Effects of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator on levels of certainty for career decisions of high school seniors.

Abstract

The present experimental study was designed to measure the significant relationship between information concerning personality type and its career implications gained from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and career certainty as measured by the Career Decision Scale (CDS). The method of obtaining personality type was conducted by the researcher, having been professionally trained by the Association for Psychological Type and student self-reporting on the CDS. The study was conducted during the fall semester of 1990 at Novi High School, Novi, Michigan, and involved 157 12th-grade students. One group of 54 students received no treatment other than the usual career counseling. The second group of 53 students received the usual career counseling plus took the MBTI, though were given no feedback concerning the results. The third group of 50 students received the usual career counseling, plus took the MBTI and received all the appropriate information gained from the results. The results of the study found no significant correlations between having taken the MBTI and having received appropriate feedback when comparing Certainty and Indecision scores from the CDS to those who had not received such information from the MBTI. Nor were there any significant correlations between the educational level of parents, involvement in extracurricular programs, the number of school days missed, and GPA when comparing such values with Certainty and Indecision scores measured by the CDS. There were also no significant correlations apparent between Certainty and Indecision scores between and within four different counselors. Suggestions for further research are indicated.