Do Personality Tests Actually Work? Exploring the Validity of Psychometric Assessments like the MMPI

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is a psychometric test used to assess personality traits and psychopathology. It’s also used to determine hiring, promotion practices, and even parole status. However, is a test really able to determine if someone will excel at a job?

Today’s guest, Dr. Lindsay Oberleitner, acknowledges that while the MMPI has been revised to better represent diverse populations, it still has limitations, particularly when used in isolation for job screenings. She emphasizes that the test should be one of many tools used to gain insight into an individual, rather than a stand-alone measure for important decisions like employment. While personality tests are very common in workplaces, there is a lot of misunderstanding surrounding them. Listen now to learn more. 

“The MMPI should be one piece of a puzzle. I would never, in my own clinical practice, use the MMPI in isolation because I want to know how does it fit in with this broader picture of the individual I'm sitting with, how does it fit into their story? And I think even when we're considering it for something like jobs, it's an important aspect. And if other pieces don't match up with that, we don't automatically ignore the MMPI and we don't automatically ignore something else, like a fantastic interview with a potential applicant.” ~Lindsay Oberleitner, PhD

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.

Our guest, Lindsay Oberleitner, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and the Education Director at SimplePractice Learning, as well as an Assistant Professor Adjunct at the Yale University School of Medicine. Prior to joining SimplePractice, Dr. Oberleitner was full-time faculty at the Yale University School of Medicine where she oversaw an interdisciplinary team of behavioral health providers and developed and managed grant-funded programs to increase access to integrated treatments for addiction, mental health, and physical health, and conducted clinical and forensic psychological evaluations.

Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.

To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

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