Myers–Briggs Type Indicator

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a self-report questionnaire claiming to categorize people into 16 personality types based on four dichotomies: introversion/extraversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving. Developed during WWII by Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, who were not formally trained in psychology, the test was inspired by Carl Jung's theories. The MBTI is widely criticized by scientists as pseudoscience, lacking predictive validity, reliability, and scientific support. Studies show most people score near the middle of each scale, not in dichotomous categories, and retest reliability is low, with up to 50% of people getting a different type after five weeks. Despite this, it remains popular, used by many businesses, schools, and government agencies. The test has been likened to horoscopes due to the Barnum effect. Recent fads in South Korea and China involve using the MBTI for dating and hiring, which the publisher discourages.