The MBTI Explained
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) is not a model, it’s an instrument. It is so popular that it is often confused with the model or the theory upon which it was based. For more information about the model that the MBTI is designed to measure you can also read about Cognitive Processes.
What is the MBTI?
The MBTI is one of the most widely used personality instruments in the world today. The MBTI has a long history, with more studies done and more extensive revisions than almost any other personality assessment tool worldwide.
History of the MBTI
During World War II, a young woman named Isabel Myers decided to do her part for the war effort by creating a self-report inventory that would make Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types available to more people. At this time self-report instruments were just beginning to be developed. Prior to that time, only psychologists “assessed” personality. Her goals were two-fold: 1) help people find a better fit for their work and so make the work in factories and in the military more effective; and 2) promote world peace by helping people develop more appreciation for individual differences and how to use the differences constructively rather than divisively. Her work resulted in worldwide use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
The MBTI reports preferences on four dichotomies, with two opposing preferences on each dichotomy.
Your Preferred World or Attitude:
E = Extraversion (Energized by interaction with others)
or
I = Introversion (Energized by solitary activities)
Mental Process: Perception - Accessing / Gathering Information:
S = Sensing (Concrete, experiential awareness)
or
N = iNtuiting (Abstract, symbolic awareness)
Mental Process: Judgment - Organizing / Evaluating / Deciding:
T = Thinking (Information/situations assessed objectively based on criteria)
or
F = Feeling (Information/situations assessed subjectively based on worth/values)
Orientation to the Outer World:
J = Judging (Plan ahead and follow the plan)
or
P = Perceiving (Keep options open to adapt)
Psychological instruments like the MBTI are only designed to indicate your preferences— they do not determine psychological type with 100% accuracy. An important part of understanding your psychological type is self-discovery. Please visit Myers-Briggs.org for an article on finding best-fit type.
What is MBTI Step II?
Basic versions of the MBTI reveal how people fit within psychologist Carl Jung’s theory of psychological type. Individuals, couples and teams are able to identify their natural patterns for accessing information and making decisions to improve their personal and interpersonal performance using the four letter code approach. What they are not able to do is explore and identify their unique individuality within the type code that best describes their pattern. The MBTI Step II instrument accomplishes this.
Isabel Myers, developer of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, observed that people of any four letter code share similarities and possess differences with others of the same. She was in the process of developing an in-depth individualized method to offer clues about how each person expresses and experiences his or her type pattern at the time of her death in 1980.
Step II provides individuals the opportunity to dig deeper into their preferences to understand more about themselves in relation to others. In the MBTI Step II each of the four dichotomies are composed of five facets. These facets explain the uniqueness of the individual in greater detail, and serve to identify the differences that are experienced between two persons of a given type.
The Step II is often used to provide high level executives, teams and individual clients greater insight into areas of preference and avoidance which impacts decision making, problem solving, communications, and conflict. Sometimes couples can use this information to assist partner growth processes. It can also help clients discover an occupational experience that is a closer match to their personality, identify how to balance their daily energy needs, and express themselves clearly during personal job interviews. Step II brings to light the subtle nuances of personality type found in us all. It helps to target areas of personal strength and challenges that are clear and specific, which results in a more productive type experience.
Having said all that, it’s important to remember that the MBTI Step II, like any other psychological type instrument, is never more than 70% accurate. Even though it appears to give a very granular dissection of personality, the analysis is only as accurate as the data it’s given. And this data can be colored by the individual’s current mood, age, work environment, family history, societal expectations and state of mental health. The last letter of the MBTI says it all — it’s merely an “indicator.”
