Carl Jung established a theory, which saw universal types in human personality. The types categorized by Carl Jung are persent in all of us. However, certain types are predominant over the normal mode of organizing our experience. Jung proposed that many of the differences between people are not random. Instead, they form a pattern. Personality patterns get formed as people display and use their natural perferences. Jung called these patterns their Psychological Types.
Many Psychologists in the field of Psychology were deeply intrigued by human personality and tried hard to study this. As a result, different theories emerged to analyze and explain the nature of the human personality. As we know very well, people are very different from one another. The Psychologists concluded that the personality of one person tends to be completely different from that of the other.
Trait Theory vs. Type Theory
Trait Theory and Type Theory are two theories that very well explain this concept of personality. Some of the basic differences between Trait theory and Type theory is that according to the Trait theorists, the individual personality is created with a combination of traits and hence they reject the idea of categorizing people into different type based on their characteristics as is proposed by Type theorists. According to theTrait theorists, the categorization approach to personality is an oversimplification.
What is Trait Theory?
Trait theory emphasizes the significance of human traits in the study of human personality. The different characteristics that people have are called Traits. These characteristics have the ability to influence our thoughts, behavior and emotions.Trait theorists highlight that individual personalities are composed of different traits. These differ from one individual to another. Psychologist Gordon Allport is one of the pioneers in Trait theory. Over the years, a number
of trait theories have emerged. They are the Big Five personality traits, Eysenck personality questionnaire, Guilford’s structure of intellect, Gray’s biopsychological theory of personality, etc.
What is Type Theory?
The significance of a distinct type of personality is focused on greatly by Type theorists. Type theorists highlight individual physique and temperaments. There are many classifications that come under type theory. It is important to note that all Type theories point out that individual personality falls under a specific category. The work of Hippocrates proposed the earliest idea of type theory. He spoke of the four humors known as sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric and melancholic. Later on, another type theory known as the Type A and Type B – theory emerged. This categorized people into two. Type A referred to those who are very much goal oriented while Type B referred to those who are easy-going. Other than these, Carl Jung, William Sheldon, and Ernest Kretschmer also introduced different type theories.
The Type Theory proposed by Carl Jung:
Carl Jung was born in July 26,1875. The psychologist has been vital in the world of psychology through out his career, until his death in June 6.1961. Carl Jung established a theory, which saw universal types in human personality. The types categorized by Carl Jung are persent in all of us. However, certain types are predominant over the normal mode of organizing our experience.
Jung proposed that many of the differences between people are not random. Instead, they form a pattern. Personality patterns get formed as people display and use their natural perferences. Jung called these patterns their Psychological Types. According to Jung everyone has innate perferences about
- How one chooses to take information (Sensing vs. Intuition)
- How one chooses to make decisions (Thinking vs. Feeling)
- Which world we choose to live in- the outer world or the inner world (Extraversion vs. Introversion)
- How we choose to apporach the world around us – in a systematic manner or in a spontaneous manner (Judging vs. Perceiving) and though both the types are present in us, we generally have more perference for one type over the other.
Katherine and Isabel Briggs Myers
In the mid 90s, Jung’s theories were studied and applied by Isabel Briggs Myers in the real world. According to Jung as supplemented by Myers, personality type is based on four pairs of opposing preferences. This means, personality can be typed into four dimensions.
Not just did she apply the theory, but Myers also added to the existing theory of personality. The result was development of the Myers Briggs Type indicator, a world renowned and respected questionnaire that indicates personality type. According to this model, there are 16 personality types. Of course, each individual is unique. Yet, the patterns of personality organization represented by the 16 personality types are readily observable.
Regardless of our personality type, we are forced to deal with the world, both inner and outer, The peronality type cannot be used as an excuse to ignore behaviour which is out of place. Such as, an introvert cannot use his/her personality type to excuse him/herself from situations where he/she is required to socialize with a large group of people saying “that is just the way I am” OR ” I am an Introvert you see”. Personality type instead is determined by the way he/she chooses to deal with the world and the way they are comfortable.
According to Katherine and Isable Briggs, ” Jung noted that it is not possible to use the attitudes of Extraversion and Introversion and the Judging and Perceiving functions independently of each other. People who prefer Extraversion are most like to focus their Perception and Judgment in the outer while people perferring the Introverted attitude, when circumstances permit, will concentrate
Perception and Judegment on ideas.”
The mother-daughter duo of Katherine Briggs and Isable Briggs Myers were largle responsible for popularizing the contribution of Carl Jung to this world through the Type Theory of Personality.