Jungian Typology of Professional Psychodramatists: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Analysis of Certified Psychodramatists

Abstract

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator scores of 170 certified psychodramatists were collected. As anticipated, self-selection was readily apparent in the group as 87% were intuitive rather than sensing types. Psychodramatists are most likely to be intuitive feelers, and extraverted intuitive feeling perceivers represent 29% of all certified professionals. In general there were no major differences in psychological types between psychodramatists and samples from their original academic training (psychology, social work, etc.). In comparing psychodramatists with other psychotherapeutic orientations, psychodramatists were most like experiential psychotherapists and most different from psychoanalytic therapists. As compared to Jacoby's scale of innovative versus conservative types, 87% of the psychodramatists are innovative. That spontaneity and creativity are regarded as essential to psychodrama is suggested by both the preponderance of innovative types among professionally certified psychodramatists and the systematic exclusion of most conservative types. Studies of other certified therapists would provide a base for further comparison of psychological types between psychotherapeutic orientations.