History of the Myers Briggs



While the Myers Briggs Type Indicator test, also known as the MBTI, may seem to be just another personality test, knowing your type as well as the types of those you interact with can make things so much easier for everyone as it would negate a lot of misunderstandings and poor assumptions. The MBTI was created in 1943 and still is the most widely used personality test in existence. There have been some studies that have shown the MBTI “is pretty much nonsense” however it continues to be widely used because allows for a jumping off points to start the conversation in regards to personality types and their differences, as well as communication styles. (Essig. 2014) Many people take the MBTI as black and white, using it as compatibility scores instead of an opportunity to understand the other person better. Many companies use it to select employees, pre-marital counselors have been known to use to determine a couple’s compatibility, and guidance counselors have used it for career advising.

There are four categories in which the MBTI is scored, with two possibilities each, which allows for the sixteen possible types. Where you focus your attention: Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I), the way you take in information: Sensing (S) or Intuition (N), how you make decisions: Thinking (T) or Feeling (F), how you deal with the world: Judging (J) or Perceiving (P). (themyersbriggs.com) The above four categories are put together to create4 the dichotomies that make up the results of the MBTI.

There is lots of amazing information about the history of the Myers Briggs and the Myers & Briggs Foundation on their website. 


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