Myers-Briggs

Personality Type
Indicator MBTI
Career Enhancement Committee
Kathy Prem
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Introduction to Type Theory

Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung developed a theory early

in the 20th century to describe basic individual
preferences and explain similarities and differences
between people

Main postulate of the theory is that people

have inborn behavioral tendencies and
preferences
Your natural response in daily situations
Used when we are generally not stressed and feel competent, and
energetic
Could be defined as those behaviors you often dont notice

Innate Preferences

Exercise:

Write your name

Development of the MBTI

Instrument

Jungs theory important but inaccessible to the

general population
Isabel Myers and Katherine Briggs (mother-daughter
team) expanded on Jungs work by developing an
instrument to help people identify their preferences
The MBTI tool is an indicator of personality type (i.e.
innate preferences) that has proven to be remarkably
reliable and valid

Represents the result of over 50 years of

research
Is used globally in both education and
corporate settings; over 2 million people
each year

Value of the MBTI

Distinctions from other psychological or career based

tools

Does not assess psychological health

Does not tell the client what to do or be
Involves client feedback and agreement to
Type
Involves no scaling or value
Inherent strengths and weaknesses associated
with each type profile

Structure of the MBTI

The MBTI instrument uses four dichotomies to

identify preferences, which are then combined into
one Type

A dichotomy divides items into 2 groups where

there is no continuum or value implied

Four MBTI Dichotomies

Extraversion Introversion

Where do you prefer to focus your

attention and get your energy?

Sensing Intuition

How do you prefer to take in

information?

Thinking Feeling

How do you make decisions?

Judging Perceiving

How do you deal with the outer

world?

Caution: MBTI Word Usage

Words used to describe preferences in psychology do

not mean the same thing as they do in everyday life
Extravert

does not mean talkative or

loud
Introvert

does not mean shy or

inhibited
Feeling

does mean emotional

Judging

does not mean judgmental

Perceiving

does not mean perceptive

Etc.
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E- I Dichotomy: Source of Energy

Most people who prefer

Extraversion:

I like to talk to
people

Prefer action over reflection

Most people who prefer

Introversion:
I like to read a
book

Prefer reflection over action

May act quickly w/out

thinking

Are attuned to external

environments
Prefer to communicate by
talking
Learn best through doing or
discussing
Are sociable and expressive
Enjoy working in groups

May not take action at

all

Are attuned to inner world

Prefer to communicate in
writing
Learn best through thorough
mental practice and reflection
Are private and contained
Enjoy working alone or in
pairs

Which is worse: no interruptions or frequent interruptions?

What is your E - I preference?

Exercise
When

you are going to a large

party, what do you do?

What

do you consider a large

party or group?

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S - N Dichotomy: Take in
Information

Most people who prefer

Sensing:

I like to learn the

facts
Emphasize the pragmatic
Prefer facts & details/ specific
information
Are oriented to present
realities
Value realism
Observe and remember
specifics through 5 senses
Build carefully and thoroughly
to conclusions
Trust experience

Most people who prefer

Intuition:

like to imagine
possibilities
Emphasize the theoretical
Prefer general concepts/ highlevel plans
Are oriented to future
possibilities
Value imagination
See trends and patterns in
specific data
Use a sixth sense
Move quickly to conclusions,
follow hunches
Trust inspiration

Which is worse no sense of present reality or no sense of future possibilities?

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What is your S-N preference?

Exercise

How did you decide whom to support?

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T-F Dichotomy: Decision Making

Most people who prefer

Thinking:

Most people who prefer

Feeling:

I like to decide
logically
Are analytical
Use cause-and-effect
reasoning
Solve problems with logic
Strive for objective standard
of truth
Described as reasonable
Search for flaws in an
argument
Fair want everyone treated
equally

I like to consider
people
Empathetic
Guided by personal values
Assess impact of decisions on
people
Strive for harmony and
positive interactions
Described as compassionate
Search for point of agreement
in an argument
Fair want everyone treated
as an individual

Which is worse: working in an environment that lacks logic or that lacks harmony?

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What is your T-F preference?

Exercise
Little

League Coach for the

championship game and you
can only take 11 of 13 players
to the game

What

do you do? How do

you choose?

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J - P Dichotomy: Lifestyle

Most people who prefer

Judging:

I like to organize my
schedule
Are scheduled/organized
Strive to finish one project
before starting another
Like to have things decided

I like to adapt to
changes
Are spontaneous/flexible
Start many projects but may
have trouble finishing them
Like things loose and open to
change

Most people who prefer

Perceiving:

May decide things too

quickly

Try to avoid last-minute

stresses; finish tasks well
before deadline
Try to limit surprises
See routines as effective

May decide things too

slowly

Feel energized by last-minute

pressures; finish tasks at the
deadline
Enjoy surprises
See routines as limiting

Which is worse: winging it or adhering to a schedule?

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What is your J-P preference?

Exercise
Sending

you on a vacation

$5,000
What

do you do? How do

you go about it?

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Why should we care?

Individual Benefits: Gain insights into personality

Reduce your defensiveness

Increase your openness to feedback (clues)
from what is going on around you
Enhance your ability to appreciate
differences in yourself and in others

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Why should we care?

Staff Benefits: Appreciate others

Make constructive use of individual

approaches
Allow

for creative problem-solving; Different types approach

problems in different, yet valid ways

Understand and adapt to leaderships

management style
Respect peoples work preferences
Improve communication among supervisors,
peers, employees, customers

Example

Approach to staff meetings that accommodate

both introverts and extraverts?
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Communication Breakdown

Ideal Leader is

Extravert: action-oriented
Introvert: contemplative
Sensing: pragmatic
Intuitive: visionary
Thinking: logical
Feeling: compassionate
Judging: planful
Perceiving: adaptable

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Understanding Type in
uncomfortable situations
Potential

Pitfalls

Characteristics

Type)

when under stress or uncomfortable (out of

Examples
Overcrowded

schedule may force you to exhibit

more judging traits than you may prefer
Team projects may force you to work as an
extravert; brainstorming, talking through
problems vs. thinking them through on your own
Concrete information may be more valued more than
gut-feeling approach
Staff meeting may focus on everyones involvement
first, when you would prefer to address the task
first.

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To Take to the Office with You

With similar types on a team:

The team will understand each other easily and

quickly
Will reach decisions quickly, but will be more
likely to make errors due to not taking in all
viewpoints
May fail to appreciate gifts of the outlying
types

With a variety of types on a team:

Longer to establish communication between the

members of the team
Less likely to overlook possibilities and details
Longer to reach consensus

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Occupational Trends by Type

ISTJ

ISFJ

INFJ

INTJ

ISTP

ISFP

INFP

INTP

ESTP

ESFP

ENFP

ENTP

ESTJ

ESFJ

ENFJ

ENTJ

Management
Administration
Law enforcement
Accounting

Skilled trades
Technical fields
Agriculture
Law Enforcement
Military

Marketing
Skilled trades
Business
Law enforcement
Applied technology

Management
Administration
Law enforcement

Education
Health care
Religious settings

Religion
Counseling
Teaching
Arts

Health care
Business
Law enforcement

Counseling
Writing
Arts

Health care
Teaching
Coaching
Childcare worker
Skilled trades

Counseling
Teaching
Religion
Arts

Education
Health care
Religion

Religion
Arts
Teaching

Source: From Introduction to Type and Careers, A.L. Hammer, 1993,

Consulting Psychologists Press
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Scientific or technical fields

Computers
Law

Scientific or technical fields

Science
Management
Technology
Arts

Management
Leadership

What IS your Type?

Composite Type

One letter from each dichotomy

Sum equals more than the parts

1.
2.
3.

It represents the dynamic interactions among the preferences in

your type

No hierarchy among the types; each

identifies normal and valuable personalities
Todays discussion self-estimate or assessment of your type
MBTI results will report the preferences you choose on the
Indicator
Final type assessment requires agreement between self
assessment and MBTI responses

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The Worlds Forum for Aerospace Leadership

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