性格測試的原理_the_Briggs_into

TED英語演講課

給心靈放個假吧

演講題目：How do personality tests work?

演講簡介：

1942年，凱瑟琳·庫克·布裡吉斯和伊莎貝爾·布裡吉斯·邁爾斯母女設計出了一份問卷，將人的性格分為16種。這就是邁爾斯-布裡吉斯類型指標，簡稱MBTI。後來這項測試發展成為世界上使用最為廣泛的性格測試。但性格測試真的能夠揭示性格的真相嗎？

中英文字幕

In 1942, a mother-daughter duo Katherine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers developed a questionnaire that classified people's personalities into 16 types.

1942年，一對母女凱瑟琳·庫克·布裡格斯和伊莎貝爾·布裡格斯·邁爾斯設計了一張問卷，把人的性格分為十六種。

Called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, it would go on to become one of the world's most widely-used personality tests.

這就是邁爾斯-布裡格斯類型指標，簡稱MBTI，後來發展成為全世界使用範圍最廣的性格測試之一。

Today, personality testing is a multi-billion dollar industry used by individuals, schools, and companies.

如今，性格測試已發展成為價值數十億美元的行業，個人、學校和企業都在使用。

But none of these tests, including the MBTI, the Big Five, the DiSC assessment, the Process Communication Model, and the Enneagram,

但這些測試，包括MBTI、大五類人格測試、DiSC測評、過程溝通模型，以及九型人格測試，

actually reveal truths about personality.

都不能真正揭示性格真相。

In fact, it's up for debate whether personality is a stable, measurable feature of an individual at all.

其實，性格是否是一個人身上穩定且可測量的特徵仍尚存爭議。

Part of the problem is the way the tests are constructed.

一部分問題在於性格測試的構成方式。

Each is based on a different set of metrics to define personality: the Myers-Briggs, for instance,

每種測試都是基於一套不同的性格定義指標：例如，邁爾斯-布裡格斯測試，

focuses on features like introversion and extroversion to classify people into personality "types,"

主要按照內向與外向，將人分為不同的 “性格類型”，

while the Big Five scores participants on five different traits.

而大五類人格測試則按照五種不同的特質評估受試者。

Most are self-reported, meaning the results are based on questions participants answer about themselves.

問題大多由受試者自陳，也即是說測試結果是基於受試者自己對問題的回答，

So it's easy to lie, but even with the best intentions, objective self-evaluation is tricky.

因此非常容易作假。但即使極為認真，客觀的自我評估也很難。

Take this question from the Big Five: How would you rate the accuracy of the statement "I am always prepared"?

以這個選自大五類的問題為例：你會怎麽評定“我總是做好了準備”這句話的準確度呢？

There's a clear favorable answer here, which makes it difficult to be objective.

面對一個明顯討人喜歡的答案，保持客觀會變得很困難。

People subconsciously aim to please: when asked to agree or disagree,

人們潛意識地希望取悅他人：當被問到同意與否時，

we show a bias toward answering however we believe the person or institution asking the question wants us to answer.

我們會傾向於回答我們認為問出這個問題的 個人或組織想讓我們回答的那個答案。

Here's another question— what do you value more, justice or fairness?

再看一個問題—你更看重什麽，正義還是公平？

What about harmony or forgiveness?

和睦還是寬恕？

You may well value both sides of each pair, but the MBTI would force you to choose one.

你可能同樣重視每組中的兩方，但是MBTI測試要求你必須選擇一個。

And while it's tempting to assume the results of that forced choice must somehow reveal a true preference, they don't:

同時牠假定了勉強選出的答案所得出的結果一定可以在某種程度上揭示真實的偏好，但其實並不能。

When faced with the same forced choice question multiple times, the same person will sometimes change their answer.

當同樣的勉強選擇多次出現後，同一受試人有時會改變答案。

Given these design flaws, it's no surprise that test results can be inconsistent.

考慮到這些設計上的缺陷，測試結果不一致也就不奇怪了。

One study found that nearly half of people who take the Myers-Briggs a second time only five weeks after the first get assigned a different type.

一項研究發現，如果在短短五週後進行第二次邁爾斯-布裡格斯測試，將近半數會得到與第一次不同的性格類型。

And other studies on the Myers-Briggs have found that people with very similar scores end up being placed in different categories,

其他研究發現，邁爾斯-布裡格斯測試會把分數相似的受試者分到不同類別，

suggesting that the strict divisions between personality types don't reflect real-life nuances.

這表明性格類型之間的嚴格區分並不能反映現實生活中的細微差別。

Complicating matters further, the definitions of personality traits are constantly shifting.

更複雜的是，性格特質的定義並非一成不變的。

The Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, who popularized the terms introvert and extrovert,

瑞士精神病學家卡爾·榮格，正是他向大眾普及了內向與外向這對術語，

defined an introvert as someone who sticks to their principles regardless of situation,

他將內向者定義為不論處於何種情境都堅守自我準則的人，

and an extrovert as someone who molds their self according to circumstance.

而外向者則根據境況改變自我。

Introversion later came to mean shyness, while an extrovert was someone outgoing.

內向後來變成害羞的意思，而外向者指愛交際的人。

Today, an introvert is someone who finds alone time restorative, an extrovert draws energy from social interaction,

如今，內向者又變成認為獨處時光能夠滋養自我的人，外向者則從社交中獲取能量，

and an ambivert falls somewhere between these two extremes.

中間性格者則處於這兩種極端之間。

The notion of an innate, unchanging personality forms the basis of all these tests.

性格是天生的、 不變的這一觀念正是這些性格測試的基礎。

But research increasingly suggests that personality shifts during key periods— like our school years, or when we start working.

但研究愈發表明性格會在關鍵時期發生轉變—如讀書期間，或當我們開始工作時。

Though certain features of a person's behavior may remain relatively stable over time,

儘管個人行為的某些特徵可能會一直保持相對穩定，

others are malleable, moulded by our upbringing, life experiences, and age.

其他的特徵則是易變的，會被我們的教養、生活經歷和年齡影響。

All of this matters more or less depending on how a personality test is used.

這些因素的影響或大或小取決於性格測試的使用方法。

Though anyone using them should take the results with a grain of salt,

儘管任何參與性格測試的人都應該對結果持保留態度，

there isn't much harm in individual use— and users may even learn some new terms and concepts in the process.

但個人參與性格測試沒多大害處—，反而可能從其中學到一些新的術語和概念。

But the use of personality tests extends far beyond self discovery.

但性格測試的使用已經大大超出自我發現的作用。

Schools use them to advise students what to study and what jobs to pursue.

學校使用性格測試來建議學生學什麽以及從事什麽工作。

Companies use them decide who to hire and for what positions.

企業使用性格測試來決定雇傭什麽人以及給他什麽職位。

Yet the results don't predict how a person will perform in a specific role.

但是測試結果並不能預測一個人在特定角色中的表現。

So by using personality tests this way, institutions can deprive people of opportunities they'd excel at,

所以如此這般使用性格測試，院校可能會剝奪了人們在擅長領域的發展機會，

or discourage them from considering certain paths.

或打消他們選擇某些道路的念頭。

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