Meyer-Briggs Trait and Reinhold Cognitive Style Inventories - Essay Example

The “T” stands for Thinking, which connote the use of logic, reason, and critical analysis in decision making, lifestyle, and personal choices, using the mind directly to solve problems. The ‘Thinking’ approach can be contrasted with the emphasis on ‘Feeling’, though these two are interrelated in Intuition. The “P” stands for Perceiving, which emphasized the direct approach to reality through analyzing the results of sensory perceptions, “multi-tasking” when approaching work or problem solving, spontaneity and freedom as highest values.

This can be contrasted with the judgmental approach to life, which is very foreign or even rejected at times by my personal beliefs and lifestyle. 2. “Big 5” Traits I took the “Big 5” personality traits test with the following results: Extraversion: Rating 3.3. Agreeableness: Rating 3.7. Conscientiousness: Rating 3.3. Neuroticism: Rating 2.9. Openness: Rating 4.6. 3. Personality Analysis: I am a fairly open, intuitive, and agreeable person, sometimes divided between introverted and extroverted tendencies.

I am fairly at ease in crowds or speaking in public, like conversation, the sharing of ideas, and the expression of thought. Still, I prefer a quiet life dedicated to contemplation, art, creativity, and philosophy. I have difficulty relating at times to the feelings of other people, often assuming them to have the same level of knowledge, critical interpretation, or background as I do, which can cause misunderstandings. I believe that the personality can change greatly over time, through learning, education, the spiritual path, or other experiences, but that there are certain fundamentals or constants that will be the basis of consciousness, mind, and awareness.

The personality will return to these constants again and again, creating a type of continuity of the self. In my opinion, the MBTI inventory is more simple and accurate for a quick analysis, while my thoughts or responses may change if taking the “Big Five” test under different circumstances. Still, I believe that personality tests are generally limited, and so the use of a variety of methods is required to get an accurate result. In summary, I believe that the human personality is too complex to be limited or classified by these tests, but they can provide a certain perspective on self knowledge that is helpful to the individual.

I am wary about the use of these tests in a standardized manner in institutions, because I feel that false conclusions or over-generalizations can easily be drawn in the interpretation. I think most people are generally accurate in these tests, however they may over-estimate or under-estimate some reactions especially if the issue is sensitive to them. Similarly, the need to rush through these questions rather than simply reflect on them at a leisurely or natural pace can also skew the results of an individual setting, and the mood that is prevalent at the time of the test can also color the results in a manner that would be different in another setting.

After taking the tests, I felt that the results were generally accurate, but that they were limited and unable to express the full aspects of being. For