MBTI poll on an ADHD forum

[compulsiverambler]

Edit: Please read carefully. The point of this post is NOT to suggest that there is a correlation between ADHD and certain MB types; it's the opposite, that there probably isn't one.

There've been several threads about this at once and a few others in the past, so to hopefully put it to bed, here's what happened when over 300 people on an ADHD support forum took the humanmetrics test. As you can see, every type is represented, and in the same broad proportions as are found on every other Internet forum I've cared to investigate. As usual, INXP was the most common, ESXJ the least common.

ADHD MBTI Poll

It stands to reason to me that different types will manifest hyperactivity, impulsivity and/or inattention in different ways, some in less stereotypical or socially isolating ways and some perhaps more likely to be diagnosed later in life than others as a result, but all experiencing those three non-MBTI related symptoms to a degree that is significantly impairing and/or distressing.

Edit: Chapter six of this book (read it here) explains more and mentions a study that also suggested ADHD is not the same thing as certain MB types, and in fact found a slight negative correlation between ADHD and perceived 'ADHD-like' MB types. Scroll down about an inch to read it.

 

[Pristinegirl]

WOW INFP and INTP have the most

I get the INTPs, but I would never have guessed INFPs xD

 

[Matthew_Z]

Obligatory "statistics may not reflect reality." You have to put that poll in the context of the disproportionate type representation on the internet. Could it perhaps be that a given type with ADHD/ADD may not have the attention span to go online, join a forum, AND vote on a poll on this forum? The sampling mechanism here is poor.

The poll referenced in the OP is not enough data to draw any sort of a conclusion that relates to a correlation between type and ADD/ADHD.

 

[Snuggletron]

WOW INFP and INTP have the most

I get the INTPs, but I would never have guessed INFPs xD

why not? INFs in general are known to be able to get lost in their own world. Probably Perceivers even more so because they don't feel they have to abide by some sort of structure most of the time. I would think INFPs are some of the most prone to neglecting details and losing focus.

matthew makes a good point. It's always good to be aware that most of the SPs and SJs are going to be out doing things rather than spending their time on type theory and messageboards.

 

[Xenon]

WOW INFP and INTP have the most

I get the INTPs, but I would never have guessed INFPs xD

Keep in mind that this doesn't show which types are most common among people with ADHD; this shows which types are most common among people with ADHD who are posting in an online forum and who are interested enough in MBTI to take it.

So, as compulsiverambler said, the proportions of the types are similar to those found in other forums. There may be little or no correlation.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I have ADHD.

Edit: Matthew Z is right. If you have studied statistics you know that.

 

[Xenon]

Matthew Z beat me to it. Oh well.

 

[corey_vann]

Diagnosed since I was 5.

 

[compulsiverambler]

(Bolding mine)

Keep in mind that this doesn't show which types are most common among people with ADHD; this shows which types are most common among people with ADHD who are posting in an online forum and who are interested enough in MBTI to take it.

So, as compulsiverambler said, the proportions of the types are similar to those found in other forums. There may be little or no correlation.

Exactly. Matthew_Z, the point I'm making is against the belief that ADHD must affect only particular types, is defined by particular types or even is correlated with particular types. The proportions in that poll are no different from most forums' polls, and there's no reason to assume that the proportions in the general population of ADHDers would be different from those of the general population of non-ADHDers, either.

 

[Pristinegirl]

why not? INFs in general are known to be able to get lost in their own world. Probably Perceivers even more so because they don't feel they have to abide by some sort of structure most of the time. I would think INFPs are some of the most prone to neglecting details and losing focus.

matthew makes a good point. It's always good to be aware that most of the SPs and SJs are going to be out doing things rather than spending their time on type theory and messageboards.

I did not think about that. In that sense you are soo right!!

Keep in mind that this doesn't show which types are most common among people with ADHD; this shows which types are most common among people with ADHD who are posting in an online forum and who are interested enough in MBTI to take it.

So, as compulsiverambler said, the proportions of the types are similar to those found in other forums. There may be little or no correlation.

Thats true, it is not a controlled sampling either.

 

[Matthew_Z]

(Bolding mine)


Exactly. Matthew_Z, the point I'm making is against the belief that ADHD must affect only particular types, is defined by particular types or even is correlated with particular types. The proportions in that poll are no different from most forums' polls, and there's no reason to assume that the proportions in the general population of ADHDers would be different from those of the general population of non-ADHDers, either.

And the point I'm attempting to make is that we don't have enough data to declare a correlation or even a lack thereof.

 

[compulsiverambler]

And the point I'm attempting to make is that we don't have enough data to declare a correlation or even a lack thereof.

That hasn't stopped people in other threads declaring that there is a correlation, in fact declaring that ADHD effectively is nothing but the pathologisation of certain MBTI personality types. As long as I can prove that belief wrong - as the existence of even a single ADHDer of a 'non-ADHD type' would - I'm happy.

I think the poll considered next to polls elsewhere also suggests that ADHDers online are no different from the general population online in terms of personality type, and given that, I find it unlikely we'd suddenly find divergence from that if we looked at people not online, but it's possible that overall there is some correlation, of course. However some currently unsupported beliefs have been stated that are potentially dangerous to public health, so I looked for some sort of evidence on the issue in the only way available to me. I think the poll is far from meaningless or useless, though it's true we've got to be cautious in exactly how we interpret it.

 

[Lithium Onyx]

Even if such a correlation between types exists, I've never seen ADHD as a genuine mental disorder to begin with.

When I was in elementary school, my teachers demanded I be tested for ADD because of my inattentiveness: I've always had a relatively short attention span. After about ten minutes of careful listening I'll gradually drift into deep thought and zone out until my attention is recaptured. As such, some people see me as a bit "spacey" and absentminded.

 

[Matthew_Z]

Even if such a correlation between types exists, I've never seen ADHD as a genuine mental disorder to begin with.

When I was in elementary school, my teachers demanded I be tested for ADD because of my inattentiveness: I've always had a relatively short attention span. After about ten minutes of careful listening I'll gradually drift into deep thought and zone out until my attention is recaptured. As such, some people see me as a bit "spacey" and absentminded.

I was always known for my insanely long attention span in elementary school.

 

[Xenon]

Even if such a correlation between types exists, I've never seen ADHD as a genuine mental disorder to begin with.

When I was in elementary school, my teachers demanded I be tested for ADD because of my inattentiveness: I've always had a relatively short attention span. After about ten minutes of careful listening I'll gradually drift into deep thought and zone out until my attention is recaptured. As such, some people see me as a bit "spacey" and absentminded.

I do think people can be to quick to label normal variations in personality as abnormal. That doesn't mean the real disorder doesn't exist though. I've lurked at another online forum that had some diagnosed ADHDers (as well as parents of them), and they described it as quite disabling and much more than just being absentminded and dreamy.

I don't have it myself, so I can't describe what it's like.

 

[Pristinegirl]

Even if such a correlation between types exists, I've never seen ADHD as a genuine mental disorder to begin with.

Good point!! =)

 

[SillySapienne]

I have ADHD, no I don't, yes I do.

Well, actually I don't, but I've been diagnosed, but that was easy.

Psychiatrists are stewpid.

 

[Lithium Onyx]

I do think people can be to quick to label normal variations in personality as abnormal. That doesn't mean the real disorder doesn't exist though. I've lurked at another online forum that had some diagnosed ADHDers (as well as parents of them), and they described it as quite disabling and much more than just being absentminded and dreamy.

I don't have it myself, so I can't describe what it's like.

Agreed.

Not the best wording to illustrate my point. What I was trying to articulate, rather, was that while there's no denying some people out there suffer from a serious mental disorder that hampers proper concentration, or that causes extreme bouts of hyperactivity, what is commonly diagnosed as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder since it's discovery in the 90s is often little more than either a behavioral problem, absentmindedness, etc. or even an entirely different disorder altogether (I could see manic episodes of a Bipolar sufferer being misdiagnosed as ADHD hyperactivity if the depression is overlooked or unseen). So, individuals with a serious problem in this area are lumped together with people that do not. I would consider this "mild" attention-deficiency as distinct from the truly disabling sort.

But what do I know.

What interests me more, actually, is the possible correlation between Myers-Briggs type and Asperger's Syndrome. To me, this seems a more rational connection.

 

[FDG]

ADHD is made-up.

 

[compulsiverambler]

Here's chapter from a book about how MBTI type and ADHD interact.

ADD in the Workplace Chapter Six - ADD and Personality Type at Work

The chapter starts at page 75 and you can view most of it. Just scroll down about an inch then use the page arrows just above it. It's all relevant but here's one paragraph to take note of:

Some professionals who are knowledgeable about the Myers-Briggs personality types but who are not experts in ADD sometimes confuse preferences and tendencies. For example, among certain MBTI personality types there are individuals whose preferences is to be active and impulsive with little tolerance for detailed, mundane work. Such a person might be mistaken for one with ADD. In fact, there are those who mistakenly believe that ADD is a personality type rather than a neurological disorder. In a study of several hundred school children, however, the MBTI personality types that might be mistaken for ADD were found slightly more often among non-ADD students than among those with ADD!

There's a superscript reference number but unfortunately the reference page that would have named the study is not included in the preview, so I can't find out more. Might google around for it later though.