MEPX
Chapter 5 of 10All chapters
  1. 1What personality means
  2. 2The five factor model
  3. 3Type tests
  4. 4Stability and change
  5. 5Where it goes wrong
  6. 6Introversion and extraversion
  7. 7The darker traits
  8. 8Measuring personality
  9. 9Culture and context
  10. 10Using it sensibly

Chapter 5 of 10

Where it goes wrong

Labels as limits.

In workplaces

Type results get treated as fixed identities, used to allocate work or excuse behaviour. That is not a research finding; it is a label being used as a rule.

  • Work samples and structured interviews predict performance better.
  • Any test used for selection should be validated for that purpose.

For yourself

A trait profile is a description of tendencies, not a ceiling. Treating it as a permission slip or a prison are both misreadings of a modest measurement.