“Getting the Most Accurate Myers-Briggs Results” - Your Questions Answered
posted by agammy
As I mentioned yesterday, we received upwards of 50 questions during Tuesday’s Webinar - “Getting the Most Accurate Myers-Briggs Results” with Catherine Rains. Although I wish we could answer all of your questions, there are just not enough hours in the day. However, since we got several “repeat” questions, I thought I would at least tackle the most commonly asked ones here (each of these questions got asked 3-4 different times by our audience.)
Hope you find this useful!
1. Do you recommend using Step II if you haven’t been specifically trained in its use?
Short answer - no. Step II is a much more nuanced version of the MBTI assessment, and you should really understand the facets before attempting to administer it to clients.
The good news is, CPP’s MBTI Certification program covers Step II (as of Jan 1, 2009) so if you attend a program for the basic MBTI, you will be covered for Step II as well. If you attended an MBTI Qualification program prior to Jan 1 2009, you may purchase and study the MBTI® Step II Manual or attend a Step II training program to prepare yourself for Step II administration.
Several organizations offer public Step II training programs. Please check their websites for program schedules, and note prices are determined by the program providers and are subject to change. Here are some good places to start
- Association for Psychological Type International (APTi) offers a two-day MBTI® Step II program. Price: $585 APTi Members, $645 Non-members.
- Center for Applications of Psychological Type (CAPT) offers a two-day MBTI® Step II program. Price: $540, materials are included.
- Qualifying.org offers two online, self-study courses: MBTI® Step II Advanced Applications Program, $79, and MBTI® Step II Interpretation Program, $399
2. When should I administer Form Q versus Form M?
MBTI Form Q (Step II) is the form of the assessment that focuses on the 20 facets contained within your 4 letter type. For example, you may be an Extravert, but are you a Gregarious Extravert, a Contained Extravert, an Active Extravert, etc. Form Q provides nuanced results, and is great for leadership development, advanced team building, one-on-one situations, or times when you work with clients who are already familiar with type.
Form M deals with a client’s 4 letter type (without looking at the facets) and is an easy-to-use version of the assessment that’s great for large groups, and anyone who is just getting into the idea of Type Preferences. It’s also a great form of the assessment to use if you are incorporating the MBTI into a larger program, or if you have not been trained on Form Q yourself.
Ultimately, the form of the MBTI you use is up to you - some people swear by Form Q, and others use Form M in every feedback session. My recommendation - use whichever form you are the most comfortable with, and always use your judgment when determining which form is right for your clients.
3. I am a beginner with MBTI - what are the main goals of post-testing counseling or consulting?
Great Question! We actually sent out a one-sheet after the Webinar that will answer this question for you. Once you go through the process outlined in this one sheet, you can begin the work of addressing the issues that the client came to you for (leadership development, team-building, communication, etc.)
4. What are the statistics regarding the reliability of the type indicator. What % changes or stays the same over time?
A lot of work has been done to assess the reliability and verifiability of the Myers-Briggs assessment, and there are hundreds of books, articles, and studies to show for it. However, for a basic idea, I would check out this article from CAPT. This article also links to some books you can purchase if you want to engage in a more thorough discussion.
Again, sorry we couldn’t get to all your questions - but your questions did give us some good ideas for future Webinar topics, so thanks a lot! (And stay tuned for the next ICON Webinar.)
