Yesterday we were introduced at work to our new VP.One thing he outlined in his professional history was his work with the Myers-Briggs type indicator. If you're in the 'real world' or a psychology major, you may know what I'm talking about. Basically there are a series of question you answer about yourself and your personality to determine what kind of person/worker you are. When I started my first job, I swear we took about 6 of these types of tests; I think they actually gave us like an entire week, because there were literally hundreds of questions. Of course, HR being HR, we never reviewed our 'results'. I say results, because everyone says there's no 'right' or 'wrong' answer, it just 'is'. Which is all fine and dandy, but I swear if I were an employer I would be looking for 1.) types of people that would be the most profitable/commuted/beneficial to the company's future and 2.) cohesive with the rest of the office. Any way, the test results breakout into 4 sections which are represented by 4 letters. Here's a brief overview of what each letter means:
The four pairs of preferences or
dichotomies are shown in the table to the right.
Note that the terms used for each dichotomy have specific technical meanings relating to the MBTI which differ from their everyday usage. For example, people who prefer judgment over perception are not necessarily more
judgmental or less
perceptive. Nor does the MBTI instrument measure aptitude; it simply indicates for one preference over another.
Someone reporting a high score for extraversion over introversion cannot be correctly described as
more extraverted: they simply have a clear
preference.
Point scores on each of the dichotomies can vary considerably from person to person, even among those with the same type. However, Isabel Myers considered the
direction of the preference (for example, E vs. I) to be more important than the
degree of the preference (for example, very clear vs. slight).
The expression of a person's psychological type is more than the sum of the four individual preferences. The preferences interact through
type dynamics and
type development.
Myers-Briggs literature uses the terms
extraversion and
introversion as Jung first used them. Extraversion means "outward-turning" and introversion means "inward-turning." These specific definitions vary somewhat from the popular usage of the words. Note that
extraversion is the spelling used in MBTI publications.
The preferences for extraversion and introversion are often called as
attitudes. Briggs and Myers recognized that each of the cognitive functions can operate in the external world of behavior, action, people, and things (
extraverted attitude) or the internal world of ideas and reflection (
introverted attitude). The MBTI assessment sorts for an overall preference for one or the other.
People who prefer extraversion draw energy from action: they tend to act, then reflect, then act further. If they are inactive, their motivation tends to decline. To rebuild their energy, extraverts need breaks from time spent in reflection. Conversely, those who prefer introversion
expend energy through action: they prefer to reflect, then act, then reflect again. To rebuild their energy, introverts need quiet time alone, away from activity.
The extravert's flow is directed outward toward people and objects, and the introvert's is directed inward toward concepts and ideas. Contrasting characteristics between extraverts and introverts include the following:
- Extraverts are action oriented, while introverts are thought oriented.
- Extraverts seek breadth of knowledge and influence, while introverts seek depth of knowledge and influence.
- Extraverts often prefer more frequent interaction, while introverts prefer more substantial interaction.
- Extraverts recharge and get their energy from spending time with people, while introverts recharge and get their energy from spending time alone.
Functions: Sensing (S)/Intuition (N) and Thinking (T)/Feeling (F)
Jung identified two pairs of psychological functions:
- The two perceiving functions, sensing and intuition
- The two judging functions, thinking and feeling
According to the Myers-Briggs typology model, each person uses one of these four functions more dominantly and proficiently than the other three; however, all four functions are used at different times depending on the circumstances.
Sensing and
intuition are the information-gathering (perceiving) functions. They describe how new information is understood and interpreted. Individuals who prefer
sensing are more likely to trust information that is in the present, tangible and concrete: that is, information that can be understood by the five senses. They tend to distrust hunches, which seem to come "out of nowhere."
They prefer to look for details and facts. For them, the meaning is in the data. On the other hand, those who prefer
intuition tend to trust information that is more abstract or theoretical, that can be associated with other information (either remembered or discovered by seeking a wider context or pattern). They may be more interested in future possibilities. They tend to trust those flashes of insight that seem to bubble up from the unconscious mind. The meaning is in how the data relates to the pattern or theory.
Thinking and
feeling are the decision-making (judging) functions. The thinking and feeling functions are both used to make rational decisions, based on the data received from their information-gathering functions (sensing or intuition). Those who prefer
thinking tend to decide things from a more detached standpoint, measuring the decision by what seems reasonable, logical, causal, consistent and matching a given set of rules. Those who prefer
feeling tend to come to decisions by associating or empathizing with the situation, looking at it 'from the inside' and weighing the situation to achieve, on balance, the greatest harmony, consensus and fit, considering the needs of the people involved.
As noted already, people who prefer thinking do not necessarily, in the everyday sense, "think better" than their feeling counterparts; the opposite preference is considered an equally rational way of coming to decisions (and, in any case, the MBTI assessment is a measure of preference, not ability). Similarly, those who prefer feeling do not necessarily have "better" emotional reactions than their thinking counterparts.
Dominant function
According to Myers and Briggs, people use all four cognitive functions. However, one function is generally used in a more conscious and confident way. This dominant function is supported by the secondary (auxiliary) function, and to a lesser degree the tertiary function. The fourth and least conscious function is always the opposite of the dominant function. Myers called this inferior function the
shadow.
The four functions operate in conjunction with the attitudes (extraversion and introversion). Each function is used in either an extraverted or introverted way. A person whose dominant function is extraverted intuition, for example, uses intuition very differently from someone whose dominant function is introverted intuition.
Lifestyle: Judgment (J)/Perception (P)
Myers and Briggs added another dimension to Jung's typological model by identifying that people also have a preference for using either the
judging function (thinking or feeling) or their
perceiving function (sensing or intuition) when relating to the outside world (extraversion).
Myers and Briggs held that types with a preference for
judgment show the world their preferred judging function (thinking or feeling). So TJ types tend to appear to the world as logical, and FJ types as empathetic. According to Myers,
judging types like to "have matters settled."
Those types who prefer perception show the world their preferred
perceiving function (sensing or intuition). So SP types tend to appear to the world as concrete and NP types as abstract. According to Myers, perceptive types prefer to "keep decisions open."
For extraverts, the J or P indicates their
dominant function; for introverts, the J or P indicates their
auxiliary function. Introverts tend to show their dominant function outwardly only in matters "important to their inner worlds.
" For example:
Because ENTJ types are extraverts, the J indicates that their
dominant function is their preferred judging function (extraverted thinking). ENTJ types introvert their auxiliary perceiving function (introverted intuition). The tertiary function is sensing and the inferior function is introverted feeling.
Because INTJ types are introverts, the J indicates that their
auxiliary function is their preferred judging function (extraverted thinking). INTJ types introvert their dominant perceiving function (introverted intuition). The tertiary function is feeling, and the inferior function is extraverted sensing.
You can take a very BRIEF version of the test
here.
For comparison purposes, it turns out I'm an ESTJ... which I swear has changed in the last couple months. Either I took the test wrong then/now or I'm bi-polar... who knows.
My VP told us he's ENTJ. Now the question is how to be diabolical enough to change my personality to fit this new driving force. HAHA! :) Enjoy!
