The MBTI uses four dichotomies to create 16 personality profiles, each highlighting an individual's strengths and weaknesses. By understanding these profiles, you can gain valuable insights into your behavior, as well as those around you. This knowledge fosters personal growth, enhances communication, and improves relationships, both personally and professionally. Discover how your MBTI results can unlock a deeper understanding of yourself and others.
8 mins read
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is not only a popular personality assessment tool but also one of the most widely used. This 16 personalities test, based on Carl Jung's theory of psychological types, was originally developed by a mother-daughter duo: Isabel Briggs Myers and Katharine Cook Briggs. Since its inception in the 1940s, MBTI-based personality tests have been used to help individuals gain insight into their personality and behavior.
But what exactly does the 16 personalities test reveal? And how can you harness this knowledge to know what personality is and enhance various aspects of your life?
The 16 Personalities Test can help you understand different aspects of yourself and how they come together to form your whole personality. By taking the test and reflecting on the results, you can gain a better understanding of your strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and motivations. This self-awareness can be like putting the pieces of a puzzle together to create a clearer picture of who you are.
In this in-depth article, we will explore what the 16 personalities test reveals and how you can use those seemingly random letters for self-improvement and understanding others.
Related: Can the MBTI Personality Test Help You with Career Planning?
Before we can go into detail answering the question, "What does the 16 personalities test best reveal?", let's start with a bit of a primer for those who may be new to the framework. The 16 Personalities test, based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), best reveals an individual's personality type across four key dimensions or four dichotomies: Extraversion vs. Introversion, Sensing vs. Intuition, Thinking vs. Feeling, and Judging vs. Perceiving. It provides insights into how people perceive the world and make decisions, helping them understand their strengths, weaknesses, communication styles, and preferred work environments.
The 16 personalities framework is based on four dichotomies:
Each of these dichotomies reflects a preference, and combining these preferences results in 16 unique personality profiles, each represented by a four-letter code. For example, someone with a preference for Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, and Judging would be classified as an INFJ personality type.
The 16 personalities test provides insights into various aspects of your personality. From your communication style to how you make decisions and approach relationships. Let's explore the key areas that the 16 personalities test can reveal:
Each personality type has its own set of unique strengths and weaknesses. Thus, the 16 personalities test identifies your natural strengths—qualities and traits that come naturally to you and make you stand out.
It also sheds light on your potential blindspots—areas where you may struggle or need to work on to improve. For example, the ISFJs in the workplace are known for their reliability, dedication, and attention to detail. Unfortunately, they may also struggle with setting boundaries and adapting to change.
The 16 personalities test may also reveal your communication preferences. Are you more direct or indirect in expressing yourself? How do you handle or find solutions after a conflict?
The test can also reveal whether you're more introverted or extroverted and how you prefer to interact with others. Do you thrive in a team-oriented or independent work environment?
Our motivation and values play a significant role in our decision-making and behavior. The test provides clues to your driving forces and what fulfills each personality type.
This knowledge can help you align your choices and actions with your intrinsic motivations and values. For instance, an ENFP personality type may be motivated by helping others and making a positive impact, while an ENTJ may value organized and structured environments.
Are you more detail-oriented or big-picture-oriented? The personality tests also reveal whether you rely more on concrete facts (sensing) or abstract ideas (intuition) when you process information. This can even indicate someone's problem-solving approach.
Take an ISTJ personality type, for example. While they like to spend time alone, they prefer a step-by-step approach to problem-solving. In contrast, an ENTP may enjoy brainstorming and exploring different ideas.
As mentioned earlier, the Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F) dichotomy reflects how individuals make decisions. Understanding your decision-making style can improve self-awareness and help you navigate challenges more effectively. For instance, someone with a preference for thinking may struggle with considering others' emotions in decision-making, while feelers may prioritize harmonious outcomes over logic.
Simply put, the 16 MBTI personality test helps reveal your decision-making approach, enabling you to make more informed, conscious decisions.
The 16 personalities test is often used in the workplace to help individuals and teams understand their work preferences. It can reveal whether you are more suited for jobs that require attention to detail, creativity, or leadership skills.
Employers can also use the test results to identify how well a candidate can do in highly structured or unstructured roles. The information can also be used in career planning and development, helping individuals find roles that align with their natural strengths and preferences.
These test results can also reveal insights into your relationships—both personal and professional. It can highlight potential points of conflict or compatibility between different personality types, offering guidance on how to go through communication differences effectively.
For example, if someone has a preference for introversion and the other for extroversion, they may have different compatibility levels and require different approaches to communication. A better understanding of these differences can help build more fulfilling and effective relationships.
Another aspect of the 16 personalities test is its focus on an individual's dominant cognitive functions—their primary way of perceiving and judging information.
For example, an INTP personality type has dominant Introverted Thinking (Ti) and Extroverted Intuition (Ne) functions, indicating a preference for analyzing information and generating new ideas.
While the 16 personality test results offer valuable insights, it does not paint the full picture of someone's personality. Like any other psychometric test, the 16 personalities assessment has limitations and weaknesses.
Some common criticisms include:
The 16 personalities test relies on self-reporting. Hence, it can be biased or influenced by external factors. Not only that, but individuals may also answer questions based on how they perceive themselves or what they believe you expect of them rather than their true behavior.
The test categorizes individuals into specific personality types, but this does not mean everyone in the same category behaves or thinks identically. Each person is unique, and some may exhibit a different personality trait from several different personality types. A person's character also comes into play, adding even more complexity.
The 16 Personalities test is not based on empirical evidence and is viewed as more of a theory that has faced scrutiny from the scientific community. Some critics argue that it lacks scientific rigor and reliability, making it difficult to use as a valid measure of personality traits.
Although the 16 personalities test has limitations, you can still use it for your benefit. Below is a quick breakdown of how to actively use your 16 Personality Type Test results for positive impact in various areas of your life:
While the 16 personality test is not scientifically validated, some human resources and hiring managers use it as part of their hiring process to evaluate potential candidates. They use it to uncover the decision-making process, strengths, weaknesses, and how a candidate processes information.
During this test, candidates must select which of the given statements best aligns with their personality. They will either agree, disagree, or remain neutral for each prompt. Based on their responses, employers can determine the best candidates that fit a particular role.
The 16 personality types test reveals a great deal about an individual and can be an excellent tool for personal development. It can be used to reveal your assets, such as your prowess in communication and finding solutions. It also reveals flaws, such as a tendency to overthink or get overwhelmed easily. It can also help you learn how to leverage your strengths and work on your weaknesses.
Overall, the 16 personality test offers many benefits that you can take advantage of. However, it should not be viewed as a final or definitive answer to your personality.
Instead, use it as a tool for self-discovery and growth.
You are more than just 16 categories and labels—you are a unique and complex individual with endless possibilities. Use the results of this test to enrich your understanding of yourself and those around you.
Content Writer
Published 30 May 2024