The History and Origins of the Myers-Briggs Personality Test

Today, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is used in schools, careers, dating apps, and self-help books. But where did it come from—and how did a mother-daughter duo create one of the most influential personality tests in modern history?

This article traces the history and origins of the Myers-Briggs personality test, revealing the key thinkers, motivations, and milestones that shaped its creation and global reach.

Key Takeaways

• The MBTI is based on Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types.
• It was developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers.
• The test gained popularity during World War II and later became a mainstream personality tool.

1. Carl Jung’s Original Theory (1921)

The foundation of the MBTI comes from Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who introduced the idea of psychological types in his book Psychological Types (1921). Jung proposed that people experience the world using four main functions: Thinking, Feeling, Sensing, and Intuition, and that each person prefers either Extraversion or Introversion.

Jung’s Core Concepts:

• Two Attitudes – Introversion (inner world focus) vs. Extraversion (outer world focus)
• Four Functions – Sensing (facts), Intuition (patterns), Thinking (logic), Feeling (values)
• Dominance – One function is dominant, others are supportive

Verdict:
Jung laid the groundwork by exploring how people differ in perception and decision-making—not right vs wrong, but different mental preferences.

2. Katharine Briggs: A Passion for Personality

Katharine Cook Briggs, an American writer and researcher, was fascinated by human behavior. After reading Jung’s work in the 1920s, she dedicated herself to translating his ideas into something more practical and understandable for everyday people.

Her Contributions:

• Mapped out personality traits in notebooks
• Studied her daughter Isabel’s personality in depth
• Began envisioning a system that could help people make better life choices

Verdict:
Briggs wasn’t a trained psychologist—but her passion for understanding people and bridging theory with real life drove her to adapt Jung’s ideas into something more usable.

3. Isabel Briggs Myers Steps In

Isabel Briggs Myers, Katharine’s daughter, inherited her mother’s curiosity. During World War II, Isabel saw a need for helping people find jobs that suited their strengths—and began developing a personality assessment tool based on the Jung-Briggs framework.

What Isabel Did Differently:

• Added the Judging–Perceiving dimension to Jung’s model
• Designed question-based assessments to identify type
• Created the first version of the MBTI during wartime
• Focused on self-awareness, workplace fit, and team dynamics

Verdict:
Isabel transformed her mother’s ideas into a structured system, helping people apply personality theory to career and life decisions.

4. The Official MBTI Takes Shape (1940s–1970s)

After World War II, Isabel continued refining the test. In the 1960s, the MBTI gained traction in academic and business circles. It was eventually published by CPP, Inc. (now The Myers-Briggs Company) and distributed for professional use.

Key Developments:

• First manual published in 1962
• Widespread use in education and HR by the 1970s
• Standardized scoring and type verification added
• Adopted by corporations, counselors, and researchers

Verdict:
The MBTI became more than a theory—it became a global tool for personality exploration, particularly in professional and educational settings.

5. The MBTI Today: Influence and Criticism

Today, MBTI is one of the most widely used personality assessments in the world, with an estimated 2+ million people taking it annually. It’s used for career guidance, relationship insights, leadership development, and more.

Modern Uses:

• Personal development and self-understanding
• Team-building in corporate environments
• Academic counseling and career services
• Online personality quizzes and content

Criticism and Controversy:

• Lacks strong predictive validity in scientific studies
• Critics argue it oversimplifies complex personalities
• Some psychologists prefer the Big Five model

Verdict:
Despite its limitations, the MBTI remains popular, accessible, and empowering—especially for those new to personality theory.

Conclusion

The Myers-Briggs test wasn’t born in a lab—it was born in a living room. From Jung’s abstract theory to Katharine Briggs’ passion project to Isabel’s structured tool, MBTI has evolved into a cultural phenomenon.

Whether you’re a logical INTJ, nurturing ISFJ, or spontaneous ENFP, MBTI helps people speak a shared language of personality—offering insight into how we think, connect, and grow.