The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the name of a personality test designed to assess psychological type. It was developed by Katherine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Myers during World War II. The use of type follows from the theories of Carl Jung. The phrase is also sometimes used as a trademark of CPP Inc., formerly known as Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc. The trademark is owned by the Myers Briggs Type Indicator Trust, and when used as a trademark it must include a registered trademark symbol after the name, i.e. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® or MBTI®.

There are a few widely used ways of interpreting the results: Jung-like methods, Keirsey-like methods, and popular psychology methods.

Table of contents
1 Dimensions
2 Popular psychology method
3 Keirsey-Style Interpretation
4 Skeptical views of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
5 External links

Dimensions

The test asks subjects a number of questions about themselves. Based on the replies, four binary decisions are made about each subject:

Popular psychology method

Popular psychology interpretations usually oversimplify the MBTI's results to make them easier to use and understand. This creates problems because people and personalities aren't simple at all. It can easily lead to interpersonal problems when one person assumes they can read someone else's mind or figure out what a person likes by using the MBTI.

Common descriptions

Keirsey-Style Interpretation

Descriptions

In Myers-Briggs' system, each of these dichotomies has specific, non-normative meanings. Quite often any particular person can act in any way, but prefers particular ways.

  • Introverts are rested and energized by solitude, and very effective in solitary pursuits. An introvert (I) is a person who prefers to process thoughts internally. Introverts tend to think before they speak. The word is also used informally to refer to somebody who prefers solitary activities to social ones, which is more of a behavioural than cognitive definition. Introverts tend to be seen as quiet and reserved, which is often confused with a lack of confidence by louder, more extroverted people. They often perform well in analytical roles that require intelligence or logic, but place less emphasis on social interactions and "people skills". Introverts are usually a minority in the general population, and they can often be sidelined by culture and society which in many cases favours the more common extroverted style of behaviour.
  • Extroverts appear outgoing and are energized by people, and are very effective in pursuits that involve people. Extroverts tend to be sensation-seeking, spontaneous and gregarious. They enjoy crowds, noise and stimulation. Extroverts also tend to have more sexual partners in the course of their life than introverts, though this isn't to say that all extroverts are promiscuous.
  • "Sensors" want, trust and remember facts, and usually describe themselves as "practical." For a Sensor, intuition is untrustworthy, and might seem like mental static. Sensation, as a perceiving mode of consciousness, focuses on heightening reality. Guardians share the combination SJ, while Artisans share the combination SP.
  • "Intuitives" prefer metaphor, analogy and logic, and tend to reason from first principles and hunches. Sensors pride themselves on living in the real world. Intuitives pride themselves on seeing possibilities. This can cause conflict. Intuition, as a perceiving mode of consciousness, filters experience through the unconscious mind. Intuition focuses on possibilities rather than realities. Idealists share the combination NF, while Rationals share the combination NT.
  • "Thinkers" use impersonal means of reasoning: logic, and verifiable experience.
  • "Feelers" prefer personal reasoning: value judgements and emotions. Thinkers often find Feelers muddle-headed. Feelers often find Thinkers cold and inhuman.
  • "Judgers" prefer to come to decisions, and move on. They can feel betrayed if a decision is "reopened." They are prone to hastiness, but get things done.
  • "Perceivers" prefer to leave their options open to perceive new possibilities and processes as long as possible. They tend to mourn opportunities lost to premature decisions. They are prone to analysis paralysis, but rarely make permanent mistakes.

Types

This process results in a classification into one of sixteen types. Overall the population breakdown by type is:

ISTJ - 11.6% ISFJ - 13.8% INFJ - 1.5% INTJ - 2.1% IJ - 29.0%
ISTP - 5.4% ISFP - 8.8% INFP - 4.4% INTP - 3.3% IP - 21.9%
ESTP - 4.3% ESFP - 8.5% ENFP - 8.1% ENTP - 3.2% EP - 24.1%
ESTJ - 8.7% ESFJ - 12.3% ENFJ - 2.4% ENTJ - 1.8% EJ - 25.2%
ST - 30.0% SF - 43.4% NF - 16.4% NT - 10.4% Totals
Source: http://www.trytel.com/~jfalt/Tables/stats.html

Temperaments

These are clustered into four temperaments: SJ, SP, NT, and NF.

The MBTI is popular with recruiters and managers, because studies using this assessment show clusters of different personality types in different professions. For instance, the proportion of engineers who are INTJ is higher than the 2% found in the general population.

There are significant differences by sex, especially on the T vs. F distribution.

Proponents of the system claim that almost all arguments between people tend to be manifestations of a type conflict (e.g. P vs J, T vs F, E vs I, S vs N). The P-J conflict is said to be the clearest - one person gets mad when the rules are broken and the other gets mad when rules are made. The T-F conflict is also said to be clear, as the basis of most husband/wife jokes.

Skeptical views of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Unscientific

Skeptics, including many psychologists, argue that MBTI has not been validated by double-blind tests (In which participants accept reports written for other participants, and are asked whether or not the report suits them) and thus does not qualify as a scientific assessment. Some even demonstrate that profiles can apparently seem to fit any person by confirmation bias, ambiguity of basic terms and the Byzantine complexity that allows any kind of behavior to fit any personality type. See [1] for an extensive skeptical treatment of the subject.

A Temptation to Pigeonhole

Another argument says that, while the MBTI is useful in self-understanding, it is commonly used to pigeonhole people or for self-pigeonholing. Supporting arguments include :

External links