How do personality tests work

They require participants to take a standardized test and answer various multiple-choice questions about themselves. Put simply, it is the accepted theory by which a tool is developed. If the first step is flubbed, then what follows is bound to be bunk. Most personality tests follow one of three conceptual frameworks.

The first and arguably most well-known of these is psychodynamic theory. Inspired by clinical psychology, it attempts to explain the origins of psychopathology. The next conceptual framework is trait theory, which is currently the most widely used framework in personality science. Whether it's due to convenience or general acceptance by employers, no matter how you cut it, pre-employment testing is here to stay. A recent study from the University of South Carolina found that the top reason executives fail in both internal and external hires is behavioral compatibility, so it is clear that the use of personality testing is beneficial for employers.

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Your critique is on the way. Read our expert career advice. Uploading your resume So, what is a pre-employment personality test? Responding to worries that MBTI results are used to hire, fire or promote employees, Segovia said, "The MBTI tool is used to develop employees and to bring out the best performance by helping them become more self-aware, and also more aware of the differences in preferences and talents that other people bring to the table.

However, it is not designed for, nor should it be used for any kind of selection hiring, promotions, etc. All 16 types are considered equal, but some may excel at particular types of work or engage with specific personality types better. But one slightly negative perspective we found when taking the MBTI was a discussion of what might happen if a type takes a preference too far, possibly because of stress. Regarding the validity and repeatability of the results Jung, Myers and Briggs contended that a personality type was something you have for life , Segovia told us that different results in retakes of the assessment simply suggest that the initial response was close to the center line in the dichotomy, so a few different answers would push a person to the other side of the dichotomy.

This could be easily interpreted as pointing out a major flaw in any effort to divide people into rigid categories, however — if an assessment has repeatable results, changing a small number of answers shouldn't drastically affect the outcome. Regardless, Segovia said in an email, "Test and re-test agreement for each aspect of MBTI type is nine times higher than chance, and for three of the four dimensions it is about three times higher than chance, meaning that individuals are likely to receive the same results on consecutive MBTI administrations.

So, the scientific value of personality tests is under much scrutiny, thanks to their wavering legitimacy and the ambiguity of personality itself. But personality testing is used widely, in counseling, employment, therapy and elsewhere. Despite the criticism leveled against these tests, they remain successful — and profitable. Some companies have nixed personality tests or specific test questions, after they caused instances of discrimination or just proved ineffective.

Research shows personality tests alone don't predict job performance well. Just how successful is the MBTI? Publisher CPP provided the following statistics:. It isn't just used by corporations, either: Universities and government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of State, give the assessment to their employees. The reasons for this widespread success include some of the very flaws critics point out. The MBTI's positivity means that no one walks away from the test feeling bad about themselves.

CPP doesn't like it to be called a test, by the way, because "there are no incorrect answers — it's an indicator," Segovia said. There's even a name for this: the Forer effect , first described in an experiment in which students who took a personality assessment all rated the resulting identical, positive personality profiles as highly accurate descriptions of themselves.

Some of the other psychometric tests that do incorporate negative elements, like five-factor model tests, are seen as more valid by psychologists, but are less popular in workplace settings.

Segovia even said that asking employees about their negative traits would be unethical and overly intrusive. The relative simplicity of putting people into categories, rather than using a sliding, continuum-based system, also contributes to the popularity of the MBTI and similar questionnaires. If you really need to sort yourself and your Harry Potter-loving employees into categories, there are some online quizzes that will tell you your Hogwarts house for free.

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There's a good chance you've taken a personality test at some point in your life, whether it was for clinical or entertainment purposes. The Origins of Personality Tests " ". Personality tests are no new invention, but they're a lot different today than they were thousands of years ago.

Yes, "Extravert" Is Correct. Personality Tests Come in Many Flavors " ". Hermann Rorschach, creator of the Rorschach test, designed these four ink blot tests. To minimize legal risk, make sure the assessment focuses on specific personality traits that have been proved to be linked to a specific job, says attorney Ashley J. Keapproth, also at Akin Gump. Once the company has achieved operational stability, she plans to use personality assessments as part of the hiring process, she says. With a personality assessment, he estimates that he has a 75 percent chance of the new hire working out.

Linda Cummings, an HR consultant in the San Francisco area, recalls several occasions when hiring managers at her former companies ignored assessment results when the applicant interviewed well.

This article relates to critical evaluation, one of the nine competencies on which SHRM is basing its new certification. To learn more, visit ww. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page.

Introduction Are the Tests Accurate? Timing Is Everything Traits or Labels? By Dori Meinert June 1, Reuse Permissions. Page Content. Questions for Vendors When evaluating personality assessment tools, experts suggest starting with these questions: What is the assessment designed to measure, and how will that benefit the organization?

Is the assessment reliable and accurate? Does it effectively predict important workplace behaviors that drive metrics affecting sales, customer satisfaction and turnover? Does it come with a job analysis tool that allows you to identify behavioral job requirements? How easy is the assessment to take? Does it come in multiple languages?

How easy is it to interpret results? Is the assessment free of bias, and does it comply with federal guidelines? Source: R. Sweeney Associates.