Military Review English Edition March-April 2016 | Page 57

THE BIG FIVE

nearly all students surveyed believed that “the MBTI
made them more aware of themselves and others, with
74 percent indicating that it caused them to change
their behavior relating to others.”2 Despite the glowing reviews, and the high regard the MBTI seemed to
command, the NRC report surprisingly noted that the
use of the MBTI was “troublesome” and concluded that
“the popularity of this instrument is not coincident
with supportive research results.”3 In other words, while
the beloved MBTI is often accepted and acclaimed
throughout the Army, there is no scientific foundation
justifying its popularity.
It may be of some consolation that the Army is not
alone in this peculiar situation. After all, eighty-nine
of the Fortune 100 companies also use the MBTI even
though research consistently shows that its reliability
and validity are on par with tarot cards, horoscopes,
and fortune cookies.4 But why is the MBTI so enduring, especially in the Army, if its effectiveness is so
lacking? One of the main reasons for the popularity of
the MBTI is that its use is often one of the rare occasions when Army leaders can make a serious attempt
at self-awareness. The MBTI is usually administered in
a nonthreatening school environment; Army leaders
are buffered from the frenetic operational tempo that
discourages most personal reflection. Even though
research has shown that the MBTI is of little value in
leader development, its administration may be one of
the few institutionalized opportunities in the Army for
self-awareness.5
Another factor contributing to the popularity of
the MBTI is that it is refreshingly upbeat. There is no
shame in being more feeling than thinking, and no matter how one answers the MBTI questions, none of the
sixteen personality types will ever suggest that an Army
leader has toxic tendencies. Finally, the MBTI may be
popular because of the Barnum effect.6 The Barnum
effect, named after American showman P.T. Barnum,
suggests that individuals will find personal meaning in
statements that could apply to a broad range of people.
Because the MBTI’s cheerful personality descriptions
are vague and general, there is a tendency to view the
personal feedback as highly accurate even though the
descriptions could apply to just about anybody.
In spite of its shortcomings, the MBTI manages to
persist in popularity in today’s U.S. military. It is still
administered at the Army War College and senior
MILITARY REVIEW  March-April 2016

leaders still trot it out as a leader development asset.
For example, Rear Adm. Margaret Klein, the secretary
of defense’s senior advisor for military professionalism,
recently suggested that the MBTI might be a potential
tool in the prevention of senior leader ethical transgressions.7 This continued affinity toward the less than
optimal MBTI points to the critical need for some
sort of personality assessment in the development of
military leaders. The good news is that an alternative
assessment—one that is both scientifically grounded
and suitable for leader development—exists and is
gaining attention.

The Big Five
After half a century of scientific studies, most psychologists today believe that there are five broad personality traits that consistently emerge when analyzing
human personality. These five factors—often referred
to as the “Big Five”—are able to describe an individual’s
personality with each factor addressing a specific and
unique aspect. The five factors together form a combination of qualities or characteristics that make up a person’s
distinctive character or personality.8 The Big Five factors
can be represented by the acronym OCEAN:
Openness encompasses curiosity, creativity, and
imagination. It includes subtraits such as aesthetics,
feelings, and ideas. Open people enjoy new restaurants,
love to travel, and regularly rec onsider their values.
Low openness people, on the other hand, tend to prefer
the familiar, appreciate a routine, and are usually more
conservative.
Conscientiousness is centered on impulse control
and conformity. It is reflected in competence, self-discipline, and order. A high conscientiousness person is
confident, well-organized, and driven. People who score
low on conscientiousness tend to be easygoing, untroubled when things are not tidy, and less goal-oriented.
Extraversion is marked by energetic engagement
with the external world. Army leaders classified as
introverts with the MBTI are often surprised to receive
moderate to high extraversion scores with the Big Five.
This is unsurprising, since there are many Army leaders
who prefer to be quiet, but when required, will take
charge and be assertive.
Agreeableness reflects a concern for social harmony.
It includes trust, altruism, and tender-mindedness.
Individuals high in agreeableness are less inclined to
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