Mbti

Running head: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator( (MBTI()

A Review of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator( (MBTI() Personality Inventory

Judith D. Spady

Walden University

Abstract

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator( (MBTI() is an objective assessment designed to clarify individual personality preferences by assigning a four-letter formula corresponding to specific personality descriptions. The MBTI is intended for use by adults 17 or older and must be interpreted by a qualified instructor. The four dichotomies measured are: Extraversion (E) - Introversion (I); Sensing (S) - Intuition (N); Thinking (T) - Feeling (F); and Judging (J) - Perceiving (P). This paper provides an overview of personality preferences and reviews the MBTI from different perspectives. It includes the history of the test, a test description, statistical information including reliability/validity research, current applications of the instrument, and ethical considerations. After analyzing the evaluations, the MBTI is highly recommended and contributes greatly to the overall assessment of defining one’s personality.

Introduction

Katherine Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers had a vision of developing a tool that would provide people with a deeper understanding of their personality differences and allow them to further develop healthy personalities. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator( (MBTI() was first developed by Isabel Myers and Katherine Briggs in 1942 and was based on the book, Psychological Types, published in 1921 by C. G. Jung.

The initial work of this mother/daughter team started out as developing a “sorter” instrument that helped individuals identify their personality type preferences. They began by creating an individual item on the instrument and then collected corresponding data to determine whether this item was accurate in measuring what was intended (Myers & Briggs Foundation, 2007). Isabel Myers recorded this original research onto thousands of index cards which...