THE MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE
©
INDICATOR
“INFPS DO IT BETTER”
Presented by: Andrea Sides and Derek Brown
Outline

Background of the MBTI

Type Descriptions

Reliability and Validity

Utility of the Test

Ethical Considerations
Background

The MBTI instrument



Based on Jung's ideas about perception and judgment, and the
attitudes in which these are used in different types of people.
The essence of the theory is that random variation in behavior is
actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic
differences in the way individuals prefer to use their perception
and judgment.
The aim of the MBTI instrument is to identify, from self-report of
easily recognized reactions, the basic preferences of people in
regard to perception and judgment, so that the effects of each
preference, singly and in combination, can be established by
research and put into practical use.
Background

The MBTI instrument differs from many other
personality instruments in these ways:
 It
is designed to implement a theory; therefore the
theory must be understood to understand the MBTI
instrument.
 The theory postulates dichotomies; therefore some of
the psychometric properties are unusual.
 Based on the theory, there are specific dynamic
relationships between the scales, which lead to the
descriptions and characteristics of sixteen "types."
Type Descriptions

The MBTI instrument contains four separate indices.
Each index reflects one of four basic preferences
which, under Jung's theory, direct the use of
perception and judgment.
 Extraversion
v. Introversion
 Sensing v. Intuition
 Thinking v. Feeling
 Judgment v. Perception
Type Descriptions (E-I)

Extroversion:
 Refers
to the preference of directing your energy to
dealing with people, things, situations, or "the outer
world.”

Introversion:
 Refers
to the preference of directing your energy to
deal with ideas, information, explanations or beliefs, or
"the inner world.”
Type Descriptions (E-I)

The E–I index is designed to reflect whether a
person is an extravert or an introvert.
 Extraverts
are oriented primarily toward the outer
world; thus they tend to focus their perception and
judgment on people and objects.
 Introverts are oriented primarily toward the inner
world; thus they tend to focus their perception and
judgment upon concepts and ideas.
Type Descriptions (S- I)

Sensing:
 Refers
to the preference of dealing with facts, what you
know, to have clarity, or to describe what you see.

Intuition:
 Refers
to the preference of dealing with ideas, looking
into the unknown, generating new possibilities or
anticipating what is not obvious.
Type Descriptions (S-I)

The S–N index is designed to reflect a person's
preference between two opposite ways of
perceiving
 One
may rely primarily upon the process of sensing (S),
which reports observable facts or happenings through
one or more of the five senses
 One may rely upon the less obvious process of intuition
(N), which reports meanings, relationships and/or
possibilities that have been worked out beyond the
reach of the conscious mind.
Type Descriptions (T-F)

Thinking:
 Refers
to the preference of deciding on the basis of
objective logic, using an analytic and detached
approach.

Feeling:
 Refers
to the preference of deciding to use values
and/or personal beliefs, on the basis of what you
believe is important or what you or others care about.
Type Descriptions (T-F)

The T–F index is designed to reflect a person's
preference between two contrasting ways of
judgment.
A
person may rely primarily through thinking (T) to
decide impersonally on the basis of logical
consequences
 A person may rely primarily on feelings (F) to decide
primarily on the basis of personal or social values.
Type Descriptions (J-P)

Judgment:
 Refers
to the preference of life being planned, stable
and organized.

Perception:
 Refers
to the preference of going with the flow,
maintaining flexibility and responding to things as they
arise.
Type Descriptions (J-P)

The J–P index is designed to describe the process a
person uses primarily in dealing with the outer
world (the extraverted part of life).
A
person who prefers judgment (J) has reported a
preference for using a judgment process (either thinking
or feeling) for dealing with the outer world.
 A person who prefers perception (P) has reported a
preference for using a perceptive process (either S or
N) for dealing with the outer world.
Your Personal Code

When you put these four letters together, you get
your personality type code, and there are sixteen
combinations.
 For
example, INTJ indicates that you prefer Introversion,
Intuition, Thinking and Judging
 *Remember,
this indicates preferences only - an INTJ also
uses Extraversion, Sensing, Feeling and Perception.
Reliability of the MBTI
 Reliabilities
(when scores are treated as
continuous scores, as in most other
psychological instruments) are as good or
better than other personality instruments.
 On
retest, people come out with three to four
type preferences the same 75-90% of the
time.
Reliability of the MBTI
 The
reliabilities are quite good across age and
ethnic groups, although reliabilities on some scales
with some groups may be somewhat lower.
 The
T-F scale tends to have the lowest reliability of the
four scales.
 There
are some groups for whom reliabilities are
especially low, and caution needs to be exercised
in thinking about using the MBTI® instrument with
these groups. (For example, children)
Validity of the MBTI

Can you use an individual’s type indicator to predict
people’s behavior or job performance?
In general…
 Introversion/Extroversion
scale of MBTI receives
moderate marks from researchers on all three major
tests of validity.
 Sensing/Intuition and Thinking/Feeling scales show
generally weak validity.
Validity of the MBTI

In summary…
It appears that the MBTI does not conform to many of the
basic standards expected of psychological tests.
 Many very specific predictions about the MBTI have not
been confirmed or have been proved wrong.
 There is no obvious evidence that there are 16 unique
categories in which all people can be placed.
 There is no evidence that scores generated by the MBTI
reflect the stable and unchanging personality traits that are
claimed to be measured.
 Finally, there is no evidence that the MBTI measures anything
of value.

MBTI & the Big 5
Extraversion
Openness
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Neuroticism
E-I
-.74
.03
-.03
.08
.16
S-N
.10
.72
.04
-.15
-.06
T-F
.19
.02
.44
-.15
.06
J-P
.15
.30
-.06
-.49
.11
The closer the number is to 1.0 or -1.0, the higher the degree of correlation.
So…Who Uses This?!?!

The MBTI is used in the areas of:
 Education
 Career
Counseling
 Parenting and Family Dynamics
 Organizational Development
 Counseling and Psychotherapy
Ethical Considerations
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
Taking the instrument is always voluntary. The
information is not to be used to label, evaluate, or limit
any individual in any way.
Providing feedback to the individual and or group is
intended to enhance rather than to limit or restrict the
functioning of the individual or group.
The administrator must use terms and descriptors that
are non-judgmental and describe type attributes as
tendencies, preferences, or inclinations rather than as
absolutes.
Ethical Considerations
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The administrator should be careful not to over
generalize or over simplify results and imply that all
people of a certain type behave the same way.
One should not state or imply that type explains
everything. Type does not reflect an individual's ability,
intelligence, likelihood of success, emotions, or normalcy.
It is unethical and in many cases illegal to require job
applicants to take the Indicator if the results will be
used to screen out applicants.
WE NEED A
VOLUNTEER!!!!