The Value of Facilitation
Has anybody else noticed the stampede to take free online quizzes that give you an "MBTI-style result"? Or how about the proliferation of cheap assessments, such as those on the Keirsey and other websites?
Speaking as someone who is professionally qualified and certified to administer the MBTI™, I don't think it's worth taking ANY assessment that does not come with professional feedback and validation. After all, research shows us that even the venerable MBTI is accurate at BEST 75% of the time. (The statistics are printed in the manual.)
If merely one letter comes back wrong on any of these copycat assessments, it's useless. So it's foolhardy to rely on such results to inform your self-perception -- or worse, make important life choices.
Test results are always a consequence of GIGO -- garbage in, garbage out. That's a technical term from computer technology. It means whatever you answer is what you get back. Assessments are just little voting machines, with no interpretation. All your results can possibly reflect are how you felt that day, how you perceived the questions, the way you see yourself, etc. Obviously, a test has never met you, and your responses could be skewed for any of a variety of reasons. But the test doesn't consider any of that.
A myriad of factors may affect the results you get back, and it takes an experienced professional to recognize when things don't add up. They have the training to guide you to a best-fit outcome. They've been taught what to look for. (The good ones have, anyway.)
Now the MBTI is what they call a "Level B" psychological instrument. You're supposed to undergo professional training to administer it properly, or have an equivalent amount of education. The distributors of the instrument want to prevent your taking the questionnaire without a qualified professional to assist you, and every qualification training emphasizes that verification of the results by the client always overrides the test score.
The truth is, people who don't take the instrument under the guidance of a facilitator (as is the case with online personality quizzes) are usually not motivated to investigate whether another type code might fit them better, much less have a clue what other codes to look at!
In fact, many people think they "get" their type from these tests, rather like the sweater Aunt Martha gives you at Christmas. You don’t discuss whether it fits you well or not, you’re just stuck with it. Even if you hate it!
My ISFP brother-in-law "tests" ENFJ. An INFJ trainer I know consistently "tests" INTJ. An ISTP friend always "tests" INTP. Several ENFPs sent me emails recently saying they got every result imaginable with free online tests. I’ve met INFPs who "test" ENFP, and INFJs who "test" INFP and vice-versa. Whew! It’s a virtual comedy of errors!
Sometimes people don't like their result, so they change a letter here or there to suit, or pick a different code by reading an appealing type description on some armchair psychologist's website.
Such issues are exacerbated when folks join online communities for "their" type. Then they get indoctrinated about how they should see themselves, and may become intensely ego-identified with a type pattern that doesn't suit them. They invest in a group identity about how attractive this type code is.
As Dr. Linda Berens says, "Type becomes the story people tell themselves about who they are and the lens used will lead people to confirm what they expect." The longer someone spends thinking they're a particular type, the more they become defensive toward any suggestion they might have tested inaccurately or mis-chosen. Sometimes people who claim their preferences the loudest are folks who are the wrongest!
There are three simple remedies to the problem of faulty assessment results. One is to work with a qualified type professional who can provide you with expert feedback and guidance about which pattern truly fits you best. (That’s the remedy endorsed by distributors of "Level B" assessments.)
Another remedy is to undergo a "Self-Discovery Process" over the phone with an experienced professional who will teach you about the model, and then invite you to interact with each of its dimensions. Through this experience, you will select your own best-fit pattern, but you will do it from a position of knowledge and understanding. This can then be compared with an assessment result in order to provide additional datapoints. Anything that still seems puzzling to you may be explored during your sessions together. (This is the method I use.)
The final remedy is to learn the type model thoroughly on your own – and I mean all the way down to recognizing the sixteen patterns in real-life circumstances! On your own, this might take decades. For all that effort, you might as well go through a qualifying program and become a facilitator yourself!
The bottom line is, the only part of any assessment that counts is the validation. It's not about the "score" – it's about accurate verification of the results.
Relying on "test-and-tell" methods using these internet MBTI copycats reduces type to the "parlor game" Carl Jung deplored. Without having the trained and knowledgeable support a professional facilitator can give you, the free quizzes people take online are just that: worthless.
Speaking as someone who is professionally qualified and certified to administer the MBTI™, I don't think it's worth taking ANY assessment that does not come with professional feedback and validation. After all, research shows us that even the venerable MBTI is accurate at BEST 75% of the time. (The statistics are printed in the manual.)
If merely one letter comes back wrong on any of these copycat assessments, it's useless. So it's foolhardy to rely on such results to inform your self-perception -- or worse, make important life choices.
Test results are always a consequence of GIGO -- garbage in, garbage out. That's a technical term from computer technology. It means whatever you answer is what you get back. Assessments are just little voting machines, with no interpretation. All your results can possibly reflect are how you felt that day, how you perceived the questions, the way you see yourself, etc. Obviously, a test has never met you, and your responses could be skewed for any of a variety of reasons. But the test doesn't consider any of that.
A myriad of factors may affect the results you get back, and it takes an experienced professional to recognize when things don't add up. They have the training to guide you to a best-fit outcome. They've been taught what to look for. (The good ones have, anyway.)
Now the MBTI is what they call a "Level B" psychological instrument. You're supposed to undergo professional training to administer it properly, or have an equivalent amount of education. The distributors of the instrument want to prevent your taking the questionnaire without a qualified professional to assist you, and every qualification training emphasizes that verification of the results by the client always overrides the test score.
The truth is, people who don't take the instrument under the guidance of a facilitator (as is the case with online personality quizzes) are usually not motivated to investigate whether another type code might fit them better, much less have a clue what other codes to look at!
In fact, many people think they "get" their type from these tests, rather like the sweater Aunt Martha gives you at Christmas. You don’t discuss whether it fits you well or not, you’re just stuck with it. Even if you hate it!
My ISFP brother-in-law "tests" ENFJ. An INFJ trainer I know consistently "tests" INTJ. An ISTP friend always "tests" INTP. Several ENFPs sent me emails recently saying they got every result imaginable with free online tests. I’ve met INFPs who "test" ENFP, and INFJs who "test" INFP and vice-versa. Whew! It’s a virtual comedy of errors!
Sometimes people don't like their result, so they change a letter here or there to suit, or pick a different code by reading an appealing type description on some armchair psychologist's website.
Such issues are exacerbated when folks join online communities for "their" type. Then they get indoctrinated about how they should see themselves, and may become intensely ego-identified with a type pattern that doesn't suit them. They invest in a group identity about how attractive this type code is.
As Dr. Linda Berens says, "Type becomes the story people tell themselves about who they are and the lens used will lead people to confirm what they expect." The longer someone spends thinking they're a particular type, the more they become defensive toward any suggestion they might have tested inaccurately or mis-chosen. Sometimes people who claim their preferences the loudest are folks who are the wrongest!
There are three simple remedies to the problem of faulty assessment results. One is to work with a qualified type professional who can provide you with expert feedback and guidance about which pattern truly fits you best. (That’s the remedy endorsed by distributors of "Level B" assessments.)
Another remedy is to undergo a "Self-Discovery Process" over the phone with an experienced professional who will teach you about the model, and then invite you to interact with each of its dimensions. Through this experience, you will select your own best-fit pattern, but you will do it from a position of knowledge and understanding. This can then be compared with an assessment result in order to provide additional datapoints. Anything that still seems puzzling to you may be explored during your sessions together. (This is the method I use.)
The final remedy is to learn the type model thoroughly on your own – and I mean all the way down to recognizing the sixteen patterns in real-life circumstances! On your own, this might take decades. For all that effort, you might as well go through a qualifying program and become a facilitator yourself!
The bottom line is, the only part of any assessment that counts is the validation. It's not about the "score" – it's about accurate verification of the results.
Relying on "test-and-tell" methods using these internet MBTI copycats reduces type to the "parlor game" Carl Jung deplored. Without having the trained and knowledgeable support a professional facilitator can give you, the free quizzes people take online are just that: worthless.
posted by Vicky Jo at 9:52 PM
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