10 Key Insights into the Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, commonly known as MBTI, is a widely recognized personality assessment that categorizes individuals into 16 unique personality types. It distinguishes between extroverts and introverts, sensing and intuitive individuals, thinkers and feelers, as well as judgers and perceivers. Despite being dismissed by many psychologists as lacking scientific rigor, the MBTI continues to be a favorite tool among HR professionals and career advisors worldwide. Here’s a closer look.

1. The assessment was created by a mother and daughter duo.

Katharine Cook, later known as Briggs, was born in 1875 and began her college education at just 14 years old, focusing on agriculture and graduating at the top of her class. Although societal expectations pushed her toward a conventional domestic life post-graduation, her thirst for knowledge never waned. She channeled much of her passion into educating her daughter, Isabel, who would eventually collaborate with her to develop the renowned personality test.

2. Katharine Cook Briggs' interest in psychology was ignited by her experiences in childrearing.

Briggs was deeply intrigued by the ideal methods of raising children. She immersed herself in the study of developmental psychology, opted to homeschool her daughter Isabel, and meticulously documented her daughter's growth in a journal. (Briggs humorously called her living room a “cosmic laboratory for baby training.”) Simultaneously, she contributed articles on child psychology to well-known publications such as The New Republic and Ladies' Home Journal, often using the pen name “Elizabeth Childe.”

3. Briggs started creating personality assessments after encountering her future son-in-law.

When Isabel, now an adult, enrolled at Swarthmore College, she met Clarence “Chief” Myers, a law student. The two started dating, and Isabel eventually introduced Myers to her parents during a Christmas visit. Myers' unique personality, which starkly contrasted with the rest of the family, puzzled Katharine. Determined to understand him, she delved into personality psychology by visiting the Library of Congress and conducting extensive research.

4. Briggs was significantly influenced by the work of Carl Jung.

Briggs' perspective shifted dramatically after she encountered Carl Jung’s 1921 publication, Psychological Types. In essence, Jung proposed that human consciousness operates through two perceiving "function-types" (sensation and intuition) and two judging "function-types" (thinking and feeling), influenced by an individual’s tendency toward introversion or extraversion. Briggs was so captivated by Jung’s ideas that she dubbed his book "The Bible" and even sent him fan letters. In 1926, she authored an article in The New Republic, simplifying his theories into a practical guide titled, “Meet Yourself: How to Use the Personality Paint Box.”

5. Isabel’s dissatisfaction with temporary work led her to champion her mother’s research.

During one summer, Isabel Briggs Myers (who married "Chief" in 1918) took on a mundane job at a temp agency, which left her unfulfilled. She eventually left the job to focus on homemaking, but found it equally uninspiring. In a letter to her mother, Myers shared her desire for “a smarter way to divide labor, ensuring everyone works, but not at tasks unsuited to them.” (She later found fulfillment as a writer, penning a mystery novel titled Murder Yet to Come, which won a $7500 prize in a magazine competition.) Her quest for meaningful work deepened her engagement with her mother’s personality research.

6. The initial version of the Myers-Briggs test was designed to address the WWII employment landscape.

The GI Bill and the surge of women entering the workforce during World War II led to a significant expansion of the American labor market. This created a demand for standardized assessments that could match workers to suitable roles. Merve Emre, author of The Personality Brokers, notes that many tests were developed “under the scrutiny of executives aiming to boost both productivity and employee satisfaction.” Myers adapted her mother’s personality assessments and presented them to Edward N. Hay, a consultant, claiming they could help new workers identify their ideal careers. Hay enthusiastically embraced the concept.

7. The test became popular as a hiring and dismissal tool for employers.

Hay introduced the test to major clients like General Electric, Standard Oil, Bell Telephone, and U.S. Army officials. Corporate leaders were quickly persuaded that the test could minimize employee turnover by aligning individuals with roles suited to their personalities. Emre explains that the Myers-Briggs test encouraged companies to “reassign or terminate employees” based on their personality profiles. (For instance, introverts might be placed in clerical roles, while extroverts were assigned tasks like meter reading at an electric company.)

8. The test lacks a foundation in formal psychological theory.

A significant criticism of the MBTI is that none of its creators had formal training in psychology or psychometrics (the science of measuring psychological traits). Briggs, a self-taught enthusiast, argued, “You don’t need to be a psychologist to identify personality types, just as you don’t need to be a botanist to recognize plants.” However, her detractors strongly contested this view.

9. The MBTI lacks statistical consistency.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is plagued by “low test reliability.” This means that if you take the test multiple times, you’re likely to receive different personality classifications. Roman Krznaric, a philosopher, noted in Fortune that “retaking the test after just five weeks gives you a 50 percent chance of being categorized into a different personality type.” As a scientific tool, the test fails to deliver consistent results.

10. Psychologists have likened the test to a "fortune cookie."

Experts have dismissed the MBTI as “irresponsible armchair philosophy” and a “Jungian horoscope.” Critics argue that Briggs and her daughter misinterpreted Jung’s theories. (Jung himself stated that labeling personalities was “nothing more than a childish parlor game.”) A 1990s study commissioned by the U.S. Army Research Institute concluded, “There is insufficient, well-designed research to support the MBTI’s use in career counseling programs" [PDF]. Psychometrician Robert Hogan remarked that “most personality psychologists view the MBTI as little better than an elaborate Chinese fortune cookie.” Despite these critiques, the test remains popular among Fortune 100 companies, generating $20 million annually.