Why don some psychologists accept personality tests as useful tools?
We all pick the experts we wish to trust, whether the question concerns the nature of God, whether to have open-heart surgery or chelation therapy, or whether or not we need to take vitamins to supplement our diets. There are some psychologists who trust reliable, validated instruments to provide useful data and those who believe any such paper and pen “tests” are sheer gimmickry. Jung himself would not take the MBTI. As a clinical psychologist, he believed strongly in interview and observation as methodologies. So it is with many clinical psychologists today who are not just a little skeptical about such personality indicators. Also, we have to realize that for a number of years Jung was not held in high favor in the psychological community. Freudians and others of non-Jungian persuasion are slow to sing the praises of a practical tool based on an “alien” theory. We also should admit that many of us who are knowledgeable in the field often spend our time working and publishing in the
