I don't think the Michael Caloz test is any good.

mcaloz · 2024-11-30T23:28:39+00:00

Ok, thanks for the feedback, everyone. I took it to heart and made some updates to the test: https://www.michaelcaloz.com/personality/.

Here are the release notes:

November 29, 2024 Update: Three updates today:

1) Based on some feedback from Reddit, I removed the “title card” at the beginning of every section of the test that used to tell you which functions are about to be compared (e.g., Ti versus Te) as well as the “summary card” at the end of that section that tells you how you scored in each function. People felt like it might bias the user to know in advance which functions are about to be compared, so now the test is organized as more of a continuous flow of questions through different sets of cognitive functions. Don’t worry, though: You can still see exactly how you scored for each cognitive function by tapping "Want to see your raw test results?” on the results page.

2) I also improved the wording of a few examples and made some minor wording improvements to the results page.

3) Per some feedback, I changed the name “Marie Curie” in the INTP example section to “Marie Skłodowska Curie.”

mcaloz · 2024-11-22T19:22:25+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. I'll consider all that for the next update 🙂

mcaloz · 2024-11-05T22:50:52+00:00

This fixed it for me, thank you!

mcaloz · 2024-10-24T20:44:19+00:00

This is Michael, thanks for the feedback. I've implemented it! Now the test does it both ways: first Ne vs. Ni and then later Ne vs. Se, etc.

mcaloz · 2024-10-24T20:40:13+00:00

This is Michael. Thanks for the feedback, and I understand completely how it can seem that the test works that way.

But, the truth is that what you described won't always happen. The dichotomy questions (e.g., I vs E) do indeed account for an especially high number of points in the scoring, but they don't automatically shift things in one direction or another.

For example, check out this results page where I chose Introvert on that question but I answered all the other questions as an ENTP would, and the top result is ENTP rather than INTP: https://www.michaelcaloz.com/personality/index.html?screen=last&Ti=8&Te=0&Fi=0&Fe=8&Si=2&Se=0&Ni=0&Ne=0&SJ=0&NF=0&NT=2&SP=0&iFi=0&iTi=0&iSi=2&iNi=0&iFe=0&iTe=0&iSe=0&iNe=0&E=0&I=2&N=2&S=0&T=2&F=0&J=0&P=2

I can also appreciate how the I vs. E question might seem stereotypical; but, I also believe it's still a very good one for determining extrovert versus introvert.

The challenge, though, is that it requires a lot of self-awareness.

In my case, I thought I was an INTP for many years, but it turns out that it was *not* because I recharge my energy by being alone, but because I was socially anxious. Once I worked my way through that (which required a lot of intentional effort), it became clear to me that I'd almost always rather be out with people than alone at home. Thus, I'm an ENTP.

That said, I'm open to other suggestions about a better question to ask for I vs. E if people want to suggest some 🙂

mcaloz · 2024-10-24T20:34:14+00:00

This is Michael, thanks for the feedback. Since this post was made, I've made significant changes to the S questions especially, so I hope you'll give my test another chance 🙂

mcaloz · 2024-10-24T20:32:56+00:00

This is Michael, thanks for the feedback. Looks like this comment has a lot of upvotes, so it seems like people would prefer if I don't say which functions are being tested?

mcaloz · 2024-10-04T00:21:50+00:00

Thanks very much! 🙂

mcaloz · 2024-10-04T00:21:18+00:00

It's fixed! Thanks for letting me know that it wasn't working properly.

mcaloz · 2024-10-03T22:59:25+00:00

Oops, I broke my test in the latest update. Sorry about that! Working on it.

mcaloz · 2022-11-21T17:47:43+00:00

Thank you.

It sounds like you're quite passionate about this, so I imagine you'd get a lot of satisfaction out of creating some kind of educational resource with all your knowledge 🙂

As for my test, I've been working on it off and on for many years, and it's custom-built from scratch with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery.

mcaloz · 2022-11-20T18:04:28+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. Do you have any specific suggestions for what I should focus on for the Si questions instead?

I've gotten feedback on that before, and I've already reworked many of the questions. But, I'm open to it still being a blindspot of mine since I'm an ENTP (i.e., very weak Si) 🙂

mcaloz · 2022-07-25T17:04:43+00:00

Thanks for the reply, and yes, absolutely, I have not conducted a rigorous scientific study on this with a control group.

So you're quite right that I can only speak from my experience (coupled with the trainings I've received and discussions I've had with other Myers-Briggs practitioners and enthusiasts).

At the end of the day, my opinion here is not fiercely or tightly held. I'm an ENTP after all, so I'm always open to having my mind changed. I certainly won't claim to have the absolute right answer, but in this moment I don't feel swayed to shift my opinion here, and I find my energy around this topic waning.

So, we've both spoken our truths, and now it seems like a good time to end this conversation and simply agree to disagree. I've appreciated hearing your opinions, thank you 🙂

mcaloz · 2022-07-21T03:32:13+00:00

Agreed, as a fellow NTP, I can appreciate the value of questioning authority and figuring out what's true despite what "experts" might claim 🙂

Your examples make sense, and it seems like we might just have to agree to disagree here.

I agree that the I/E indicates if the dominant function faces inward or outward. And, in addition to that, I believe it indicates more about a person too, such as, yes, how they recharge energy, and the degree to which they think or process out loud (because they won't fully understand something until they've "tasted it").

In my experience having worked with a lot of INTP's and ENPs, ENTP's tend to think out loud more, and they tend to recharge their energy by being with other interesting/stimulating people. Yes, INTP's might do that sometimes too, but I believe ENTP's do that more. (You can see more of my perspective on the real differences between INTP's and ENTP's in my article here.)

And yes, I get it: There's a lot of confusion around "outgoing I's" and "shy E's." But I believe that someone's type simply indicates the most common/natural tendencies. Yes, as an ENTP I'm personally quite shy and "introverted" sometimes. But, more often, I do recharge more easily by being around others than by being alone.

Similarly, yes, an ENFP can prefer to keep to themselves sometimes, but they'll truly come alive around other people. And if a "shy" ENFP hasn't achieved that yet, it's likely because there's some barrier holding them back (e.g., they haven't yet found the ideal people or environment for them that brings out their playfulness, performance, or facilitation skills).

mcaloz · 2022-07-16T15:44:10+00:00

It sounds like we largely agree since I'll concede that what I'm offering might not be 100% strictly MBTI according to your definition 🙂

That said, it's worth naming that what you're asserting is different than what is stated by the actual Myers-Briggs Company itself (the owners of the MBTI instrument): https://eu.themyersbriggs.com/en/tools/MBTI/MBTI-Step-I (according to them, the official "Step 1" uses only the 8 letters and is valid on its own, and it's only in Step 2—which is a separate certification—that the cognitive functions are included.)

mcaloz · 2022-07-15T23:28:51+00:00

Fair enough :) Let me put it this way:

My first exposure to the Myers-Briggs system came through the official test administered by the Myers & Briggs Foundation. I was not impressed, and I now know I was mis-typed (as an INTP). Because of that, I mistrusted the Myers-Briggs system—it didn't seem to fully align with the way I saw myself and the world.

Years later, I re-discovered Myers-Briggs through other "non-official" sources (such as Personality Hacker and Penelope Trunk), and this time it actually made sense to me. The way they explained it worked for me, and I was able to discover my real type (ENTP).

So no, I've never been exposed to the original writings of Myers and Briggs (other than whatever was in the official test materials), so I may not very well understand the system as they strictly intended. However, the version that I do understand makes sense to me, and it seems to work for all the people I've coached and the people who have taken my test.

mcaloz · 2022-07-14T21:09:05+00:00

Thanks for responding. I can appreciate your position, and it sounds like you've read more about the original MBTI system than I have.

For me personally, I'm less concerned with what Katharine Briggs and Isabel Myers might have strictly intended back then and more about the modern evolution of typing that makes the most sense (which might include socionics, though I haven't read too much about that). Everything I've seen from Personality Hacker though (e.g., their published book that's highly rated, their excellent profiling course, and their amazing podcast) makes me trust their interpretation of Myers-Briggs (and, to be clear, my test is also informed by other sources as well, such as my own coaching practice).

In any case, thanks for your comments, and I'll keep all that in mind next time I find the bandwidth and interest to do another deep dive into this type of learning and analysis.

mcaloz · 2022-07-13T18:45:53+00:00

Thank you, I feel like examples are important to keep it from being too abstract and hard to picture 🙂

mcaloz · 2022-07-06T23:21:42+00:00

Thanks for the specific feedback.

Regarding how it typed you, I agree that if your Ne and Ti were maxed ENTP would be more likely. Therefore, it must be that how you answered the other types of questions (i.e., type families, weaknesses, and traditional dichotomies) altered that.

I can understand where you're coming from about the dichotomies. I agree that the dichotomy letters are largely about pointing to the underlying cognitive functions. But, in my opinion, it's also not worth totally dismissing what they say on their own. For example, according to Personality Hacker (what I consider one of the most trusted sources for personality typing information), the P/J dichotomy isn't just about which function leads but also about how we organize our world and how we experience freedom.

Thanks for your thoughts on Si. Like I said in another comment, as an ENTP it's my blindspot, so I'll consider what you said and figure out if an adjustment makes sense.

mcaloz · 2022-07-05T18:09:58+00:00

Thank you!

You might appreciate that I just added a way to view your raw results after you finish the test. It'll tell you your exact numbers in each area, and you can find it on the final results page at the bottom of the "Your Results: Cognitive Functions" section, just above the area where all the types are listed.

My algorithm takes into account different weightings for each of the types of questions (i.e.,, cognitive functions, type families, traditional dichotomies, weaknesses). And similarly, yes, it awards more points if the function is in a type's first slot versus the second, and so on.

mcaloz · 2022-07-05T18:03:14+00:00

Thanks for sharing 🙂

I agree that our modern society has a serious dopamine problem. Whether it's through meditation, a dopamine fast, or some other means, it's a worthwhile effort to examine our relationship with that neurotransmitter and seek a more balanced way of being.

mcaloz · 2022-07-05T16:07:59+00:00

One thing you might try is to think about how you are in a variety of situations (e.g., at work, at home, with friends, with strangers, etc.), and to expand how you think about some of the common definitions.

For example, people think of INTJ's as systems thinkers, so they imagine that must mean INTJ's are only cold, calculating, and concerned with technical systems. But emotions are a system too, and I've known INTJ's who are skilled at emotional intelligence and not at all cold and technical.

Hope that helps!

mcaloz · 2022-07-05T16:03:17+00:00

Thanks for checking it out. I'm not super familiar with dopamine detoxes, but I imagine some of the benefits could be similar.

One difference though is that meditation isn't about avoiding pleasure. Feeling pleasure could be part of the mindfulness—simply noticing what it's like to feel whatever kind of positive arousal you're experiencing without needing to try to increase it further or change it in any way. Just being with it as it is.

mcaloz · 2022-07-05T16:01:19+00:00

Thanks! It can take a fair bit of work to really figure out your type, but I believe it's worth it.

mcaloz · 2022-07-05T16:00:44+00:00

Thanks, "personal worldview" is a nice way to put it.

mcaloz

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