Personality assessments have gained popularity in various spheres, becoming a common pastime for job applicants, magazine enthusiasts, and those navigating the world of online dating. From determining your inner Spice Girl to deciphering your compatibility with a coffee order or sorting hat house, there’s a diverse array of tests catering to different interests.
Among the widely embraced assessments is the Myers-Briggs personality test, known for its exploration of four key dichotomies: introversion-extraversion, sensing-intuition, thinking-feeling, and judging-perceiving.
Today Extra host David Campbell and Weekend Today host Jayne Azzopardi recently engaged in the Myers-Briggs test, unveiling intriguing results that align their personalities with specific animals.
David’s personality type, according to the test, is akin to a Dolphin, characterized by enthusiasm, energy, and creativity—qualities deemed suitable for careers in counseling, journalism, or teaching.
On the other hand, Jayne’s test result associates her with a Whale personality type, highlighting traits of cooperativeness, devotion, and conscientiousness, suggesting a compatibility with professions such as social work, dentistry, or childcare.
However, science journalist and podcaster Wendy Zukerman cautioned against placing too much stock in these findings. She emphasized that the Myers-Briggs test, despite its popularity, lacks a scientific foundation. The test’s origin, she pointed out, traces back to a magazine writer and her daughter rather than established scientific research.
Zukerman further underscored the malleability of these personality classifications, noting that individuals might yield different results when taking the test at different times. “It is not that their personality types are changing,” she explained, “it is more that the tests are not capturing their true, true self.”
In light of this perspective, the hosts and viewers alike are reminded to approach such assessments with a degree of skepticism, recognizing the fluidity of personality traits over time.
