Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Explained

Today I will be educating you on Carl Jung, Katharine Cook Briggs, and Isabel Briggs Myers. Additionally, their “type-test” will unleash a creepy amount of information about me that I didn’t expect to be so spot on. No, this test isn’t actually psychic. Yes, it is reveals much about yourself. Let’s dive right in.

Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychotherapist and psychiatrist. He founded analytical psychology and his typological theories were proposed and first published in his 1921 book Psychological Types. There were four principal psychological functions by which we experience the world: sensation, intuition, feeling, and thinking. One of these four functions is dominant most of the time.

Fast forward fifteen or so years with Katharine Cook Briggs & Isabel Briggs Myers entering the scene. These two women studied extensively the work of Jung, turning their interest of human behavior into a devotion, turning the theory of psychological types to practical use. First published in 1962, the Myres-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the theory of psychological type as originally developed by Carl Jung years ago. Robert Kaplan and Dennis Saccuzzo offer some insight on the MBTI, “the underlying assumption of the MBTI is that we all have specific preferences in the way we construe our experiences, and these preferences underlie our interests, needs, values, and motivation” (p. 499).

The 16 types are typically referred to by an abbreviation of four letters—the initial letters of each of their four type preferences (except in the case of intuition, which uses the abbreviation N to distinguish it from Introversion). For instance:

• ESTJ: extraversion (E), sensing (S), thinking (T), judgment (J)
• INFP: introversion (I), intuition (N), feeling (F), perception (P)

I recommend that you go to THIS link to read each of the dichotomies for E/I, S/N, T/F. and J/P to judge which 4 letters are attributed to you. You pick either E or I, then move to pick either S or N, and so on. As for this blog post, I will be outlining how freaky my test results were. Personally, I believe myself to be an ISFP, and personally, this is really freaky correct.

ISFP

ISFP are realistic, flexible and observant. They are warm and quietly helpful. ISFP take their energy from the inner world of thoughts and emotions. They prefer dealing with facts and people, making decisions on the basis of their personal values. They are usually tolerant, adaptable, and open minded. They do, however, have very strong values which cannot be crossed. If a value is threatened, the ISFP will become surprisingly vocal.

 

ISFP are quiet, playful, sensitive, and kind. They are interested in people, enjoying their company preferably on an individual basis or in small numbers. They take a caring and practical approach to helping others. They are loyal and faithful to those that they are close to. they often have an affinity with nature, animals and the outdoors. isfp may also be risk takers and enjoy adventurous activities.

 

Isfp have a great ability to accept what is before them and tend to be content. they are not driven and are unlikely to pursue higher education. they have a strong practical side which is often artistic as well. They have extremely well-developed senses, and an aesthetic appreciation for beauty. They are good at making things.

 

isfp like to create harmony around themselves. they enjoy the present and dislike confrontation and conflict. they do not tend to be interested in leading or controlling others and usually act as a very supportive member of a team.

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So there you have it. Freaky stuff…for me. For you it’s either interesting or the most boring thing you’ve ever read. Now you know a little bit about me. The results are not going to be 100% accurate, they never can be. But the test does open you up and allows others to understand more about how you operate and interact with the world. As quoted before, “the underlying assumption of the MBTI is that we all have specific preferences in the way we construe our experiences, and these preferences underlie our interests, needs, values, and motivation.”

RESOURCES

Kaplan, R.M., & Saccuzzo, D.P. (2009). Psychological testing: Principle, applications, and issues. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator

http://www.goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/carl-jung.html