International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Investigating the Psychometric Properties of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a largely used personality assessment tool based on the psychological type theory proposed by Carl Jung. It bifurcates people into 16 personality types across four bipolar dimensions: Extraversion–Introversion, Sensing–Intuition, Thinking–Feeling, and Judging–Perceiving. Reliability refers to the consistency of a test over time, and Validity, measures how well a test assesses what it claims to measure. This study aims to investigate the psychometric properties of reliability and validity of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a widely used assessment. A systematic review of journal articles, thesis material published between 2017 and 2025 was conducted using platforms such as Google Scholar, Research Gate and Wiley Online Library. The results of the study show inconsistent test-retest reliability, with 50% of participants receiving different type results on repeated testing. Certain MBTI domains such as Extraversion-Introversion, displayed stronger reliability while others, like Judging-Perceiving and Thinking-Feeling show weaker psychometric properties. Additionally, the MBTI falls short on predictive validity and has been criticized for its binary typological model, which fails to include the diverse continuum of personality traits. The study findings highlight the need for application with caution of the MBTI, in both clinical and organizational settings due to its limitations in reliability and validity.