could find lol. Now when anything comes up, I've already seen it! This video included.

I'm not sure what she means by this. I wish she'd elaborate on her points -- the first two minutes of the, um, video are basically, uh, reading these, um, bullet points. She seems to take for granted that her audience will accept her arguments. This video appears to be part of a series, so maybe she elaborates elsewhere, but in this clip, she doesn't seem interesting in explaining or justifying her arguments -- there's no proof.

I understood it. I think I did. I think what she means here is that MBTI's structure is based off rules, such as the rule that your second function must be the opposite direction and type of function than you first one, like nobody has TWO introverted functions as their dominant and auxillary (Introverted anything with Introverted anything). And also, nobody has both Introverted Feeling AND Introverted thinking occuring at the same time (T vs F, not a way to get information instead, S/N). And also, everybody has to have all 4 functions attitudes in their main self (T,F,S,N). These rules limit the "structure" of the system because who says that we need to have them all, in these configurations? Science? Since Big5 reports it's results in a more percentage based manner (like knowing all the numbers you get and what they correlate with), you could probably construct "impossible" types that simply don't exist in MBTI due to it's structure defining type!
 

Fluffywolf

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1. Questionable validity – horoscope or Forer effect, lack of double blind tests
2. Poor at predicting behavior
3. A self reporting scale which has flaws of self enhancement, reporting towards idealized self or socially desirable responding
4. Test retest reliability is “sketchy”
5. Scientific basis (methodology, peer review) – sketchy; Jung’s work based on introspection and anecdotes; conferences are pro Myers Briggs and published papers lack objectivity
6. Lack of internal consistency
7. Analytical structure (normal distribution definition vs. bimodal distribution)

The comparison with the five factor model is interesting too.

Thoughts on this? Also, does anyone want to elaborate on #6 and #7.

To be honest, I don't see why anyone that considers him/herself to be an MBTI expert would go through such lenghts to come up with critisism when it can all be boiled down in one simple sentence.

MBTI is about preferential choices, not absolute patterns.

However, that is nothing new to any 'MBTI expert'. You can make up hundreds of critisisms that ultimately boil down to that one 'flaw' that MBTI has, but no matter how many you can think up, it's not going to make you appear any smarter.
Besides, it's not really a flaw if you're aware of it. It's only a flaw if you believe MBTI is actually a form of irrefutable pure science. No one claims it is.
 

Folderol

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To be honest, I don't see why anyone that considers him/herself to be an MBTI expert would go through such lenghts to come up with critisism when it can all be boiled down in one simple sentence.
Ne?
 

Fluffywolf

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By that reasoning, a heavy Ne user like me would as well.

Drawing conclusions on every aspect of MBTI while failing to understand the essence of MBTI is what's the problem there. :p


I guess I should add this.

How you use MBTI in your life is your personal responsibility. But you should never see it as anything else than a tool that requires your brain to operate it. It stands to reason there may be people that end up using it wrongly or relying on it under wrong assumptions, but that can hardly be blamed on the system. That blame lies on the users themselves.
It does not have an automatic pilot after all. ;)
 

Folderol

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it was somewhat a joke. however you can say some prefer quality over quantity and vice versa.
 
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