Myers-Briggs / MLPTI personality-type conversion chart

3 Post author: PhilGoetz 01 November 2011 08:08PM

While psychology wonks have been going on for years about the statistical rigor and calibration of the Big Five, most people have just carried on using the Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI), which may not be statistical or scientific but is able to categorize people without insulting them.

A serious critique of the MBTI is the Myers-Briggs entropy distribution paradox (or, "Why are there 16 personality types when everyone I know is an INTJ?")  A new personality test which has been gaining ground recently, the MLPTI, does not break up the INTJ into multiple categories; but does reduce the number of bothersome non-INTJ personality types and thus ameliorates the entropy paradox.  For those not yet familiar with it, here is a rough translation between MLPTI and MBTI types.

MLP type
Traits M-B types
TS conscientious, introverted, self-conscious
INTJ
RD impulsive, activity-oriented, high stimulation threshold
ESFJ, ESFP
PP creative, un-self-conscious
ENFP
AJ pragmatic, disciplined, outcome-oriented
ISTJ
FS introverted, empathetic, anxious ISFJ, INFJ
R extroverted, creative, status-seeking
ENFJ

 

The loss of half of the MBTI categories is not a serious problem, as demonstrated by the fact that you can't even name the ones that were left out without going back and looking.  Seriously, when was the last time you met an ENTP?

Comments (48)

Comment author: Yvain 01 November 2011 08:20:23PM *  9 points [-]

Ohhhhhhh.... (quietly deletes previous comment)

Comment author: Steven_Bukal 01 November 2011 10:45:02PM 9 points [-]

The accuracy has been doubled!

Comment author: Unnamed 01 November 2011 10:51:23PM 4 points [-]

I thought that INTP was the type that inhabited Less Wrong. Where do they go in the new system?

Comment author: James_Blair 01 November 2011 11:58:45PM 0 points [-]

INTPs seem to match "conscientious, introverted, self-conscious" and no other group of traits. This would file them under TS along with INTJs under the old system.

I still don't know what that means, though.

Comment author: mindspillage 02 November 2011 02:40:01AM 5 points [-]

I don't know that "conscientious" is a good descriptor for INTPs; it's not a P strength in general...

Comment author: wedrifid 09 November 2011 12:41:21PM 4 points [-]

They can go down as "actual humans" instead of "annoying colorful animals designed to appeal to the intellects of children". I'd almost endorse the system with that addition. :)

Comment author: James_Blair 01 November 2011 10:57:07PM *  0 points [-]

What does MLPTI stand for? It's hard to look up without knowing that much.

Comment author: PhilGoetz 02 November 2011 01:57:46AM 12 points [-]

The MLP Type Indicator.

Comment author: [deleted] 03 November 2011 02:16:55AM 0 points [-]

Well, that's half the battle.

Comment author: wnoise 02 December 2011 07:41:31PM 3 points [-]

Wrong cartoon.

Comment author: shminux 01 November 2011 11:05:42PM *  3 points [-]

Most people I know who took the test were either ENTP or INTP, with an occasional ENFP, so whatever this unnamed mysterious ungooglable MLPTI thing is, chuck it. Did you just make it up?

Downvoted due to lack of references.

Comment author: KPier 01 November 2011 11:37:16PM 4 points [-]

Seconded. I'm ISTP, and don't know any INTJs - the "everyone is an INTJ" phenomenon seems to be pretty obviously a selection effect.

Comment author: MattTagg 06 June 2012 09:50:51AM *  0 points [-]

Indeed. Out of 1000+ people I've met, I've never met another person that uses Ni and Te predominantly until 3 months ago.

I walked up to someone in a bar in Mountain View (who was talking to two girls) and said, your an INTJ. His data was just so obviously congruent. That is how Ni works. The next day we were friends and spent 9 hours discussing models and concepts. We got completely lost and because of our repressed Se and being in Ni Te "mode" we forgot to eat.

I keep a database of people and their cognitive functions. Self selection and self reporting biases are the biggest barriers in this game. Something I hope to solve in the next few years.

A test means nothing. It simply tells you what you tell it. The true test is in a person's actions and they way they take information in, make decisions etc.

Comment author: Vaniver 03 November 2011 01:10:21PM 14 points [-]

Downvoted due to lack of references.

Oh, there are references. You just didn't get them. ;3

Comment author: shminux 03 November 2011 04:13:03PM 0 points [-]

Don't I know it... now.

Comment author: ArisKatsaris 01 November 2011 11:16:18PM 11 points [-]

This is about 20% cooler than Myers-Briggs.

Comment author: Normal_Anomaly 01 November 2011 11:50:17PM *  3 points [-]

The Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI) . . . is able to categorize people without insulting them.

I am not as certain as you appear to be that this is a good thing.

Comment author: wedrifid 09 November 2011 12:38:24PM 1 point [-]

Because insulting people is fun?

Comment author: Normal_Anomaly 09 November 2011 09:34:27PM *  3 points [-]

Because some personality traits are disadvantageous to people who have them, and some people have personality traits that they would self-modify away from if they were rational actors, etc.

On a meta level, classification systems that have "not labeling anyone as better than anyone else" as a selling point sometimes sacrifice precision or accuracy to do so.

Comment author: lessdazed 10 November 2011 04:56:47PM 1 point [-]

classification systems that have "not labeling anyone as better than anyone else" as a selling point

They would avoid doing that, but they're told that not labeling anyone as better or worse is just as worthwhile as precision and accuracy.

Comment author: Prismattic 02 November 2011 12:06:30AM 9 points [-]

"Why are there 16 personality types when everyone I know is an INTJ?"

This strongly suggests that "everyone you know" is a nonrandom sample of the population.

Putting the cognitive pieces aside, in the US extroverts heavily outnumber introverts, for starters.

Comment author: PhilGoetz 02 November 2011 01:55:26AM 6 points [-]

Or it just seems that way, because the introverts stay at home.

Comment author: moe 09 November 2011 12:02:18PM 1 point [-]

Or it just seems that way, because the introverts stay at home.

doesn't seem internally consistent with

"Why are there 16 personality types when everyone I know is an INTJ?"

I'd be inclined to believe that

"everyone you know" is a nonrandom sample of the population.

is true of everybody.

The numbers I've seen with reference to introvert/extrovert ratios are 1 introvert to every 3 extroverts in the US. Unfortunately I've seen it in several books that don't provide a direct reference for the ratio. It seems to be treated as common knowledge in that way. Anyone know where it came from?

Comment author: erratio 02 November 2011 12:14:01AM *  4 points [-]

ok, I think I get the joke but I still can't work out what the new type letters stand for. Anyone care to fill me in?

EDIT: Well, that wasn't my theory at all. No wonder I had so much trouble getting the letters to match up to anything plausible!

Comment author: Nornagest 02 November 2011 12:16:32AM *  23 points [-]

By posting this I feel a little bit like I'm ruining the joke for everyone else, but what the hell. Don't decipher if you're sensitive to that sort of thing. Do decipher if you're not on speaking terms with pop culture, unless the bare invocation of it will set your teeth on edge for weeks or something.

Vg'f na rkgraqrq Zl Yvggyr Cbal ersrerapr.

GF: Gjvyvtug Fcnexyr

EQ: Envaobj Qnfu

CC: Cvaxvr Cvr

NW: Nccyrwnpx

SF: Syhggreful

E: Enevgl

Comment author: PhilGoetz 02 November 2011 01:59:05AM *  12 points [-]

I love how rot13 makes all that sound like something you would say to summon Cthulhu.

But I'm sure that's just a coincidence...

Comment author: shminux 02 November 2011 03:00:04AM 3 points [-]

That explains Yvain's comment. Also, I wish you saved it for Apr 1.

Comment author: PhilGoetz 02 November 2011 05:10:03PM 0 points [-]

Darn, I didn't even think of that. But I'm probably not patient enough anyway.

Comment author: Nornagest 02 November 2011 05:26:31AM 10 points [-]

Shruggoth.

Comment author: Jonathan_Graehl 02 November 2011 03:50:42AM 4 points [-]
Comment author: ArisKatsaris 02 November 2011 01:41:28PM 1 point [-]

I had felt pretty confident that you'd be wrong in your guess, since matching up the letters is easy if one has actually figured it out. But either way, may I ask what your (wrong) theory was? ROT13 it, if you want.

Comment author: erratio 02 November 2011 03:22:03PM 0 points [-]

Zl gurbel jnf gung ZYCGV fgbbq sbe fbzrguvat yvxr Zrlref-Oevttf Yrff Cebpenfgvangvat Glcr Vaqvpngbe, onfrq ba gur snpg gung zbfg bs gur zvffvat glcrf ner gur zber pbzzba glcrf ba Yrff Jebat

I'm glad that I asked though, because the correct answer isn't even close to anything I usually think about.

Comment author: FiftyTwo 23 June 2012 05:11:51PM 0 points [-]

Came across this searching LW for stuff on myers brings, took me half way through the comment thread to work it out, even knowing the material being referenced.

Comment author: amcknight 02 November 2011 12:58:18AM 3 points [-]

According to wikipedia there doesn't appear to be a major "entropy" problem. None of the 16 types are below 1%.

3^4=81 "types" if you count middles. This way, I'd count as simply an N.

Comment author: shokwave 02 November 2011 09:20:07AM 6 points [-]

Seriously, when was the last time you met an ENTP?

Hi, nice to meet you. I believe the answer to this is now, "today."

Comment author: Gondolinian 05 January 2015 01:35:14AM 0 points [-]

And now it is a much later now and today, as I too consider myself an ENTP.

(I tested as INTP for a while, but after reading more about the functions and types themselves, instead of just the heuristics that the tests use, it seems like ENTP fits me best, though I don't identify with all of the stereotypes.)

Comment author: vi21maobk9vp 02 November 2011 02:45:17PM 2 points [-]

Oh, people who divide everyone in 2^N classes.

I remember one fellow student tried to classify me.. He said that my being in a random place between some of the categories shouldn't be possible, but agreed that it apparently was.

Of course, creating middle ground on every question resolves every problem you can have with classifications except applications of classification.

Comment author: Pavitra 02 November 2011 03:26:32PM 3 points [-]

Not everyone is black, white, or gray; some of us come in blue and orange.

Comment author: Oligopsony 02 November 2011 03:49:09PM 3 points [-]

Clearly the exponent just needs to be higher.

Comment author: PhilGoetz 02 November 2011 05:08:00PM 21 points [-]

The MLPTI is designed to accommodate rainbow-colored individuals.

Comment author: Celestia 02 November 2011 04:15:10PM *  2 points [-]

I approve of this system.

Under MBTI I'm an INTJ, but I think that INTPs better fit under TS than under any other category; they're simply farther from a typical TS.

Also, I propose also putting ESTP under RD. I think the ESP is more important/has more weight than the ESF.

Comment author: ArisKatsaris 09 November 2011 12:13:47PM 0 points [-]

I approve of this system.

With that name, how could you not? :-)

Comment author: Multiheaded 04 November 2011 12:33:40PM *  5 points [-]

The loss of half of the MBTI categories is not a serious problem, as demonstrated by the fact that you can't even name the ones that were left out without going back and looking.

On literally any other website, or coming from literally any other poster, I'd be absolutely certain in dismissing this as aggressive trolling. Wait... damnit... is it all just some joke about that damn annoying girls' cartoon? Pshhht.

Comment author: wedrifid 09 November 2011 12:30:04PM *  1 point [-]

is it all just some joke about that damn annoying girls' cartoon?

I don't watch enough girl cartoons it would seem. Last one I saw was 'carebears'. Let's see... yup. Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy. Whatever. Not especially funny. If he did one with Jedi, X-Men or Buffyverse characters I might be interested.

Comment author: zntneo 08 November 2011 05:21:17AM 0 points [-]

I still can't get over how much MBTI seems to work on the foyer effect.

Comment author: wedrifid 09 November 2011 12:35:51PM 5 points [-]

The loss of half of the MBTI categories is not a serious problem, as demonstrated by the fact that you can't even name the ones that were left out without going back and looking.

Maybe an ESFJ couldn't. Any INTP with an IQ above 50 who is vaguely familiar with the system could write them down after a few seconds thought and a glance at the ones you provided. It's a set of four flipping axis with each extreme given a letter. The names are a plain enumeration.

Seriously, when was the last time you met an ENTP?

I saw my sister last week.

Comment author: [deleted] 06 June 2012 11:21:10AM *  1 point [-]

Seriously, when was the last time you met an ENTP?

This thing says I am one.