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The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a self-report assessment that identifies an individual’s personality type and psychological preferences. Based on Carl Jung’s theories, it categorizes people into 16 distinct personality types using four cognitive functions.
The MBTI propose that four different cognitive functions determine one’s personality: extraversion vs. introversion, sensing vs. intuition, thinking vs. feeling, and judging vs. perceiving.
MBTI Meaning
MBTI, short for Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, categorizes individuals into one of 16 personality types based on their preferences in four dimensions:extraversion/introversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving.
The assessment assigns a four-letter code (e.g., ISTP) representing an individual’s personality type, with each letter denoting their preference in one of the four dimensions.
The MBTI emphasizes that all types are considered equal, providing insights into the differences and similarities in people’s perspectives and decision-making processes.
The MBTI Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator use in Psychology. MBTI is self-report inventory designed to identify a person’s personality type, strengths, and preferences. Personality types theory
The Development of the Myers-Briggs Test
The MBTI is rooted in Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types, which proposed four essential psychological functions: judging (thinking and feeling) and perceiving (sensation and intuition).
Jung believed that one combination of these functions is dominant for a person most of the time.
Jung’s theory also posits that individuals are eitherintrovertsorextraverts,which is why E or I is the first letter in the personality type code. The remaining three functions operate in the opposite orientation.
The Four Dichotomies
This assessment aims to assign individuals into one of four categories based on how they perceive the world and make decisions, enabling respondents to further explore and understand their own personalities.
The four categories are: introversion or extraversion, sensing or intuition, thinking or feeling, and judging or perceiving. Each person is said to have one preferred quality from each category, producing 16 unique personality types.
Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I)
Introverts are more thought-oriented. They enjoy deep and meaningful social interactions and feel recharged after spending time alone.
Scoring:If you answered mostly A, you may lean towards Extraversion (E). If you answered mostly B, you may lean towards Introversion (I).
Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N)
Scoring:If you answered mostly A, you may lean towards Sensing (S). If you answered mostly B, you may lean towards Intuition (N).
Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic and consistency (T) or first look at the people and special circumstances (F)?This dichotomy describes how people make decisions and use judgments.Thinking types use logic and facts to judge the world, while feeling types tend to consider emotions.TestWhen making a difficult decision, do you prioritize:A.Logical analysis and objective factsB.The impact on people involved and personal valuesIn a debate, are you more concerned with:A.Winning the argument with sound logicB.Maintaining harmony and considering all perspectivesWhich word do you identify with more:A.ObjectiveB.EmpatheticScoring:If you answered mostly A, you may lean towards Thinking (T). If you answered mostly B, you may lean towards Feeling (F).
Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)
This dichotomy describes how people make decisions and use judgments.
Thinking types use logic and facts to judge the world, while feeling types tend to consider emotions.
Scoring:If you answered mostly A, you may lean towards Thinking (T). If you answered mostly B, you may lean towards Feeling (F).
Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided (J), or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options (P)?This dichotomy describes how people tend to operate in the outside world and reveals the specific attitudes of the functions.Those judging dominant tend to be more methodical and results-oriented and prefer structure and decision-making.Perceiving dominant individuals are more adaptable and flexible and tend to be good at multitasking.TestDo you prefer to:A.Have a detailed plan for your dayB.Go with the flow and adapt as neededWhen working on a project, do you like to:A.Finish one task completely before moving to the nextB.Juggle multiple tasks and switch between themWhich word describes you better:A.StructuredB.FlexibleScoring:If you answered mostly A, you may lean towards Judging (J). If you answered mostly B, you may lean towards Perceiving (P).The dominant function is the primary aspect of personality, while the auxiliary and tertiary functions play supportive roles.
Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)
This dichotomy describes how people tend to operate in the outside world and reveals the specific attitudes of the functions.
Those judging dominant tend to be more methodical and results-oriented and prefer structure and decision-making.
Perceiving dominant individuals are more adaptable and flexible and tend to be good at multitasking.
Scoring:If you answered mostly A, you may lean towards Judging (J). If you answered mostly B, you may lean towards Perceiving (P).
The dominant function is the primary aspect of personality, while the auxiliary and tertiary functions play supportive roles.
The 16 Personality Types
ISTJ – The Logistician
These individuals tend to be serious, matter-of-fact, and reserved. They appreciate order and organization and pay a great deal of attention to detail.
They like to plan things out in advance and place an emphasis on tradition and law. They are responsible and realistic and can be described as dependable and trustworthy.
ISFJ – The Defender
These individuals are friendly, responsible, and reserved. They are service and work-oriented, committing to meeting their obligations and duties.
They are loyal, considerate, and place a lot of focus on the care of others. They are non-confrontational and value an orderly and harmonious environment.
INFJ – The Advocate
People with this personality type are serious, logical and hardworking. They are also compassionate, conscientious, and reserved.
They value close, deep connections and are sensitive to the needs of others, but also need time and space alone to recharge.
INTJ The Architect
These people are highly independent, self-confident and prefer to work alone. They are analytical, creative, logical, and driven.
They place an emphasis on logic and fact rather than emotion and can be viewed as perfectionist.
They tend to have high expectations of competence and performance for themselves and others.
ISTP – The Crafter
People with this personality type are fearless and independent. They love adventure, new experiences, and risk-taking.
They tend to be quiet observers and are not well attuned to the emotional states of others, sometimes coming across as insensitive or stoic.
They are results- oriented, acting quickly to find workable solutions and understand the underlying cause of practical problems.
ISFP – The Artist
These individuals are quiet, friendly, easy going, and sensitive. They have a strong need for personal space and time alone to recharge.
They value deep connection and prefer to spend time with smaller groups of close friends and family.
They are highly considerate and accepting, avoiding confrontation and committed to their values and to people who are important to them.
INFP – The Mediator
These people are creative, idealistic, caring, and loyal. They have high values and morals, and are constantly seeking out ways to understand people and to best serve humanity.
They are family and home-oriented and prefer to interact with a select group of close friends.
INTP – The Thinker
People with this personality type are described as quiet, contained, and analytical. They are highly focused on how things work and on solving problems, and tend to be good at logic and math.
They are more interested in ideas and theoretical concepts than in social interaction. They are loyal and affectionate to their closest friends and family, but tend to be difficult to get to know.
ESTP – The Entrepreneur
These individuals are action-oriented, taking pragmatic approaches to obtain results and solve problems quickly. They are often sophisticated, charming, and spontaneous.
They are outgoing and energetic, and enjoy spending time with a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. They focus on the here and now and prefer the practical over the abstract.
ESFP – The Entertainer
These people tend to be outgoing, friendly, and impulsive, seizing energy from other people. They love to be the center of attention and enjoy working with others in new environments.
They can be described as easy going, fun, and optimistic. They are spontaneous and focused on the present moment, and enjoy learning through hands-on experiences with other people.
ENFP – The Champion
These individuals are enthusiastic, creative, energetic, and highly imaginative. They have excellent people and communication skills and are good at giving others appreciation and support.
They do, however, seek approval from others. They value emotions and expression. They dislike routine and might struggle with disorganization and procrastination.
ENTP – The Debater
People with this personality type can be described as innovative, outspoken, and lively. They are idea-oriented and are more focused on the future rather than on the present moment.
They enjoy interacting with a wide variety of people and love to engage with others in debates. They tend to be easy to get along with, but also can be argumentative at times. They are great conversationalists and make good entrepreneurs.
ESTJ – The Director
These people are responsible, practical, and organized. They areassertiveand like to take charge, focused on getting results in the most efficient way possible. They have clear standards and place a high value on tradition and rules.
They can be seen as rigid, stubborn, or bossy as they are forceful in implementing their plans. However, they tend to excel at putting plans into action because they are hardworking, self-confident, and dependable.
ESFJ – The Caregiver
These individuals are warmhearted, conscientious, and harmonious. They wear their hearts on their sleeves and tend to see the best in others.
They enjoy helping others and providing the care that people need, but want to be appreciated and noticed for their contributions. They are careful observers of others and excel in situations involving personal contact and community.
ENFJ – Protagonist
These people are responsible, warm, and loyal. They are highly attuned to the emotions of others and capable of forging friendships with essentially anybody.
They have a desire to help others fulfill their potential, and they derive personal satisfaction from helping others. They tend to make good leaders as they are highly capable of facilitating agreement among diverse groups of people.
ENTJ – The Commander
These individuals like to take charge. They value organization and structure and appreciate long-term planning and goal setting.
They have strong people skills and enjoy interacting with others, but they are not necessarily attuned to their own emotions or the emotions of others.
They have strong leadership skills and tend to make good executives, captains, and administrators.
Benefits of MBTI
Below are some of the strengths and possible benefits of the MBTI:
Criticisms of MBTI
Lack of Predictive Validity:Despite its popularity in workplace settings, the MBTIhas shown limited predictive validityfor job performance or other important outcomes. This lack of empirical support undermines its effectiveness as a selection or development tool.
Conceptual Overlap with the Big Five:Research suggests thatthe MBTI dimensions overlap significantly with the more robust and widely acceptedBig Five personality traits. This overlap calls into question the unique contribution of the MBTI.
Sources
Francis, L. J., & Village, A. (2022). The Francis Psychological Type Scales (FPTS): Factor structure, internal consistency reliability, and concurrent validity with the MBTI.Mental Health, Religion & Culture,25(9), 931-951.https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2022.2041584
Furnham, A. (2022). The big five facets and the MBTI: The relationship between the 30 NEO-PI (R) Facets and the four Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) scores.Psychology,13(10), 1504-1516.
Myers, I. B. (1962). The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: Manual (1962).
Myers, Isabel B.; Myers, Peter B. (1995) [1980]. Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type. Mountain View, CA: Davies-Black Publishing. ISBN 978-0-89106-074-1.
Pittenger, D. J. (2005).Cautionary Comments Regarding the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 57(3), 210-221.
Stein, R., & Swan, A. B. (2019). Evaluating the validity of Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator theory: A teaching tool and window into intuitive psychology.Social and Personality Psychology Compass,13(2), e12434.https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12434
The purpose of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®. The Myers & Briggs Foundation: MBTI Basics. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/
An infographic outlining all the different MBTI personality types and traits of each
Saul McLeod, PhD
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester
Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education
Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.
Julia Simkus
BA (Hons) Psychology, Princeton University
Julia Simkus is a graduate of Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She is currently studying for a Master’s Degree in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness in September 2023. Julia’s research has been published in peer reviewed journals.
