The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a popular personality assessment tool, chosen more often than other options available. It is derived from Carl Jung’s theories and uses four scales to identify personality traits. This assessment is commonly used to assess leadership abilities, which can be beneficial for team building in educational and organizational settings. Psychologists have various personality assessment tools at their disposal.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a tool that will be explained in terms of its qualities, applications, and objectives. We will also examine how the MBTI relates to individuals’ leadership capabilities. Moreover, we will present a summary of research results, specifically emphasizing the MBTI’s capacity to distinguish between the overall population and the specific target group. Additionally, we will pinpoint the psychometric characteristics of the MBTI. Finally, we will evaluate how well the MBTI measures leadership aptitude.
The Myers-Brigs Type Indicator is a personality assessment based on the theories of Carl Jung, who believed that human behavior follows consistent patterns due to differences in approach to life (Carlyn, 1977, p. 461). Developed by Isabel Briggs-Meyers and her mother Katherine Briggs, this assessment applies Jung’s type theory to both groups and individuals (Jing & Dan-min, 2007). Annually, approximately two million individuals in the United States take the MBTI.
Characteristics of the MBTI include being a self-report instrument in which the test taker marks their own responses on the form. It is a forced choice format where the test taker must choose between certain response options. The assessment consists of both phrase items and word items. Phrase items contain one question with response choices in sentence form, while word items are phrases with response choices presented as word pairs (Jing & Dan-min, 2007).
One application of the MBTI is in organizational team building efforts (Coe, 1992).
The MBTI has various benefits such as enhancing communication, supporting decision-making, identifying dysfunctions, and preventing disruptions in organizations. It can also be applied in employee training. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that misuse of the MBTI, especially in employee selection, is a possibility as with any testing tool.
Using test performance as the sole criterion for selecting employees may not always lead to choosing the most qualified candidate for the job. This method can also attract criticism and present individuals in a negative light (Coe, 1992). The MBTI is a popular personality assessment tool that has various applications, especially in educational environments. It assists educators in gaining insight into their students’ personalities and adapting their teaching methods accordingly (Jing & Dan-min, 2007).
The MBTI has applications in various fields such as psychotherapy, career development, and organizational behavior. It can assist organizations in effectively constructing successful teams that collaborate harmoniously (Jing & Dan-min, 2007).
Based on Carl Jung’s theory of personality traits, the MBTI focuses on extroversion and introversion as contrasting concepts. These concepts exist on a continuum with individuals falling somewhere along this spectrum. Jung expanded on these traits to form four temperaments: thinking, feeling, sensation, and intuition. Each person is primarily oriented towards one temperament while also possessing a secondary trait from the opposite temperament. The MBTI is based on Jung’s theory (Morehouse, Farley, & Youngquist, 1990). This assessment includes four scales: Extraversion-Introversion, Sensation-Intuition,Thinking-Feeling,and Judgment-Perception.The most recent version of the MBTI has been utilized in over 400 studies since its publication in 1962.
Carlyn (1977, p. 462) stated that eight scores are calculated by adding up each person’s scores, and these scores are interpreted as “four pairs of scores”. This interpretation enables the classification of individuals into one of 16 potential personality types. The MBTI is frequently employed as a personality assessment to identify leadership skills in individuals. Nordvik and Brovold (1998) conducted a study utilizing the MBTI to evaluate four leadership tasks, demonstrating the psychometric properties of this assessment.
These tasks included administration, integration, production, and enterprising. Construct validity of these traits were supported by the common variances between the personality traits and task preferences. This study used 1040 Norwegian adults which included 219 women and 821 men. The ages of these individuals ranged from “18 to 71 years” (Nordvik & Brovold, 1998, p. 61). In another study concerning the relationship between leadership skills and personality, the MBTI again produced results that indicated that it was an accurate measure of leadership skills.
This study focused on managers and leaders employed at an African petroleum company (Sieff, 2009). The sample for the study included 53 subjects. Along with the MBTI, the Leadership Focus Questionnaire was utilized to investigate the link between leadership skills and personality type. Both assessments yielded identical results, validating a significant correlation between personality type and leadership skills (Sieff, 2009). By identifying individuals with potential for leadership within team settings, organizations and schools can benefit from using the MBTI.
By increasing an individual’s self-awareness, the MBTI enables organizations to identify individuals with desired leadership qualities and place them in leadership positions, thus boosting overall productivity. Furthermore, this approach enhances team collaboration and effectiveness within the organization. The knowledge of individuals’ leadership skills can be advantageous for schools at all educational levels.
The University of Phoenix, for example, mandates students to collaborate in teams for various projects. These teams operate with enhanced effectiveness and efficiency when their leaders possess proficient leadership skills. The reliability and validity of the MBTI has been proven through multiple methods. As stated by Carlson (1985), initial reliability studies showed split-half reliability coefficients (Pearson rs) regularly surpassing .80. Additionally, test-retest reliabilities have been established for the MBTI.
With most tests, the reliability of the four different scales is typically examined separately. While there are currently limited studies on the reliability of the MBTI, the ones that have been conducted indicate that each of the four scales show satisfactory internal consistency (Carlson, 1985, p. 359). In terms of validity, the MBTI has been shown to possess construct validity as it measures attributes or qualities that individuals are assumed to possess (Carlson, 1985, p. 359). Early research on the test suggests that it is effective in measuring personality constructs.
According to Carlson (1985), the instrument has demonstrated validity in criterion-related studies, particularly in research and treatment settings. Numerous other studies (Edwards, Lanning, & Hooker, 2002) also support the MBTI’s validity and reveal strong, positive relationships with other assessment instruments. Normative procedures utilized with the MBTI involve three main areas, as outlined by Ozer (2004). These areas encompass the scaling of responses and the qualification of association.
The third aspect of normative procedures is the reduction of redundancy, which is crucial in order to ensure accuracy in assessment results (Ozer, 2004). The MBTI stands out as an effective tool for completing normative procedures and has demonstrated its ability to accurately predict an individual’s potential in leadership (Gardner & Martinko, 1996). Nonetheless, additional research is required to further explore this domain.
According to Pittenger (2005), the absence of empirical evidence supporting the MBTI is attributable to the requirement for interpretation. Nonetheless, this predicament is not exclusive to the MBTI but also pertains to other personality assessments. Pittenger also acknowledges that the MBTI does gauge constructs associated with personality. Despite its imperfections, the MBTI functions as a valuable instrument for elucidating variations in personality for a broad audience. Furthermore, Pittenger acknowledges the robust theoretical framework of the MBTI, which facilitates predictions regarding the correlation between individuals’ personalities and their behaviors.
The MBTI is a sufficient tool for assessing leadership skills and various personality traits. However, it is recommended to use it alongside other personality assessments (Pittenger, 2005). Additionally, the results should be interpreted by trained professionals to ensure the highest level of accuracy. Ethical concerns surrounding the MBTI are also important. One such concern is that it should not be utilized for employee selection. It is considered unethical to screen applicants based on undesirable personality types.
It is important for the test administrator to avoid oversimplifying or generalizing the results of the MBTI as it can be detrimental to the person who took the assessment. Additionally, it is unethical to suggest that the test outcomes do not anticipate a person’s intelligence, capability, or potential for success. Ultimately, using the MBTI ethically is crucial for its effectiveness. It has been determined that the MBTI adequately evaluates people’s leadership abilities.
The MBTI is renowned for its trustworthiness and authenticity in evaluating personality, specifically in determining leadership abilities. Developed from Carl Jung’s theories, this psychometric instrument precisely identifies different characteristics that shape an individual’s personality. Recognizing qualities like leadership potential can greatly advantage organizations and educational systems as it helps them construct more prosperous teams.
References
Below is a list of articles discussing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator:
1. Carlson, J. G. (1985). Recent assessments of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(4), 356-365.
2. Carlyn, M. (1977). An assessment of the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator. Journal of Personality Assessment, 41(5), 461-471
3. Coe, C. K. (1992). The MBTI: Potential uses and misuses in personnel administration.Public Personnel Management, 21(4), 511-522.
4.Duhe, S.(2009).What’s your type? Using the Myers-Briggs personality inventory to improve team performance.Communication Teacher ,23(4),142-147.
5.Edwards,J.A.,Lanning,K.,& Hooker,K.(2002).
The following sources discuss the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and its relevance in various fields of study:
1. The MBTI and social information processing: An incremental validity study. Journal of Personality Assessment, 78(3), 432-450.
2. Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to study managers: A literature review and research agenda. Journal of Management, 22(1), 45-83. Gardner, W. L., & Martinko, M. J. (1996).
3. Introduction to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. US-China Education Review, 4(3), 44-53. Jing, C., & Dan-min, M. (2007).
4. Type T personality and the Jungian classification system. Journal of Personality Assessment, 54(1 & 2), 31-235. Morehouse, R.E., Farley F., & Youngquist J.V.(1990).
5.Personality traits in leadership tasksScandinavian Journal of Psychology ,39(1) ,61 -64.Nordvik,H.& Brovold,H.(1998).
6.Personality out of proportion.Journal of Personality Assessment ,83(2) ,131 -135.Ozer,D.J.(2004).
Cautionary comments regarding the Myers – Briggs Type Indicator.Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research,
57(3),
210 -223.Pittenger,D.J.(2005).
Personality type and leadership focus: Relationship between self and line-manager perceptions.Journal of Human Resource Management, 7(1),63 -72.Sieff,G.(2009).
