psych
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Developed by Isabel Briggs-Myers & Katherine Myers in the 1940’s
Based off Carl Jung’s Theory of Personality
Each individual has four functions on how they see and view the world
Measures four personality types
Popular employee assessment
WHAT DOES THE MYERS-BRIGGS MEASURE?
Four different personality types measured:
An individual can either be:
Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I)
Sensing (S) or Intuition (N)
Thinking (T) or Feeling (F)
Judging (J) or Perceiving (P)
Results in unique four-letter personality type
Total of 16 different distinct MBTI types
Personality Traits Defined
Extraversion & Introversion
source and direction of person’s energy expression
Sensing & Intuition
how someone perceives information
Thinking & Feeling
how someone processes information
Judging & Perceiving
how a person applies the information they have processed
HOW TO TAKE THE TEST
Two versions: pencil & paper or computer format
Current official form (M) of the MBTI can be purchased online
93 questions, takes about 15-25 minutes to complete
Participants choose how they feel about a certain statement, ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree
Many free versions available online based off MBTI
Lots of resources available to explore and learn more about their personality type
WHY TAKE THE MBTI?
Tool that helps identify one’s personality preferences
Allows participant to create a sense of self-awareness
Allows participants to improve relationships with others
Can help choose a career goal or improve career development
TEHCHNICAL EVALUATION
Is it reliable?
Able to use test/retest method
Highly criticized in the idea that people can only be one ‘type’ the rest of their lives
Results are based on how people perceive their judgement & behaviors
Personality is a qualitative measure
Is it valid?
Results are used to understand and predict an individual’s behavior
Used as an insight rather than a diagnosis
Reiterates what we know and think true of ourselves
Reponses are based off a reflection of how we view ourselves
REFERENCES
humanmetrics. (n.d.). Personality type explained. Retrieved December 10, 2021, from http://www.humanmetrics.com/personality/type.
Lake, C. J., Carlson, J., Rose, A., & Chlevin-Thiele, C. (2019). Trust in name Brand Assessments: The case of the myers-briggs type indicator. The Psychologist-Manager Journal, 22(2), 91–107. https://doi.org/10.1037/mgr0000086
Miller, L. A., & Lovler, R. L. (2020). Foundations of Psychological Testing: A Practical Approach. SAGE.
The Myers & Briggs Foundation - MBTI® basics. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2021, from https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/.
REFERENCES (CONT.)
Myers, S. (2016). Myers-Briggs Typology and Jungian individuation. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 61(3), 289–308. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5922.12233
The Myers-Briggs Company. (n.d.). Official Myers Briggs Personality Test. Retrieved December 10, 2021, from https://www.themyersbriggs.com/en-US/Products-and-Services/Myers-Briggs.
Stein, R., & Swan, A. B. (2019). Evaluating the validity of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Theory: A teaching tool and window into intuitive psychology. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12434
Yang, C., Richard, G., & Durkin, M. (2016). The association between Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and psychiatry as the specialty choice. International Journal of Medical Education, 7, 48–51. https://doi.org/10.5116/ijme.5698.e2cd