Low Down

The MBTI is indicating that the inventory has developed an identity of its own, which is understandable in the light of the fact that this is the most widely employed personality test in the world, with more than 2 million copies in 16 languages used each year by individuals and organizations. The use of the term indicator in the title of the MBTI, instead of the more common ‘test’ or ‘inventory,’ is not a mere stylistic issue. It is related to the fact that the dimensions of the MBTI do not refer to traditional scales ranging from positive to negative. They indicate various aspects of one’s psychological set-up and, depending on their combinations, every type can have positive or negative effects in a specific life domain. This value-neutral approach is very similar to what we find with learning styles, where scholars also emphasize that the various style dimensions carry no value judgment and that an individual can be successful in every style position, only in a different way. ...

The Big Five construct two dimensions, but replaces psychoticism with three additional dimensions of   conscientiousness , agreeableness, and openness to experience . A wide variety of empirical studies have tested these models and found that they provide a good representation of the central features of personality.   To start with, although the leading role of the Big Five model in research publications is undeniable, we should note that there is more to personality psychology than the Big Five trait paradigm. Psychoanalytic theories are still active areas and insightful contributions are also made by research in the behaviorist, social-cognitive, and humanistic vein. Therefore, one challenge for the field is to integrate the rather disparate approaches. A second important issue, which is related to second language studies more directly, concerns the impact of situational factors on the variation of personality and behavior. Because this issue is also relevant to some ...

  After weighing, a decision has to be made whether to examine the brain immediately - the so-called 'wet-cutting' – or to suspend it in formalin until fixed, a process which takes at least several weeks. The advantage of fixation is, of course, that the firmness of the tissue allows thinner and more accurate knife-cut sections to be taken, as well as better histological preservation. Where neurological issues are involved, either traumatic or from natural disease, it is almost mandatory for the brain to be fixed before cutting. Even the impatience of the investigative authorities can usually be overcome if the advantages of a higher standard of opinion are explained.     In the majority of autopsies there is no real need for fixation if no cerebral lesions are either expected or apparent on external examination of the brain. Here, 'wet-cutting' is sufficient, though if any unexpected lesions are found, the process can be stopped and the slices of brain fixed by...