Myers-Briggs is a theory of personality type based on the work of Swiss Psychologist Carl Jung.
In this theory there are 16 types.
People are categorized in this theory by how their brains naturally interact with the world.
Jung proposed that different people use different cognitive processes to perceive information and to evaluate information.
The 16 possible combinations of these preferences for perceiving and evaluating make up the 16 types.
After Jung published his theory, a woman named Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers adapted Jung’s work and developed a test for the 16 types that he proposed.
This test became known as the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator). Their work made this theory of personality more accessible to the general public and popularized the use of a 4 letter code to indicate each of the 16 types (ex: INTP, INFJ).
The History and Theory Behind Myers-Briggs
In 1921, Jung published a book called “Psychological Types” where he introduced the world to concepts like “introversion” and “extraversion“.
In Psychological Types, Jung purported that people interface with the world through four processes that he called “cognitive functions“. Two we use to perceive information (perceiving functions):
- Sensing (perception of direct sensory input – what is literally observed)
- Intuiting (perception of patterns between pieces of information)
And two we use to evaluate information (judging functions):
The Primary Function
Each person has a strong preference for one of these four. This is called the “primary function”.
For example, someone with a sensory preference will tend to notice more sensory details and be more practical, favoring that which can be directly observed.
The Auxiliary Function
Jung also suggested that each person uses an additional function that serves as a sort of co-pilot to the primary function. This is called the “auxiliary function”.
If a person’s primary function is a perceiving function (sensing or intuition), then their auxiliary function will be a judging function (thinking or feeling).
So a person might use sensing as their primary function and feeling as their auxiliary function.
The Attitude of Cognitive Functions
Jung also suggested that each function has either an introverted or extraverted orientation. Introverted functions act on representations of the world inside the mind, while extraverted functions operate directly in the external world. He called this orientation the function’s “attitude”.
If a person’s primary function is introverted then that is what makes them an introvert. If it’s extraverted then they will be an extravert.
When a person’s primary function is introverted then their auxiliary will be extraverted and vice-versa.
So a person’s primary function might be introverted sensing and their auxiliary might be extraverted feeling.
This gives us the 16 possible configurations of cognitive preferences that make us the 16 types.
The Introduction of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
While Jung was developing his theory of personality, a woman in Michigan named Katharine Cook Briggs was developing a similar theory of her own. On reading the English translated version of Jung’s “Psychological Types” in 1923, she found his theory to be compelling and began focusing her work on understanding and further developing it.
Briggs initially suggested that one should come to understand their type by reading descriptions and coming to identify with the one that fit best.
Katharine’s daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, continued her mother’s work, ultimately developing a multiple-choice test, that would go on to be called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI.
The test focused on four generalizations that could be made from Jung’s theory:
Each person has a preference for Introversion or Extraversion
- If a person’s primary function is an introverted function than they are considered to be an introvert.
- If a person’s primary function is an extraverted function than they are considered to be an extravert.
Each person has a preference for Sensing vs Intuition
- If a person prefers sensing over intuition then they are considered to be a sensor.
- If a person prefers intuition over sensing then they are considered to be an intuitive.
Each person has a preference for Thinking vs Feeling
- If a person prefers thinking to evaluate information over feeling then they are considered to be a thinker.
- If a person prefers thinking to evaluate information over feeling then they are considered to be a feeler.
Each person has a preference for Judging or Perceiving
- If the extraverted function amongst a person’s primary or auxiliary function is a judging function than the person is considered to be a judger.
- If the extraverted function amongst a person’s primary or auxiliary function is a perceiving function than the person is considered to be a perceiver.
These four sets of binary choices are referred to as the dichotomies.
The test developed mainly by Isabel Briggs Myers, consisted of multiple choice questions based on these four dichotomies.
The dichotomies helped make the basics of Jung’s theory more understandable for the general public.
The first version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was released during World War II. Myers and Briggs aimed to help women who were entering the workforce in record numbers. Their hope was to help them land jobs that they were well suited for.