The extent to which our personalities determine aspects of our lives and health has increasingly been the subject of research over the last few years. There was the suggestion, for example, that being…
Businesses run the risk of hiring clones when they seek people who ‘fit’.
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The costs associated with recruiting the wrong person are always high, not only in financial terms but emotionally as well. So the prospect of administering a personality test that accurately indicates…
Given their failure to predict management performance, why are organisations still using personality tests?
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In 1931 the Australian Institute of Industrial Psychology published lectures by A. H. Martin who, after dismissing astrology, palmistry and phrenology as pseudo-sciences, bravely put psychology forward…
Myers-Briggs has a legion of fans; but not everyone thinks such a system is a good idea.
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The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the most popular personality test, boasting millions of test-takers each year. Developed in the 1940s by Isabel Briggs Myers and Katharine Briggs, the MBTI is…
Personality tests will not judge you on how you look, the clothes you wear or where you went to school, so why are people so wary of them?
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Many job seekers are wary of personality testing. They will accept prying interviews and secretive reference checks, but baulk at having their personalities assessed. A review of studies conducted in 17…
Introverts can party hard, but then need to recharge.
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Have you ever completed a personality test and felt dissatisfied with your scores? Maybe you’ve quibbled with the low score you received on extroversion – a personality trait reflecting outgoing and gregarious…
Introverted and A-type? We’re not that easily categorised.
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The idea that people can be classified into types has a long history. Writing 23 centuries ago, the Greek philosopher Theophrastus sketched 30 characters that are instantly recognisable to this day. They…
Levels of masculinity vary for men and women depending on if the questions are asked online or offline.
Helga Weber
How masculine are you? This might seem a fairly simple question, especially if you’re asked to fill out a simple ten-question survey investigating traits such as “aggressive” and “forceful”. But it may…
Personality assessment is often used by recruiters to predict workplace success, with varying degrees of accuracy.
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Employers recognise that work performance can’t be predicted perfectly by formal qualifications, references and interviews. Job candidates may have sheaves of diplomas, incandescent recommendations, a…