What do we mean by Scientifically Validated?
Procedure
In 2009, Dave Wood asked the TypeFocus clients (career centers in high schools, colleges, universities and community offices like OneStops) to help update the TypeFocus Type Indicator instrument. With their help he was able to distribute over 1000 Form M MBTI® instruments along with an equal number of the new TypeFocus® questionnaires. This gave him an excellent sample size and allowed him to state with scientific certainty that the TypeFocus® and Myers-Briggs® instruments are measuring the same concepts.
Sample Size and Demographics
| Sample Size |
Age |
Students |
Ethnicity |
Sex |
| 720 |
| School age | (14-17) | 15% |
| College age | (18-21) | 53% |
| Adults | (> 21) | 32% |
|
| Students | 85% |
| Non-students | 15% |
|
| White | 64% |
| Black | 7% |
| Asian: | 5% |
| Hispanic | 18% |
| Other | 6% |
|
|
Reliability Results
The reliability of the TypeFocus Type Indicator ranges from 0.88 to 0.89 for split-half correlations. These are very high reliability scores and indicate that the TypeFocus results will be consistent.
To put those figures into context, the reliability of the MBTI® Form G (Table 8.1 in the MBTI® Manual) ranges from 0.82 to 0.86 for split-half correlations and this is considered excellent. The reliability of the MBTI® Form M (Table 8.1 in the MBTI® Manual) ranges from 0.89 to 0.92.
Validity Results
Validity means measuring what you think you are measuring; assessment tools need to demonstrate through empirical (i.e. scientific) studies that what they say they are measuring is in fact true. This is usually accomplished by correlating one result with another. For example, if a test purports to measure intelligence, then high scores on that test should correlate with higher marks in school.
In our case, if the TypeFocus test is actually measuring personality type as measured by the MBTI® then the two tests should be highly correlated. And they are.
The TypeFocus Type Indicator results correlate strongly with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® results:
- E-I continuous scores = .83
- S-N continuous scores = .80
- T-F continuous scores = .83
- J-P continuous scores = .83
These high correlations indicate that both instruments are measuring the same thing and therefore the research results based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® can be applied to the TypeFocus results as well.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a registered trademark of Consulting Psychologists Press Inc.
TypeFocus Interests Assessment - based on the O*NET Interest Profiler
A 60-item form of the Interest Profiler was developed for use in counseling and consulting settings where it is useful to have a RIASEC measure that can be completed in a short period of time. Results obtained in the initial development and validation process suggest that the brief RIASEC scales have acceptable levels of reliability. O*NET Interest Profiler Short Form Psychometric Characteristics:
Summary:
http://www.onetcenter.org/dl_files/IPSF_Psychometric.pdf P.6
TypeFocus Values Assessment based on the O*NET Values research
In general, the work values project produced reliable Occupational Value Profiles (OVPs). The data obtained from the present study supported the use of the Subject Matter Expert (SME) ratings of work values scores for the occupations in the O*NET System. OVPs generated by the SMEs evidenced appreciable reliability and reasonable patterns of work values scores across occupations. Second Generation Occupational Value Profiles for the O*NET System:
Summary:
http://www.onetcenter.org/dl_files/SecondOVP_Summary.pdf P. 4
