MBTI

From MBTINebulousWiki

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality test designed to assist a person in identifying some significant personality preferences. Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers developed the test during World War II, and its criteria follow from Carl Jung's theories in his work Psychological Types. The registered trademark rights in the phrase and its abbreviation have been assigned from the publisher of the test, Consulting Psychologists Press Inc., to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust. <ref>Consulting Psychologists Press (2004). Trademark Guidelines. Retrieved December 20, 2004.</ref> The test is frequently used in the areas of pedagogy, group dynamics, employee training, leadership training, marriage counseling, and personal development, although scientific skeptics and academic psychologists have subjected it to considerable criticism in research literature, noting it "lacks convincing validity data" <ref>Hunsley J, Lee CM, Wood JM (2004). Controversial and questionable assessment techniques. Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology, Lilienfeld SO, Lohr JM, Lynn SJ (eds.). Guilford, ISBN 1-59385-070-0, p. 65.</ref> and could be an example of the Forer effect.

Contents 1 About the indicator 2 The preferences 3 Type dynamics 3.1 The type table 4 Function Breakdown 5 Type Distribution 5.1 By preference

About the indicator

The indicator differs from standardized tests and others measuring traits, such as intelligence, instead classifying people's preferred types. According to Myers-Briggs Theory, while types and traits are both inborn, traits can be improved akin to skills, whereas types, if supported by a healthy environment, naturally differentiate over time. The indicator attempts to tell the order in which this occurs in each person, and it is that information, combined with interviews done with others who have indicated having the same preferences, that the complete descriptions are based on. The indicator then, is akin to an arrow which attempts to point in the direction of the proper description. The facet of the theory which posits that the features being sorted for are in fact types, and not traits which can be improved with practice, is hotly debated.

However, proponents of the indicator will explain that to learn about one's inborn traits is to create the opportunity to improve how one applies them in different contexts. In that sense, the MBTI can yield much personal change and growth.

The types the MBTI sorts for, known as dichotomies, are extroversion / introversion, sensing / intuition, thinking / feeling and judging / perceiving. Participants are given one of 16 four-letter acronyms, such as ESTJ or INFP, indicating what their preferences are. The term best-fit types refers to the ethical code that facilitators are required to follow. It states that the person taking the indicator is always the best judge of what their preferences are and that the indicator alone should never be used to make this decision.

The preferences

Dichotomies
Extroversion	Introversion
Sensing	iNtuition
Thinking	Feeling
Judging	Perceiving
A dichotomy is a division of two mutually exclusive groups, or in this case, type preferences.

• The terms Introvert and Extrovert (originally spelled ‘extravert’ by Carl Gustav Jung, who first used the terms in the context of psychology, although 'extrovert' is now by far the more common spelling) are referred to as attitudes and show how a person orients and receives their energy. In the extroverted attitude the energy flow is outward, and the preferred focus is on other people and things, whereas in the introverted attitude the energy flow is inward, and the preferred focus is on one's own thoughts and ideas.

• Sensing and Intuition are the perceiving functions. They indicate how a person prefers to receive data. These are the nonrational functions, as a person does not necessarily have control over receiving data, but only how to process it once they have it. Sensing prefers to receive data primarily from the five senses, and intuition prefers to receive data from the subconscious, or seeing relationships via insights.

• Thinking and Feeling are the judging functions. They both strive to make rational judgments and decisions using the data received from their perceiving functions, above. Thinking uses logical "true or false, if-then" connections. Feeling uses "more or less, better-worse" evaluations. When Thinking or Feeling is extroverted, judgments tend to rely on external sources and the generally accepted rules and procedures. When introverted, Thinking and Feeling judgments tend to be subjective, relying on internally generated ideas for logical organization and evaluation.

• Judging and Perceiving reveals the specific attitudes of the functions. In J-types, the preferred judging function (T or F) is extroverted (displayed in the outer world). J-types tend to prefer a step-by-step (left brain: parts to whole) approach to life, relying on external rules and procedures, and preferring quick closure. The preferred perceiving function (S or N) is introverted. On the other hand, in P-types the preferred perceiving function is extroverted, and the preferred judging function is introverted. This can result in a "bouncing around" approach to life (right brain: whole to parts), relying on subjective judgments, and a desire to leave all options open. (The terminology may be misleading for some—the term "Judging" does not imply "judgmental," and "Perceiving" does not imply "perceptive.") For introverts, it is the auxiliary function, not the dominant function, that this letter refers to. MBTI INTP, for example, has a dominant Judging function, introverted Thinking (Ti), but it is actually a Perceiving type in MBTI because the strongest Perceiving function is extroverted iNtuition (Ne). (Socionics, a personality theory similar to MBTI, follows opposite notation for introverts; the J/P designation in this theory refers to the dominant function for all types.)

Type dynamics

The interaction of two, three, or four preferences are known as type dynamics, and when dealing with a four-preference combination it is called a type. In total, there are 16 unique types, and many more possible two and three letter combinations, which each have their own descriptive name. Additionally, it is sometimes possible to observe the interactions that each preference combination will have with another combination, although this is more unorthodox. Complete descriptions will contain the unique interactions of all four preferences in that person, and these are typically written by licensed psychologists based on data gathered from thousands of interviews and studies. The Center for Applications of Psychological Type has released short descriptions on the internet.<ref>Martin, Charles Dr. (2004) The Sixteen Types at a Glance. The Center for Applications of Psychological Type. Retrieved December 20, 2004.</ref> The most in-depth descriptions, including statistics, can be found in The Manual.<ref>Myers, Isabel Briggs; McCaulley Mary H.; Quenk, Naomi L.; Hammer, Allen L. (1998). MBTI Manual (A guide to the development and use of the Myers Briggs type indicator). Consulting Psychologists Press; 3rd ed edition. ISBN 0-89106-130-4</ref>

The type table

The type table is a visualization tool which is useful for discussing the dynamic qualities and interactions of preference combinations. It will typically be divided by selecting any pair of preferences and comparing or contrasting. One of the most common and basic has been used to the right. It is the grouping of the mental functions, ST, SF, NF and NT, and focuses on the combination of perception and judgment. Alternatively, if we group by the rows we will have the four attitudes which are IJ, IP, EP and EJ. There are also more complex groupings, such as combinations of perception and orientations to the outer world, which are SJ, SP, NP and NJ, or combinations of judgement and orientations to the outer world, which are TJ, TP, FP, and FJ.

Function Breakdown

The functions are arranged differently in each type. If the person is extraverted, the dominant function is extraverted, and if the person is introverted, the dominant is introverted.

On the other hand, judgers extrovert their decision-making fumction (Thinking or Feeling). Perceivers extravert their perceiving function (Sensing or Intuition).

If the judging function is extraverted, the perceiving function is introverted, and vice versa. Take ISTJ for example. We see they're judging, so the Extroverted Thinking|thinking function is extraverted]]. This means that the perceiving function, sensing, is introverted, and because the person is introverted, it's dominant, which means the extroverted thinking is secondary. For ESTJs, the thinking is dominant and sensing secondary.

However, all types use all functions. The acronym only shows the two preferred functions. The two other functions are the opposites of the two main functions. More accurately, the tertiary function is the opposite of secondary and inferior (fourth) is the opposite of the dominant.

So, we established that ISTJs dominant function is Introverted Sensing and secondary Extroverted Thinking. The tertiary is then Introverted feeling, and the fourth is Extroverted Intuition.

Type	ISITEJ	ISIFEJ	INIFEJ	INITEJ
Dominant or first	Introverted Sensing	Introverted Sensing	Introverted Intuition	Introverted Intuition
Auxiliary or second	Extraverted Thinking	Extraverted Feeling	Extraverted Feeling	Extraverted Thinking
Tertiary or third	Introverted Feeling	Introverted Thinking	Introverted Thinking	Introverted Feeling
Inferior or fourth	Extraverted Intuition	Extraverted Intuition	Extraverted Sensing	Extraverted Sensing
Type	ISETIP	ISEFIP	INEFIP	INETIP
Dominant or first	Introverted Thinking	Introverted Feeling	Introverted Feeling	Introverted Thinking
Auxiliary or second	Extraverted Sensing	Extraverted Sensing	Extraverted Intuition	Extraverted Intuition
Tertiary or third	Introverted Intuition	Introverted Intuition	Introverted Sensing	Introverted Sensing
Inferior or fourth	Extraverted Feeling	Extraverted Thinking	Extraverted Thinking	Extraverted Feeling
Type	ESETIP	ESEFIP	ENEFIP	ENETIP
Dominant or first	Extraverted Sensing	Extraverted Sensing	Extraverted Intuition	Extraverted Intuition
Auxiliary or second	Introverted Thinking	Introverted Feeling	Introverted Feeling	Introverted Thinking
Tertiary or third	Extraverted Feeling	Extraverted Thinking	Extraverted Thinking	Extraverted Feeling
Inferior or fourth	Introverted Intuition	Introverted Intuition	Introverted Sensing	Introverted Sensing
Type	ESITEJ	ESIFEJ	ENIFEJ	ENITEJ
Dominant or first	Extraverted Thinking	Extraverted Feeling	Extraverted Feeling	Extraverted Thinking
Auxiliary or second	Introverted Sensing	Introverted Sensing	Introverted Intuition	Introverted Intuition
Tertiary or third	Extraverted Intuition	Extraverted Intuition	Extraverted Sensing	Extraverted Sensing
Inferior or fourth	Introverted Feeling	Introverted Thinking	Introverted Thinking	Introverted Feeling

Type Distribution

By preference

According to various sources I-E are roughly even, that is, half of the population are introverts and half are extroverts. However, according to some outdated sources introverts are only 20-30%.

Some 70-80 % of the population are sensors, and 20-30 are intuitives, some sources say that the intuitive ratio might be as low as 15 %.

Thinking vs Feeling is the only preference with significant of gender bias: 60-75 % of women are feelers, and 40-25 thinkers, whereas 55-67% of men are thinkers, and 45-33 feelers.

Judging vs Perceiving is generally from 40-50 % P and 50-60 % J among general population, there seems to be little disagreement on this ratio.

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