Do personality tests work? - Merve Emre

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In 1942, a mother-daughter duo named Katherine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers developed a questionnaire that classified people’s personalities into 16 types. Called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, it would go on to become one of the world’s most widely-used personality tests. But do these tests actually reveal truths about personality? Merve Emre examines their design flaws.


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About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Merve Emre
  • Director Seoro Oh
  • Narrator Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Sound Designer Seoro Oh
  • Music Jellysound
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Personality tests can be fun and entertaining, but they also have real consequences. As this Wall Street Journal article explains, personality tests used by companies to evaluate their employees can be unfair and lead to discrimination. SciShow Psych shows why results of the Myers-Briggs test and the Enneagram test are not accurate descriptions personalities. So why are personality tests still so popular? Watch this video by Vox to understand why people are drawn to personality tests and why the Myers-Briggs test in particular is so popular.

Customize this lesson

Create and share a new lesson based on this one.

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Merve Emre
  • Director Seoro Oh
  • Narrator Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Sound Designer Seoro Oh
  • Music Jellysound
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma

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