Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

What is personality?• The totality of an individual's behavioral and emotional

characteristics (Webster’s).

• A dynamic and organized set of characteristics possessed by a person that uniquely influences his or her cognitions,motivations, and behaviors in various situations (Ryckman 2004).

• The word "personality" originates from the Latin persona, which means mask. Significantly, in the theatre of the ancient Latin speaking world, the mask was not used as a plot device to disguise the identity of a character, but rather was a convention employed to represent or typify that character (www.wikipedia.com).

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

• Carl Jung (Theory of Personality Type)

• Myers-Briggs (Mother-Daughter) Assessment

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

• The purpose of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® is to make the theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung understandable and useful in people’s lives.

• The essence of the theory is what seems to be random variation in behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment (www.myersbriggs.org).

What is the MBTI®? • Most widely utilized personality preference

instrument in the world• Based on Jung’s theory of personality types

• Benefits:– Evaluate strengths and areas of development– Helps to understand personality differences in

others and to use them constructively– Supports our learning about how to be more

effective

What the MBTI® Reports

Innate preferences for:

– What energizes you

– How you gather data

– How you make decisions

– How you approach life

– Not ability, mental health, or

intelligence

Innate preferences for:

– What energizes you

– How you gather data

– How you make decisions

– How you approach life

– Not ability, mental health, or

intelligence

© Otto Kroeger Associates 1999

ENERGY FLOW

E

S

T

J P

F

N

IA T T I T U D E

A T T I T U D E

TH

E F

OU

R

FU

NC

TIO

NSP

TH

E F

OU

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FU

NC

TIO

NS

DATA GATHERING PERCEIVING FUNCTION

JDECISION MAKINGJUDGING FUNCTION

ORIENTATIONTO THE OUTER

WORLD

The groups…

• Extravert or Introvert• Sensing or Intuitive• Feeler or Thinker• Judger or Perceiver

16 different 4-letter combinationsWhich one are you?

Where do you get your energy?Extraversion IntroversionWhere do you get your energy?Extraversion Introversion

Extraverts versus IntrovertsExtravert and Introvert How do you get energy?

Extraverts– energy flow is outward– preferred focus is on other people & things– prefer talking to communicate– use expression to work through things

Introverts– energy flow is inward– preferred focus is on one's own thoughts, ideas & impressions– prefer writing to communicate – use thinking, imagining & reflecting to work through things

How do you gather How do you gather informationinformation??

How do you gather How do you gather informationinformation??

SSensingensing IInntuitiontuition

Sensing versus INtuitionSensing and INtuition

How do you prefer to take in information?

Sensing– tend to focus on the present – prefer concrete, tangible information– prefer to receive data primarily from the five senses– like the details

Intuitives – tend to focus on the future– view towards patterns and possibilities– prefer to receive data from the subconscious, or seeing relationships via

insights– big picture people

How do you make decisions?

Thinking Feeling

How do you make decisions?

Thinking Feeling

Judging Function

Feeler versus ThinkerFeeler and Thinker

How do you make decisions?

Thinkers – tend to base their decisions on logic – use "true or false, if-then" connections – objective analysis of cause and effect– just the facts

Feelers– tend to base their decisions primarily on values – use "more or less & better-worse" evaluations– subjective evaluation of person centered concerns– take into account others.

• It could be said that thinkers decide with their heads, while feelers decide with their hearts.

How do you live your life?Judging Perceiving

How do you live your life?Judging Perceiving

When the world comes at you, how do you deal with it?

Judging versus PerceivingJudging and Perceiving

How do you deal with the outer world?

Judgers– tend to like a planned and organized approach to life – prefer to have things settled– love structure

Perceivers – tend to like a flexible and spontaneous approach to life – prefer to keep their options open– love freedom

• The terminology may be misleading for some—the term "Judging" does not imply "judgmental", and "Perceiving" does not imply "perceptive".

Estimate of the preferences found in the US population

Population BreakdownISTJ 11.6%ISFJ 13.8%INFJ 1.5%INTJ 2.1%ISTP 5.4%ISFP 8.8%INFP 4.4%INTP 3.3%ESTP 4.3%ESFP 8.5%ENFP 8.1%ENTP 3.2%ESTJ 8.7%

ESFJ 12.3%ENFJ 2.4%ENTJ 1.8%

Interpreting Results• Your type consists of four letters

– Represents your four preferences

Interpreting Results• Bars on graph illustrate clarity of

preferences– Longer bars suggest more clarity of

preference, shorter bars suggest less clarity

Does your type description sound like you?

TONIGHT: Reflect in 200 WP blog post about your MBTI & how it

does/does not reflect who you are.