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Client perceptions of therapeutic factors in the Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI) as a therapeutic intervention : an exploratory study Robertson, Jeananne T.

Abstract

This study explored participants' experiences of engagement with the collaborative group interpretation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). It adapts the collaborative model described by Newman and Greenway (1997) in their study using Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 results. Participants were 12 adults recruited from the general population in a large urban centre who were interested in obtaining MBTI results. A l l participants simultaneously completed the collaborative group administration and interpretation of the MBTI in a four-hour session and immediately completed a self-report questionnaire. Five weeks after the interpretation session three participants completed follow-up interviews, and field notes summarizing my observations as the primary researcher and facilitator were made throughout. Data were analyzed via constant comparative analysis and interpreted through a constructivist lens. Participants all indicated an engaging experience that was both meaningful and useful. Participants described four characteristics attributed to the MBTI that facilitated their experiences of engagement: (a) It validated participants' self-perceptions, experiences, and the different preferences of others; (b) it provided a framework and vocabulary for exploring individual differences; (c) it explicitly allows for both individual variability and change over time; and (d) it is accessible and readily transferable to lived experience. Participants also described the collaborative group interpretation process as a significant contributor to their experiences of engagement. Overall, the findings support the efficacy of the MBTI as a therapeutic intervention.

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