MBTI

Introduction of Type 2013

Todays Agenda
Discuss personality

Introduce the Myers-Briggs

Take Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Begin Introducing Dichotomies

PersonalityWhat it is?
How would you define personality?
Were you born with one Does it change over time? Do you control your personality?

How does it play a role in your everyday life?

About the MBTI Instrument

An indicatornot a test Looks only at normal behavior Forced-choice questions No right or wrong answersno better or worse types.
All types have potential strengths and possible pitfalls or blind spots

Your results are confidential

Users of the MBTI Instrument

Most Fortune 100 companies use it The most widely used personality assessment in the worldmore than 2 million people worldwide each year Translated into two dozen+ languages Used in 70+ different countries
SoWhy use it now?

MBTI as Students
Going to address 4 things:
Where you get your energy How you take in information How you make decisions How you orient yourself to the outer world

When do you think this might play a role in what you do, and how you approach things?

How did it begin?

Carl Gustav Jung (18751961), a Swiss psychiatrist, developed a theory of personality: Differences between people are not random. Instead they form patternstypes. Psychological Types (published 1921, translated into English 1923)

But its call the Myers-Briggs???

Katharine C. Briggs (18751968), an American, read Jungs Psychological Types in 1923. She spent the next 20 years studying, developing, and applying Jungs theory.

That still doesnt answer the Myers

Isabel Briggs Myers (18971980) developed Jungs theory in partnership with Briggs. Beginning in 1943, she developed questions that became the MyersBriggs Type Indicator instrument.

Jungs Personality Theory

Every person carries out two kinds of mental processes:
We take in information Then we make decisions about the information

Everyone has preferred ways of using these mental processes

Jungs Personality Theory (cont.)

Jung observed that we all live in two worlds:
The outer world of things, people, and events and The inner world of our own thoughts, feelings, and reflections

Each person has a preference for either the outer world or the inner world

Jungs Personality Theory (cont.)

Jung believed that preferences are innate inborn predispositions He also recognized that they are shaped by environmental influences, such as family, culture, and education
Nature
MBTI instrument

vs.

Nurture
Environment

Handedness Activity
First Sign your name with your dominant hand Now With the other hand.
Dominant: Normal Easy Comfortable Natural Doesnt take energy Non-Dominant: Awkward Uncomfortable Difficult Messy Takes Conscious thought

Handedness Activity (cont.)

Where do we get our preference for using one hand over the other? How does the environment influence our preference for using one hand over the other? Note: We all can and do use both hands; for writing, one is natural, comfortable, automatic

The MBTI Dichotomies

The MBTI instrument indicates preferences on four pairs of opposites, called dichotomies:

Extraversion

or or or

Introversion

Sensing
Thinking

S
T

N Intuition
F Feeling

Judging

or

P Perceiving

MBTI Theory

Four pairs of oppositeslike our right and left hands. We all use both sides of each pair, but one is our natural preference.

The MBTI instrument is designed to indicate those inborn preferences.

The MBTI instrument is not designed to measure skills or effects of environment.

Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I)

Where we focus our attention and get energy

Source: Introduction to Type (6th ed.), I. B. Myers, p. 9.

EI Differences
People who prefer Extraversion: Direct their energy and attention outward Focus on the outer world of people and activity

People who prefer Introversion: Direct their energy and attention inward Focus on their inner world of ideas and experiences
We all use both preferences, but usually not with equal comfort.

EI Illustration

Source: Introduction to Type and Change, N. J. Barger & L. K. Kirby, p. 4.

Where People Focus Their Attention

People who prefer Extraversion (E) (May be) Are energized by interacting with others Are sociable and expressive Prefer to communicate face-to-face Work out ideas by talking them through Have broad interests in many things Learn best through doing or discussing Readily take initiative in work and relationships People who prefer Introversion (I) (May be.) Are energized by opportunity to reflect Are private and contained Prefer to communicate by writing Work out ideas by thinking them through Focus in depth on their interests Learn best by reflection, mental practice Take initiative when the situation/issue is very important to them

Source: Introduction to Type (6th ed.), I. B. Myers, p. 9.

Where People Focus Their Attention(cont.)

People who prefer Extraversion (E)

May be seen as go-getters or people-persons May be energized by being involved with a breath of activities May feel comfortable with and like working in groups May have a wide range of acquaintances and friends Sometimes jump too quickly into activity and dont allow much time for reflection Sometimes forget to pause to clarify the ideas that give aim or meaning to their activities

People who prefer Introversion (I) May be seem as calm and centered or reserved May feel comfortable being alone and like solitary activities May prefer fewer, more intentional relationships Sometimes spend too much time reflecting and not move into action quickly enough Sometimes forget to check with the outside world to see if their ideas fit into their experience

Key Words Associated with EI

We Have a Preference
We all do Extraverted and Introverted things. But we usually do not do them with equal comfort. Most of us have a preference for one or the other.

EI Self-Assessment

What type of Assignments do you prefer? What do you enjoy in a classroom?

Students who prefer Extroversion may prefer: Group Work Projects Open Discussions Students who prefer Introversion may prefer: Independent Work Deeper focused papers Time to think before responding

And another way of looking at it

From Discovering Type with Teens c. 2009