The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) is not a model, it is an instrument! It is so popular that it is often confused with the model or the theory upon which it was based. For more information about the model that the MBTI is designed to measure you can also read about Cognitive Processes.
The MBTI is one of the most widely used personality instruments in the world today. The MBTI has a long history, with more studies done and more extensive revisions than almost any other personality assessment tool worldwide.
During World War II, a young woman named Isabel Myers decided to do her part for the war effort by creating a self-report inventory that would make Carl Jung's theory of psychological types available to more people. At this time self-report instruments were just beginning to be developed. Prior to that time, only psychologists "assessed" personality. Her goals were two-fold: 1) help people find a better fit for their work and so make the work in factories and in the military more effective; and 2) promote world peace by helping people develop more appreciation for individual differences and how to use the differences constructively rather than divisively. Her work resulted in worldwide use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
REMEMBER: Psychological instruments like the MBTI are only designed to indicate your preferences— they do not determine psychological type with one-hundred percent accuracy. An important part of understanding your psychological type is self-discovery. Please visit Myers-Briggs.org for a great article on finding best-fit type.
Basic versions of the MBTI Step 1 reveal how people fit within psychologist Carl Jung's theory of psychological type. Individuals, couples and teams are able to identify their natural patterns for accessing information and making decisions to improve their personal and interpersonal performance using the four letter code approach. What they are not able to do is explore and identify their unique individuality within the type code that best describes their pattern. The MBTI Step II instrument accomplishes this.
Isabel Myers, developer of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, observed that people of any four letter code share similarities and possess differences with others of the same. She was in the process of developing an in-depth individualized method to offer clues about how each person expresses and experiences his or her type pattern at the time of her death in 1980.
Step II provides individuals the opportunity to dig deeper into their preferences to understand more about themselves in relation to others. In the MBTI Step II each of the four dichotomies are composed of five facets. These facets explain the uniqueness of the individual in greater detail, and serve to identify the differences that are experienced between two persons of a given type.
We use Step II to provide coaching clients with greater insight into areas of preference and avoidance which impacts decision making, problem solving, communications, and conflict. Sometimes we use this information with couples to assist partner growth processes. We can also use Step II to help clients discover an occupational experience that is a closer match to their personality, identify how to balance their daily energy needs, and express themselves clearly during personal job interviews. Step II brings to light the subtle nuances of personality type found in us all. It helps to target areas of personal strength and challenges that are clear and specific, which results in a more productive type experience.
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