Myers Briggs Types Indicator (MBTI)

This writing discusses Myers Briggs Types Indicator Type Indicator (MBTI) in detail, along with the history, development, types and career options preferable for each type.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Link to personality test) Is based on the idea proposed and developed by Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother Katherine Briggs around 1960.

They developed this 16 personality type indicator on the theory introduced by Swiss Psychiatrist Carl G. Jung. This test was originally published in 1962, and since then being used to identify the career preferences.

Initially it was used to assess which career is best for women during WWII.

Myers Briggs Types Indicator is one of the most widely used personality tests to assess the tendencies of people to work and think in a particular way.

Assessment of personality types helps a great deal in differentiating people according to their aptitudes and assigning them particular domains according to their expertise.

Myers Briggs Types Indicator gives 16 different types of personality, such as intj, infj, intp, enfp, entj, entp, istp, esfj, estj, enfj, infp, esfp, isfp, isfj, istj, estp.

There is another type of test, which you can do in order to find your personality type.

It is called the Jung personality test, based on the ideas of Myers Briggs.

What to expect in  Myers Briggs Types Indicator personality test?

In Myers Briggs Types Indicator personality test which is based on the psychological assessment, helps the person to decide which career option is best for them.

The personality test is based on the four core idea and the psychological dimensions introduced by Briggs.

You can also get to know which professions are best for you on the basis of scores you got from here (Myers Briggs Types Indicator types).

This is consisted of 16 personality types and four core domains of personality which lie on the continuum at one side of the continuum is the dimension opposite to the other side of the continuum.

Such as, if Extroversion, which means a person likes to be outgoing and enjoy social gatherings have Introversion at the other side of the continuum.

Either the person lies on one side or the other, which means that any one domain will be dominant than the other.

According to these scores the personality types will be extracted, which helps in understanding one’s own personality and preferences in personal and professional lives.

In the age of advancement, people are unable to decide which profession to choose, because there are a number of options available out there and deciding any one profession requires clear thinking.

People get confused when they try to subjectively assess themselves and gets the biased results.

They ask themselves, Am I controlling? but don’t know the answer to it.

Myers Briggs Types Indicator personality test will solve the problem for you and it will be a matter of few minutes that you will get the accurate results.

History of Myers Briggs Types Indicator

Katherine Briggs was fascinated and impressed by the work of Carl Jung and his theory regarding the personality types.

She came up with the idea to simplify the complexity of the theory and to make use of the significant contribution of Jung to make it understandable for the layman.

This motivation helped her, and she simplified his theory and adapted it into Myers Briggs Types Indicator.

She was enthusiastic about the idea that the regular person must be able to assess his own self.

After the death of Katherine, her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers continued to work on her mother’s passion, and became interested in the work.

In the times of WWII she finally used the theory and developed the Myers Briggs Types Indicator assessment to categorize people into 16 different personality domains.

Application of Myers Briggs Types Indicator

The Myers Briggs Types Indicator is useful in a lot of different domains, such as business, private settings, career counseling, personal development, and academics.

Along with these areas, Myers Briggs Types Indicator can be used extensively in the following domains as well.

1. Coaching: It helps drive the person in the preferred direction according to their Personality type.
2. Communication and influencing: It can be used in categorizing people in the different domains so as to use their dominant part of personality in influencing the desired areas.

1. Conflict management: When the domination of any person will be identified, the confusion and disagreement will be easily dealt and clashes can be resolved.
2. Decision-making: The decision making can be improved by understanding one’s ourselves.
3. Leadership development: The required personality type required for a good leader can be identified and utilized.
4. Career development: The use in career development is the primary use of Myers Briggs Types Indicator, and most popularly it is being used in the selection of preferred career domain.
5. Career orientation: The career orientation is that person gets to know the most preferable profession for them, and this selection using the objective assessment, increases the chances of getting the suitable career choice according to one’s personality preference.

You can also use the MBTI compatibility chart to see with which personality type are you the most compatible.

Core of Myers Briggs Types Indicator 

The theory describes four core domains which lies on a continuum where one domain is opposing to the other side of the domain.

This is also known as dichotomous domains.

The initial domains are based on the writings of Jung, while the last domain was added by Katherine Briggs.

1. Extraversion vs Introversion
2. Sensing vs Intuition
3. Thinking vs Feeling
4. Judging vs Perceiving

Let’s cover these four core domains in detail:

1.   Extraversion vs Introversion

This says that the person high on extraversion likes to join people and participate in gatherings.

As well as he feels recharged in the presence of others around.

While the introvert tries to keep to himself and spend alone time, as well as they are quite reflective throughout the day.

2.   Sensing vs Intuition

Some people collect the information from the environment directly by their enhanced use of sensation.

They use their five senses to make sense of the world. While the intuitive is more imaginative, dreamy, and innovative about the surroundings and what they mean.

3.   Thinking vs Feeling

If you consider yourself a thinker, then you must be considering the logic behind everything and go for the right solution.

While feelers use their hearts more than their heads.

The person high on feelings understands the situations on the basis of emotions, and consider others.

4.   Judging vs Perceiving

If you have seen someone organized, structured, following schedules then you already have came across the person dominant on judging.

Whereas the person high on perceiving, they consider things as open, flexible and easy going.

Myers Briggs Types Indicator says that you are either on one side of the continuum or the other.

Ones you will be tested on MBTI, your scores will give you your four preferences using four initial letters, such as “INFJ”, which shows Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, and Judging as dominant types.

16 Myers and Briggs Personality Types

As discussed before, the Myers Briggs Types Indicator gives 16 personality domains, based on four domains of personality.

These four domains combines in 16 different ways and describe the type of personality according to their preference.

Someone more on judging is more organized, and plan ahead and may be not comfortable with being spontaneous.

There is a good piece of writing which extends the learning.

Myers Briggs Types Indicator talks about the interaction of four core domains between then, which gives and extended version of one’s personality.

This understanding regarding oneself is fruitful in a way of deciding the career, and right profession. The person gets to know the flavours of his personality.

Whereas, there are a lot of other tools available for the personality assessment, such as enneagram, and Big Five, but they just give a brief idea about personality.

Following are 16 Myers Briggs Types Indicator domains, for details please follow the links below:

1. ENTJ (Extrovert, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging)
2. INTJ (Introvert, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging)
3. ENTP (Extrovert, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving)
4. INTP (Introvert, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving)
5. ENFJ (Extrovert, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging)
6. INFJ (Introvert, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging)
7. ENFP (Extrovert, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving)
8. INFP (Introvert, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving)
9. ESTJ (Extrovert, Sensing, Thinking, Judging)
10. ISTJ (Introvert, Sensing, Thinking, Judging)
11. ESFJ (Extrovert, Sensing, Feeling, Judging)
12. ISFJ (Introvert, Sensing, Feeling, Judging)
13. ESTP (Extrovert, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving)
14. ISTP (Introvert, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving)
15. ESFP (Extrovert, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving)
16. ISFP (Introvert, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving)

1. ENTJ: This type shows the capabilities of being a passionate, energetic, logical commander
2. INTJ: This type shows the innovation, and logical thinking to keep things in structure, while keeping the focus to oneself.
3. ENTP: They are innovators and comes up with unique solutions to the hurdles.
4. INTP: This type of personality can be more logical and innovative and creative in their solutions.
5. ENFJ: More inclined towards humanity and keeps up the value system, while keeping themselves organized.
6. INFJ: They are more organized in their thinking patterns as well as creative and achieve well when being alone.
7. ENFP: They feel more energized when surrounded by others, stay in in touch with the feelings of others around, and are flexible in their planning.
8. INFP: These personalities are driven by values and beliefs.
9. ESTJ: They are passionate and hard working, they make sure to get the results.
10. ISTJ: They are organized, responsible and are fixer of catastrophes.
11. ESFJ: They consider the feelings of others and try to fulfil their responsibilities.
12. ISFJ: These are the ones, consider taking care of others around and follow the tradition and prove loyalties.
13. ESTP:  They are energetic and make sure to get the results they desire.
14. ISTP: They are good in solving the problems and practical in their approach.
15. ESFP: They are good to have in the surroundings to keep people energetic and entertained, they love life.
16. ISFP: They are the ones who enjoy being in the moment with them and are passionate.

Myers Briggs Types Indicator clearly shows that there is no one type which is better than the other, but all these types are equally beneficial in one situation or the other.

These are the ways of responding people use automatically in their environments.

More specifically these are the preferences of responding.

The 16 types discussed above can be assessed using the self assessment questionnaire available here.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Most frequently asked questions regarding Myers Briggs Types Indicator are given below:

Please feel free to ask questions and give your comments and suggestions in the comments section below.

References:

Truity Personality Test

16 Type Jungian Personality Test

Free Personality Test

Katherine and Isabel: Mother’s Light, Daughter’s Journey

Recommended Readings:

Type Talk: The 16 Personality Types That Determine How We Live, Love, and Work

Your Secret Self: Understanding yourself and others using the Myers-Briggs personality test (The MBTI Personality Types Series Book 1)

What’s Your Type?: The Strange History of Myers-Briggs and the Birth of Personality Testing

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking