About Type Preferences
The MBTI® type framework provides a useful method for understanding people by identifying 16 Myers-Briggs® personality types. The personality types arise from the four pairs of opposite preferences that describe how people interact, take in information, and make decisions.
Your four preferences—your choice from each pair of opposites—make up your four-letter Myers-Briggs type.
The four pairs of preferences describe four different aspects of personality. Here are characteristics of each of the eight MBTI preferences.
Although each of us can and does use all of the preferences at least some of the time, people typically find one preference in each pair more comfortable and natural than its opposite. Your four preferences—your choice from each pair of opposites—make up your four-letter Myers-Briggs type.
- Directing and Receiving Energy
- Taking In Information
- Deciding and Coming to Conclusions
- Approaching the Outside World
ei The E–I Preference Pair How do you direct and receive energy?
eExtraversion
People who prefer Extraversion tend to direct their energy toward the outside world and get energized by interacting with people and taking action.
- Like participating actively in a variety of tasks
- May become impatient with long, slow jobs
- Are interested in the activities involved in your work and in how other people do them
- Act quickly, sometimes without thinking
- Welcome disruptions when working on a task
- Develop ideas by discussing them with others
- Like having people around and working on teams
- Communicate with energy and enthusiasm
- Respond quickly without long pauses to think
- Converse about people, things, and ideas in the outside world
- Sometimes need to moderate your delivery
- Seek opportunities to communicate with groups
- Like at least some communication to be face-to-face
- In meetings, like talking out loud to build your ideas
iIntroversion
People who prefer Introversion tend to direct their energy toward their inner world and get energized by reflecting on their ideas, memories, and experiences.
- Like quiet and private space for concentration
- Tend to be comfortable working on one project for a long time
- Are interested in the facts and/or ideas behind your work
- Like to think before you act, sometimes to the point of not acting
- Find disruptions intrusive when concentrating on a task
- Develop ideas alone through reflection
- Like working by yourself or occasionally in a small group
- Keep energy and enthusiasm inside
- Pause and reflect before responding
- Think through ideas, thoughts, and impressions
- Sometimes need to be drawn out
- Seek opportunities to communicate one-to-one
- Like at least some communication to be in written format
- In meetings, verbalize ideas that have been thought through
sn The S–N Preference Pair How do you take in information?
sSensing
People who prefer Sensing tend to take in information that is real and tangible. They focus mainly on what they perceive using the five senses.
- Like using experience and standard ways to solve problems
- Enjoy applying skills you’ve already perfected
- Seldom make errors of fact, but may ignore your inspirations
- Like to do things you view as practical
- Like to present the details of your work first
- Prefer continuing on with the way things are, with fine-tuning
- Work step-by-step or piece-by-piece, accurately estimating the time needed
- Like evidence (facts, details, and examples) presented first
- Want practical and realistic applications shown, with relationships between the facts clearly explained
- Rely on direct experience to provide information and anecdotes
- Use an orderly, step-by-step approach in conversations
- Like suggestions to be straightforward and feasible
- Refer to specific examples in meetings, follow the agenda
nIntuition
People who prefer Intuition tend to take in information by seeing the big picture. They focus mainly on the patterns and interrelationships they perceive.
- Like solving new, complex problems
- Enjoy the challenge of learning something new
- Seldom ignore insights but tend to overlook facts
- Like to do things you view as innovative
- Like to present an overview of your work first
- Prefer change, sometimes radical, to continuing on with the way things are
- Work in bursts of energy, following your inspirations
- Like global schemes, with broad issues presented first
- Want to consider future possibilities and challenges
- Use insights and imagination as information and anecdotes
- Rely on a roundabout approach in conversations
- Like suggestions to be novel and unusual
- Refer to general concepts
- In meetings, use the agenda as a starting point
tf The T–F Preference Pair How do you decide and come to conclusions?
tThinking
People who prefer Thinking typically base their decisions and conclusions on logic, with accuracy and objective truth the primary goals.
- Use logical analysis to reach conclusions
- Can work without harmony, concentrating instead on the task
- Upset people inadvertently by overlooking their emotions
- Decide impersonally, sometimes paying insufficient attention to people’s wishes
- Tend to be firm-minded and ready to offer critiques
- Look at the principles involved in the situation
- Want recognition after task requirements are met or exceeded
- Prefer to be brief and concise
- Want the pros and cons of each alternative to be listed
- Can be intellectually critical and objective
- Are convinced by cool, impersonal reasoning
- Present goals and objectives first
- Use emotions and feelings as secondary data
- In meetings, seek involvement with the task first
fFeeling
People who prefer Feeling typically base their decisions and conclusions on personal and social values, with understanding and harmony the primary goals.
- Use values to reach conclusions
- Work best in harmony with others, concentrating on the people
- Enjoy meeting people’s needs, even in small matters
- Let decisions be influenced by your own or others’ likes and dislikes
- Are sympathetic and avoid telling people unpleasant things
- Look at the underlying values in the situation
- Want appreciation throughout the process of working on a task
- Prefer to be personable and in agreement
- Want to know an alternative’s impact on people and values
- Can be appreciative and accepting of others
- Are convinced by personal authenticity
- Present points of agreement first
- Consider logic and objectivity as secondary data
- In meetings, seek involvement with people first
jp The J–P Preference Pair How do you approach the outside world?
jJudging
People who prefer Judging typically approach the world with decisiveness and tend to like planning and closure.
- Work best when they can plan their work and work their plan
- Enjoy organizing and finishing tasks
- Focus on what needs to be completed, ignoring other things
- Feel more comfortable once a decision has been made about a thing, situation, or person
- Decide quickly in your desire for closure
- Seek structure and schedules
- Use lists to prompt action on specific tasks
- Want to agree on schedules, timetables, and reasonable deadlines
- Dislike surprises and want advance warning
- Expect others to follow through, and count on that happening
- State your positions and decisions as final
- Want to hear about results and achievements
- Focus on purpose and direction
- In meetings, concentrate on completing the task
pPerceiving
People who prefer Perceiving typically approach the world with flexibility and tend to like spontaneity and openness.
- Want flexibility in your work
- Enjoy starting tasks and leaving them open for last-minute changes
- Want to include as much as possible, deferring needed tasks as long as you can
- Like staying open to experiences, not wanting to miss anything
- Postpone decisions so you can continue to search for options
- Adapt to changing situations and feel restricted by too much structure
- Use lists to remind yourself of possible things to do
- Are willing to discuss timetables but resist tight deadlines and unchangeable schedules
- Enjoy surprises and adapt to last-minute changes
- Expect others to respond to situational requirements
- Present your views as tentative and modifiable
- Want to hear about options and opportunities
- Focus on autonomy and flexibility
- In meetings, pay attention to how things are proceeding