Friday, December 7, 2007

Testing for personality types

I've been throwing around the labels introvert and extrovert fairly liberally throughout this blog. This may beg an important question: how do you know if you are an introvert or an extrovert?

One of the most commonly used tests to determine your personality type is called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

The test checks for four different personality preferences or dichotomies, where you can be scored at anywhere between the two extremes of the dichotomy:

(I)ntroversion or (E)xtroversion
(S)ensing or i(N)tuition
(T)hinking or (F)eeling
(P)erceiving or (J)udging

This is the Wikipedia entry about MBTI.

You'll find the following links to external sources about MBTI in this part of the Wikipedia entry.

Much of the underlying theory behind personality types came from the work of Carl Jung and his book Psychological Types.

I've taken the MBTI test twice: once in 1989 and again in 2000. I don't have a copy of the 1989 score, but I was classified as an introvert at that time. I was classified as type ISTJ in 2000.

Anyone else out there want to share their MBTI classications?

6 comments:

Gabriel said...

I am an INTP.
My wife is an ESFP.

It was interesting to find this and then study what that meant, because in so doing we found why we fit the roles that we have taken on in our marriage. I tend to enjoy making the long plans, sorting out various strategies for our family, while she is far more effective in the here-and-now.

Mark Dykeman said...

@gabriel - interesting comments!

My wife has never taken the MBTI test, but she's definitely an extrovert!

RVC said...

INFJ for me:)

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

INTJ here. My wife says I'm too critical...Sorry, honey, it's just my personality! Gotta love the MBTI!

Mark Dykeman said...

@walkinggal - thanks for sharing!

@daniel - good tip on using MBTI as a way to rationalize your personality quirks! Seriously, thanks for reading!