Jung's Theory Of Psychological Types : The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Psychology has aims to define, explain, and predict behavior. The field of Psychology has seen the many remarkable theoretician and practitioners. Carl Jung developed the theory on personality types. Meyers Briggs expanded those theories into an assessment known as the he Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). MBTI consists of four dichotomies that include Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuitive, Thinking/Feeling, and Judgment/Perception.

Identifying personality types can prove to be a useful tool in organizations because personality is “considered a determinant of preferences in decision-making” (Ahmed, A., Hasnain, N., Venkatesan, M, 2012). By using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), one can gain a better understanding of the cognitive functions of themselves and/or others. This paper examines a learner’s experience with the Myers-Briggs personality test.

The Myers and Briggs Analysis is a series of questions that when answered are examined and grouped together in order to determine the personalities of those taking this test. This particular test can result in sixteen different outcomes or types of personalities, which is determined by four different categories that judge if you are introverted or extroverted, use your senses or your intuition, your choice to think or use your feelings, and finally if you are judgmental or perceptive. These series of questions are designed to judge our personalities and help us to determine which career pathways we will be most suited for based on our personality traits and abilities to work well with others, which is important

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Personality (MBTI) was developed by Briggs Myers and her mother Katharine Cook Briggs in 1943 during the onset of World War II (Ham, 2016). Briggs recognized the need for psychological instruments that would value human differences and utilized the C G Jungs theory in creating the MBTI (The Story of Isabel Briggs Myers, n.d). According to The Myers & Briggs Foundation (2014) Myers and Briggs initially tested a group of 20 relatives and friends. They utilized such sample, because they thought they could predict their personality solemnly on observation which by observation. The initial random sample did not truly represent a whole population, but merely were used due to availability.

A person’s personality is his or her essence. It is what guides decisions, emotions, and even thoughts. Some may wonder if it is possible to explore every nuance of such a complex part of a being, but there are ways to determine what type of personality a person has, and then branch off into a more detailed examination of that person specifically. Combined with other factors, such as personality disorders and the environment that someone has grown up in, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, test (Enrichment 1) and analysis can determine an accurate portrayal of a personality. Created in 1943 by Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, it is a system made up of four basic functions and sub functions that combine to make a personality type. The mother and daughter team constructed it off of Jung’s theories (History 2). Based on this system, one of the most common personality types in the US population is called an ESTJ, and one of the least common personality types is called an INFJ. There are many differences and similarities between these two types. An ESTJ personality, overall, is practical, fact-based, and outgoing, whereas an INFJ personality is more private and makes decisions based on feelings; however, both are organized people who make good leaders and are capable of great success in roles that involve helping others.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) “is an introspective self-report questionnaire designed to indicate psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions” (13). It is one of several personality assessments that is popular among modern mental health experts throughout the world. Currently, it is estimated that the MBTI is “taken by more than two million people per year and is translated into 16 languages (10). “The purpose of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality inventory is to make the theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung understandable and useful in people 's lives” (4).

The purpose of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) personality inventory is to make the theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung understandable and useful in people’s lives. The essence of the theory is that much seemingly random variation in the behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment. In developing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, their aim was to make the insights of type theory accessible to individuals and groups.

The Myers- Briggs(MBTI) is a tool used to help clients identify preference among four fields. The four fields consist of where someone gets energy, how one understands information, how someone makes decisions, and how they relate to others (Roseman, F.,2014). As well as touching

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an evaluative personality tool that is widely used throughout the world today. It is important for a tool that is popularly utilized in a variety of fields and at numerous professional institutions worldwide to be a credible one. So, is the MBTI really the valid reliable personality inventory instrument it claims to be? Evaluating this tool will show that empirically sound evidence does not exist to support the MBTI as an accurate, reliable, or valid instrument for profiling one’s personality type.

Myers-Briggs is a method used like a compass, which can give you some sense of direction as to the type of personality traits you contain within yourself. Plus, gives you an idea as to what career is most suitable or at best a profession that may be a desirable choice you may find happiness in. Giving that Carl Jung a psychiatrist, partial credit for identifying some personality types as to why individuals choose to do things in a particular manner. It’s has been recognized that Mr. Jung established the theory of the extroverted and introverted personality, archetypes, and the collective unconscious.

The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) enables an individual to gain a deeper insight into their inherent personality traits. For some people, they have had prior knowledge or underlying assumptions about their personality, but this test provides clearer information about each of their identifiable traits. According to the MBTI in Human-metric personality test, my scores were 22% (E) extroverted thinking more than introverted, 9% (N) intuitive as oppose to sensing, 16% (T) thinking more than feeling, and 12% (J) judging as compared to perceiving. Thus, my personality type is ENFJ. The ENFJ personality group is described as a minority group that consists of natural-born leaders, and people filled with passion, and charisma for example, Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey; they are notable members of this group, also known as the protagonists (16personalities, 2016). The protagonists apprehend pride in providing guidance for others to improve individually and to improve the community at large (16personalities, 2016). The protagonists find it naturally easy to communicate with others and excel at communicating with other people in person (16personalities, 2016).

Myers developed a set of four bi-polar dimensions, called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The terminal points on these dimensions are: thinking and feeling; extroversion and introversion; judgment and perception; and sensing and intuition. She claimed that a person's decision making style correlates well with how they score on these four dimensions. For example, someone who scored near the thinking, extroversion, sensing, and judgment ends of the dimensions would tend to have a logical, analytical, objective, critical, and empirical decision making style.” (www.webster’s-online-dictionary,

In the 1920’s, a Swiss psychologist named Carl Jung devised a theory. Jung didn’t accept the idea that the behaviors of people were random. Instead, he was a firm believer that the differences between individuals were a result of how people use their brains. Jung claimed that “what appears to be random behavior is actually the result of differences in the way people prefer to use their mental capacities.” (The Myers & Briggs Foundation). Jung realized that people typically function in one of two ways, take in information or make decisions, and that people usually are more comfortable alone or around others. With all these observations, Jung wrote a book titled Psychological Types, which introduced the idea of personality and psychological

The nomothetic approach is also dominant in Type theories such as the Jung personality type theory. The theory was founded by Jung in his book psychological types, which was published in 1921. Isabel Myers and her mother Katharine C. Briggs developed a personality type test by constructing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) based on Jung's theory. The original theory consists of three functions, the introversion - extroversion function, the sensing - intuition function and the thinking - feeling function. Isabel Myers Katharine Briggs added a fourth function: perceiving - judging. This MBTI type model is different from trait models because the MBTI tells us that a person is either one type or the other. There are no in betweens like there is in trait theories. Type theories go in line with the nomothetic approach because it is possible to compare results with others.

The Birkman Method and The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) are both personality assessments. The Birkman Method is based on the theories of Dr. Roger W. Birkman and the work of Dr. Roy B. Mefferd, Jr. and Dr. Timothy G. Sadler. The MBTI is based on the theories of Dr. Carl Gustav Jung and the work of Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers. Both are non-clinical assessments. The working manuals for both assessments have recognized and documented, content, construct, criterion-related validities and face. The Birkman Method consists of a 298-question personality assessment that enables team building, leadership development, career counseling and interpersonal conflict resolution. Where as the MBTI assessment is, a psychometric questionnaire designed to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. It is used for career coaching, communication training, management development, personal development and team building. (A Comparison Between The Birkman Method And The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), 2013)