MyersBriggs

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality assessment rooted in the theory of psychological types proposed by Carl Jung. It was adapted into a practical instrument by Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother Katharine Cook Briggs. The MBTI assesses preferences across four dichotomies: Extraversion versus Introversion, Sensing versus Intuition, Thinking versus Feeling, and Judging versus Perceiving. Each respondent is categorized by one preferred pole in each pair, producing a four-letter type such as INFP or ESTJ. The instrument is largely self-reported and is commonly administered as a questionnaire; Step II provides a more detailed facet description of each type.

Historically, the framework originated from Jungian psychology and was developed into a formal instrument in the mid-20th century by the Briggs mother–daughter duo. The MBTI is now marketed and administered by The Myers-Briggs Company and related organizations. It has been widely used in business, education, and counseling for purposes such as career planning, team-building, leadership development, and self-understanding.

Scoring yields 16 possible personality types, each described by a four-letter code. In practice, practitioners may use the four-letter type alone or combine it with more granular facet scores in Step II. While popular in many settings, the MBTI is subject to controversy in the field of psychology, with criticisms focusing on limited reliability and validity data, the binary nature of the typology, cultural and language biases, and limited ability to predict behavior or job performance. It is generally viewed as a tool for reflection and communication rather than a definitive measure of ability or potential.

Alternative models, such as the Big Five personality traits, are often recommended for research and more rigorous assessment, while MBTI remains in widespread use for developmental and organizational purposes.