FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What
is the MBTI?
These
letters stand for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This
instrument is the most widely used self-reporting indicator
in use today. It is based on the theories of Carl Jung,
a psychiatrist of some renown and a protÈgÈ of Sigmund Freud.
Only a certified administrator can administer this instrument.
It does not measure intelligence or degree of sanity. It
does, however, indicate very clearly an individual's personality
preference; a preference which does not change throughout
life. [top]
Who
were Myers and Briggs?
Katherine
Briggs began developing her ideas about personality similarities
and differences during the early 1900s. She soon realized
that her concepts were similar to those of Dr. Carl Jung
and began to apply his complex theories to an operational
format. In conjunction with her daughter Isabelle Myers,
the two refined and improved the reliability and validity
of this format in an effort to make it useful and applicable
in the normal business world. Since it's inception it has
grown to be widely used in business, government, military,
and normal life situations. Both Myers and Briggs have made
available to the world a useful and operational tool for
applying the type concepts of Carl Jung. [top]
What
can the MBTI tell me about myself that I don't now know?
The
MBTI is a measure of preferences. These preferences result
in various behaviors which are characteristic of the individual.
Your preferences and, therefore, your behavior are determined
at birth and remain with you throughout life; you consistently
use these preferences daily and some are utilized more than
others are. The MBTI places these preferences in a format
that categorizes a person in a non-pejorative manner and
eliminates the "name calling" that can go on in
organizations or families. For example, those with a T (or
Thinking) preference are frequently view by those with an
F (or Feeling) preference as cold and overly critical, to
the surprise of the Thinking preference individual. Recognizing
that others may view your preferences differently than you
view the same behaviors can greatly enhance your productivity
in dealing with others. [top]
How
accurately will the MBTI determine my preferences?
You
will probably be amazed at how closely the MBTI describes
you. It is estimated that over 75% of those taking the MBTI
find that it accurately determines their preferences. Psychologists
use two terms to describe how a questionnaire performs.
One term, reliability, measures the ability of the instrument
to reproduce similar results on subsequent applications.
70% reproducibility is consider ed excellent. The MBTI has
been determined to be about 85% reliable. The other determining
factor is validity. Validity refers to the degree with which
the instrument measures what it is supposed to measure.
This is a rather technical term and is deemed to be relatively
high for the MBTI as evidenced by the 75% consensus outlined
above. [top]
Who
will know the results of my questionnaire?
The
MBTI is a very positive instrument and those taking it find
it rather fun and refreshing to share the results. However,
your results are not divulged to anyone other than yourself.
As an example, those taking the MBTI seminars through their
companies are the only ones to see the results. It is up
to the individual to decide with whom he/she would like
to share the information. We certify that all testing information
remains confidential. [top]
Does
the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator place people in stereotypical
boxes?
The
answer is no. The MBTI gives each individual guide lines
as to how they perceive the world, make decisions based
upon that perceived data, and how structured they choose
to lead their lives. They do all of this through the lens
of their extroverted or introverted attitude. How an individual
responds to specific circumstances can vary even for similar
personality types. What the MBTI does is allow us to understand
general similarities in our preferences and how these preferences
may affect our relations with others and our conception
of self. [top]
What
does it measure?
Nothing.
It's a sorter, and sorts people into 16 types based on how
they fall on four scales. [top]
Will
the MBTI reveal negative thoughts or feelings with the test
results?
No,
nothing of the sort. The MBTI asks you how you act in everyday
situations. It's a sorter, not a psychological test aimed
at revealing your innermost thoughts. Basically, it shows
how you take in information and make decisions. [top]
Why
is it so important that it's a self-reporting instrument?
Because
you decide if the results fit you.
No one knows you better. If you disagree with your
results, you are correct and the sorter is wrong. That's
not what happens on an IQ test, for example. There's one
correct answer. On this sorter, all answers have validity.
[top]
Can
I lie and cheat on my answers?
Well,
you can certainly lie, but there's no way to cheat, because
there's no score to achieve. The only thing you'd accomplish
is to get invalid results for yourself. There is the risk
that people will answer the questions the way they want
to be or think they should be, versus how they really are.
Again, that will only make your results sound like someone
other than you. The MBTI has a good degree of reliability regarding the individual
who retests and getting similar results. [top]
What
are the scales?
The
four scales are Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition,
Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. The sorter indicates
which end of the four scales you prefer, leading to your
four letter type. [top]
What
do the scales mean?
The
Extraversion/Introversion scale describes how people get
their energy, the Sensing/Intuition scale shows how people
take in information about the world around them, the Thinking/Feeling
scale indicates how people make decisions, and the Judging/Perceiving
scale describes the lifestyle preferences people have. [top]
Does
the MBTI measure skills and abilities?
No.
It indicates preferences and reveals nothing about skills
or abilities. The classic example is signing your name.
Each of us has a preferred hand for writing. We can use
the other hand, but it feels odd, awkward, and uncomfortable.
The same is true on the four scales. We prefer one end of
each scale over the other. Like our hands, we use both sides
every day. Yet one hand is our dominant hand. The MBTI helps
us discover more about our dominant preferences. [top]
How
many types are there?
In
the basic form, there are 16 types. However, each of the
four scales has five subscales, resulting in over a million
possible combinations.
Take the MBTI Step II to see your subscale results.
[top]
Are
some types better than others?
There
are no good or bad types. Each has its strengths and potential
weaknesses. Each type will react differently to stress,
work, love, and life in general. In some situations, certain
types will have an advantage. In others situations, those
same types could be a liability. Put another way, almost
any strength taken too far can become a weakness. For example,
the ability to concentrate can be quite useful. However,
if you can concentrate too well, you might end up ignoring
important people or information in your environment. [top]
Can
knowing about type lead to prejudice?
Yes,
it's a real danger. Although understanding personality type
is a good starting point for learning about people you know
behave differently from you, the risk increases that they
will over-generalize and stereotype.
People are complex. After a while, one could start
to believe those with different types are incapable of acting
differently. Type is not just a genetic predisposition.
People have free will and can choose to act differently
at any time. Some people fall into the trap of believing
their type is the best, and that other types are inferior.
If a person were to believe this, he or she could treat
others in a prejudicial manner. [top]
Will
knowing about psychological type help me at work?
Absolutely,
and all the time, especially if you use it to understand
those people most different from yourself. It can make teamwork
and conflict avoidance much easier. Over two million people
take the MBTI each year.
Why not join them and increase your awareness about
yourself and others. [top]
My
superior wants me to take the MBTI, but I don't want to.
What should I do?
This
situation constitutes an unethical use of the MBTI. One
of the basic tenets is that anyone taking the MBTI must
do so voluntarily, without coercion. You also have the right
to see your results.
I would question the motivation of a manager insisting
that you take the test and supply him/her with the results.
I'd refuse to take it if you were the only one in your organization
being required to do it.
There are however, circumstances in which a group
or team taking the MBTI Team Report can be highly beneficial
for the organization at large.
See the description of MBTI Team Report under "Personality
Tests. [top]
I
already know my personality type and I really want to know
my spouse's, but he or she refuses to take the MBTI. What
can I do?
No
one, especially your spouse should be forced into taking
the instrument. It's unethical to coerce someone into taking
the MBTI. If you really learn a lot about psychological
type, you may be able to figure out something of your spouses'
psychological type without forcing him or her to take the
questionnaire. However,
if both parties are willing and interested in sharing MBTI
test results, the experience can be exciting and revealing.
I remember being surprised in discovering that my
wife is an E (Extrovert) as opposed to an
I (Introvert). And
more revealingly, I discovered I was an introvert whereas
I had assumed I was a mild extrovert.
What an eye opener! [top]
What's
the difference between the MBTI and all the other personality
"tests" out there?
The
biggest difference is the amount of research that has gone
into the questions and scoring the results. That gives the
MBTI great reliability and scientific validity. Others have
created instruments that are supposed to reveal the same
information. Yet serious researchers will use either the
MBTI or the NEO-PI. Anyone can use the same four letter
type categories. The MBTI has been researched and refined
for almost 60 years, in thousands of studies. You can get
useful results from other instruments. For those who are
not sure about where they fall on a scale, the MBTI Step
II gives the clearest indication of your preferences. [top]
Why
do you charge for people to take tests? There are lots of
free ones!
That's
true; there are free personality "tests." The
MBTI is a licensed product you can use on a pay-per-use
basis. Ransdell
Associates is licensed by the publisher to administer the
tests. We don't
"buy" the tests and then sell them to you.
In this way, the publisher increases the likelihood
that anyone administrating the testing instruments is qualified
and is acting in an ethical manner.
The MBTI therefore is not a pop psychological quiz
or is offered by Ransdell Associates to harvest confidential
information from customers to be used in some marketing
scheme. Despite
what you might see online, there are no free Myers-Briggs
tests anywhere. So if you see "free Myers-Briggs,"
it's an imitation someone created, and possibly a copyright
infringement. The second factor is the phone consultation
you'll receive. If you really believe the free tests offer
real value, then by all means use them. I've tried some
of them myself. I've yet to see one that gives the in-depth
and accurate information that the Myers-Briggs provides.
You also get what you pay for. This site is for those who
want to be able to ask questions and get advice about their
results, rather than merely getting a printout of some fun
stuff. [top]
What's
the FIRO-B?
The
acronym stands for Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation--Behavior.
The FIRO-B is used to uncover the ways you behave towards
others and how you want them to behave towards you. There
are three scales: Inclusion, or how much contact you like
and want from others, Control, which is how much power or
dominance you want and expect, and Affection, which is the
amount of closeness, warmth and sensitivity you want and
prefer. Each of the three scales has two parts: the expressed
behavior, which is what you do, and the wanted behavior,
which is what you want others to do. The FIRO-B is frequently
used for team building, management development, and couples
counseling. The questionnaire has 54 items and takes about
15 minutes to complete. It's particularly effective for
leadership development in combination with the MBTI. [top]
What's
the Strong Interest Inventory?
The
Strong is an interest inventory that compares your likes
and dislikes with people who are working in various professions.
The Strong began in the 1920s as an attempt to match military
recruits with jobs that fit their interests. The idea was,
you're likely to be a better cook if you like cooking. Rather
than interviewing everyone, people could take the test and
make the process much faster and more efficient. The same
method is used today - matching people and jobs. The idea
is you will likely enjoy work where your interests are similar
to people already working in various fields. The people
who were surveyed to create the Strong have been working
in their careers at least 3 years, are satisfied with their
work, and do work that is typical of that profession. [top]
How
is the Strong different from the Myers-Briggs?
The
Strong compares your interests to people who are working
in various professions. The Myers-Briggs sorts your preferences
for decision making, taking in energy, gathering information,
and lifestyle to show how you prefer to live your life.
While they are based on different theories, there is some
correlation between the two sorters. For example, many people
who prefer Judging also score high on Conventional on the
Strong, while Intuitives tend to prefer Artistic pursuits.
Be sure to read sample reports of both types to see the
differences more clearly. [top]
I
took the Strong in high school or college. Should I take
it again?
Your
interests are likely to continue changing throughout your
lifetime. Even people who are approaching retirement can
benefit from uncovering interests they can use in their
next life phase. Your interests could be quite different
at 40 than at 20. The Strong Interest Inventory can often
verify what you suspected all along - that there are things
you're interested in professionally which you may have discounted
in previous years. You can take the Strong any time you've
made a major change in your life, such as marriage, divorce,
new family members, job loss, midlife "transition,"
retirement, etc. The insights you gain can make your changes
much easier to understand and even to enjoy them. [top]
Which
Strong Test is the best? There are so many versions.
There
are nine variations offered by Ransdell Associates. Each
one targets a different area of your career development.
Some of the Strong tests are actually combination
tests whereby you combine the results of taking the Myers-Briggs
with a Strong Test. One example is the combined Strong/MBTI
Career Report. Basically, you take the Strong Interest Inventory,
then your results are adjusted for your Myers-Briggs type.
In my view, it combines the best of both tests to give you
a more accurate, personal picture of where your career interests
lie. The Strong Professional is good for people who are
only interested in careers that require a college degree
or higher. The Entrepreneur report is a must for anyone
who is considering starting his or her own business. You
could save yourself a lot of aggravation, time, energy,
and money if you were to discover it's really not for you
before you start. Likewise, you might uncover areas of self-employment
that don't interest you. In such cases, you could find a
partner to fill in those areas where you are weakest. Knowing
all this before you get started will surely make the job
easier. [top]
The
Strong doesn't list the job I'm interested in. Why are there
so few professions listed on the report?
That's
correct; the number of professions is limited. Obviously,
a report could include hundreds of jobs. There are a quite
a few challenges with that approach. First, some jobs are
rather rare. Second, as the number of listings increases,
the amount of confusion generated
grows along with it. Third, the Strong shows you patterns
of interests according to Holland's theory of occupational
codes. Using that information, you could look up additional
jobs that match your two or three letter code. In short,
you'll have many possible job paths to select from, using
the information from your Strong. You'll notice each Strong
report concludes with a listing of books for more information.
You can read up and get a great deal more information about
your career options. [top]
