FREE ESSAY ON PSYCHOLOGICAL TYPE AND THE MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR

PSYCHOLOGICAL TYPE AND THE MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR

Running Head: MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR
Psychological Type and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Crystal L. Robbins and Sara L. Ivey
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Psychological Type and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
One of the most enduring typological classifications was devised by Jung and has served
as the foundation for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Anastasi, 1997). The Myers-Briggs
(MBTI) designates one's personality type, based upon a classification scheme, which
consists of four basic scales and two types within each scale. Thus, there are sixteen
possible Myers-Briggs personality types. The scheme is based upon the intuitions of Carl
Jung, whose gifted insight revealed that all people at all times are best understood in
terms of extroversion/introversion, sensation/intuition, and objective/subjective. The
latter category has since been subdivided into two classes by revisionists:
feeling/thinking, and perceiving/judging. Classifying people did not originate with
Jung.
In the middle of the fifth century B.C.E., Hippocrates explained the four temperaments in
terms of dominant humors in the body: melancholic, sanguine, phlegmatic, or choleric. The
melancholic, he claimed, was dominated by yellow bile in the kidneys, the sanguine by
humors in the blood, the phlegmatic by phlegm, and the choleric by the black bile of the
liver. Hippocrates was simply adding to the ancient Greek insight that all things reduce
to earth, air, water and fire. Each of the four elements had its dualities: hot/cold and
dry/moist. A person's physical, psychological, and moral qualities could easily be
understood by his temperament, his dominant humors, the four basic elements, or whether
he was hot and wet or cold and dry. The ancient personality type indicator worked for
over one thousand years. Today, most of us have abandoned Hippocrates' personality scheme
because we do not find it to have any meaningful use.
In the early 1940's, Isabel Briggs Myers and Katherine Cook Briggs began developing the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to make Carl Jung's theory of human personality
under-standable and useful in everyday life. The MBTI is based on Jung's ideas about
perception and judgment. The essence of the theory is that much seemingly random
variation in behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic
differences in the way individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment.
Perception involves all the ways of becoming aware of things, people, happenings, or
ideas. Judgment involves all the ways of coming to conclusions about what has been
perceived. The Educational Testing Service first published the MBTI as a research
instrument in 1962. In 1977, its use began to multiply. The main aim of the MBTI is to
identify from self-report, the basic preferences of people in regard to perception and
judgment, so that the effects of each preference, singly and in combination, can be
established by research and put to practical use. If people differ systematically in what
they perceive and in how they reach conclusions, then it is only reasonable for them to
differ correspondingly in their reactions, interests, values, motivations, and skills
(McCaulley, 1995). At the heart of MBTI use is the belief that individuals have naturally
occurring preferences for certain attitudes and approaches to the world as well as for
certain modes of perceiving it and making judgments or decisions pertaining to it. These
preferences should not be equated with abilities. Identifying one's own preferences can
be an aid in seeking work, relationships and so forth, whereby what comes most naturally
to the person will be the very thing that will be the most demanded, desirable,
appropriated, or appreciated. Understanding other persons' preferences can aid in
communication and make working or living together more effective and satisfying
(Carskadon, 1994). 
McCaulley and Myers (1985) state that the MBTI differs from other personality instruments
in these ways:
? It is designed to implement a theory; therefore the theory must be understood to
understand the MBTI.
? The theory postulates dichotomies; therefore some of the psychometric properties are
unusual.
? Based on the theory, there are specific dynamic relationships between the scales, which
lead to the descriptions and characteristics of sixteen 'types'.
? The type descriptions and the theory include a model of development that continues
throughout life.
? The scales are concerned with basic functions of perception and judgment that enter
into almost every behavior; therefore, the scope of practical applications is very wide.
The MBTI consists of four separate indices which direct the use of perception and
judgment. The Myers Briggs model of personality is based on four preferences, which can
be seen in Table 1. These preferences affect what people do in any situation and how they
draw conclusions about what they perceive. The preferences are:
1. Where is your primary source of energy? (Introversion/Extroversion)
2. How do you prefer to take in information? (Sensing/Intuition)
3. How do you prefer to make decisions? (Thinking/Feeling)
4. How do you prefer to organize your life? (Judging/Perceiving)
Where is your primary source of energy? Is it from the outer world of activity, and
spoken words or from the inner world of thoughts and emotions? If it is from the outer
world of activity or words, it is called extroversion, denoted by the letter E. If it is
from the inner world of contemplation, or thoughts, it is called introversion, denoted by
the letter I. Extro- is a prefix meaning without and intro- is a prefix meaning within.
During each day, people will undoubtedly spend time spontaneously doing or saying things,
as well as retreating into the inner world of contemplation and thought. If a persons
work day has involved much interaction with the world, even the clearest extrovert may
feel at the end of the day that they want to be left alone with their thoughts.
Conversely, if an introvert has been working in isolation all day, they may feel that
they need to party in the evening to restore some balance. All individuals need a
particular balance of both introversion and extroversion. Table 2 lists words and
expressions that are often associated with extroversion and introversion. 
How do you prefer to take in information? Do you prefer in the form of facts and details
or in the form of patterns and overviews? If it is in the form of facts or details, it is
called sensing, denoted by the letter S. If it is in the form of patterns or overviews,
it is called intuition, denoted by the letter N (N is used to avoid confusion with
introversion). The term sensing is used because information is taken in primarily by way
of the senses. The term intuition is used because information is perceived primarily in
an intuitive fashion. Sensing tends to be interested in concrete reality, focusing on the
present, and seeing what is, rather than what might be. At an extreme, sensing can have
its feet so well and truly on the ground that it misses out on possibilities for the
future. The preference for intuition gives a greater emphasis on insight and the future,
focusing on what might be, rather than what is. At an extreme, intuition can focus so
much on possibilities that it loses touch with current realities. Sensing tends to
communicate in direct ways, whilst intuition prefers to communicate in creative ways.
Table 3 shows words that are normally associated with each of these two preferences. 
How do you prefer to make decisions? Do you prefer on the basis of logic and objective
considerations or on the basis of personal values? If it is on the basis of logic and
objective considerations, it is called thinking, denoted by the letter T. If it is on the
basis of personal values, it is called feeling, denoted by the letter F. Table 4 lists
words often associated with each of the two preferences. 
How do you prefer to organize your life? Do you prefer in a structured way, making
decisions and knowing where you stand or in a flexible way, discovering life as you go
along? If it is in a structured way, making decisions and knowing where you stand, then
it is called judgment. If it is in a flexible way, discovering life as you go along -
this is called perception. Someone whose preference is judgment prefers, in their
lifestyle, to make decisions. This means that they prefer to make decisions about what to
do, where to go, what to say, and so on. As a result of these decisions, their lifestyle
appears organized. Someone whose preference is perception prefers, in their lifestyle, to
learn or experience new things. This means that they prefer to find out more, rather than
making decisions, and are more comfortable when they keep their options open. As a result
of this openness, they can appear flexible. Table 5 lists words often associated with
each of the two preferences. 
Combining these four preferences produces a personality type, such as ENFP (Extroversion,
Intuition, Feeling, and Perceiving) or ISTJ (Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, and
Judging). The model is useful for a wide range of applications, including: interpersonal
skills development, self-awareness, career counseling, psychotherapy, team building and
many other areas. However, as with all personality questionnaires, the results can be
wrong. All questionnaires recognized by the psychological establishments have reliability
and validity research, which shows how wrong on average, they can be. The questionnaire
can provide valuable information, but the real value of the Myers-Briggs model of
personality is in deciding your Myers-Briggs type for yourself. Everyone's personality
reflects all aspects of the Myers Briggs model. You use extroversion as well as
introversion, sensing as well as intuition, thinking as well as feeling, and judgment as
well as perception. However, the Myers Briggs model implies that each person naturally
tends to choose, where the opportunity allows, one of each of the four preferences,
though the strength of that preference may vary. The letters that represent your
preferences are combined to produce your Myers Briggs Type, such as ENTJ. An ENTJ prefers
extroversion, intuition, thinking and judgment. The ENTJ is likely to feel energized by
having lots of things going on (E). He will tend to interpret events by seeing patterns
or overviews (N). He will tend to make decisions on the basis of logic (T). And he
organizes life on a logical basis (J). There are sixteen possible ways to combine the
preferences, resulting in the sixteen MBTI types. 
The MBTI is appropriate for adults and high school students who can read at least on the
eighth grade level. Translations of the test are being developed in a several other
countries. Until carefully validated translations are available, caution should be used
in interpreting the MBTI to non-English-speaking people (McCaulley, 1995). However, it
has been reported that people in other countries have found the description of their type
useful. 
The MBTI is published in three forms. Form F consists of 166 items. Form G consists of
126 items. Form AV is the abbreviated version, which is self-scoring and only consists of
50 items. If you take the MBTI in a classroom setting you will most likely be taking Form
AV. It is designed for group situations. It is not recommended when an accurate
assessment of type is needed. It consists of the first 50 items from Form G. It is
self-scoring. About 75% of the time, people's personality type comes out the same whether
using Form G or Form AV. Form G is the standard form of the test. Form F is only
recommended when the counselor or researcher is willing to share their Form F answers.
Form F is used in ongoing research of the MBTI. 
Basically the MBTI is self-administering. Most all instructions are found on the cover to
the booklet. Circles need to be filled in correctly, and only one answer given. There is
no time limit but test takers should not study the items at length. If the question is
not understood, omissions are permitted. Some people will have trouble finding the
correct frame of mind for answering the MBTI. People have a work self, school self, ideal
self, or other self that they may be referring to while answering the questions.
McCaulley says that the frame of reference that is desired in respondents is what has
been termed as the 'shoes-off self'. The 'shoes-off self' fosters an attitude in which
one functions naturally, smoothly, and effortlessly, and is not going 'against the
grain'. The function of the MBTI is to provide the first step toward understanding one's
natural preference. 
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is now the most widely used personality test designed for
normal individuals, with an estimated two to three million administrations annually
(Carskadon, 1994). Advantages include a relatively modest expense; an intuitive appeal to
a great many students and teachers' key concepts that are readily understood,
communicated, and applied; abundant availability of supporting resources; relevance to
and use in a broad range of fields, including education, counseling, business/management,
communication, psychology, and religion; and a positive, non-pejorative emphasis-no type
is conceptualized as globally 'better' than any other, and usually everyone feels that he
or she got the best one (Carskadon, 1994). Therefore, use of the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator can help people to identify their current strengths and future growth
potentials, as well as giving them a better understanding of personality so they can
appreciate the differences between themselves and others. 
Bibliography
References
Anastasi, A. & Urbina, S. (1997). Psychological Testing. 7th ed. New 
Jersey: Prentice-Hall. 
Association for Psychological Type. (2000). What is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
(MBTI)? Retrieved April 7, 2000 from APT on-line database on the World Wide Web:
http://www.aptcentral.org/aptmbtiw.htm
Carskadon, T.G. (1994). Student Personality Factors: Psychological Type and the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. In Prichard, K.W. & Sawyer, R. M. (Eds.), Handbook of
College Teaching: Theory and Applications. (69-81). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
McCaulley, M.H. & Myers, I.B. (1985). Manual: A Guide to the Development and Use of the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press. 
State of Ohio. (1998, December). The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Retrieved April 8th
2000 from Director of Human Resources on the World Wide Web:
http://www.state.oh.us/DAS/dhr/mbti.html