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Part of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Guide
By Kendra Cherry Updated on July 28, 2022
Medically reviewed by David Susman, PhD
Have you ever heard someone describe themselves as an INTJ or an ESTP and
wondered what those cryptic-sounding letters could mean? What these people are
referring to is their personality type based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
The Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator is a self-report inventory designed to
identify a person's personality type, strengths, and preferences. The questionnaire was
developed by Isabel Myers and her mother Katherine Briggs based on their work with
Carl Jung's theory of personality types. Today, the MBTI inventory is one of the world's
most widely used psychological instruments.
This article discusses how the Myers-Briggs types were created, what the 16 different
MBTI types are, and how this personality typing system works.
The Development of the Myers-Briggs Test
Both Myers and Briggs were fascinated by Jung's theory of psychological types and
recognized that the theory could have real-world applications. During World War II, they
began researching and developing an indicator that could be utilized to help understand
individual differences.
By helping people understand themselves, Myers and Briggs believed that they
could help people select occupations that were best suited to their personality types
and lead healthier, happier lives.
Myers created the first pen-and-pencil version of the inventory during the 1940s, and the
two women began testing the assessment on friends and family. They continued to fully
develop the instrument over the next two decades.
An Overview of the Test
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Based on the answers to the questions on the inventory, people are identified as having
one of 16 personality types. The goal of the MBTI is to allow respondents to further
explore and understand their own personalities including their likes, dislikes, strengths,
weaknesses, possible career preferences, and compatibility with other people.
No one personality type is "best" or "better" than another. It isn't a tool designed to look
for dysfunction or abnormality. Instead, its goal is simply to help you learn more about
yourself. The questionnaire itself is made up of four different scales.
Extraversion (E) – Introversion (I)
The extraversion-introversion dichotomy was first explored by Jung in his theory of
personality types as a way to describe how people respond and interact with the world
around them. While these terms are familiar to most people, the way in which they are
used in the MBTI differs somewhat from their popular usage.
Extraverts (also often spelled extroverts) are "outward-turning" and tend to be action-
oriented, enjoy more frequent social interaction, and feel energized after spending time
with other people. Introverts are "inward-turning" and tend to be thought-oriented, enjoy
deep and meaningful social interactions, and feel recharged after spending time alone.
We all exhibit extraversion and introversion to some degree, but most of us tend to
have an overall preference for one or the other.
Sensing (S) – Intuition (N)
This scale involves looking at how people gather information from the world around
them. Just like with extraversion and introversion, all people spend some time sensing
and intuiting depending on the situation. According to the MBTI, people tend to be
dominant in one area or the other.
People who prefer sensing tend to pay a great deal of attention to reality, particularly to
what they can learn from their own senses. They tend to focus on facts and details and
enjoy getting hands-on experience. Those who prefer intuition pay more attention to
things like patterns and impressions. They enjoy thinking about possibilities, imagining
the future, and abstract theories.
Thinking (T) – Feeling (F)
This scale focuses on how people make decisions based on the information that they
gathered from their sensing or intuition functions. People who prefer thinking place a
greater emphasis on facts and objective data.
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They tend to be consistent, logical, and impersonal when weighing a decision. Those
who prefer feeling are more likely to consider people and emotions when arriving at a
conclusion.
Judging (J) – Perceiving (P)
The final scale involves how people tend to deal with the outside world. Those who lean
toward judging prefer structure and firm decisions. People who lean toward perceiving
are more open, flexible, and adaptable. These two tendencies interact with the other
scales.
Remember, all people at least spend some time engaged in extraverted activities. The
judging-perceiving scale helps describe whether you behave like an extravert when you
are taking in new information (sensing and intuiting) or when you are making decisions
(thinking and feeling).
The Myers Briggs Types
Each type is then listed by its four-letter code:
ISTJ - The Inspector: Reserved and practical, they tend to be loyal, orderly, and
traditional.
ISTP - The Crafter: Highly independent, they enjoy new experiences that provide
first-hand learning.
ISFJ - The Protector: Warm-hearted and dedicated, they are always ready to
protect the people they care about.
ISFP - The Artist: Easy-going and flexible, they tend to be reserved and artistic.
INFJ - The Advocate: Creative and analytical, they are considered one of the rarest
Myers-Briggs types.
INFP - The Mediator: Idealistic with high values, they strive to make the world a
better place.
INTJ - The Architect: High logical, they are both very creative and analytical.
INTP - The Thinker: Quiet and introverted, they are known for having a rich inner
world.
ESTP - The Persuader: Out-going and dramatic, they enjoy spending time with
others and focusing on the here-and-now.
ESTJ - The Director: Assertive and rule-oriented, they have high principles and a
tendency to take charge.
ESFP - The Performer: Outgoing and spontaneous, they enjoy taking center stage.
ESFJ - The Caregiver: Soft-hearted and outgoing, they tend to believe the best
about other people.
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ENFP - The Champion: Charismatic and energetic, they enjoy situations where
they can put their creativity to work.
ENFJ - The Giver: Loyal and sensitive, they are known for being understanding
and generous.
ENTP - The Debater: Highly inventive, they love being surrounded by ideas and
tend to start many projects (but may struggle to finish them).
ENTJ - The Commander: Outspoken and confident, they are great at making plans
and organizing projects.
Taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator can provide a lot of insight into your personality,
which is probably why the instrument has become so popular. Even without taking the
formal questionnaire, you can probably immediately recognize some of these tendencies
in yourself.
According to the Myers & Briggs Foundation, it is important to remember that all
types are equal and that every type has value.
When working in group situations in school or at work, for example, recognizing your
own strengths and understanding the strengths of others can be very helpful. When you
are working toward completing a project with other members of a group, you might
realize that certain members of the group are skilled and talented at performing
particular actions. By recognizing these differences, the group can better assign tasks
and work together on achieving their goals.
How MBTI Differs From Other Instruments
The MBTI is just one approach to personality typing. Personality typing refers to systems
that categorize people based on their traits, tendencies, and other characteristics. Other
popular types of personality tests include:
The Enneagram
The Five Love Languages
The Big Five Personality Assessment
The Workplace DISC Test
Cattell's 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire
However, the Myers-Briggs types differ in some important ways. First, the MBTI is not
really a "test." There are no right or wrong answers, and one type is not better than any
other type. The purpose of the indicator is not to evaluate mental health or offer any type
of diagnosis.
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Also, unlike many other psychological evaluations, your results are not compared
against any norms. Instead of looking at your score in comparison to other people's
results, the instrument's goal is to simply offer further information about your unique
personality.
Reliability and Validity
According to the Myers & Briggs Foundation, the MBTI meets accepted standards of
reliability and validity. The official website for the test suggests that it has a 90%
accuracy and test-retest reliability rating. One study found that while the scale showed
strong internal consistency and test-retest reliability, variations were observed.
Other studies indicate that the reliability and validity of the instrument have not been
adequately demonstrated. For example, some research suggests that around many
people get differing results when they later retake the test and the test is not a good
predictor of success in different careers.
Recap
While the MBTI remains a popular assessment, there is not enough evidence for its
scientific validity to recommend using it as a personality or career guidance tool.
The MBTI Today
Because the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator is relatively easy to use, it has
become one of the most popular psychological instruments currently in use today.
Approximately two million U.S. adults complete the inventory each year.
While there are many versions of the MBTI available online, it should be noted that
any of the informal questionnaires that you may find on the Internet are only
approximations of the real thing.
The real MBTI must be administered by a trained and qualified practitioner that includes
a follow-up of the results. Today, the questionnaire can be administered online via the
instrument publisher, CPP, Inc., and includes receiving a professional interpretation of
your results.
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The current version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator includes 93 forced-choice
questions in the North American version and 88 forced-choice questions in the European
version. For each question, there are two different options from which the respondent
must choose.
7 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts
within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our
content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
1. The Myers & Briggs Foundation. Original research.
2. Yang C, Richard G, Durkin M. The association between Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and
Psychiatry as the specialty choice. Int J Med Educ. 2016;7:48-51. doi:10.5116/ijme.5698.e2cd
3. Center for Applications of Psychological Type. Estimated frequencies of the types in the United
States population.
4. Spiotta AM. Incorporation of personality typing into a neurologic surgery residency program:
Utility in systems based practice, professionalism, and self-reflection. World Neurosurg.
2018;120:e1041-e1046. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2018.09.007
5. Capraro RM, Capraro MM. Myers-Briggs type indicator score reliability across: studies a meta-
analytic reliability generalization study. Educational and Psychological Measurement.
2002;62(4):590-602. doi:10.1177/0013164402062004004
6. Pittenger DJ. The utility of the Myers-Briggs type indicator. Review of Educational Research.
1993;63(4):467-488. doi:10.3102/00346543063004467
7. The Myers & Briggs Foundation. Versions of the MBTI questionnaire.
Additional Reading
Bjork RA, Druckman D. In the Mind's Eye: Enhancing Human Performance. Washington, DC:
National Academy Press. 1992.
Jung CG. Psychological Types. In Collected Works of C.G. Jung, Volume 6. Princeton
University Press: 1971.
Lawrence GD, Martin CR. Building People, Building Programs. Center for Applications of
Psychological Type. 2001.
Myers IB, Peter BM. Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type. Mountain View, CA:
Davies-Black Publishing. 1980.
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Pittenger DJ. Measuring the MBTI...And Coming Up Short. Journal of Career Planning and
Employment. 1993;54(1):48-52.
The Myers & Briggs Foundation. (n.d.). Reliability and Validity of the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator Instrument.
The Myers & Briggs Foundation. (n.d.). All Types Are Equal.
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