Are personality tests accurate?

Luke (No)

While taking personality tests online can be fun, unless the test was written and administered by psychologists, its results cannot be taken as entirely accurate. And further, even personality tests created by professional psychologists, such as the popular Myers-Briggs, generate unreliable results as it has been proven that individuals answer questions differently when taking a test multiple times. 

It's important to note that people generally look at themselves with rose-colored glasses, overemphasizing their positive qualities while minimizing negative ones. Essentially, people will answer according to what personality they would like to have rather than what their true character actually is. 

Another issue with personality tests is that the results are likely to focus on positive qualities of a person's nature rather than taking a hard look at any deficiencies. Considering the famous Myers-Briggs personality test again, the 16 personality types into which the subject is classified read like a dream book. Each personality type is exemplified by famous, successful, and influential people without mentioning the downsides to each classification. 

Even within the psychology community, there is yet to be a consensus on how to effectively gauge personalities, especially across cultures. While much progress has been made in this area, the concept of human personality remains highly complex and not quite ascertainable at the current level of understanding. Given that personality tests depend on the high bar of honesty and valid introspection of individuals, focus generally on only positive aspects of personality, and are limited in their predictive qualities, they cannot be considered accurate.

Gina (Yes)

For something to stand the test of time, it must be valid and reliable. The first modern personality test appeared in 1917 to 'identify soldiers prone to nervous breakdowns during enemy bombardment.' More recently, a 2015 study showed the efficacy of using personality testing in mental health therapy. However, examination of human behavior has existed since the beginning of time. Hippocrates brought the Four Temperaments theory into the medical spotlight around 400 BC, but its study began long before that with the Egyptians. Humans have wanted to determine why people act like they do for thousands of years. 

Understanding ourselves and our motives can be very difficult. Personality tests are used to help us determine our hard-to-define traits--and they are also highly effective in helping us understand others. eDarling, a leading European dating website, uses personality tests to identify the compatibility of potential couples. They have recognized the test as one of the standout reasons for their success, proving that its effectiveness is enough to base a business model on. 

Further, a broad spectrum from theology schools to business empires uses personality tests to help better understand how they can be of value to the people they are connecting with. Candler School of Theology at Emory University suggests 'taking a smattering of assessments' to get an accurate, well-rounded picture of self-knowledge. And in the business world, a rigorous Journal of Business and Psychology study concluded that 'personality assessment has high utility in the workplace.'

The long history and use by well-respected agencies prove that personality tests are accurate and also an incredible tool for personal, professional, and spiritual relationships.