1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: Hello everybody, and welcome back to the Psychology of Your Twenties, 2 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: the podcast where we talk through some of the big 3 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: life changes and transitions of our twenties and what they 4 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:25,119 Speaker 1: mean for our psychology. Hello everybody, Welcome back to the show. 5 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the podcast, new listeners, oln listeners, wherever 6 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: you are in the world, it is so great to 7 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:34,599 Speaker 1: have you here. Back for another episode as we, of 8 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: course break down the psychology of our twenties. Today, my friends, 9 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: is our second ever bite sized bonus episode if you 10 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: missed the first one. We are doing this like new 11 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: Fun format, where episodes are just twenty to twenty five minutes, 12 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: something shorter, for when you know, you just want a 13 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: little bit of an info dump, you just want something 14 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: to accompany your shorter commute, or for when we have 15 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: to topics that don't necessarily fill a full fifty minute 16 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: to one hour episode, but I still want to talk 17 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: about and I still want to you know, discuss with 18 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: you guys, so welcome. 19 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 2: Today. We are going to talk about one such topic, 20 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 2: which is personality tests. From Maya's Briggs to the Big Five. 21 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 2: It feels like we are often asked to kind of 22 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 2: define ourselves with a four letter code or a one 23 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 2: word answer. We especially love them in our twenties. I 24 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 2: remember sitting around like the dinner table when I was 25 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 2: at college and everyone was doing their sixteen personalities quiz. 26 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 2: It's definitely a time when we feel very drawn to this, 27 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 2: very drawn to the idea that someone could just tell 28 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 2: us who we were. They're kind of almost like zodiac science, 29 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 2: like they're a shortcut to understanding ourselves and to understanding others. 30 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 2: You know, maybe you're an infj maybe you're ninety percent extrovert, 31 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 2: maybe you're the architect, maybe you're the commander. If you've 32 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 2: ever done your personality tests, you will know what I'm 33 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 2: talking about with these. And for a moment, that feels really, 34 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 2: really satisfying, like someone just handed you the manual for 35 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 2: your own brain. Someone told you what you're good at, 36 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 2: told you what you're bad at, told you what to 37 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 2: look out for. And that's, like I said, that feels amazing. 38 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,119 Speaker 2: But there are a couple of big questions that come 39 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 2: with that. Firstly, can you can you really siphon everything 40 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 2: about a person down into a four letter word using 41 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 2: what thirty questions? And is that actually a good thing? 42 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 2: Because the moment we start categorizing something that is as 43 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 2: complex and fluid as human identity, we kind of run 44 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,799 Speaker 2: into a few problems right Firstly, are these tests even 45 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 2: legitimate or are they just giving people the answers that 46 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 2: they want to hear. Secondly, are they totally restrictive? Are 47 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 2: they like telling us the full picture? Or are they 48 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 2: more just meant to be used for a little bit 49 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 2: of fun like a BuzzFeed quiz? What's the real use 50 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,160 Speaker 2: for these kinds of tests? To answer that, we first 51 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 2: have to talk about what these tests are actually trying 52 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 2: to do and why why is that we love them 53 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 2: so much? 54 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: So? 55 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 2: Most of them, if not all of them, are based 56 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 2: on the idea of trait theory. Now, trait theory is 57 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 2: basically a psychological approach to human behavior and human personality 58 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 2: that attempts to identify and measure the fundamental characteristics of 59 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 2: each individual. The core assumption here is that our personality 60 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 2: and in a way, our identity, is made up of 61 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 2: a set of stable internal traits that influence our thoughts, feelings, 62 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 2: and behaviors and that are kind of innate within us. 63 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 2: And when we understand everyone's formula or everyone's recipe, we 64 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 2: understand them as people. This is kind of different from 65 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 2: some other famous ideas about personality. For example, psychodynamic theories 66 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 2: like Freuds really suggests that personality is driven by unconscious conflicts. 67 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 2: Humanistic theories kind of talk about self actualization and fulfillment 68 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 2: and growth. Spiritual theories talk about the soul. But trait 69 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 2: theorists really say, no, let's just measure the consistent parts 70 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 2: of who you are. I can tell what those things 71 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 2: will be using certain questions, and there we go. We'll 72 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 2: call it a day. That's who you are as humans. 73 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 2: I've talked about this so often on the podcast. We 74 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 2: do have a need for cognitive closure and for certainty. 75 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 2: So basically we do sire, We crave firm answers, and 76 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 2: we don't love the unknown, especially when those unknowns are 77 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 2: about ourselves. You know, the messiness of human personality is 78 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 2: very overwhelming, especially earlier on in life. You know, am 79 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 2: I introverted? Am I extroverted? Should I do this? Should 80 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:23,600 Speaker 2: I do that? Why do I feel like I'm this 81 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 2: person one day this person the next. Tests give us 82 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 2: the illusion of clarity. They hand us a label and 83 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 2: they say this is who you are. Now act that 84 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:36,280 Speaker 2: way and it's not just about clarity, but also about 85 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 2: identity and belonging. If you're categorized into a personality type, 86 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 2: I feel like you suddenly know you're not alone. I've 87 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 2: definitely had this experience of being at like a party 88 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 2: and it's come up and someone says, oh, you know, 89 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:53,560 Speaker 2: I'm an INFJ or I'm an E andF whatever it is, 90 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 2: and it's like, oh my god, maybe we should be friends. 91 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 2: Or a friend tells you their personality type and you're like, oh, 92 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 2: that's just proof. That's proof that we're meant to be together, 93 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 2: we're meant to be bonded, and that can be incredibly comforting. 94 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 2: So sometimes I think we cling onto these personality labels 95 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 2: for a sense of identity and a sense of understanding 96 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,719 Speaker 2: of ourselves, but also of social identity as well. But 97 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 2: of course, of course, if we become too attached to 98 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 2: the label, we can start to develop this very surface level, 99 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 2: one dimensional view of us as people, and we can 100 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 2: start to ignore the ways that we grow and we 101 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:37,119 Speaker 2: change and we develop. Before we get into the different 102 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 2: types of tests, we do need to understand two fundamental 103 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 2: concepts in psychological testing. Not the most entertaining, flashy part 104 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 2: of psychology, but one of the most important these are 105 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 2: reliability and validity, and they basically determine how good a test, 106 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 2: how good a questionnaire, how good a measure is of 107 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 2: what it's trying to tell us about. So reliability refers 108 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:10,239 Speaker 2: to the consistency of the test results. A reliable test 109 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 2: will produce the same or very similar scores each time 110 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 2: a person takes it, assuming that, based on trait theory, 111 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 2: the underlying traits haven't changed, and that's a crucial part 112 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 2: of what these personality tests believe. So a great analogy 113 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 2: for this is a bathroom scale. If you step on 114 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 2: it five times in a row and it gives you 115 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 2: different weights every single time, it's unreliable. If you take 116 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 2: a personality test and it gives you a different result 117 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 2: every single time, it's also unreliable. Validity, on the other hand, 118 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 2: refers to the accuracy of a test. A valid test 119 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 2: measures what it claims to measure. Going back to the 120 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 2: scale analogy, If the scale is consistent and it says 121 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 2: you weigh I don't know, it's ninety kilos every single time, 122 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 2: but your actual is seventy kilos, the scale is reliable. 123 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 2: It's telling you ninety kilos, but it's not valid. You 124 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 2: actually weigh seventy. Maybe it's not calibrated properly, maybe it's 125 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 2: like not a very high tech scale, but it's consistently 126 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 2: giving you the wrong number. A test basically can be 127 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 2: reliable and not be valid. But for a test to 128 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 2: be considered truly valid, it has to firstly be reliable. 129 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 2: It has to give you the same result every time, 130 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 2: and that result has to actually reflect something that is happening. 131 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 2: Now that we have those two ideas, let's look at 132 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:39,560 Speaker 2: some of these really famous models. When we talk about 133 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:44,679 Speaker 2: measuring personality. There's a huge divide actually between what is 134 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:49,559 Speaker 2: popular and what is scientifically backed. The model with the 135 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 2: most scientific validation is the Big five. I think this 136 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 2: is taught in every intro to psychology course ever all 137 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:00,319 Speaker 2: over the world. It's also known by its five factor 138 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 2: anagram ocean oce e n. Its legitimacy really stems from 139 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 2: its empirical basis. So it wasn't created by a specific theory. 140 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 2: It wasn't like someone had a theory and was like, 141 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 2: let's fill in the gaps. It emerged naturally from decades 142 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 2: and decades of research. Now, the roots of the Big 143 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 2: five model can be traced back to the nineteen thirties 144 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 2: with a psychologist called Gordon Outport, but it really didn't 145 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:34,079 Speaker 2: solidify until the nineties through the works of other researchers 146 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 2: who came along found Outport's initial findings and were like, wait, 147 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 2: there's something really good here. Through various different studies, like 148 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 2: across various different cultures, they found that personality descriptions consistently 149 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 2: clustered around five broad dimensions or areas. Now the acronym 150 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:59,160 Speaker 2: ocean helps us remember them. The first is openness to experience. 151 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 2: Are you cautious or are you curious? The second is conscientiousness. 152 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 2: Are you organized? Are you Type A or are you 153 00:10:08,920 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 2: Type B? And very easy going kind of go with 154 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:15,559 Speaker 2: the flow. Extraversion. I think this one's pretty self explanatory. 155 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:21,280 Speaker 2: Are you outgoing or are you solitary? Agreeableness? Are you compassionate? 156 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,040 Speaker 2: Do you like to you know kind of do you 157 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 2: like to make friends with people but also not stir 158 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 2: the pot? Or are you sometimes a little bit detached 159 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:34,880 Speaker 2: or a little bit inflammatory? And finally is neuroticism. Are 160 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 2: you anxious or are you I guess anxiety free or confident? 161 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 2: This is how they describe it. Neuroticism is kind of 162 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 2: an outdated term now, so bear that in mind, but 163 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 2: it is an important part of this model. And the 164 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 2: reason this model is powerful is because it works on spectrums. 165 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 2: So you're not an extrovert or an introvert. You are 166 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:01,320 Speaker 2: not either outgoing or solitary, or going or easy going. 167 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:04,439 Speaker 2: You can kind of be a little bit more to 168 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 2: the left, a little bit more to the right, maybe 169 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 2: right in the middle. The nuance makes the Big five 170 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:17,320 Speaker 2: much more accurate than those rigid type based systems, and 171 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 2: it's generally a lot more reliable and actually likely to 172 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 2: apply to people. The other thing about the Big five 173 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 2: is that it has been shown to predict important life outcomes. 174 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 2: For example, conscientious people tend to perform better academically and 175 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 2: professionally people high in neuroticism. This is linked to greater 176 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 2: anxiety and depression. Extraversion often predicts larger social networks, so 177 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 2: it's also valid. But here's the catch. It still doesn't 178 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 2: tell us why we are the way we are. It 179 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 2: describes it, it just can't explain it, and it may 180 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:01,960 Speaker 2: not capture culture differences fully. Since a lot of the 181 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 2: early research was Western, as is the case with I 182 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 2: would say most, if not all, psychology tools. Here's what 183 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:12,839 Speaker 2: I mean by that. The Big Five was largely developed 184 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:17,840 Speaker 2: using English language personality descriptors, and it was tested on 185 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:22,559 Speaker 2: participants in the US and in Europe, where psychology really 186 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:26,719 Speaker 2: got its foothold. It means that the model reflects the 187 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 2: cultural lens of individualism. Implicitly. There is a lot more 188 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:35,839 Speaker 2: focus within this test on independence, on personal achievement, on 189 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:41,080 Speaker 2: self expression, when sometimes the way that our personality traits 190 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 2: are expressed can be a lot more subtle. Personality also 191 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:49,720 Speaker 2: isn't just biology, right, It's also shaped by culture. In 192 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:54,160 Speaker 2: more collectivist cultures like many in East Asia, Africa, or 193 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 2: Latin America, certain traits may look different or they matter differently. 194 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 2: For example, what psychologists call agreeableness being cooperative, warm, compassionate. 195 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:09,839 Speaker 2: That might not be an individual trait in those contexts. 196 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 2: It can actually be a cultural expectation, something that everyone 197 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 2: is taught to express in order to maintain harmony. So 198 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,440 Speaker 2: when you measure it, you're not actually measuring personality, you're 199 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:25,080 Speaker 2: measuring a cultural norm. There are also traits that just 200 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 2: don't fit neatly into the Big five framework. Humor is 201 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:34,760 Speaker 2: one of them. Some Researchers also studying personality traits within 202 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 2: China have argued for a sixth factor called interpersonal relatedness, 203 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 2: which emphasizes not so much being extroverted or being agreeable, 204 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 2: but respect fulfilling one's role in the group, and maintaining harmony. 205 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 2: That is something that the Big Five just doesn't have 206 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:59,960 Speaker 2: the nuances to necessarily or explicitly capture because it wasn't 207 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 2: part of the cultural context in which the model was created. 208 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 2: So whilst the Big Five does replicate pretty well across 209 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 2: certain cultures, it's not like it totally fails. It's probably 210 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 2: not the whole story. It really does miss some of 211 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:22,440 Speaker 2: the nuances of how personality expresses itself in societies where values, traditions, 212 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 2: and social roles are just innately different from those in 213 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 2: the West. And that's really important because personality doesn't occur 214 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 2: in isolation. It's about how you show up in the 215 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:39,240 Speaker 2: communities and the context around you. Now for the big one, 216 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 2: let's talk about the Mayers Briggs Type Indicator, the MBTI. 217 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 2: You've probably heard of it. It's used in so many 218 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:53,320 Speaker 2: different contexts in workplace training, on dating apps, it's advertised 219 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 2: on social media. I feel like everyone's done this. It's 220 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 2: the one that gives you the four letter codes, so 221 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 2: E NFP STJ AI n FJ, and then it also 222 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 2: often will give you, like the celebrities that this personality 223 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:10,720 Speaker 2: type is like, and it will give you a name, 224 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 2: like a label, like the architect or the commander, or 225 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:20,960 Speaker 2: the peacemaker or the protagonist. I did mine right before 226 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 2: recording this episode, just to like remind myself of what 227 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 2: mine was. And I am an Ian FJ the protagonist, 228 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 2: So there you go. I had to. I wanted to 229 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 2: see if it was it still reflected what I remembered 230 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 2: it being before, and it did, so that's mine. What 231 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 2: we're gonna do is talk about where the Meyers Briggs 232 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 2: type indicator was developed because it is such an interesting story, 233 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 2: So stay with us. We'll be right back after this 234 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 2: short break. The Meyers Briggs actually has a really interesting 235 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 2: origin story. It is one of my favorite origin stories 236 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 2: in psychology. It was developed actually not by a psychologists, 237 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 2: but by a mother daughter duo, Katherine Cook Briggs and 238 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:13,680 Speaker 2: her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. Catherine was a writer and 239 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 2: she was really fascinated by personality and in the nineteen 240 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 2: twenties she stumbled upon the work of Carl Jung. We 241 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 2: talk about him all the time. He's a very famous 242 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 2: Swiss psychoanalyst. He's like where in a child healing and 243 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:31,160 Speaker 2: in a teen healing comes from. And he basically proposed 244 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 2: that people have different personality or psychological types, so introversion 245 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 2: versus extroversion, or thinking versus feeling, and he introduced those 246 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 2: to help people kind of make sense of themselves and 247 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 2: make sense of the world. She was so inspired by 248 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 2: his ideas that she decided to take them and adapt 249 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 2: them into something that was practical and accessible. Now. During 250 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 2: World War Two, Isabel Meyers Briggs saw an opportunity. She 251 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:04,679 Speaker 2: thought a test like this could be useful in helping 252 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:08,119 Speaker 2: women who were entering the workforce for the first time 253 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 2: and help them match with jobs that suited their natural personality, 254 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 2: because obviously, at the time, all of the young men 255 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 2: slush men were away at war, and there was this 256 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:23,600 Speaker 2: huge hole left, like this huge labor demand, and women 257 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 2: filled it, and a lot of them had never worked before. 258 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:30,960 Speaker 2: So she and her mother began further developing this idea 259 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:36,200 Speaker 2: and this questionnaire that would sort people into sixteen personality 260 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:41,800 Speaker 2: types based on Jung's original theory, and they also simplified 261 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 2: them yet again into four dichotomies. So where you sat 262 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 2: on these four scales would help determine obviously where you 263 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,920 Speaker 2: sat in the sixteen personality types. So we have extraversion 264 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:58,359 Speaker 2: versus introversion that is basically in every single personality test 265 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:02,880 Speaker 2: you can think of, versus intuition. This was basically how 266 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 2: you take on information. Sensors often focus on what is 267 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 2: concrete and practical and grounded in the five senses, so 268 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 2: the facts, the details of the hero and now. Intuitives, 269 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 2: on the other hand, are more interested in patterns, abstract ideas, 270 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 2: gut feelings. Then we have thinking versus feeling. This describes 271 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 2: how you make decisions. Thinkers prefer objectivity, consistency, and logic, 272 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 2: whereas feelers prioritize values, empathy and harmony. And finally, judging 273 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:40,480 Speaker 2: versus perceiving, this is how you approach the external world. 274 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:48,919 Speaker 2: Judges like structure, schedule closure. Perceivers prefer flexibility, keeping things spontaneous, 275 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 2: kind of going with the flow. So once you figure 276 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,399 Speaker 2: out which category you have preferences for from each section, 277 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 2: you combine them and you basically get a four letter 278 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:03,720 Speaker 2: personality type. For example, if you were more introverted, more 279 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:08,640 Speaker 2: likely to like concrete facts, more likely to make decisions 280 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:14,640 Speaker 2: aligned with values, and had a preference for an organized life, 281 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 2: you would be an ISFJ. It supposedly highlights your strengths 282 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:23,639 Speaker 2: and also your blind spots of your personality, and so 283 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 2: it is very specific and personal, but it's also quite 284 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:30,159 Speaker 2: general as well. Obviously there's only sixteen and there are 285 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 2: seven billion people in the world. If we did the math, like, 286 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:36,440 Speaker 2: you're going to have a couple of brothers and sisters 287 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:39,760 Speaker 2: in your pack like who have the same personality type 288 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:43,239 Speaker 2: as you. So by the nineteen forties this was when 289 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:48,919 Speaker 2: it really became available commercially and really began to spread 290 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:54,199 Speaker 2: into business, education and even dating culture. But here is 291 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 2: the catch. Whilst it has become really popular, the MBTI 292 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:04,840 Speaker 2: was never actually built on any kind of rigorous scientific testing. 293 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:09,680 Speaker 2: Catherine and Isabelle they weren't trained psychologist, and Yung's original 294 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 2: theory it was much more like metaphorical and philosophical rather 295 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 2: than empirical, and that shaky foundation is kind of part 296 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 2: of why the Mayas Briggs has always been a little 297 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 2: bit controversial in the scientific community, and that's where some 298 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 2: of the criticism comes in. In a lot of cases, 299 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 2: psychologists don't take the Mayas Briggs seriously. Studies show it 300 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 2: has low reliability. About fifty percent of people will get 301 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:40,200 Speaker 2: a different result when they retake it within weeks. That's 302 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:46,680 Speaker 2: a problem. It can't be used as an objective scientific measure. Plus, 303 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:50,159 Speaker 2: it forces you into one category or another, even though 304 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:53,720 Speaker 2: realistically humans are a lot more nuanced than that. So 305 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:58,159 Speaker 2: it doesn't really typically measure what it's trying to measure 306 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:02,640 Speaker 2: because it doesn't, yeah, again allow for flexibility. So why 307 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:06,840 Speaker 2: is it so popular? We might put this down to 308 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:10,879 Speaker 2: something called the barnum or for effect barnum or for 309 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 2: her that's when vague, flattering statements feel personally accurate. Think 310 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:22,120 Speaker 2: about your horoscope. Your horoscope for this week might say 311 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:25,880 Speaker 2: you something like you sometimes doubt yourself, but deep down 312 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,439 Speaker 2: you know you have a unique purpose. I'm not bashing 313 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 2: horoscopes here, I really enjoy them. But that kind of 314 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:37,600 Speaker 2: applies to literally everyone, and the Mays Briggs type descriptions 315 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:40,040 Speaker 2: are written in a similar way. They're broad enough to 316 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 2: fit almost anyone who sees themselves as being an extrovert, 317 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:49,399 Speaker 2: sees themselves as being thoughtful, who has some kind of 318 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 2: allegiance or you know, reason to want to be that 319 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:58,119 Speaker 2: personality type. So, of course, when you give them a 320 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 2: piece of information that says you are there, and this 321 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:04,919 Speaker 2: person is capable of this and they're incredible at that, 322 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 2: everyone's gonna be like, yeah, and if I am that, 323 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:11,440 Speaker 2: that means I'm great and I'm capable. Here's one such 324 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 2: statement from my results. Actually, Ian FJ. This was my result. 325 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:19,359 Speaker 2: This is what it said, Your journey of personal growth 326 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 2: is fueled by a desire for self improvement and a 327 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:26,920 Speaker 2: genuine commitment to becoming the best version of yourself. I 328 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:29,680 Speaker 2: don't know about you, but doesn't that apply to literally 329 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 2: everyone who has ever had a goal or wants to 330 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 2: better themselves. That's not necessarily a bad thing, you know. 331 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 2: It resonates with people, not because it's scientifically sound, but 332 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:46,080 Speaker 2: because it helps people articulate something in themselves. That's not terrible. 333 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 2: But it's just important to see it more as that 334 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:53,920 Speaker 2: storytelling tool that can be just as valuable. But it's 335 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 2: not necessarily scientific, you know. But though again, if it 336 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 2: resonates with you and it provides you with some guidance 337 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 2: or comfort, like I don't see the problem, I really 338 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 2: think it's just a lot of fun. The issue is 339 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 2: when we take it too seriously, when we let those 340 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:15,320 Speaker 2: boxes contain us. If you believe I'm an introvert, therefore 341 00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 2: I can't lead, or I'm more neurotic, therefore I will 342 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:22,879 Speaker 2: always be anxious, you start limiting yourself and these labels 343 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 2: can become self fulfilling prophecies. But here's the flip side. 344 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:33,160 Speaker 2: Used wisely, these tests give you a language to describe 345 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 2: things that you felt about yourself but never articulated. They 346 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:40,200 Speaker 2: also can help you identify what you like about yourself, 347 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:44,280 Speaker 2: what you think of as an asset within you. So 348 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:49,040 Speaker 2: as we wrap up, here's my main takeaway. Personality tests 349 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:52,440 Speaker 2: are like maps. A map is super useful. It helps 350 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 2: you orient yourself. It helps you see where you might 351 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:59,720 Speaker 2: be or paths forward. But if you have your head 352 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:03,080 Speaker 2: down and you're constantly looking at the map, you are 353 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:07,280 Speaker 2: actually not going to really enjoy the scenery and enjoy 354 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 2: your way through life and enjoy how you can test 355 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:13,399 Speaker 2: yourself and how you may find little back roads that 356 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:16,359 Speaker 2: the map doesn't tell you about. At the end of 357 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:18,639 Speaker 2: the day, every single person on this earth is more 358 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 2: nuanced than four letters. You are a constantly evolving human being. 359 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:28,240 Speaker 2: You change depending on your environment, your experiences, your growth. 360 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:32,440 Speaker 2: That's what makes you interesting and human. So take the tests. 361 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,440 Speaker 2: I think they're super super fun. Use them to reflect, 362 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 2: use them to connect with other people, but don't let 363 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:41,760 Speaker 2: them limit you. That's all we have time for today. 364 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 2: Just like my last bonus episode, do let me know 365 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,679 Speaker 2: if you have other theories or topics or concepts you 366 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:52,840 Speaker 2: want me to dive into next. As always, thank you 367 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:55,679 Speaker 2: to our research assistant Lubby Colbert for all the effort 368 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,600 Speaker 2: and work she puts in behind the scenes. We appreciate 369 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:00,880 Speaker 2: her so much, and thank you. Thank you for listening 370 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:03,440 Speaker 2: to the podcast. If you made it this far, drop 371 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 2: your drop your Miydes breaks down below. I want to 372 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 2: know what everyone is. I think it would be super 373 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:11,639 Speaker 2: interesting to see if there's like a certain pattern or 374 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:14,640 Speaker 2: a certain a certain one that rises to the surface. 375 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 2: Until next time, stay safe, be kind, be gentle to yourself, 376 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:22,240 Speaker 2: and we'll be back with a full length episode on Friday. 377 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:23,400 Speaker 2: Talk to you very soon.