The 16 personality types: profiles, behaviors and limits of the test

Isfp, entp, enfj, estj, istj, istp, infj, enfp… Do these letters mean anything to you? These are different psychological types. Used in coaching and professional development, his personalities are identified through a test called the Mbti test. A tool to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of certain people. TipsForWomens takes stock with our expert cognitive psychologist, Cédric Daudon.

How to know your Mbti profile?

Like the PAPI and Sosie tests, the model Myers Briggs Type Indicator – this tests Mbti – is a psychological assessment tool determining the personality type of one individual among sixteen listed. This test used around the world is based on a method proposed in 1962 by Isabel Briggs Myers and Katherine Cook Briggs, itself based on the work of the famous Swiss doctor and psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung. “By answering a whole series of questions – 60 in total – this personality test, called a psychometric test (because it measures psychological dimensions), will make it possible to classify the respondent in one of the sixteen psychological types based on 4 dimensions”, deciphers the cognitive psychologist Cédric Daudon, founder of the therapeutic centers Sur un Nuage. Although there are many questionnaires freely available online, Mbti tests are generally performed by professionals in the context of recruiting a candidate for a job. Another way in which it can be used: in carrying out a skills assessment in the event of a desire to change position, career (occupation) or training research. You can find more clues about your personality type by visiting Myers & Briggs Foundation, the website of the Myers Briggs Foundation. The site of The Myers-Briggs Company, one of the world leaders in the field of occupational psychology, can also help you take stock of your talents and weaknesses to ensure better fulfillment at work.

The 16 personality types of the Mbti questionnaire:

Each of the 16 listed personalities is defined by a 4-letter code referring, for each, to 4 dimensions divided into two categories:

1. The first letter indicates whether the dominant function of the person is (I) either Introverted or (E) for Extrovert.
2. The second letter (S) for Sensation or (N) for iNtuitionreveals our perception of things.
3. The third tells us about how we make our decisions. It can be a (T) for Thought or an (F) for Sentiment.
4. Finally, the fourth letter points to the way in which one approaches the world, that is to say by Judgement (J) or by Perception (P).

You will find below the list of the 16 personalities:

• ISFJ (Introversion, Sensing, Feeling, Judgment) is called The Protector. This is the most common character in the test population.
• ISTJ (Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judgment) corresponds to the character of The Inspector.
• ESFJ (Extroversion, Sensation, Feeling, Judgment) is called The Helper.
• ESTJ (Extraversion, Sensation, Thought, Judgment) corresponds to the character of the Director.
• ENFP (Extraversion, iNtuition, Feeling, Perception) refers to the personality of the champion.
• ISTP (Introversion, Sensing, Thought, Perception) refers to the DIYer profile.
• ESFP (Extroversion, Sensation, Feeling, Perception) says The interpreter.
• ISFP (Introversion, Sensation, Sentiment, Perception) Aka L’artiste.
• IS P (Extraversion, Sensation, Thought, Perception) is The Persuader.
• ENTP (Extraversion, iNtuition, Thought, Perception) is called The Debater.
• INFP (Introversion, iNtuition, Feeling, Perception) or The mediator.
• INTP (Introversion, iNtuition, Thought, Perception) corresponds to the character of the Thinker. This is notably the profile of the famous American psychologist Judith Rich Harris.
• ENFJ (Extraversion, Intuition, Feeling, Judgment) who is called The Generous.
• ENTJ (Extraversion, iNtuition, Thought, Judgment) refers to The Commander.
• INTJ (Introversion, iNtuition, Thought, Judgment) is The Architect.
• INFJ (Introversion, iNtuition, Sentiment, Judgment) corresponds to the profile of The Advocate.

American psychologists Marilyn Bates and David Keirsey have divided the 16 personalities into four temperaments: the rationalthose who seek knowledge, the idealiststhose who seek identity, the gardians in search of security and craftsmen craving sensations.

Preferences determine your Mbti profile

By answering the quiz, you will discover your Mbti preferences. Namely, if you have a preference for Extraversion (E), Sensation (S), Thought (T), Judgment (J), Introversion (I), Intuition (N), Feeling (F) or Perception (P). So, for example, “people with dominant F profiles consider that taking into account the perception of the other is more important than the search for the absolute truth“, reveals Cédric Daudon. Then, the 4-letter code will direct you to examples of professions corresponding more specifically to your profile based on your strengths (talents, skills) and your weaknesses from the tests.

What’s the point of knowing your personality type?

Just like the Papi test, the Mbti is mainly used in the professional field. It is in particular, as the psychologist explains, “a way ofharmonize agreements between teams within a company depending on the character traits of everyone when there is management to be done, notions of leadership or decision-making to be made”. For example, HR (Human Resources) professionals and other recruitment specialists can use it in the context of a job opening to select the profiles of candidates most likely to agree with the team ( subordinates, work colleagues, hierarchy, etc.). This evaluation will also allow to choose a candidate corresponding to the culture and values ​​of the company. In the event of a quest for professional retraining, it can also be practiced during personalized coaching. It should be noted that in a completely different register, on dating applications, many single people tend to specify on a personal basis on their profiles, their Mbti code considering that their score in these tests could have a possible importance as for a possible sentimental feeling. .

The limits of the Mbti test:

“This personality quiz provides orientation and assessment within a given framework”, recalls the shrink. Initially and mainly, the Mbti relates to the professional environment, that is to say to recruit the ideal candidate for a position. Furthermore, he points out, “its four main dimensions do not allow to summarize the complete personality traits of the person”, simply to give indications of his professional skills. It is therefore difficult, according to him, to adapt it to life as a couple. “Especially since a person can enter a type of profile and behave differently in their couple following their previous relationships”. Moreover, the questionnaire is largely based on the preferences of the person, which also makes it somewhat subjective. Especially since it is limited to 60 questions when other more advanced tests have 600. “This is the case with the Big Five personality test, one of the most important and precise questionnaires, which has five dimensions”, reports Cédric Daudon. During his therapies, the psychologist promotes the testing of Young’s cognitive schemas with his patients. This is a fairly well-known test with an emotional dimension, which has 132 questions. “It is a sensitive test, except if there have been traumatic events in your life, the result will remain more or less the same if it is repeated two years later”, he explains. Which is not always the case with Mbti, he adds. “The sensitivity of the results may vary, we will not necessarily give the same answers at different times in our lives depending on our emotional state.

Recommendations before performing the Mbti test:

Even if it is a serious test, the psychologist advises to not taking the results obtained via their test fully at face value. “You have to keep a step back, especially if it’s self-made online“, he warns. Besides, “on the Internet, you can come across derivative versions that can impact the sensitivity and reliability of the results”, he still warns. Carried out in interview, the Mbti quiz lasts about 2 hours and is carried out by professional recruitment organizations. Finally, it is essential, according to the shrink, to ask yourself why you want to do this test. There has to be a real interest. For example, by revealing our strengths to us, the Mbti can help to identify towards which craft examples and ideass, we could orient ourselves or reorient ourselves (in addition to a skills assessment), during a professional reorientation or a reflection on a career change including a possible formation.