HN Poll: What is your personality type? • Hacker News Board

Re: HN Poll: What is your personality type?

#61

Post by AndrewO » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 5:50 PM UTC

abyssknight wrote: post #30

AndrewO wrote: post #23

I couldn't let this pass without bringing up the Forer Effect [1]: basically, that people will believe just about any vague generalization as long as they think it's been tailored to them. For all of the "science" that goes into building the models for these tests (not just MBTI), any that rely completely on self-evaluation (especially multiple choice questions), should be taken with a huge grain of salt. They're fin…

This kind of discussion is definitely welcome. Every one of these tests is incredibly subjective, and the results could be misused. To your point about companies, though: How would you build a team without knowing their personalities? Assuming you couldn't hire them as a contract-to-hire?

Knowing personalities is certainly essential. But, I think if you want to find that out, it's better to interact with them and form your own opinions and talk to others who've done the same. Using a 4-dimension set of binary states (just to pick on MBTI here) will only tell you what you could have found out faster, cheaper (there's an industry around these things), and without making the person feel like a replaceable part.

In an interview situation (where you have less time to decide than building an internal team), that could mean going through hypothetical situations and finding out how they would solve a problem, having multiple interviewers, and checking on references. Having them take a personality test beforehand sends a signal that as an employer, you're not willing to take the time to get to know them, which starts everyone off on the wrong foot. Also, IANAL, but it sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Re: HN Poll: What is your personality type?

#62

Post by YonghoShin » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 6:05 PM UTC

The most common type at HN (INTJ) is one of the rarest found in general population. (2.1%)

http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/my-mbti-...

Re: HN Poll: What is your personality type?

#63

Post by AndrewO » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 6:12 PM UTC

AndrewDucker wrote: post #34

AndrewO wrote: post #23

I couldn't let this pass without bringing up the Forer Effect [1]: basically, that people will believe just about any vague generalization as long as they think it's been tailored to them. For all of the "science" that goes into building the models for these tests (not just MBTI), any that rely completely on self-evaluation (especially multiple choice questions), should be taken with a huge grain of salt. They're fin…

And if the personality types in MBTI were that vague (as vague, for instance, as a horoscope) then I'd agree with you. But I know that certain types describe me a lot better than others, and it's clear that one which paints me as extroverted, feelings oriented and sensing is clearly wrong.

If you keep asking a person in different ways if they're always in the middle of a party or standing next to the wall, you'll eventually find out if they consider themselves to be introverted or extraverted. Likewise for the other traits. But, at their coarsest levels, people probably already have an inkling about those. (E.g. before you took the test, did you think you may actually be extroverted, feelings oriented, and sensing?)

I think when it comes down to it, we take these tests for the enjoyment we get in reading about ourselves later. (The Great Facebook Personality Quiz Epidemic of Ought Nine is the foremost recent example of this in action.) It tickles that part of our brains that says "Someone's taken the time to get to know me—I must be important!", even if that someone is really an algorithm. And it's that, combined with all of the parts that are "right", that allows us to overlook the parts that are vague, over-generalized, right-but-with-certain-caveats, or flat-out wrong.

Re: HN Poll: What is your personality type?

#64

Post by j_baker » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 6:21 PM UTC

AndrewO wrote: post #23

I couldn't let this pass without bringing up the Forer Effect [1]: basically, that people will believe just about any vague generalization as long as they think it's been tailored to them. For all of the "science" that goes into building the models for these tests (not just MBTI), any that rely completely on self-evaluation (especially multiple choice questions), should be taken with a huge grain of salt. They're fin…

"Just to provide an example of the worst case, I've seen companies hold personality test workshops, only to have that bind their thinking and give them reason to quash dissent ("Of course... that's what a XXXX would say" or "I really need a YYYY on this project"). Too many times these things turn into a substitute for actually getting to know your employees' strengths and weaknesses."

They shouldn't be. Quite the opposite in fact. If you have an appropriate understanding of what personality type means then it becomes a lot more useful. If a person's skills, abilities, and personality are nature plus nurture, then MBTI shows the "nature" part. They don't cover the "nurture" part. Of course the other thing is that the MBTI is only applicable if you're sure the person that's taking it is telling the truth. Employees are always going to lie (or at least embellish) on these tests. But tests are only one way to get at this information. If you know what to look for, you can usually glean most peoples' personality types without subjecting them to tests they aren't going to tell the truth on anyway.

The way I think about it is almost like design patterns for people. Sure, everyone is unique. But we're not all that unique. There are almost always underlying themes and principles that make totally different people think similarly but not the same. If you think about it that way, personality type becomes a lot more useful.

Re: HN Poll: What is your personality type?

#65

Post by shawndumas » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 6:24 PM UTC

INFJ: Introverted 27, Intuitive 88, Feeling 25, Judging 11 -- Counselor

FYI:

Favorite world: Everyone spends some time extraverting and some time introverting. Don’t confuse Introversion with shyness or reclusiveness. They are not related.

  Extraversion (E)

I like getting my energy from active involvement in events and having a lot of different activities.

  Introversion (I)

I like getting my energy from dealing with the ideas, pictures, memories, and reactions that are inside my head, in my inner world.

------

Information: Everyone spends some time Sensing and some time using Intuition. Don’t confuse Sensing with sensual. They aren’t related.

  Sensing (S)

Paying attention to physical reality, what I see, hear, touch, taste, and smell.

  Intuition (N)

Paying the most attention to impressions or the meaning and patterns of the information I get.

------

Decisions: Everyone uses Thinking for some decisions and Feeling for others. Don’t confuse Feeling with emotion. Everyone has emotions about the decisions they make. Also do not confuse Thinking with intelligence.

  Thinking (T)

When I make a decision, I like to find the basic truth or principle to be applied, regardless of the specific situation involved.

  Feeling (F)

I believe I can make the best decisions by weighing what people care about and the points-of-view of persons involved in a situation.

------

Structure: Everyone takes in information some of the time. Everyone makes decisions some of the time. Don’t confuse Judging and Perceiving with a person’s level of organization. Either preference can be organized. o you prefer a more structured and decided lifestyle (Judging) or a more flexible and adaptable lifestyle (Perceiving)?

  Judging (J)

I use my decision-making (Judging) preference (whether it is Thinking or Feeling) in my outer life. Do not confuse Judging with judgmental, in its negative sense about people and events. They are not related.

  Perceiving (P)

I use my perceiving function (whether it is Sensing or Intuition) in my outer life. Remember, in type language perceiving means “preferring to take in information.” It does not mean being “perceptive” in the sense of having quick and accurate perceptions about people and events.

Re: HN Poll: What is your personality type?

#66

Post by Shakattack » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 6:27 PM UTC

Are the extroverts just not speaking up (ironic)?

Otherwise it's really interesting how there's not a single extroverted type higher than the introverts? But it just goes to show being introverted doesn't mean you're socially incompetent and can't talk to others.

I want to see a poll like this for CEOs or other executives. Most leaders I know (at least the good ones) are introverts, but they still go a great job leading. Wonder if it's the same for bigger companies.

Re: HN Poll: What is your personality type?

#67

Post by arram » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 6:31 PM UTC

scott_s wrote: post #17

KoZeN wrote: post #2

Absolutely brilliant. I feared a generic profile at the end but the level of detail was incredible. I'm impressed! I'm an INTJ.

Are you sure that's not just the Forer effect? ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forer_effect ) I personally call this the horoscope effect.

There's an easy test for that - read the other profiles and see if you feel the same way.

Re: HN Poll: What is your personality type?

#68

Post by scott_s » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 6:35 PM UTC

arram wrote: post #67

scott_s wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you sure that's not just the Forer effect? ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forer_effect ) I personally call this the horoscope effect.

There's an easy test for that - read the other profiles and see if you feel the same way.

Not necessarily. Someone may believe they believe (http://lesswrong.com/lw/i4/belief_in_belief/) in the profile to the point that they look for ways to dismiss the alternatives in a way they did not for the original. Cognitive biases are nasty that way.

Re: HN Poll: What is your personality type?

#69

Post by ggchappell » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 6:38 PM UTC

AndrewO wrote: post #23

I couldn't let this pass without bringing up the Forer Effect [1]: basically, that people will believe just about any vague generalization as long as they think it's been tailored to them. For all of the "science" that goes into building the models for these tests (not just MBTI), any that rely completely on self-evaluation (especially multiple choice questions), should be taken with a huge grain of salt. They're fin…

I think it is important to distinguish between the MBTI itself, and the ideas behind it.

Personally, I don't think the MBTI is worth much. It is not a bad introduction to ones own preferences, but does not seem to measure them well or consistently.

On the other hand, the ideas in the Myers-Briggs theory have helped me greatly in understanding myself and others. For example, I'm heavily NP, while someone I've had close interactions with is a strong SJ. This has helped me deal with this person, and get a clue about what is going on when they seem to be acting (from my naive point of view), nonsensically.

Re: HN Poll: What is your personality type?

#70

Post by dbrannan » Thu, Sep 09, 2010, 7:19 PM UTC

terra_t wrote: post #31

I tested out as an INTP as a kid (where I was just on the margin of I and E) and then tested again as an ENTJ as an adult, very strongly "J".

Me too, and I'm not exactly certain how I feel about that. I guess as time moves on I've realized the only one that can get this train going is me.