Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Is a Psychometric

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a psychometric personality assessment questionnaire that measures individual preferences with regards to decision making and worldviews. The MBTI is grounded in the psychodynamic approach exemplified through Carl Jungs theoretical interpretations of personality. The following will discuss the development of the MBTI in relation to its theoretical background, as well as details associated with the psychometric tool, including its purpose, uselfulness, reliability, validity, benefits, and limitations.

The MBTI consists of four dimensions, including the EI (extroversion-introversion index), the SN (sensation-intuition index), the TF (thinking-feeling index), and JP (judging-perceiving index). The first three dimensions of the MBTI are based in the personality types developed through Jung's theory. The EI index relates to preferences of individuals to obtain information in a direct way from other people, which indicates the trait of extroversion. On the other hand, individuals may obtain information through actions such as personal reflection or reading, which are indications related to the introversion trait (Carlson, 1989). This scale tends to receive the most emphasis out of all the dimensions of the MBTI.

In regards to the other dimensions, SN indicates personal preference wither for data obtained through the senses or empirically (sensation), or for information that is instead generated by the self through hunches or sixth-sense (intuition) (Carlson, 1989). Thinking style preferences are measured through the TF scale, in which logical and analytical styles of approaching information (thinking) are compared with more subjective, evaluative approaches to information (feeling) (Carlson, 1989). The fourth and final dimension concerns personal preferences for evaluating information as it comes in from moment-to-moment (judging), in comparison to the collection and storage of data for later use (perceiving). This final dimension was an innovation developed specifically out of the theoretical thought of the developers of the MBTI, and it essentially doubles the number of possible personality type combinations from the eight types suggested by Jung to a total of sixteen (Carlson, 1989). The MBTI is formatted as a questionnaire containing 93 forced-choice questions.

The MBTI is used to assess personality typology of individuals based on the four dimensions. The tool works by effectively promoting self-awareness in the individual, as well promoting awareness of the preferences and actions of someone else in question, who may be a spouse or partner in the context of couple's counseling (Carlson, 1989). This awareness may further contribute to changes in attitudes and behaviors, which results in positive therapeutic outcomes (Carlson, 1989).

Research pertaining to the reliability of the MBTI has indicated favorable results (Carlson, 1989). In particular, a study looked at the reliability of the MBTI across varying mood conditions by artificially altering the mood of participants to either an elevated or a depressive state. Results indicated that the reliability coefficients for the MBTI were .78 to .87 regardless of the mood state of the participants (Carlson, 1989). Based on such results it may be suggested that the measures of the MBTI have demonstrated stability.