Myers Briggs Type Indicator

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews and discusses the Myers-Briggs type indicator. According to the paper, the Myers-Briggs type instrument is a psychological personality test that was developed through the efforts of Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. The paper reports that while Myers-Briggs does have certain limitations in regard to its assumptions, it is, on the whole, an exceedingly useful tool in the psychologist's and counselor's armory.

Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
Purpose and Description of the Test
Limitations of the Test
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Despite its widespread use and apparent validation through testing on vast numbers of individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds, and in a multitude of different situations, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator does attract certain criticisms. In the first instance, the test's use of dichotomous scoring has been criticized on the grounds that such a usage is inconsistent with the original idea behind the qualifying of dichotomous characteristics. Simply put, Jung's personality dichotomies were to be discovered by the test; not measured for intensity. As well, these scores are actually weighted on the test in order to force assignment to one or other category. (Vacha-Haase & Thompson, 2002) Secondly, Myers-Briggs is criticized for weighting response according to specific assumptions in regard to gender and feelings or inclinations. An original presumption of the test was that women were more inclined to particular kinds of feelings than men, or even simply more inclined to be "feeling-oriented" than their male counterparts. Again these scores are weighted in such a fashion that they may not be comparable across genders. (Vacha-Haase & Thompson, 2002) Lastly, many find fault with the Myers-Briggs' use of "forced choices" to obtain its results. In the Jungian system, individual personalities are far more nuanced. (Vacha-Haase & Thompson, 2002) The Myers-Briggs instrument necessarily creates a distorted picture of human realities. Individuals might even be wrongly compartmentalized based on inadequate choices as provided by the test. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Chew, E. B., & Mcinnis-Bowers, C. (2004). Blending Liberal Arts & Business Education. Liberal Education, 90(1), 56+.
• Myers and Briggs Foundation. (No Date). "MBTI Basics." URL: http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/.
• Salter, D. W., Forney, D. S., & Evans, N. J. (2005). Two Approaches to Examining the Stability of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Scores. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 37(4), 208+.
• Singer, T., & Kimbles, S. L. (2004). Chapter 7 The Emerging Theory of Cultural Complexes. In Analytical Psychology, Cambray, J. & Carter, L. (Eds.) (pp. 176-203). New York: Brunner-Routledge. (2000). Testing and Assessment in Counseling Practice (C. E. Watkins & V. L. Campbell, Ed.) (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Vacha-Haase, T., & Thompson, B. (2002). Alternative Ways of Measuring Counselees' Jungian Psychological-Type Preferences. Journal of Counseling and Development, 80(2), 173+.

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