The Stor y of Isabel Briggs Myers

Isabel Briggs Myers, with a bachelor's degree in political science and no academic affiliation, was
responsible for the creation of what has become the most widely used and highly respected personality
inventory of all time. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

(MBTI

instrument, now ta!en by at least two

million people each year-and translated into si"teen languages-was developed over a period of more
than forty years, progressing from Isabel Myers' dining room to a cottage industry, to the prestigious
#ducational Testing $ervice, and to its current publisher, %&&, Inc.
Isabel Myers and her mother, Katharine Cook Briggs, both astute observers of human behavior,
were drawn to %. '. (ung's wor!, which spar!ed their interest into a passionate devotion to put the
theory of psychological type to practical use. )ith the onset of )orld )ar II, Isabel Myers recogni*ed
that a psychological instrument that has as its foundation the understanding and appreciation of human
differences would be invaluable. $he researched and developed the Indicator over the ne"t four
decades, until her death in +,-.. /ollowing are the tenets of Isabel Myers' philosophy, found among
her papers after her death. $he was !nown for her !een intelligence and tenacious curiosity, as well as
a deeply held set of values and generosity of spirit. $he is remembered for her enormous contribution
to the field of psychological testing and to the theory of typology, but also for her strength of character
and her tireless pursuit of human understanding.
What Is To Be Desired?

Self-respect: To be part of the solution, not part of the problem
Love: To love the human beings that mean the most to me, and contribute to their lives if I can
Peace of Mind: To avoid mista!es that ma!e me regret the past or fear the future
Involvement: 0lways to be tremendously interested
Understanding: To incorporate the things, people and ideas that happen to me into a coherent concept of the world
reedom: To wor! at what interests me most, with minimum e"penditure of time and energy on non-essentials

1 Isabel Briggs Myers
Isabel Briggs Myers was born 2ctober +-, +-,3, to 4yman (. Briggs and 5atharine %oo! Briggs and
spent her childhood in )ashington, 6.%., where her father wor!ed as a physicist. $he was home-
schooled by her mother, a tradition carried on from 5atharine's own upbringing. Isabel writes about the
influence of her parents' ways on what ultimately became her life's wor!7
The whole Indicator project is the result of four pieces of tremendous luck that I had in my life. The
first one was the kind of people that I got born to. My father, Lyman J. Briggs, was a research
physicist. t the time that we actually got to making the Type Indicator he was the !irector of the
Bureau of "tandards in #ashington. $esearch was what he cared about most, and so I grew up
thinking that the greatest fun in the world was to find out something that nobody knew yet, and maybe
you could dig it out. My mother was a faculty child% her father was on the faculty of Michigan "tate
back when it was Michigan gricultural &ollege. This was at that time when there was no school on the
campus, so faculty kids got taught by their parents. I don't think mother could remember who taught
her writing, but she thought they did a (ery bad job of it. "he ne(er went to any school until she went
into college which she did at the age of )*. . . . +a(ing been in the habit of doing without formal
schooling before the college le(el, my mother put the same thing into practice, and I went to school
(ery little until I went to "warthmore &ollege. I grew all the way up to college with the idea that you
can do things without ha(ing formally studied them. nd that is an ingredient in the history of the Type
Indicator.
)hile at $warthmore %ollege, Isabel Myers encountered what she refers to as a 8piece of enormous
luc!8 when she met and fell in love with %larence 8%hief8 Myers, who was at that time preparing for a
career in law. The love and devotion that began in college continued undiminished over the ne"t si"ty-
one years. 9ere is a brief history of Isabel Myers' life and the development of the MBTI

instrument
e"cerpted from an article by Mary Mc%aulley, &h.6., president and co-founder of the %enter for
0pplications of &sychological Type (%0&T. This article first appeared in the (uly +,-. edition of MBTI

,ews. The difference between Isabel's type preference (I:/& and %larence's type preference (I$T(
was an important fact in the history of the MBTI

;instrument<. )hen as!ed once how she came to

create the Indicator, Isabel Myers replied, 'Because I married %hief.' The difference between them was
clear to Isabel's mother when %hief was brought home to meet the family one %hristmas vacation.
5atharine Briggs concluded that her prospective son-in-law was an admirable young man, but not at all
li!e others in their family. 5atharine embar!ed on a pro=ect of reading biographies and developed her
own typology based on patterns she found. $he identified meditative types, spontaneous types,
e"ecutive types, and sociable types (later identified as Is, #&s, #T(s and #/(s. )hen 5atharine Briggs
discovered %. '. (ung's boo!, &sychological Types, she reported to her daughter, 'This is it>' and
proceeded to study the boo! intensely. Mother and daughter became avid 'type watchers' over the ne"t
twenty years. %larence and Isabel were married in +,+- and settled in $warthmore, a suburb of
&hiladelphia where %larence practiced law. Two children were born of the marriage. &eter Briggs Myers
and 0nn Myers 9ughes. 0nn died une"pectedly after minor surgery in +,3?. Isabel and %larence had
four grandchildren, (onathan and (ennifer Myers, and 5athleen and 6ouglas 9ughes.
)hen )orld )ar II began, Isabel Myers sought a way to help by finding a means for people to
understand rather than destroy each other. In addition, she noticed many people ta!ing =obs out of
patriotism, but hating the tas!s that went against their grain instead of using their gifts. $he decided it
was time to put (ung's ideas about type to practical use. 0 type indicator was needed.
In the ne"t twenty years she carried on her activities in a way that was characteristic of her type. 0n
Introvert, she wor!ed alone, ta!ing each of (ung's propositions seriously and finding ways from her
own e"perience to use and e"tend them. 9er #"traverted Intuition was ever alert to new meanings,
new patterns, new insights. 0s she moved further into the intricacies of test construction, she
harnessed her less preferred $ensing and Thin!ing preferences, using them consciously to further the
goals of her dominant /eeling. 0 person who disli!ed detail in other areas, she would spend wee!s and
months scoring and analy*ing data on thousands of cases to come up with one fact of interest.
4ater in her life when she was in her seventies, she described the writing of the Manual and mentioned
that she considered the criticisms a person with a Thin!ing preference would ma!e, and then directed
her own thin!ing to find an answer. 0n #"travert to whom she was spea!ing, said that if he wanted to
!now the criticisms of someone with a Thin!ing preference, he would not loo! into his own head. 9e
would go find some thin!ers, and as! them. Isabel loo!ed startled and then amused.
/inancially supported by her family, the wor! progressed for more than twenty years. $he did not wor!
entirely alone, however. #dward :. 9ay, then head of personnel for a large &hiladelphia ban!, and later
a well-!nown management consultant, let her wor! with the ban!'s personnel tests to familiari*e
herself with test construction. /riends and family served as sources of items and helped test their
validity. $he persuaded principals of schools in eastern &ennsylvania to permit her to test thousands of
students. 0 ma=or change in the development of the Indicator came when her father happened to
mention his daughter's wor! to the 6ean of the 'eorge )ashington $chool of Medicine, who permitted
her to test the freshmen at his school. This was the beginning of a sample that eventually included
@,A@@ medical students, one of the largest longitudinal studies in medicine. This sample engaged her
attention intermittently for years. $he obtained data after four years and analy*ed dropouts, and over-
and under-achievers. $he loo!ed up the students after twelve years to see if they had chosen
specialties to fit their typesB they had. In +,CD she presented a paper on her findings in 4os 0ngeles at
the 0merican &sychological 0ssociation. $he never published her findings, but a monograph bringing
together all the wor! on her medical study was prepared under government contract in +,33 and is
available from %0&T.
By the time she presented the 4os 0ngeles paper, she had also become interested in nursing and
stopped at cities on her way home to persuade nursing schools to test their students. $he ultimately
collected a sample of over +.,... nursing students from 3+ diploma nursing schools and C3. of their
faculty. The reason Isabel Myers was especially interested in students in the health professions was
that she believed accurate perception and informed =udgment, i.e., good type development, are
especially important in professionals who have others' lives in their hands. $he hoped the use of the
MBTI

;instrument< in training physicians and nurses would lead to programs during medical school for
increasing command of perception and =udgment for all types, and for helping students choose
specialties most suited to their gifts. $he returned to the medical sample from time to time over a
period of twenty-five years.
In the early days of the medical sample, #ducational Testing $ervice (#T$ heard of the MBTI

;instrument< from a medical school dean. 9enry %hauncey, then president of #T$, as!ed a psychologist
on the staff, 6avid $aunders, to investigate the MBTI

;instrument<. In +,C?, #T$ published the MBTI

;instrument<, strictly for research use, against ob=ections of some of the staff. /or the first time MBTI

data would be on a computer and Isabel could try out more Euestions.
In the +,C.s, several years after publication, 9arold 'rant, first at 0uburn and later at Michigan $tate
Fniversity, introduced many students to the MBTI

;instrument<, and a series of important basic studies

were conducted under his guidance. $lowly, the MBTI

;instrument< was being discovered.

The +,3.s saw increasing appreciation of Isabel Myers' wor! as faculty and students of the Fniversity
of /lorida began wor!ing with the Indicator. /or some time she visited the university several times a
year, and she and Mary Mc%aulley, &h.6., attended other professional meetings together. /or the first
time, she met and shared ideas with numbers of people who were using her wor!. 6uring this period,
Isabel Myers and 6r. Mc%aulley collaborated on developing a program to test a large body of
unpublished research whereby Isabel Myers hoped to individuali*e the Indicator, using MBTI

;instrument< response patterns to identify problems in use of perception and =udgmentB the goal of this
wor! was to suggest ne"t steps to further type development. Individually and together they conducted
pilot studies to test their program.
Three national MBTI

conferences were held1the first at the Fniversity of /lorida in +,3@, the second at
Michigan $tate Fniversity in +,33, and the third in &hiladelphia in +,3,. 9er health did not permit
attendance in +,33, but Isabel Myers en=oyed the other two thoroughly, though at times she would be
dismayed at the ways researchers treated her data. 'I !now Intuitive types will have to change the
MBTI

;instrument<. That's in their nature, ' she would say. 'But I do hope that before they change it,
they will first try to understand what I did. I did have my reasons.' In +,3@, publication of the Indicator
was assumed by %&&, Inc. /or the first time, the MBTI

;instrument< was available as an instrument

ready for use in helping people.
6espite failing health, from +,3@ to +,3, Isabel re-standardi*ed the MBTI

;instrument< and developed

the shorter form, /orm ', paying attention to every detail, including design of the new scoring !eys.
$he also conducted a study aimed at refining MBTI

scoring. $he completed her boo!, 'ifts 6iffering

and had the pleasure of seeing the galley proofs in the last month of her life. $he remained actively
interested in a chapter on the MBTI

;instrument< to appear in the ne"t volume of &aul McGeynolds'

0dvances in &ersonality 0ssessment. $hortly before her death, she and 9arold 'rant wor!ed out a plan
for validation of her research to individuali*e the MBTI

;instrument<, using the longitudinal data at

0uburn Fniversity, so that her many years of research on type development could be published and put
to use. In the last months of her life, when she spent much time sleeping or fighting fatigue, the sound
of a theoretically interesting idea would cause her to sit bolt upright, her eyes spar!ling, her incisive
mind all curiosity and challenge. Throughout her research life, any mention of a sample in which
members had high e"cellence or demonstrable problems set her off to study their answer sheets in
search of response patterns that might predict their behavior. 2ver the years she completed a number
of what she called 'little studies' comparing criterion groups with base populations of hundreds or
thousands, without help from computers.
In conversation, she was always appreciative and interested, never critical. It was not wise to be lulled
into complacency by her warm approbation, however. If you used a negative ad=ective to describe a
type, she gently substituted another ad=ective with the same intent, but with a neutral tone. 'Hou
mentioned pig headed. 6id you mean firmI' If you assumed she was tal!ing 'arm-chair' philosophy on a
point, you found there were months of wor! and analysis behind her statements. $he cared deeply
about her wor! and fought for it against all criticisms. If data showed her wrong, she was all attention.
$he now had a new problem to solve to improve the Indicator. $he never ceased her search for
perfection. -I dream that long after I'm gone, my work will go on helping people.-Isabel Myers, +,3,
/rom small beginnings four decades earlier, through long, solitary years of painsta!ing research and
development, Isabel Myers saw, at the end of her life, acceptance and appreciation of her wor!. Much
more important to her was the certainty that what she had created would indeed go on to enrich
millions of lives in the years to come.
The Reliabili ty and Validi ty of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Instrument
The following e"cerpts are adapted from %hapter 3 of Building .eople, Building .rograms, written by 6rs. 'ordon
4awrence and %harles Martin. !elia"ilit#
)hat is reliabilityI Geliability is how consistently a test measures what it attempts to measure. )hy is
consistency importantI )ell, when you measure something with an instrument two times, you want it
to come out with the same answer (or close to it both times. )ith the MBTI

instrument, as with other

psychological instruments, you want the person to come out the same type both times they ta!e it (this
is test/retest reliability, the !ind most people care about. Because personality is 8slippery8 to measure,
psychological instruments cannot have the same consistency you would e"pect from, say, a ruler. But
there are generally accepted standards for psychological instruments. . . . It should be understood that
the MBTI

instrument meets and e"ceeds the standards for psychological instruments in terms of its
reliability. There is also a !ind of reliability that addresses the degree to which someone answers
Euestions consistently on any given scale on the same taking of the MBTI

instrument. This is, not

surprisingly, called internal consistency reliability. This is of special interest to people who construct
instruments because the more consistency there is, the less 8noise8 there is in the measurement
process. It is of interest to (MBTI

practitioners because it tells us that there is more 8noise8 when

using the MBTI

instrument with some groups of respondents 1 and this is important to !now.8

"ome conclusions about the reliability of the MBTI

instrument that would be helpful to know . . .

+. Geliabilities (when scores are treated as continuous scores, as in most other psychological instruments are as
good or better than other personality instruments.
?. 2n retest, people come out with three to four type preferences the same 3@-,.J of the time.
A. )hen people change their type on retest, it is usually on one scale, and in scales where the preference clarity
was low.
D. The reliabilities are Euite good across age and ethnic groups, although reliabilities on some scales with some
groups may be somewhat lower. The T-/ scale tends to have the lowest reliability of the four scales.
5. There are some groups for whom reliabilities are especially low, and caution needs to be e"ercised in thin!ing
about using the MBTI

instrument with these groups. (/or e"ample, children

$alidit#
)hat is validityI Kalidity is the degree to which an instrument measures what it intends to measure,
and the degree to which the 8thing8 that the instrument measures has meaning. )hy is this importantI
If type is real (or rather, if it is an idea that reflects the real world with any accuracy, then we should
be able to use type to understand and predict people's behavior to some degree. Type should help us
ma!e useful distinctions in the values, attitudes and behaviors of different people. The Euestion of
validity essentially as!s the Euestion, 8Is this type stuff realI8 %hapter :ine in the Manual (Ard #dition
broadly describes the !ind of research that is done to demonstrate the validity of the MBTI

instrument,
and large amounts of data are summari*ed in that chapter. Three broad categories of data are
summari*ed7 (+ evidence for the validity of the four separate scalesB (? evidence for the validity of
the four preference pairs as dichotomiesB and (A evidence for the validity of whole types or particular
combinations of preferences. These three categories of data all spea! to Euestion of validity. Three boo!s
offered through the %0&T catalog that go into an in depth discussion of the Geliability and Kalidity of the MBTI

instrument are7 The MBTI Manual, "tatistics and Measurement, and Building .eople, Building .rograms.
The Sixteen Types at a Glance By %harl es Marti n, &h.6.
IST%
/or I$T(s the dominant Euality in their lives is an abiding sense of responsibility for doing what needs
to be done in the here-and-now. Their realism, organi*ing abilities, and command of the facts lead to
their completing tas!s thoroughly and with great attention to detail. 4ogical pragmatists at heart, I$T(s
ma!e decisions based on their e"perience and with an eye to efficiency in all things. I$T(s are intensely
committed to people and to the organi*ations of which they are a partB they ta!e their wor! seriously
and believe others should do so as well.
IS%
/or I$/(s the dominant Euality in their lives is an abiding respect and sense of personal responsibility
for doing what needs to be done in the here-and-now. 0ctions that are of practical help to others are of
particular importance to I$/(s. Their realism, organi*ing abilities, and command of the facts lead to
their thorough attention in completing tas!s. I$/(s bring an aura of Euiet warmth, caring, and
dependability to all that they doB they ta!e their wor! seriously and believe others should do so as well.
I&%
/or I:/(s the dominant Euality in their lives is their attention to the inner world of possibilities, ideas,
and symbols. 5nowing by way of insight is paramount for I:/(s, and they often manifest a deep
concern for people and relationships as well. I:/(s often have deep interests in creative e"pression as
well as issues of spirituality and human development. )hile the energy and attention of I:/(s are
naturally drawn to the inner world of ideas and insights, what people often first encounter with I:/(s is
their drive for closure and for the application of their ideas to people's concerns.
I&T%
/or I:T(s the dominant force in their lives is their attention to the inner world of possibilities, symbols,
abstractions, images, and thoughts. Insight in con=unction with logical analysis is the essence of their
approach to the worldB they thin! systemically. Ideas are the substance of life for I:T(s and they have
a driving need to understand, to !now, and to demonstrate competence in their areas of interest. I:T(s
inherently trust their insights, and with their tas!-orientation will wor! intensely to ma!e their visions
into realities.
ISTP
/or I$T&s the driving force in their lives is to understand how things and phenomena in the real world
wor! so they can ma!e the best and most effective use of them. I$T&s are logical and realistic people,
and they are natural troubleshooters. )hen not actively solving a problem, I$T&s are Euiet and
analytical observers of their environment, and they naturally loo! for the underlying sense to any facts
they have gathered. I$T&s do often pursue variety and even e"citement in their hands-on e"periences.
0lthough they do have a spontaneous, even playful side, what people often first encounter with them is
their detached pragmatism.
ISP
/or I$/&s the dominant Euality in their lives is a deep-felt caring for living things, combined with a
Euietly playful and sometimes adventurous approach to life and all its e"periences. I$/&s typically show
their caring in very practical ways, since they often prefer action to words. Their warmth and concern
are generally not e"pressed openly, and what people often first encounter with I$/&s is their Euiet
adaptability, realism, and 8free spirit8 spontaneity.
I&P
/or I:/&s the dominant Euality in their lives is a deep-felt caring and idealism about people. They
e"perience this intense caring most often in their relationships with others, but they may also
e"perience it around ideas, pro=ects, or any involvement they see as important. I:/&s are often s!illed
communicators, and they are naturally drawn to ideas that embody a concern for human potential.
I:/&s live in the inner world of values and ideals, but what people often first encounter with the I:/& in
the outer world is their adaptability and concern for possibilities.
I&TP
/or I:T&s the driving force in their lives is to understand whatever phenomenon is the focus of their
attention. They want to ma!e sense of the world -- as a concept -- and they often en=oy opportunities
to be creative. I:T&s are logical, analytical, and detached in their approach to the worldB they naturally
Euestion and critiEue ideas and events as they strive for understanding. I:T&s usually have little need
to control the outer world, or to bring order to it, and they often appear very fle"ible and adaptable in
their lifestyle.
'STP
/or #$T&s the dominant Euality in their lives is their enthusiastic attention to the outer world of hands-
on and real-life e"periences. #$T&s are e"cited by continuous involvement in new activities and in the
pursuit of new challenges. #$T&s tend to be logical and analytical in their approach to life, and they
have an acute sense of how ob=ects, events, and people in the world wor!. #$T&s are typically
energetic and adaptable realists, who prefer to e"perience and accept life rather than to =udge or
organi*e it.
'SP
/or #$/&s the dominant Euality in their lives is their enthusiastic attention to the outer world of hands-
on and real-life e"periences. #$/&s are e"cited by continuous involvement in new activities and new
relationships. #$/&s also have a deep concern for people, and they show their caring in warm and
pragmatic gestures of helping. #$/&s are typically energetic and adaptable realists, who prefer to
e"perience and accept life rather than to =udge or organi*e it.
'&P
/or #:/&s the dominant Euality in their lives is their attention to the outer world of possibilitiesB they
are e"cited by continuous involvement in anything new, whether it be new ideas, new people, or new
activities. Though #:/&s thrive on what is possible and what is new, they also e"perience a deep
concern for people as well. Thus, they are especially interested in possibilities for people. #:/&s are
typically energetic, enthusiastic people who lead spontaneous and adaptable lives.
'&TP
/or #:T&s the driving Euality in their lives is their attention to the outer world of possibilitiesB they are
e"cited by continuous involvement in anything new, whether it be new ideas, new people, or new
activities. They loo! for patterns and meaning in the world, and they often have a deep need to
analy*e, to understand, and to !now the nature of things. #:T&s are typically energetic, enthusiastic
people who lead spontaneous and adaptable lives.
'ST%
/or #$T(s the driving force in their lives is their need to analy*e and bring into logical order the outer
world of events, people, and things. #$T(s li!e to organi*e anything that comes into their domain, and
they will wor! energetically to complete tas!s so they can Euic!ly move from one to the ne"t. $ensing
orients their thin!ing to current facts and realities, and thus gives their thin!ing a pragmatic Euality.
#$T(s ta!e their responsibilities seriously and believe others should do so as well.
'S%
/or #$/(s the dominant Euality in their lives is an active and intense caring about people and a strong
desire to bring harmony into their relationships. #$/(s bring an aura of warmth to all that they do, and
they naturally move into action to help others, to organi*e the world around them, and to get things
done. $ensing orients their feeling to current facts and realities, and thus gives their feeling a hands-on
pragmatic Euality. #$/(s ta!e their wor! seriously and believe others should as well.
'&%
/or #:/(s the dominant Euality in their lives is an active and intense caring about people and a strong
desire to bring harmony into their relationships. #:/(s are openly e"pressive and empathic people who
bring an aura of warmth to all that they do. Intuition orients their feeling to the new and to the
possible, thus #:/(s often en=oy wor!ing to manifest a humanitarian vision, or helping others develop
their potential. #:/(s naturally and conscientiously move into action to care for others, to organi*e the
world around them, and to get things done.
'&T%
/or #:T(s the driving force in their lives is their need to analy*e and bring into logical order the outer
world of events, people, and things. #:T(s are natural leaders who build conceptual models that serve
as plans for strategic action. Intuition orients their thin!ing to the future, and gives their thin!ing an
abstract Euality. #:T(s will actively pursue and direct others in the pursuit of goals they have set, and
they prefer a world that is structured and organi*ed.
The Dynamic Basis for Type %har l es Mart i n, &h. 6.
Looki ng at Type01 The 2undamental s
&ubl i shed and copyri ght ed by %0&T i n +,,3
Type is more than simply the four basic preferencesB it is in fact a dynamic and complex
interrelated system of personality. The different components of a person's psychological type wor!
in an interrelated way to establish balance and effectiveness. Type is a lifelong developmental process,
and many factors can affect the direction of type development.
The Mental (nctions
In type language, you have four mental functions7 $ensing, Intuition, Thin!ing and /eeling. The four
mental functions are the basis for much of your mental activity.
Two are for gathering information -that is, they are used for perceiving 7
&erceiving Sensing (S perception of details and current realities functions Int!ition (" perception
of patterns and future possibilities
Two are for organi#ing information and for making decisions -that is, they are used for =udging7
(udging Thinking (T decisions based on principles and logical conseEuences functions $eeling ($
decisions based on values and conseEuences for people
5nowing how the four functions relate to each other, and in what order you prefer them, can tell you a
great deal about yourself7 for e"ample, how you prefer to communicate, what you consider to be
important, and the !inds of activities and careers you find motivating or stressful.
#veryone has and uses the four functions, $ensing, Intuition, Thin!ing and /eeling, but the order in
which they are used, preferred, and developed varies from person to person. /or e"ample, some people
find logical closure (T to be the most important thing, and secondarily attend to the facts and details
($. They give less weight to the possibilities (:, and the least weight to the people-impact of
decisions (/. /or someone else the order might be =ust the reverse, or some other order entirely.
In type theory, the order in %hich %e prefer these processes is inborn. The four-letter type
formula is a shorthand way of telling us about the order in which a person prefers to use the four
mental functions.
T&' ()MI"*"T $+"CTI)"7
#K#GH2:# 90$ 2:# /0K2GIT# /F:%TI2:
0M2:' T9# /2FG /F:%TI2:$, 0:6 #K#GH2:# F$#$ T90T /0K2GIT# /F:%TI2:
I: T9#IG /0K2GIT# (#LTG0K#GT#6 2G I:TG2K#GT#6 )2G46.
)e develop one of these four mental functions to a greater degree than any of the other three. This
first and favorite function is li!e the captain of a ship , having the most important role in guiding us , and
it becomes the type core of our conscious personality . This mental function is called the dominant
function. (!ring the first part of yo!r life, yo! come to rely on yo!r fa,orite f!nction, and yo!
tend to de,elop the most skills %ith it-
$ome people, for e"ample, give the most weight to their Intuition. They trust that function the most
and they are the most energi*ed when they use it. 0s children, they probably tended to focus on
Intuition (assuming their family supported it, and they probably became in(ol(ed in acti(ities where
they could use their imagination and focus on possibilities.
$!nctions de,elop by being !sed conscio!sly and p!rposef!lly for things that matter. 0s the
dominant is used, it becomes strengthened and differentiated from the other functions . )e tend to
have the most s!ills and conscious use of this function, and we tend to trust it the most.
#"traverts by definition prefer to live in the outer world. Therefore they use their dominant function in
the outer world. They put their best foot forward.
Introverts by definition prefer to live in their inner world. Therefore they use their dominant function in
their inner world, and their development of that function is less visible.
T&' *+.I/I*01 $+"CTI)"7
#K#GH2:# 90$ 0 $#%2:6 /0K2GIT# /F:%TI2:
T90T 'IK#$ B040:%# T2 T9#IG 62MI:0:T /F:%TI2:.
If individuals used only their dominant function all of the time, they would be too one-sided. Their
second favorite function is called the au3iliary, because it helps give balance to the dominant functio n.
The au"iliary function is very important in your life but always ran!s second in importance to your
dominant function. Hour au"iliary function is the other of the two middle letters of your four-letter type
pattern.
There are two ways your au"iliary gives balance to your dominant function. The au"iliary provides
balance for the individual's dominant in two ways7 (+ it provides needed =udgment (T or / for
dominant perceiving types ($ or : dominant, and needed perception for dominant =udging types , and
(? it provides needed introversion for e"traverts, and needed e"traversion for int roverts. /or
e"traverts the au"iliary function is introverted, and for introverts it is e"traverted.
The dominant and au"iliary are the two middle letters ($T, $/, :/, :T of your four-letter type.
T&' T'0TI*01 *"( I"$'0I)0 $+"CTI)"S7
H2FG T9IG6 0:6 /2FGT9-&G#/#GG#6 /F:%TI2:$
T#:6 T2 B# 4#$$ I:T#G#$TI:' T2 H2F,
0:6 H2F T#:6 T2 90K# /#)#G $5I44$ 0$$2%I0T#6 )IT9 T9#M.
Hour third-preferred function is called your tertiary, and your fourth-preferred function is called your
least-preferred or inferior function. Though you use all four mental functions, your third and fourth-
preferred functions tend to be less interesting and less well-developed than your dominant and
au"iliary functions. Hou tend to use them less consciously . 0s you grow and develop, you learn that
there is a time and place to use your third and fourth functions as well. 1o!r de,elopment of these
f!nctions tends to occ!r later in life, and yo! may experience great satisfaction in their
de,elopment. /or e"ample, if Intuition and /eeling are your two most favored functions, you will
probably be more inclined to focus on the future, the abstract, harmony and especially 8possibilities for
people.8 $ubseEuently, you may have some difficulty developing interests or s!ills in using your
$ensing and Thin!ing, because these are the opposites of your natural preferences.
The inferior, or least %ell de,eloped f!nction, is the opposite from the dominant f!nction.
This function can provide clues about which areas of your life you tend to avoid and involves s!ills you
tend to have the hardest time developing . /or e"ample, if Thin!ing were your dominant function,
/eeling would be your least-preferred function. Hou would probably have significantly less interest in
and fewer s!ills with the /eeling function (e.g., attending to harmony in relationships, giving weight to
the personal aspects of decision ma!ing.
#"tended use of your inferior function, and your tertiary to some degree, tends to reEuire a great deal
of energy, and ongoing use of them may leave you /eeling stressed or tired.
Lifelong Development
It is not a hard and fast rule, but people generally tend to develop the four functions throughout their
lives in the order in which they prefer them. 0s you grow and move through life, the way you see the
world and how you behave tends to change and broaden. This is due not only to your gaining
e"perience but also to your development of the four functions. 0s you spend time later in life
developing your tertiary and least-preferred functions, the range of behaviors available to you and the
career and lifestyle options you consider may open up.
9owever, remember that you can rely on the dominant and au"iliary functions as the core functions of
your conscious personality and the basis for much of your self-esteem .
Discovering )o(r Tr(e T#pe and T#pe alsification
0gain, people tend to develop the functions in the order in which they are preferred. If type
development follows its natural path, individuals will come to use and trust most their dominant
function, then their au"iliary function. Hour tr!e type is the type that represents yo!r natural
preferences-
$ometimes family, school and culture do not allow individuals to develop along their natural paths. /or
e"ample, a child who tries to ma!e logical and ob=ective decisions using Thin!ing may be made to feel
guilty for not attending enough to family harmony and other /eeling values. In this manner, an
individual may be discouraged from developing his or her naturally preferred dominant andMor au"iliary
functions, and instead be pushed to develop another less-preferred function first. This is called type
falsification, and can negati,ely impact a person's ability to tr!st his or her decision2making
process or to differentiate and attend to important information in his or her life-
#veryone is an individual with his or her own life history, and clearly there is much more to people than
type. 6iscovering your true type is only a part of the larger lifelong endeavor of getting to !now who
you are. Gemember, in your e"ploration of type theory, you are the one who ultimately decides which
type description fits you best, and which type is your true type.
ung! s Theor y of "sychological Types and the MBTI

Instrument
This e3cerpt is taken from &hapter ) of the )456 MBTI

Manual1 7uide to the !e(elopment and 8se
of the Myers/Briggs Type Indicator

. It was based on the first (ersion of the Manual by Isabel Myers
and written by Mary +. Mc&aulley, .h.!. and founding .resident of &.T. The Manual was published by
&.., Inc. The 9rd :dition of the Manual was published by &.., Inc. in )445.
8The purpose of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

is to ma!e the theory of psychological types

described by %. '. (ung (+,?+M+,3+ understandable and useful in people's lives. The essence of the
theory is that much seemingly random variation in behavior is actually Euite orderly and consistent,
being due to basic differences in the way individuals prefer to use their perception and =udgment.8
&erception involves all the ways of becoming aware of things, people, happenings, or ideas. (udgment
involves all the ways of coming to conclusions about what has been perceived. If people differ
systematically in what they perceive and in how they reach conclusions, then it is only reasonable for
them to differ correspondingly in their interests, reactions, values, motivations, and s!ills.
The MBTI

instrument is based on (ung's ideas about perception and =udgment, and the attitudes in
which these are used in different types of people. The aim of the MBTI

instrument is to identify, from

self self-report of easily recogni*ed reactions, the basic preferences of people in regard to perception
and =udgment, so that the effects of each preference, singly and in combination, can be established by
research and put into practical useN
The MBTI

instrument differs from many other personality instruments in these ways7

OIt is designed to implement a theoryB therefore the theory must be understood to understand the MBTI

instr.
OThe theory postulates dichotomiesB therefore some of the psychometric properties are unusual.

OBased on the theory, there are specific dynamic relationships between the scales, which lead to the
descriptions and characteristics of si"teen 8types.8
The MBTI

instrument contains four separate indices. #ach inde" reflects one of four basic preferences
which, under (ung's theory, direct the use of perception and =udgment. The preferences affect not only
what people attend to in any given situation, but also how they draw conclusions about what they
perceive.
'*traversion-Introversion +'I,- The #I inde" is designed to reflect whether a person is an e"travert or an
introvert in the sense intended by (ung. (ung regarded e"traversion and introversion as 8mutually
complementary8 attitudes whose differences 8generate the tension that both the individual and society
need for the maintenance of life.8 #"traverts are oriented primarily toward the outer worldB thus they
tend to focus their perception and =udgment on people and ob=ects. Introverts are oriented primarily
toward the inner worldB thus they tend to focus their perception and =udgment upon concepts and
ideas.
Sensing-Int(ition +S&,- The $: inde" is designed to reflect a person's preference between two opposite
ways of perceivingB one may rely primarily upon the process of sensing ($, which reports observable
facts or happenings through one or more of the five sensesB or one may rely upon the less obvious
process of intuition (:, which reports meanings, relationships andMor possibilities that have been
wor!ed out beyond the reach of the conscious mind.
Thin.ing-eeling +T,- The T/ inde" is designed to reflect a person's preference between two contrasting
ways of =udgment. 0 person may rely primarily through thin!ing (T to decide impersonally on the basis
of logical conseEuences, or a person may rely primarily on feelings (/ to decide primarily on the basis
of personal or social values.
%(dgment-Perception +%P,- The (& inde" is designed to describe the process a person uses primarily in
dealing with the outer world, that is, with the e"traverted part of life. 0 person who prefers =udgment
(( has reported a preference for using a =udgment process (either thin!ing or feeling for dealing with
the outer world. 0 person who prefers perception (& has reported a preference for using a perceptive
process (either $ or : for dealing with the outer world.
The Si*teen T#pes
0ccording to theory, by definition, one pole of each of the four preferences is preferred over the other
pole for each of the si"teen MBTI

Instrument types. The preferences on each inde" is independent of

preferences for the other three indices, so that the four indices yield si"teen possible combinations
called 8types,8 denoted by the four letters of the preferences (e.g., #$T(, I:/&. The theory postulates
specific dynamic relationships between the preferences. /or each type, one process is the leading or
dominant process and a second process serves as an au3iliary. #ach type has its own pattern of
dominant and au"iliary processes and the attitudes (# or I in which these are habitually used. The
characteristics of each type follow from the dynamic interplay of these processes and attitudes.
Processes and attit(des
0ttitude s refer to e"traversion (# or introversion (I.
&rocesses of perception are sensing (or sensation ($ and intuition (:.
&rocesses of 3!dgment are thin!ing (T and feeling (/.
The style of dealing with the outside world is shown by =udgment (( or perception (&.
In terms of the theory, people may reasonably be e"pected to develop greater s!ill with the processes
they prefer to use and with the attitudes in which they prefer to use these processes. /or e"ample, if
they prefer the e"traverted attitude (#, they are li!ely to be more mature and effective in dealing with
the world around them than with the inner world of concepts and ideas. If they prefer the perceptive
process of thin!ing ($, they are li!ely to be more effective in perceiving facts and realities than
theories and possibilities, which are in the sphere of intuition. If they prefer the =udgment process of
thin!ing (T, they are li!ely to have better developed thin!ing =udgments than feeling =udgments. 0nd if
they prefer to use =udgment (( rather than perception (& in their attitude to the world around them,
they are li!ely to be better organi*ing the events of their lives than they are to e"periencing and
adapting to them. 2n the other hand, if a person prefers introversion, intuition, feeling, and the
perceptive attitude (I:/&, then the converse of the description above is li!ely to be true.
Identif#ing the MBTI
/
Preferences
The main ob=ective of the MBTI

instrument is to identify four basic preferences. The indices #I, $:, T/,
and (& are designed to point in one direction or the other. They are not designed as scales for
measurement of traits or behaviors. The intent is to reflect a habitual choice between rival alternatives,
analogous to right handedness or left-handedness. 2ne e"pects to use both the right and left hands,
even though one reaches first with the hand one prefers. $imilarly, every person is assumed to use
both poles of each of the four preferences, but to respond first or most often with the preferred
functions or attitudes.8
#omparison $ith %ther "sychological Instruments Mar ! Ma= ors, &h. 6.
6i rector of Gesearch
%ent er f or 0ppl i cat i ons of &sychol ogi cal
Type
The Myers/Briggs Type Indicator

;MBTI

< instrument is a psychological instrument which provides

information about (ungian based personality or psychological types. It is not considered to be a test or
evaluative instrument, and there are no right or wrong answers on the MBTI

instrument. The
responses to the Euestions give an indication of the person's psychological type, and all types are
positive or good.
The MBTI

instrument is similar to other psychological instruments in that it is a paper-and-pencil

instrument designed to assess some Eualities of one's personality. &eople are as!ed to respond to
Euestions about their preferences in various situations, and the result is an indicated 8type8 of
personality. 5nowing one's type gives insight into one's motives, behaviors and interactions with
others.
The MBTI

instrument is unli!e many other psychological instruments in that it is not an assessment of

mental health, intelligence, or unhealthy personality types or patterns. The common psychological
instrument may tell you, among other things, where you are deficient, lac!ing or disturbed. It is not
possible to have an MBTI

result that is bad or unhealthy. The MBTI

instrument is intended for self-

discovery 1 what is right with you.
It does not measure amounts of personality traits or Euantities of thought or behavior. Most
psychological instruments report high or low amounts of a good or bad trait. The MBTI

instrument
sorts personalities into different types that are Eualitatively different. (ust as apples are different than
oranges, one personality type is different from other types. Trait theory would tell you how much
orange and how much apple you are (everyone is fruit salad.
It does not compare your results to that of other individuals. Most psychological tests evaluate you by
comparing you to some normal or pathological standard. )ith the MBTI

instrument your responses are

the only values used to indicate your psychological type. )hether or not you are an #"travert or an
Introvert is the important issue, not how you compare to other #"traverts or Introverts.
It does not tell #o( 0hat #o( are- Fsually the results of a psychological instrument are the final word. Hou
are depressed or dysfunctional in some way and the test told you so. )ith the MBTI

instrument, the
type that the person reports on the Indicator is a hypothesis that needs to be verified by the
respondent as he or she considers the descriptions of the reported and different types. This leads to a
best-fit type, and continued self-assessment may result in an accurate indication of type that is
different than the reported results. Gemember7 you are the e"pert on you. It is up to you to decide how
and if type can enhance your life. /or a more in-depth discussion of type theory and the eight
preferences, lin! to overview and dynamics and development. Hou may also view the catalog for a
listing of publications on type and the MBTI

instrument.
#ode of &thics
%0&T is committed to the adherence of ethical standards that7 protect and preserve client rights,
uphold the integrity of the instrument, and promote professionalism in the administration of the Myers-
Briggs Type Indicator
P
instrument.
&rofessionals from many fields such as psychology, education, social wor!, medicine, and law use the
MBTI
P
instrument. Individuals Eualified to administer the MBTI
P
instrument may belong to one or more
organi*ations with a code of ethics specific to that profession or discipline. The following guidelines
e"clusively pertain to the administration and use of the MBTI
P
instrument as a personality assessment
tool, rather than to a single profession.
Confidentiality in *dministering and 4ro,iding 0es!lts
+. Gesults are to be given directly to the respondent, whether as an individual or part of a group.
/eedbac! regarding results should include a general e"planation of MBTI
P
theory and preferences and is
most ideally given in face-to-face settings.
Gesults should be given in a way that is personal and allows for Euestions, clarification and interaction
with the respondent. Mechani*ed methods of feedbac! are not acceptable.
Gesults are available only to the respondent, unless specific permission has been given to share the
information with a third party. #ach person will decide whether or not to reveal his or her type
preferences with others.
?. The respondent should be informed in advance as to the purpose of ta!ing the instrument and how
results will be used. Ta!ing the instrument is always voluntary. The information is not to be used to
label, evaluate, or limit any individual in any way.
A. The respondent should be given an opportunity to clarify their indicated type with the Eualified
administrator.
#ach respondent should be provided a written description of their indicated type and preferably a
written description of all si"teen types.
D. In using the instrument for research purposes only, it is not necessary to provide individual results
to the respondents. &roviding feedbac! as an option for those reEuesting it is encouraged.
@. &roviding feedbac! to the individual and or group is intended to enhance rather than to limit or
restrict the functioning of the individual or group.
C. The Indicator should be used according to the instructions on the boo!let and in the Manual.
3. $pecific Euestions should not be ta!en from the Indicator to get a 8Euic! reading8 on a particular
preference scale.
-. The Indicator should be used with appropriate populations and results used as suggested in the
Manual.
Interpreting MBTI
5
0es!lts
+. The administrator must use terms and descriptors that are non-=udgmental and describe type
attributes as tendencies, preferences, or inclinations rather than as absolutes.
Biased terms may slant interpretation or send messages that a particular preference is 8good8 or 8not
desirable8.
?. The administrator should be careful not to over generali*e or over simplify results and imply that all
people of a certain type behave the same way.
A. 2ne should not state or imply that type e"plains everything.
Type does not reflect an individual's ability, intelligence, li!elihood of success, emotions, or normalcy.
Type is one important component of the comple" human personality.
D. The administrator should not impose the results on the respondent nor become defensive if the
respondent disagrees with the reported results or does not believe they are accurate. 2ne should
e"plore the perceived differences and help the respondent to be comfortable with themselves.
@. 0dministrators need to be aware of, and sensitive to their own type biases and e"ert every effort to
present feedbac! in an ob=ective way.
C. It is unethical and in many cases illegal to reEuire =ob applicants to ta!e the Indicator if the results
will be used to screen out applicants.
The administrator should not counsel a person to, or away from, a particular career, personal
relationship or activity based solely upon type information.
3. 0dministrators should accurately represent their competence and e"perience to clients.
-. 0dministrators should continually upgrade their !nowledge of the Indicator and advances in the
understanding and application of type through education (wor!shops, seminars, conferences, reading,
or other means.
,. 0dministrators should provide the respondent with materials that describe all +C types.