What Is the Keirsey Temperament Sorter?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsOriginsThe Temperament MatrixThe Four Keirsey TemperamentsThe 16 Character TypesAccuracyTake the Test

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Origins

The Temperament Matrix

The Four Keirsey Temperaments

The 16 Character Types

Accuracy

Take the Test

Close

The questionnaire divides people intofour temperaments, which Keirsey labeled Artisan, Guardian, Idealist, and Rational. Each of the four temperaments is then further sorted into four character types, leading to a total of 16 possible personality types in total.

This article covers the origins of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, describes the four temperaments, and discusses the assessment’s accuracy.

Origins of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter

Keirsey initially became interested in psychology and personality type in the 1940s while serving as a U.S. Marine in the Pacific in World War II.

After introducing the Keirsey Temperament Sorter inPlease Understand Me, he went on to further refine and develop his ideas in additional books, including 1998’s “Please Understand Me II.”

Instead of using the term personality to name his questionnaire, Keirsey used the term temperament because he felt temperament is made up ofpersonality traitsone can observe, including the way one typically communicates, the kinds of actions one takes to accomplish their goals, and their talents, values, and preferences.

The four temperaments are the result of a matrix built on the way two elements of temperament interact: communication and action, which were each divided into two broad opposing groups.

Communication

Theability to communicateis a cornerstone of human experience. However, Keirsey maintained that there are two general topics people discuss, and while everyone talks about each one, people tend to prefer one over another.

These two communication styles are:

Action

Similarly, all people take action to reach their goals and objectives, but Keirsey felt there were only two categories of action.

Although people may ultimately take action in different ways based on the situation, they tend to prefer one kind of action over the other.

These two action orientations are:

The two styles of communication and two styles of action are placed opposite one another on the matrix, leading to four quadrants. Each quadrant represents one of the four temperaments.

The four temperaments are:

Artisan

As the name indicates,Artisanstend to excel in the arts or anything that requirescreativity. They are concrete and utilitarian, which means they’re talented at working with solid objects and confronting real-world situations.

Also, they are willing to take risks and break the rules and can be impulsive in their constant quest for excitement and adventure. According to the Keirsey Group, 30% to 35% of the world’s population are Artisans.

Guardian

Guardiansare dependable, hard-working individuals who keep the wheels of society turning. They are concrete and cooperative, which means they follow the rules and respect authority.

They are dedicated to maintaining law and order and believe in customs and traditions. According to the Keirsey Group, 40% to 45% of the world’s population are Guardians.

Idealist

Idealiststend to focus on personal growth, self-improvement, and people reaching their potential. They are abstract and cooperative, and as a result, they strongly believe in working together harmoniously to pursue what could be, rather than what is.

They are loyal, honest, and kind, and tend to pursue careers that enable them to help people. According to the Keirsey Group, 15% to 20% of the world’s population are Idealists.

Rational

Rationals are the rarest of the four temperaments. Rationals areproblem-solverswho enjoy figuring out systems (whether those systems are organic, social, mechanical, or something else) and determining how to improve them.

They are abstract and utilitarian, which means they are pragmatic in their approach and interested in abstract concepts that underlie whatever systems have caught their interest.

How Personality Impacts Our Daily Lives

Those preferences and the letters used to symbolize them are:

The 16 types of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter are based on the MBTI, therefore indicating the same basic preferences.

However, the emphases of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter and MBTI are different. The MBTI focuses on interior thoughts and feelings and especially the dichotomy between extraversion and introversion. The Keirsey Sorter is interested in external behavior and especially the dichotomy between intuition and sensing.

The Psychology of Personality Development

Accuracy of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter

A 2001 study found concurrent validity between the online version of the KTS-II and the MBTI, which has been more widely studied. While this means the assessments are highly positivelycorrelatedand measure the same constructs, some research suggests theMBTI has not been adequately validatedfor use incareer counseling,a concern this study indicates should extend to the online KTS-II.

Where to Take the Keirsey Temperament Sorter Test

The KTS-II is a 70-question forced-choice assessment, where the respondent must choose between two options for each item.The official version of theassessment is freely available onlinethrough the Keirsey Group’s website.

Quiz: Are You Introverted or Extroverted?

24 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Keirsey.com.About David Keirsey.Keirsey.com.The Four Temperaments.Keirsey.com.Portrait of an artisan.Keirsey.com.Portrait of a guardian.Keirsey.com.Portrait of an idealist.Keirsey.com.Portrait of a rational.Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan composer.Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan crafter.Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan performer.Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan promoter.Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian inspector.Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian protector.Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian provider.Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian supervisor.Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist champion.Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist counselor.Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist healer.Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist teacher.Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational architect.Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational fieldmarshal.Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational inventor.Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational mastermind.Kelly KR, Jugovic H.Concurrent validity of the online version of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II.J Career Assess. 2001;9(1):49-59. doi:10.1177/106907270100900104Dodd N, Bayne R.Internal reliability and item analysis of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II.J Psychol Type. 2007;67(8):71-83.

24 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Keirsey.com.About David Keirsey.Keirsey.com.The Four Temperaments.Keirsey.com.Portrait of an artisan.Keirsey.com.Portrait of a guardian.Keirsey.com.Portrait of an idealist.Keirsey.com.Portrait of a rational.Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan composer.Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan crafter.Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan performer.Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan promoter.Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian inspector.Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian protector.Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian provider.Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian supervisor.Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist champion.Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist counselor.Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist healer.Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist teacher.Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational architect.Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational fieldmarshal.Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational inventor.Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational mastermind.Kelly KR, Jugovic H.Concurrent validity of the online version of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II.J Career Assess. 2001;9(1):49-59. doi:10.1177/106907270100900104Dodd N, Bayne R.Internal reliability and item analysis of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II.J Psychol Type. 2007;67(8):71-83.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Keirsey.com.About David Keirsey.Keirsey.com.The Four Temperaments.Keirsey.com.Portrait of an artisan.Keirsey.com.Portrait of a guardian.Keirsey.com.Portrait of an idealist.Keirsey.com.Portrait of a rational.Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan composer.Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan crafter.Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan performer.Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan promoter.Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian inspector.Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian protector.Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian provider.Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian supervisor.Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist champion.Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist counselor.Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist healer.Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist teacher.Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational architect.Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational fieldmarshal.Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational inventor.Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational mastermind.Kelly KR, Jugovic H.Concurrent validity of the online version of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II.J Career Assess. 2001;9(1):49-59. doi:10.1177/106907270100900104Dodd N, Bayne R.Internal reliability and item analysis of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II.J Psychol Type. 2007;67(8):71-83.

Keirsey.com.About David Keirsey.

Keirsey.com.The Four Temperaments.

Keirsey.com.Portrait of an artisan.

Keirsey.com.Portrait of a guardian.

Keirsey.com.Portrait of an idealist.

Keirsey.com.Portrait of a rational.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan composer.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan crafter.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan performer.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the artisan promoter.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian inspector.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian protector.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian provider.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the guardian supervisor.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist champion.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist counselor.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist healer.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the idealist teacher.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational architect.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational fieldmarshal.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational inventor.

Keirsey.com.Learn about the rational mastermind.

Kelly KR, Jugovic H.Concurrent validity of the online version of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II.J Career Assess. 2001;9(1):49-59. doi:10.1177/106907270100900104

Dodd N, Bayne R.Internal reliability and item analysis of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II.J Psychol Type. 2007;67(8):71-83.

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