What are the different types of personalities according to Myers and Brigges Type Indicator?

What are the different types of personalities according to Myers and Brigges Type Indicator?

Have you ever seen someone identify as an INTJ or an ESTP and wondered what those enigmatic-sounding letters might mean? What these people are referring to is their Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality type (MBTI).

The Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator is a self-report questionnaire used to determine a person’s personality type, strengths, and preferences. Isabel Myers and Katherine Briggs, who worked with Carl Jung’s theory of personality types, created the questionnaire. The MBTI inventory is now one of the most commonly used psychological tools in the world.


The Development of the Myers-Briggs Test

Katherine Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, read Carl Jung’s Psychological Types in 1923. They quickly developed a keen interest in personality types. They began investigating and creating a personality indicator in the early 1940s. They began testing it on friends and family and continued for the following two decades until the instrument was fully completed with its 16 personality classifications. It was prepared for publication by 1962.

“The goal of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality inventory is to make the theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung intelligible and relevant in people’s lives,” asserted Isabel Briggs Myers. The theory’s main tenet is that people’s preferences for using perception and judgment vary widely among individuals, despite much of what appears to be random variance in behavior really being highly organized and consistent.


An Abstract of the Test

93 of the test’s questions have “forced choice” structures, meaning there is only one option available. The MBTI categorizes subjects into 16 different personality types based on four basic personality characteristics and none of the 16 personalities is “better” than the others or “the best,” which is a crucial point to remember. Additionally, the aim of the personality types is not to search for malfunction or abnormality. The ultimate objective is to motivate people to explore and comprehend their personalities more, including their preferences, dislikes, skills, limitations, potential career routes, and interpersonal interactions.
The Four Personality Designations:
Extraversion (E) – Introversion (I)
Jung used the extraversion-introversion duality in his theory of personality types to describe how people behave and interact with their surroundings. While most people are familiar with these expressions, how they are used in the MBTI differs slightly from how they are frequently used.
Extraverts, or extroverts as they are frequently called, have a predisposition to be action-oriented and “outward-turning,” like frequent social interaction, and feel energized as a result. Introverts frequently engage in “inward-turning,” value meaningful and intimate relationships, and experience renewal after spending time by themselves.
Sensing (S) – Intuition (N)
On this scale, we examine how people become aware of their environment. Everybody, extraverts, and introverts alike spend time observing and inferring, depending on the circumstance. Individuals with an MBTI of extraversion typically choose one field over another. The likelihood of paying close attention to reality, especially to what one’s senses can reveal, is higher in those who love perception. They prefer to concentrate on the specifics and facts and prefer to engage in first-hand experiences. People with intuition frequently pay closer attention to patterns and impressions. They enjoy making assumptions, forecasting the future, and formulating illogical ideas.
Thinking (T) – Feeling (F)
This scale focuses on the process through which individuals create judgments based on data obtained through their intuitive or sensory skills. People who want to think more highly of facts and objective knowledge. They frequently demonstrate consistency, logic, and impartiality when making decisions. Those who enjoy sensation are more likely to consider persons and emotions before making a decision.
Judging (J) – Perceiving (P)
The final scale gauges people’s typical interactions with the outside world. Those who are inclined to judgment want structure and prompt action. People that are more perceptive-inclined are more adaptable, flexible, and open-minded. These two trends interact with the other scales. Remember that everyone occasionally exhibits extraverted behavior. The judging-perceiving scale explains whether you behave extraverted while taking in new information (sensing and intuiting), or when making decisions (thinking and feeling).


The Myer-Briggs 16 Personality Types

After completing the four basic personality designations, the person is classified as one of the 16 personalities depending on the combination of their personality designations. The 16 personalities, however, are individually more than the sum of their four titles. The four-letter type formula is shorthand for how the 4 classifications interact and which ones a person likes to use first. This is known as “type dynamics” in the MBTI.
The Inspector (ISTJ) usually prefers structure and order and is restrained, practical, and quiet.
The Craftsperson (ISTP) is incredibly autonomous and hands-on and likes to think and work independently.
The Artist/Composer (ISFP) is sensitive, easy-going, and artistically gifted.
The Protector (ISFJ) is reliable, caring, and guarded.
The Advocate/Counselor (INFJ) possesses kindness, compassion, and a desire to help others reach their full potential.
The Provider (ESFJ) is a helper who is attentive to the needs of others and devoted to their duties.
The Performer (ESFP) is an endearing, jovial performer who adores spontaneity and attention.
The Supervisor (ESTJ) is a rule-following, meticulous, diligent traditionalist who is committed to getting the job done.
The Dynamo (ESTP) is a thrill-seeker with a knack for putting out fires.
The Healer (INFP) is an idealist who is focused on the promise of the future. Their fundamental principles and ideals serve as their compass.
The Mastermind (INTJ) is analytical by nature, a problem-solver, and constantly seeking innovation and progress.
The Architect (INTP) appreciates reasoning and analysis but is always looking for the unifying factor beneath it all. They find systems and design to be fascinating.
The Champion (ENFP) is a creative person who is impassioned, warm, and full of energy.
The Commander (ENTJ) is the visionary strategic leader who is fast to recognize fresh solutions and organizes change.
The Teacher (ENFJ) is frequently an organizer and a force for human growth because of a high capacity for persuasion and the ability to see people’s potential.
The Visionary (ENTP) is a great innovator who is motivated by difficult, complex challenges. They are constantly looking for fresh approaches to address them.


How the MBTI Differs from Assessments with Personality Test Types

The MBTI sorts and assesses individual preferences rather than evaluating qualities, abilities, or character, as do other psychological instruments and personality tests. It is known as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator because it is not a test or an evaluation. To begin with, because there are no “poor” or “unhealthy” scores, mental health is not assessed. Many other instruments favor having more or less of a trait being examined (for example, shyness vs an outgoing disposition), whereas the MBTI favors both categories. Furthermore, it does not evaluate the test-takers results against those of other pupils.
In addition, the MBTI aims to present a comprehensive picture of how all preferences interact rather than just summing their distinct qualities (type dynamics). Most crucially, the MBTI allows the individual to establish their own personality type through a personal verification procedure — in other words, the ultimate judgment of your type is in your own hands. As Isabel Briggs Myers put it, it is up to each person to discover their genuine preferences.


Reliability and Validity of Test

The Myers & Briggs Foundation claims that the MBTI meets standards for validity and reliability. According to the official website of the test, it is 80% consistently reliable and 90% accurate. Despite the scale’s exceptional test-retest reliability and validity, some variants were found in one study. 5 Other research indicates that there is insufficient data to validate the measure’s validity and reliability. According to one study, it is not a good predictor of development in those other categories because so many people responded differently on consecutive trials.


It’s Just the Beginning of Knowing Yourself

You can put your knowledge of your MBTI personality type to use by seeking out-of-person or online counseling to gain tools and insights into how to deal with issues that are keeping you from being your best self. Speaking with a therapist may assist you in developing a customized plan for achieving your goals rather than simply describing your personality type. Understanding how we respond to life is one thing; learning, growing, and improving is something else entirely.

Therapy is an effective way to create self-awareness. Visit www.ganeshasepaks.com or download the app  now.

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