Myers-Briggs Type Indicator facts for kids
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a special set of questions based on psychology, which is the study of the mind. By answering these questions, people can learn more about how they usually make choices and how they see the world around them. After completing the MBTI, people are placed into one of sixteen different groups. These groups are based on ideas from a famous psychologist named Carl Gustav Jung, which he wrote about in his 1921 book, Psychological Types.
The first version of these questions was created during World War II by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. They wanted to help women who were starting to work outside the home for the first time. Katharine and Isabel believed their questions could help these women find jobs where they would be happier and work better. Over time, these questions grew into the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator we use today, which was officially created in 1962. Even though there are sixteen different types, it's important to know that no one type is better than another. All the types are considered equally valuable.
Contents
Understanding Your MBTI Type
The MBTI looks at four main areas to help you understand your personality. Each area has two opposite preferences.
How Do You Get Your Energy? (Extraversion / Introversion)
The first area is about where you get your energy from. This is called extraversion (E) or introversion (I).
- Extraverts (E) get their energy from the outside world. They usually enjoy spending time with other people and being active.
- Introverts (I) get their energy from their inner world. They often feel more energized by thinking, reflecting, and having quiet time.
How Do You Take in Information? (Sensing / Intuition)
The second area is about how you gather information. This is either sensing (S) or intuition (N).
- Sensing (S) people tend to trust facts and what they can experience with their five senses (see, hear, touch, taste, smell). They like clear, real-world details.
- Intuition (N) people are more likely to look for meanings, patterns, and possibilities that might not be obvious. They often trust their gut feelings or ideas that can't be directly tested.
How Do You Make Decisions? (Thinking / Feeling)
The third area explores how you make decisions. This is thinking (T) or feeling (F).
- Thinking (T) people usually make decisions based on logic, reason, and what makes the most sense. They focus on fairness and objective facts.
- Feeling (F) people tend to consider how their decisions will affect others. They try to create harmony and agreement among everyone involved. It's important to remember that thinking types don't "think better" than feeling types, and feeling types don't only make decisions based on emotions.
How Do You Deal with the World? (Judging / Perceiving)
The last area describes how you prefer to deal with the outside world. This is judging (J) or perceiving (P).
- Judging (J) people usually prefer to have things organized and settled. They like to make plans and stick to them, often using their thinking or feeling side to deal with the world.
- Perceiving (P) people tend to be more flexible and open to new experiences. They like to keep their options open and often use their sensing or intuition side to interact with the world.
What Does Your Full Type Mean?
Your complete Myers-Briggs type is made up of one preference from each of these four areas. For example:
- An ESTJ person would prefer Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging. This means they are outgoing, focus on facts, make logical decisions, and like things organized.
- An INFP person would prefer Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, and Perceiving. This means they are more reserved, look for deeper meanings, consider others' feelings, and are flexible.
Images for kids
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A chart with descriptions of each Myers–Briggs personality type and the four dichotomies central to the theory.
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Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers extrapolated their MBTI theory from Carl Jung's writings in his 1921 book Psychological Types.
See also
In Spanish: Indicador Myers-Briggs para niños
