Knowing Your Audience with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

by Tejas Patel, PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident, 

MedStar Union Memorial Hospital

Throughout our lifespan we will undoubtedly encounter a variety of personality types. Some we can relate with, others not so much. Psychiatrist Carl Jung theorized that we all have innate preferences, and that differences in these preferences is what sets us apart from others. He believed that we have natural, preferred ways of using our minds and directing energy. In addition, he believed behavioral habits develop as a result of people using their preferences.¹

From Jung’s theory of psychological types came about an instrument for applying his theories called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). It is a questionnaire that qualitatively assesses an individual’s psychological type when it comes to perception of information and decision-making. There are 16 mutually exclusive personality types, taking into account four different dimensions of personality:

• extroversion vs. introversion
• sensing vs. intuition
• thinking vs. feeling
• judging vs. perceiving²

These four dimensions help answer where we focus/gather our energy, how we take in information, how we make evaluate information to make decisions, and how we organize the external world.³

When it comes to where we get our energy, extroverts pull it from an active environment and feel more energized when they are around other people.² These types are seen as outgoing, comfortable working in groups and like to jump into action. Introverts on the other hand derive their energy from within. They are seen more as reflective or reserved, and are comfortable completing tasks on their own.

When it comes to how we receive sensory input, those with a sensing preference pay more attention to information that they can physically observe through the five senses (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling).² Facts, details, experiences and living in the present are key features of this type. The intuition type is interested in new things and future-oriented. This type enjoys starting off seeing the big picture, and would be more interested in theories or symbols as a means to receiving information.

When it comes to making decisions, those with a thinking preference like to analyze options, put emphasis on logic, and are task-oriented. As a result, decisions are made with the head. The feeling personality type takes into account the point-of-view of all persons involved in the situation, where decisions are made with the heart. The feeling personality type are individuals who are good at understanding people, human values, compassion, and empathy.²

Lastly, orientation to the outer world and lifestyle makes up our personality type. Those with a judging preference are more structured, plan ahead, and make lists. As a result, they tend to be more organized and can get unnerved if things do not go according to plan. The perceiving personality type tend to be more spontaneous, flexible, and adaptable to situations or changes. They like to stay open to new experiences and go with the flow.

In the realm of teaching and education, knowing your audience is a key component to effectively conveying information. In the specific scenario of pharmacy students, a majority of students comprise of the ISTJ personality type.⁴ That is to say they tend to have personality types that are more introverted, sensing, thinking and judging in nature. In reality, an instructor could administer an anonymous MBTI-esque assessment at the start of the semester. In turn, the instructor could obtain a better idea of the different personalities that comprise the class. From there, classes could be structured to incorporate differing levels of interactive vs. lecture-based learning. An instructor could also tailor his or her lectures to address both big-picture and detail-oriented aspects to relay the information to their audience. In the end, it is important to incorporate a fair balance in order to hit all the dimension types appropriately. However, better knowing the personality types of your students can help guide you to getting the most potential out of their learning abilities.

References:

1. The Myers & Briggs Foundation. MBTI Basics. http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/. Accessed 2017 Sept 14.
2. The Myers & Briggs Foundation. My MBTI Results. http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/my-mbti-results/home.htm?bhcp=1. Accessed 2017 Sept 14.
3. MBTI. The Power of Personality. https://www.mbtionline.com/AbouttheMBTI. Accessed 2017 Sept 14.
4. Shuck AA and Phillips CR. Assessing Pharmacy Students’ Learning Styles and Personality Types: A Ten-Year analysis. Am J Pharm Educ. 1999; 63: 27-33.