How is a method of understanding personality differences, developed in the early 1900’s, still relevant today? The accuracy and relevance of Jungian Typology has been widely discussed and researched. Thousands of publications have been released that give insights into human behavior. Human development as implemented through the lens of personality typology is just as meaningful as it was in 1921, when it was originally proposed. In this blog, some basic facts will be presented that will allow you to reach your own conclusions as to the importance of personality typology.
Most individuals would like to learn more about who they are, “what makes them tic.”. Much of this knowledge is based our personality type and helps us to understand what we may want to avoid. It is a principal component of happiness. Learning about one’s personality type will help them to understand their:
E/I Psychological energy acquisition, distribution, and the direction of attention. This is known as Extraversion (external) or Introversion (internal).
S/N It will also provide insights into the mental process for disseminating information about physical surroundings and mental concepts. This perception has two forms Sensing and iNtuiting.
T/F Deciding or making judgments is the mental process of forming decisions about perceived information. The two forms of judgment are Thinking and Feeling.
J/P It also helps to form an individual’s orientation to living, which is the mental process used or the lifestyle favored for interaction with the outside world. The two methods of orientation relate to the mental processes of Judgment and Perception.
It takes time to learn about these elements of our personality type. It requires metacognition or thinking about our thinking. The individual will learn new concepts and think about or apply the concept to themselves. It will determine why some things are attractive and compelling, while others are draining and irritating. An individual’s personality type is based on genetics (Jung called it innate). It is not a good or bad characteristic. We are very flexible creatures. It is possible to adapt to different situations, but our personality type will always remain the same. It is the same genetics but with adaptation to life’s experiences.
Awareness of personality type is explanatory! Knowing your personality type makes it easier to communicate with those with a different type. This knowledge also prevents the development of mistaken beliefs and misattributions that are based on personality differences. Why a situation or person “bugs” us is frequently reframed into a simple difference in personality type (preference for action). It reduces the number of snap judgements, minimizes conflict, and promotes cohesiveness, by learning to accept others in the workplace. For teams, the strengths and limitations of personnel can be clearly outlined. A typological evaluation of goals matched with individuals can focus development efforts where it is needed. This will save both time and money, improving productivity and reducing tension.
The assessment of psychological type must be accurate and reliable. A valid assessment, like the Majors PTI and Majors Elements, will give the professional and client informative and meaningful results. In selecting an assessment, it is necessary to evaluate the intended scope of the measure, the source or author, as well as the research that has been done on its accuracy and effectiveness. An important aspect of selecting the assessment is how much support is given to help the professional develop practical and ethical usage. Instrument selection must include pathways of training for the professionals who will be using it.
There is more involved than just choosing the assessment and receiving the training to providing feedback. It takes time to understand psychological type. Although you may be using an accurate assessment, the concepts must be understood and given the necessary time to sink in. Learning about one’s psychological type should be an enjoyable and informative process. Once the individual has developed this understanding, they may want to learn more about situations in life which may promote or constrict (blockages) the individual’s expression of their type. Only the Majors Elements provide a deeper exploration into type expression that help the professional see blockages and individual differences within a type. These concepts give the reasons why two individuals of the same type seem so different at work. There should also be information on what personality elements the individual finds most and least accessible/useable. The Majors Type assessments give the 8-Process Scores (mental functions) that provide a snapshot of Type Expression by the individual in everyday life.
The assessment chosen to provide an understanding of psychological type should promote growth and development in the individual and understanding of their experiences. It shouldn’t just be required by HR, supervisors or someone else. The properly trained professional will guide the client to information helpful for all aspects of their lives (during and after work). If individuals see value in type assessments and the knowledge gained through competent professional interaction, it will lead to growth, development, and an increase in happiness.
