(Newswire.net — June 5, 2020) —
Before addressing the two individually, it might be best to cover their similarities. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory are two tools that are used to help guide people toward decisions that fit with the unique way they interact with the world. Often, these are career decisions. Both tools are deployed in high-school and college classrooms in an attempt to help students find a suitable path in life. Both tools also make use of similar structures to categorize those being tested, scoring them along a number of different scales and compiling the results into a series of letters that is meant to suggest a person’s interest or personality. Their methodologies are both based on preexisting theories about personality.
The Strong
The Strong Interest Inventory focuses less on defining an individual’s personality, and more on categorizing their interests. It was created by E.K. Strong among others, and based on the idea that because those in similar occupations tended to have similar interests, categorizing a person’s interests could help that person choose an occupation.
It includes 291 prompts, to which the test-taker will answer with dislike or like, disagreement, or agreement. The results are delivered as a series of letters, each representing one of the six Holland Codes, which are a collection of personality traits used in career counseling. They are realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional. Test takers will be assigned values in each of these categories, and the top three will be interpreted as representing their personality and guiding their interests. Their more detailed score will be compared to a database of other scores to judge which occupations it matches closely with.
The Myers-Briggs
The Myers-Briggs test is by far the better known of the two, and is often advertised as a path to self discovery or introspective insight. Like the Strong, it is used to guide people toward careers that match their type, but it is also more widely available than the Strong, and used for a wider variety of purposes.
It is based somewhat loosely on the theory of Carl Jung, which proposed that people engage with the world using sensation, intuition, thinking, and feeling, and that one of these qualities is usually dominant in any one person. The Myers Briggs expands these categories into a collection of scales, each one positioning two qualities as opposites. These are introversion vs. extroversion, sensation vs. intuition, thinking vs. feeling, and judging vs. perceiving. Somebody undergoing the test is asked to answer a series of questions that are intended to collect enough data to show that person as falling somewhere on each of those scales. The results can then be compared to the results of other users, though not necessarily in the interest of choosing an occupation.
There is some question as to whether the Myers-Briggs test is scientifically viable. The theory that it was based on had been constructed from information gathered through clinical observation and through introspection, and though Carl Jung is a respected figure in the field of psychology, these methods are not considered completely sound by modern standards. There are studies in support of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, but many of them have been published by organizations funded by the sale of the Myers Briggs test, suggesting a conflict of interest. There have been more specific criticisms of the test as well, but despite all this, it is generally considered valid as a tool to help users gain a better understanding of their own minds, if not for use in a clinical setting.
Their Strengths and Weaknesses
While the Myers-Briggs has received more criticism than the Strong Interest Inventory, that could be due to its greater popularity and visibility. Neither tool is particularly well suited to diagnosing psychological issues, but both can serve to guide a person toward a career that makes use of their natural talents and disposition. The Myers-Briggs has the advantage in accessibility, being available for free online, but the Strong is able to match a user’s data more directly to an occupation. Any choice between the two will depend on personal preference.