Personal Construct Psychology and personality: the relationship between
functionally independent constructs and MBTI types
Greg Boustead, Gavin Morse
Dept. of Counseling Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville (USA)
Abstract
This study is concerned with examining a potential relationship between
psychological type as determined by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI),
and cognitive complexity (de-fined by Personal Construct Psychology) as
determined by the number of functionally inde-pendent constructions (FIC)
utilized by the individual. In a study by A. Howland (1971) there was found
to be a small but non-significant difference between those subjects typed
as INFP and those typed ESTJ, using Bieri's (1966) method for determining
cognitive complexity. For this study, FIC scores will be examined using
a more recent, and perhaps valid, method de-scribed by C. J. Lee (1989).
It is hypothesized that those individuals typed as INFP will have a higher
degree of FIC than those typed as ESTJ, based on elaboration made about
the two types by the Myers-Briggs Institute (1998) and inferences about
cognitive complexity. The sample used for this study consists of male and
female college students ranging in age from 18 to 24 years old. Of the
245 subjects administered the MBTI, the quota was obtained. 30 of each
of the two MBTI types pertinent to the study (ESTJ, INFP) were found. These
subjects were then individually scored for FIC determination. Currently,
the data is being examined and we expect our results soon.
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