How many INTPs here have taken an actual test?

[AndOhh]

I'm very new to this site; I've tried to join a few INTP communities before but I always just stop going.

I have wondered and would really like to know, how many INTPs here have taken the full-on hard-copy MBTI test?

I had to take one a few years back for a Project Management class. It was page-after-page-after-page of these bubble-sheets. It took forever then we had to send it in somewhere.

Initially, I was extremely skeptical of the validity of the test; however, after being marked an INTP, I read up a lot about it. I always knew I was different and could never put my thumb on why I got things so easy when other struggled. I despised the countless patronizing conversations I had with people who "didn't get it" just to humor them.

What I'm saying is that when I read up on INTPs I found something that could actually categorize a lot of who I am and I was floored with curiosity. I found myself wanting to talk with someone else like me. The next obvious thought was, damn, I wonder if there are INTP women... That would be Incredible!

So the reason I ask this question is because I question the validity of some the online test, although I found them to be pretty good, as well as the self-branded INTPs that just feel they are.

Have a great weekend all -- I will try to monitor the posts here.

 

[Ogion]

Well, i only did online tests which were for free. I mean, i'm not going to spend money on it, and i decided to 'accept' the outcome (which with all the dozen tests or so i did was always intp) because the following profiles did sound very convincing.
Besides, in Germany MBTI is barely to not at all known...

Ogion

 

[AndOhh]

I would agree, I have taken several online tests and always come out as INTP. I only didn't on one that was really short like 10.

I assume the majority of people who claim to be INTP are; however, I also believe that some may like the idea of being an INTP and sort of adopt it out of their own desires.

 

[Fordy]

The first test I did was a shortened one, and got ISTJ, which at the time seemed quite fitting.

Then I took several proper tests online (free ones, like Ogion said), and got INTP, which fitted the bill perfectly. Which is how I ended up here.

 

[dbtng_thomas]

That's a valid concern, but consider the nature of the test. The word 'test' is a misnomer. It's essentially a self-report, and as such can be easily gamed. I'm confident that I could take they Myers Briggs full test and produce any type I chose to. The thing that convinces me of the accuracy of the assessment is actually the limited list of things the test asked in relation to the extraordinarily detailed description of my inner being it was able to offer in return. There was no way the few questions I answered could have collected that much data. The results had to be an accurate diagnosis based on a concrete underlying theory.

 

[AndOhh]

I'm confident that I could take they Myers Briggs full test and produce any type I chose to.

Yes, that would probably be fairly simple.

Also,
The thing that convinces me of the accuracy of the assessment is actually the limited list of things the test asked in relation to the extraordinarily detailed description of my inner being it was able to offer in return. There was no way the few questions I answered could have collected that much data. The results had to be an accurate diagnosis based on a concrete underlying theory.

The bank of questions they ask seem pretty straight forward. The test really only asks some absolutes on 4 areas over and over to weed out inconsistencies. My concern with the straight up pick one of two approach is that it doesn't seem to weight the level one feels about something in particular.

Speaking from experience, I can say the written test (self-report) is essentially the same types of questions but weighted and asked several hundred times. If I recall correctly, it seem the same principles were asked about as many ways as they could muster to ask them and the answers were weighted. I believe that this method would probably provide a more accurate result.

That said, as I have already stated, my experience with the online test have also proven to be fairly consistent -- at least for me. However, instances where some may not be as set one way or another in an area will likely arise. In this case I believe the online tests with fewer questions, and sometimes unweighted, could provide varying degrees of accuracy.

 

[Fordy]

The thing that convinces me of the accuracy of the assessment is actually the limited list of things the test asked in relation to the extraordinarily detailed description of my inner being it was able to offer in return. There was no way the few questions I answered could have collected that much data. The results had to be an accurate diagnosis based on a concrete underlying theory.

Very true indeed.

It's weird to think that there are billions of people, yet we fit one of 16 personality types that (more often than not) describes us in such great detail.
Yet oh so simple at the same time.

 

[AndOhh]

It's weird to think that there are billions of people, yet we fit one of 16 personality types that (more often than not) describes us in such great detail.
Yet oh so simple at the same time.

Yes, I find that very interesting that people can be categorized with what would seem to be a fairly accurate way. At least from what I have found.

That said, I would suspect that it's much more complicated than 16-types. INTP seems to suite me well; however, I surmise that INTP could be further broken down if they haven't already into more specific sub-groups. I'm reading to far into this -- I need to stop.

 

[NoID10ts]

I took the actual test. My wife "encouraged" () me to see a counselor to get treatment for depression and he gave me the MBTI. I don't remember it being really long, though. I think it took me about 45 minutes to an hour. Maybe I took a shortened version of it. Now I don't know where depression ends and INTP begins.

 

[Agent Intellect]

i've wondered about splitting the types up myself (INTP anyway, other types can split it up themselves). there seems to be, even on this board, several types of INTP. i'm not sure if its just a function development thing, though, but some of them seem much more in touch with their emotions, while others are not. some of us seem much more prone to debate, while others steer clear of those heavy topics. i've noticed also that some INTP's hold onto their own point of view very stubbornly (seems more INTJ like) and will scoff at others thoughts and belittle them, while others, even if they keep their point of view, are more open minded and can understand where people are coming from better.

and then there are those of us who find things like "INTPness" funny.

i've wanted to make a post about trying to split up the INTP type into other categories, but the other categories don't seem as mutually exclusive, and they tend to be more about what people think where as the functions (Ti, Ne, Si, Fe) are more about how people think.

 

[grey matters]

A.I. I would say that individual differences within the INTP type would be due more to nurture then nature therefore categorizing them might be very difficult.

I have never taken the full-on hard-copy of the MBTI (gee i'm surprised that neither NoI nor A.I didn't pick up on this) but over a period of 2 decades I took various shorter versions of the test and came up INTP every time.

 

[dbtng_thomas]

I'm fascinated by where breaking people into subtypes might lead. If you're going to do that, you should look at the underlying structure while you are at it. An idea for improvement I've come across is that the MBTI should include an axis for neuroses. (Think that was Decaf.)

I think you probably also need to include vectors in the assessment, so you can say what shape the personality appears to be evolving from and to. Vectors would quantify the influence of maturity and personal development and explain many of the differences between us as points on a curve.

I'm beginning my Masters Psych degree in a couple weeks. While I intend to learn everything I can about personality typing and will take it as far as I can, I'm pretty sure there will always be limits to our assessments. Familiar with the Observer Effect? The fact that you are looking changes the thing you are looking at. This principle would appear to be doubly true when you are talking about a self-evaluation like MBTI. If you get granular enough with your questions, the subject's awareness of the test process is sure to generate enough noise to throw off accuracy.

If we were able to objectively measure personality, we would almost certainly have to take sub-typing and gradients between them to an extreme. If this objective evaluation was really possible, the personality could be classified so closely that one should be able to predict its output with any given input. Imagine a calculus of the mind. We would eventually run up against the free will problem, and finally answer it. Either people would behave according to the personality typing, or they would wind up being less predictable than that. My money is on the INTPs being the least easy to predict.

 

[loveofreason]

The next obvious thought was, damn, I wonder if there are INTP women... That would be Incredible!

Pftt. There are no INTP women. How preposterous.

I've only taken on-line tests that have mostly pronounced me INTP. Still, I have variously tried to convince myself I'm an INTJ, INFJ, INFP, ISTP ...even ENTP, but to no avail.

I'm open to the possibility I could be mistyped, but nothing else fits like INTP.

Spend enough time here and you'll read enough posts that leave you thinking Wow - I could have written that word for word, or that just instantly precipitate understanding of some previously nebulous state (Decaf's posts do this all the time...), and it starts to silence the doubt.

 

[Minuend]

some of us seem much more prone to debate, while others steer clear of those heavy topics. i've noticed also that some INTP's hold onto their own point of view very stubbornly (seems more INTJ like) and will scoff at others thoughts and belittle them, while others, even if they keep their point of view, are more open minded and can understand where people are coming from better.

Since English isn't my language, I usually avoid the more heavy topics. It quickly becomes difficult for me to express myself properly. And I don't write English that often. Maybe that will change after hanging around here for some time.
It's also important that I actually have knowledge about the topic I'm discussing. And I must admit I lack quite a bit of that.

Anyways, about the test. I've taken a couple online. The first time I got INTJ. But after reading up, I wasn't very impressed. I was actually very sceptical about the MBTI in general. I compared it to the horoscope. But I guess it's a bit more accurate, since you take a test and all. So I just accepted I was an INTJ, even though just a little of the description sounded like me. You could always find yourself in all of the types.

But I was rather intruiged by the MBTI. I thought it gave an interesting perspective on ways of thinking. So I countinued to read about it and such. I retook the test, and I got ISTJ. But again, it was not very accurate.

But time passed, and visiting various debate forums, I kinda noticed the different ways of thinking, that were explained in the MBTI. And somehow I started reading about the INTP. And I found some things about me that I could relate to. And though there were some parts that didn't sound like me at all, those that did were surprisingly accurate. It wasn't qualities that most people have.

But I'm open to the fact that I've might mistyped myself. And I'm aware that MBTI isn't an absolute. I see it as a helpful tool of understanding how other people think.

 

[Agent Intellect]

i think this test (or, 3 tests rather) was probably one of the better ones for obtaining sub-categories in MBTI. just by looking at some of the results on that, different INTP's have stronger and weaker sub-functions (for instance, my Ni, Si and Te are all quite high, where other people have high Fi or Fe).

as grey matters said, i'm sure most of the differences between different people of the same type is from nurture. different functions would mature faster based on the way someone is brought up, the kinds of books they read or TV they watch, and the kind of people they hang around with (or lack thereof). which is one of the reasons i say it would be difficult, in that the sub-categories of INTP wouldn't be mutually exclusive (people would fit into 3 or more of them).

what i'd be interested in though, is doing what dbtng_thomas said and coming up with maybe certain graphs or something to describe each of our individual function development, or come up with a list of sub-categories that each of us could identify with (could choose more then one).

 

[Wisp]

Only internet tests...

 

[dbtng_thomas]

Thanks for the link, AI. Doubt I'd have read back that far, and would have missed it.

 

[Ermine]

I've taken the real thing, but even before then, there was no doubting that I'm a strong INTP. With all the online tests, the lowest percentage I had for any of the functions was a 70% and none of the other types came close to fitting me.

 

[Reverse Transcriptase]

I took a shortened MBTI test. I got very strong N&T, but got a 1-point I and J. I was in this weird funk when I took the test- I was actively trying to change who I was, which was why I scored more extroverted and active than I otherwise would have. I was also pretty disgusted with the test and my project advisor to have patience & an open mind to read all the types. It took almost a year before I revisited the test.

But I've noticed that INTPs do that a lot. The MBTI is a little wishy-washy, and our analytical minds can come up with a lot of reasons why it isn't legitimate. It makes it so that you can notice an INTP just from their kicking & screaming about being defined as one type.

Now I don't know where depression ends and INTP begins.

LOL. Don't worry, I'm not laughing at your depression; I'm laughing at your INTP.

My money is on the INTPs being the least easy to predict.

Really? I predict that any INTP who is reading this post is surfing the internet, moping, and thinking analytically about personality tests.

But seriously now, I think that the top 4 would be the INs, but I'm not sure how they'd separate. INFs can do crazy things.

 

[Agent Intellect]

i've been thinking a lot today about the development of my own functions, and how i've become who i am today. i know for me (and this shows in my results on the link i posted earlier) that Ti is my undeniable strong suit. when i was younger, i pretty much survived on pure introversion, barely doing anything to excersize my Ne. i never had internet or cable TV until i turned 18 and could pay for it myself, i only read the same few books over and over again, i didn't even listen to music (which confuses and horrifies me now, i have no idea how i got along without music for so long) and i was very depressed and suffered from incredible social anxiety. if you asked my friend or family, they'd tell you my three most used words between the ages of 10 and 18 were "I" "don't" and "care".

because of this extreme introversion (i was probably the most introverted person you'd ever meet when i was in middle school) i think it caused my Ni and Si to develop (as shown on my test results) even more so then my Ne. i had an active imagination (maybe too active), but i was never taking in any new information, so it was all introverted, "head in the clouds" fantasyland for me.

finally, after i graduated and was able to get some more outside stimulation (via the internet and finally reading more books and listening to music), my Ne was allowed to flourish more. i know, even now, i have an almost insatiable need to learn new things (which i wish i'd had while i was still in school) and to discuss and debate pretty much everything.

because of this extreme introversion, cutting myself off from the world, i think it really stunted my feeling functions developement (namely Fe) even more then a normal INTP. feelings, and particularly other peoples feelings are incredibly confusing and alien to me.

 

[Jesin]

I took the official test.

 

[AndOhh]

Really? I predict that any INTP who is reading this post is surfing the internet, moping, and thinking analytically about personality tests.

Busted, I'm one of them...

It's comforting to read a lot of good insight from like-minded individuals.

 

[bdz]

When this INTP Profile mirrors your personality with such alarming detail, how can I not believe I'm INTP?
Just took the mypersonality test and that confirms this.

It's too much of a revelation for most not to believe they're INTP.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

No, I took some online test with maybe 70 questions or something like that. But the description of INTP was so spot-on I have no doubt that I am.

 

[aglio]

took one as a child, administered by the gifted program at my school...took one last year administered by a mental health care professional...INTP both times...every online derivative of said test yields the same result.

 

[Legionnaire]

I've only taken the free tests. I don't really want to waste my money just to know my personality type. Sometimes I wish it was more like astrology where your type is determined by birth. I have my doubts that I'm INTP. I look at how some of the people on this forum post and I wonder if I'm something else.

 

[IfloatTHRUlife]

I was introduced to the test by my brother, and he wanted me to get an accurate result so we were debating the answers and i came out as an INTJ, the same type as him, i didnt care very much, like someone said, i saw it as being similar to horoscopes. A couple months after that i took the test again out of pure curiosity, the result was INTP, i was intrigued, took another test, it also came up INTP. After i started reading more into it, well... a funny way of putting it is, when reading about my INTPness, my INTPness made me cackle at how accurate it was, especially when reading things like "does not like happy people". I thought it was hilarious that there was a classification of people just like me with the same wild traits.

I would also like to add that alot of people that ive had take the test got inaccutare results because they couldnt understand the test enough to answer the questions, or they got wrong results from putting answers that they thought more more desireable.

 

[Da Blob]

I took the official test as part of a grad. school course in Group Dynamics, we then went on to discuss how to use various types to form efficient work groups, task groups, focus groups etc...

By the way I did not take the test until... later in life
Well anyway I'm almost sure I was an INTJ when I was younger, because I remember thinking "well I used to think like that", when I took the test