What is MBTI?
MBTI stands for Myers-Brigg Type Indicator, which is a modern interpretation of the concept of personality types and they are involved in our day-to-day functions and activities. The best way to explain this is to start from the origins of the whole theory itself with a psychologist named Carl Gustav Jung.
The basis of Jung's theory is that while we are awake and active, we are alternating between taking in information and making decisions within our internal and external worlds. Jung came to the conclusion that we do this through eight different patterns in regards to how we carry out these activities. These are referred to as the “Function-Attitudes” |
-The Attitudes-
The first pair of opposites are the two methods Jung identified that were used to adapt and orient ourselves to the world: Introversion and Extroversion. Jung’s attitudes of Introversion and Extroversion are:
Extroversion: Our energy moves toward the outer world of people, places and things; the world outside of us
Introversion: Our energy moves toward the inner world of thoughts and ideas; the world inside of us
Jung believed that our orientation to the world is a foundational aspect of our personalities. Despite switching between these two “worlds” during the course of our day to fit various needs, Jung believed that in one of these we feel the most comfortable and “at home.”
Extroversion: Our energy moves toward the outer world of people, places and things; the world outside of us
Introversion: Our energy moves toward the inner world of thoughts and ideas; the world inside of us
Jung believed that our orientation to the world is a foundational aspect of our personalities. Despite switching between these two “worlds” during the course of our day to fit various needs, Jung believed that in one of these we feel the most comfortable and “at home.”
-The Functions-
Jung observed that one’s preference for Extroversion or Introversion could not alone account for the many behavioral differences he observed between people.
For this Jung identified another opposing pair of mental functions that people use to take in information: The Perceiving Functions of Sensing and Intuition.
Sensing Perception: The process of collecting concrete data through using our five senses.
Intuitive Perception: The process by which we make connections and infer meanings beyond sensory data.
After this Jung also pointed out an opposing pair of functions that we use to evaluate information, and make decisions: The Judging Functions of Thinking and Feeling.
Thinking Judgement: The process we use for evaluating information by applying objective and logical criteria.
Feeling Judgement: The process we use for evaluating information by considering what is important to me and you.
For this Jung identified another opposing pair of mental functions that people use to take in information: The Perceiving Functions of Sensing and Intuition.
Sensing Perception: The process of collecting concrete data through using our five senses.
Intuitive Perception: The process by which we make connections and infer meanings beyond sensory data.
After this Jung also pointed out an opposing pair of functions that we use to evaluate information, and make decisions: The Judging Functions of Thinking and Feeling.
Thinking Judgement: The process we use for evaluating information by applying objective and logical criteria.
Feeling Judgement: The process we use for evaluating information by considering what is important to me and you.
The Eight Mental Functions-in-Attitude:
After the functions and attitudes were created Jung also noticed that Introversion and Extroversion were used in conjunction with each Perceiving and Judging Functions. When he combined the Functions (Sensing, Intuition, Thinking, and Feeling) with the Attitudes (Introversion and Extroversion) The Eight Mental Function-in-Attitude attitudes were made which soon became the very core of Jung’s Psychological types.
Extroverted Sensing - Introverted Sensing
Extroverted Intuition - Introverted Intuition
Extroverted Feeling - Introverted Feeling
Extroverted Thinking - Introverted Thinking
Extroverted Sensing - Introverted Sensing
Extroverted Intuition - Introverted Intuition
Extroverted Feeling - Introverted Feeling
Extroverted Thinking - Introverted Thinking
Next, Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Myers Briggs stepped in and took a spin to Jung's concept. Myers and Briggs considered their work to be an extension of Jung’s theory. Based on their study and knowledge of the theory, and the extensive testing of questions on friends and family, the mother-daughter team created a self-report instrument with questions on four separate dichotomies. The questions were constructed to require a person to select from opposite poles on these dichotomies (forced choice questions) to mirror Jung’s opposites. A person’s preferences on each of the dichotomies are scored and reported in the form of a four-letter type code.
The first three came directly from Jung’s theory:
-Extroversion (E) or Introversion (I): Which is where our energy naturally flows to.
-Sensing (S) or Intuition (N): Which is how we perceive and take in information.
-Thinking (T) or Feeling (F): Which is how we evaluate information.
and a new fourth dichotomy which was created due to incorporate something Jung had briefly noted something in regards to a Secondary or Auxiliary function. Jung had only structured his descriptions around a superior or dominant function which had excluded the other seven which Myers and Briggs found as limiting and not understandable to be used in the spectrum of everyday life. The last dichotomy known as the J-P Dichotomy provided information of the Dominant Function as well as an Auxiliary Function. This transformed Jung’s original Eight Types into the 16 MBTI types. This dichotomy now showed what kind of function we showed to the outside world.
-Judging (J): We show the world our Thinking or Feeling Function.
-Perceiving (P): We show the world our Sensing or Intuition Function.
And now a description for the 16 Personality types.
The first three came directly from Jung’s theory:
-Extroversion (E) or Introversion (I): Which is where our energy naturally flows to.
-Sensing (S) or Intuition (N): Which is how we perceive and take in information.
-Thinking (T) or Feeling (F): Which is how we evaluate information.
and a new fourth dichotomy which was created due to incorporate something Jung had briefly noted something in regards to a Secondary or Auxiliary function. Jung had only structured his descriptions around a superior or dominant function which had excluded the other seven which Myers and Briggs found as limiting and not understandable to be used in the spectrum of everyday life. The last dichotomy known as the J-P Dichotomy provided information of the Dominant Function as well as an Auxiliary Function. This transformed Jung’s original Eight Types into the 16 MBTI types. This dichotomy now showed what kind of function we showed to the outside world.
-Judging (J): We show the world our Thinking or Feeling Function.
-Perceiving (P): We show the world our Sensing or Intuition Function.
And now a description for the 16 Personality types.