A Critique of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and its Operationalization of Carl Jung's Psychological Types

Abstract

Personality, as represented by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and its interpretative literature as a means of understanding behavior, is critically analyzed. Specifically, the dichotomous nature of the indices is criticized as is its operationalization of Jung's psychological types. This paper argues that Jung's stated intentions for understanding individual behavior suggest that personality variables exist in various levels of consciousness and unconsciousness which require study to consider the proportions with which each exists. The paper also considers a reconstruction of the measure of Jung's psychological types and reconsideration of the descriptions and characteristics of each personality function measured.