The Jungian Personality Self-Assessment, otherwise known as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, is a personality test based on the theories of psychologist Carl Jung. The test is self-administered, and the results classify the subject into one of 16 fundamental personality types. It has been administered to several million people over the last six decades.
History
Carl Jung, a 19th century psychologist, pioneered the basic ideas that led to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The final product was developed by Isabel Briggs Meyers and her mother, Katharine Briggs in the 1940s. Since then it has been translated into at least 20 languages. The Association for Psychological Type certifies professionals who use the MBTI in their practices.
Format
The test itself consists of several dozen written questions designed to elicit personal habits and preferences, such as, "You are almost never late for your appointments." The subject is then asked to agree or disagree with the statement. Although each question is classified in an attempt to measure a particular dimension of the subject's personality, the subject is not made aware of this. Each test requires a person-to-person follow-up interview to verify the preliminary conclusions suggested by the written test.
Theory
The MBTI is based on the idea that every human personality is multi-dimensional. It assumes that there are four main ways in which people differ from each other--how they perceive, how they form judgments, whether they are introverted or extroverted, and their "action orientation" towards the external world. Each question is designed to determine where the test subject's personality stands in relation to these four parameters.
The 16 Personality Types
Each of the four parameters noted above is subdivided into two alternatives. For example, people perceive the world primarily in terms of either "sensing" or "intuition", yielding two different personality types for the "perceiving" parameter. These four parameters are subdivided until 16 distinct personality types are revealed. They are expressed as a combination of four letters representing orientations with respect to each of the four parameters. The personality type "ISTP" stands for "Introverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving" and describes logical, analytical pragmatic personalities.
Applications
The classification of personality types is useful in the fields of social psychology and industrial psychology. It is especially useful in putting together team members who will work well together and who are well-equipped to tackle a particular type of problem. The MBTI is also well-suited to determining who should lead a particular group and what leadership style should be used. At the individual level, it is often used for career counseling.
