Introduction
The three personality tests (MBTI, Big Five, and NYT) are all designed to indicate what an individual’s personality trait is using simple language based on the information given by the respondent. This makes them be able to be influenced by the individual.
The baby MBTI test
My four-letter word after taking the MBTI was “ESTP” which is associated with obtaining support from introverted thinking. Introverted thinking means that the mind takes the existence of natural laws, principles, or concepts by which the present is ruled and runs. This kind of thinking fits newly found information into already existing clusters of thought (Reinhold, 2011). This four-letter type is also associated with extraverted sensing. This kind of sensing allows the person to be absorbed into what is happening on the outside currently such as interacting with people and things easily.
According to the hidden letter Myers Briggs MBTI type for ESTP (Reinhold, 2011), the dominant functions are thinking and sensing while the inferior ones noted in red are N and F. ESTP is classified as one of the two extraverted sensing types. The other one is ESFP. The inferior function of the mind may come out when someone is under stress. The inferior function also has minimal influence on the personality of an individual. What this test indicates about me is that I interact easily with people. It also indicates that I value what I am doing presently than what the future holds and that I evaluate things while already working on them.
The Big Five traits
The Big Five traits are taken to include all the traits that an individual can choose to match his/her personality traits. However, it is possible for an individual to possess more than one trait as they may show little correlation between them. Personality traits that were once thought to be out of the list were later found out to be among those that are listed. This is possible through the evolution of language such that “the full range of individual differences in personality is available in language” (Saklofske & Zeidner, 1995).
According to Dumont (2010), religion had little measurable effects on these traits rather it had an influence on people’s goals. Therefore on the Big Five traits, I would pick excitability (form extraversion), and variety (from openness). I think these two could have some correlation though not necessarily. This is because excitability may happen mostly for an encounter with new things and people which would make me seek variety to sustain high levels of excitement.
When I took the New York Times (NYT) test, the results had the title “You are a tech Guru”. Other details include that I’m sort of perfectionists who sometimes engage in a soul searching. Other things mentioned are that “structure is important to you and you need a careful balance of work and play in order to be an absolute element”. However, the second paragraph would concur with the previous results from MBTI and Big Five that I’m inquisitive with an unfounded urge to experiment with all that is around. My urge to have the coolest technological gadget and that I can’t get bored is quite precise (New York Times Personality Quiz, 2011).
Evaluation of the tests
I think the NYT test is more precise than the other two, this is because you cannot easily identify what the pictures would actually indicate on personality. However, even in this test, it is possible to give a false impression if you choose; according to your understanding of other people’s preferences and behavior. The MBTI test describes what someone is supposed to choose, and from this explanation, one can only get the true impression by being sincere to oneself.
The problem some people can hardly describe their character so it will be misleading to them. This could be the reason they recommend the presence of a psychologist while taking similar tests. The Big Five is simplistic as it summarizes the personality test for two or one words for an individual. It is just as accurate as of the other two. The three tests concur on one part which is that of ‘excitability’. Where I seek new things and people from these that I extract extraverted energy.
People who take this test would possibly give the right and accurate impression if they are taking it by themselves in private but in cases where they are to show it to another person then they would fabricate their preferences and what they really are. It is for this that I find the NYT test could possibly capture some of these concealed traits while the other two tests can easily be influenced by an individuals’ preference of what they would like to be thought of.
Conclusion
Differences in levels of impulsive personal traits are derived from sensitivity to reward and punishment all of which can be analyzed using the Big Five (Vohs & Baumeister, 2011). Some of these differences develop through the processes that generate the impulses and those that hinder the impulses. However, it is recognizable that generally, people will either have extraverted energy or introverted energy. From these, the other character traits find a foundation.
References
Dumont, F. (2010). A History of Personality Psychology: Theory, Science, and Research from Hellenism to the Twenty-first Century. New York: Cambridge University Press.
New York Times. (2011). Personality Quiz. Web.
Reinhold, R. (2011). Personality Pathways, exploring personality types and its applications. Web.
Reinhold, R. (2011). Understanding the MBTI test- the Mental Processes of the MBTI Type. Web.
Saklofske, H.D., & Zeinder, M. (Eds.). (1995). International Handbook of Personality and Intelligence. New York: Plenum Press, p. 461-462.
Vohs, D.K., & Baumeister, F.R. (Eds.). (2011) Handbook of Self-Regulation, Second Edition: Research, Theory, and Applications. New York: Guilford Press.