Katharine Briggs and Isabel Meyers developed the Meyers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI). They based the indicator on the work of Jung who studied behaviors for many years (Hirsh & Kummerow, 1995). Other MBTI instruments have been developed, including the Kersey sorter, and the Jung typology test (ITT), which have been designed to determine an individual's personality type, as defined by the work of Meyers and Briggs. The MBTI is commonly used in organizations around the world to help people better understand their personality type. Furthermore, the MBTI is a tool that helps people in organizations by assisting in career choice and professional development, and understanding and adapting to differences in management style (Hirsh & Kummerow, 1995).

The MBTI is used more than any other instrument in the United States to identify normal personality differences that may result in poor communication and conflict. The MBTI is based on Carl Jung's thesis that apparently random differences among people are actually consistent differences based on preferences developed early in life. Furthermore, there are patterns of difference that can be measured (Jung, 1971). According to the MBTI, opposing preferences exist on four dimensions: interaction with the external world, decision making, information gathering, and structuring lives (Kroeger & Thuesen, 1989; McCaulley, 1990). From these dimensions come the indicator's four dichotomous scales: Extraversion-Introversion (E-I), Sensing-Intuition (S-N), Thinking-Feeling (S-F), and Judging-Perceiving (J-P). Each person taking the MBTI will prefer one of the two categories in each scale, resulting in 1 of 16 possible 4-letter types (e.g., ESFP or INTJ).