Personality assessment tests are tests done on individuals to evaluate their strengths and talents. These tests are very useful especially to employers as it helps them discover the personal strengths of their workers. The tests also help people in finding their life partners, and medical professionals in diagnosing mental health disorders.
The Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a popular personality assessment test which was created by Katherine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Myers in the 1940s. The test is based on the ideas of Psychoanalyst Carl Jung, who believed that individuals comprehended the world via sensation, intuition, feeling as well as thinking (Matena, 2011). These functions also showed if a person is an introvert or extrovert. Intuition and sensing aid in perception while feeling and thinking help in judgment.
MBTI is mostly applied in workplaces as it helps in hiring and discovering the potential in employees. I believe this test is the most ideal in assessing employees since about 80 percent of fortune 500 companies use it. The advantage of MBTI is that it helps in creating a better interview session and enhances the hiring process (Matena, 2011). It allows interviewers to know the person better and aids in building good teams. The downside is that it takes a lot of time and is expensive.
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is another personality test that is mostly employed by mental health experts to evaluate and detect mental health illnesses. It was initially created in the 1930s; however, it has been modified and updated severally to enhance precision and legitimacy. This test was developed by clinical psychologist Starke R. Hathaway and neuropsychiatrist J. Charnley McKinley at the University of Minnesota (Butcher, 2010). MMPI-2 is mostly used by mental health experts in evaluating mental illness. It has also been applied in court cases like in criminal defenses and custody suits.
I believe MMPI-2 test is a very valuable tool especially when it comes to mental health diagnosis. This test is so ideal that it can be used in gauging the effectiveness of substance abuse programs. The advantage of MMPI-2 is that it is very effective in diagnosing mental disorders. It can also be interpreted accurately, and since MMPI-2 is scored objectively, it is not affected by clinicians’ impressions of the participant (Butcher, 2010). The only disadvantage of this test is that it relies on an individual’s capability to read and respond to written reports.
Personality tests, therefore, are valuable tools in assessing one’s personality.
References
Butcher, J. N. (2010). Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory. The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology, 1-3.
Matena, K. O. (2011). Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: a Potential Training Tool for Leadership Development in Kenya.
