Type theory identifies a number of types of personality that can be used to categorize people and may form the basis of a personality test. The types may be linked to descriptions of various traits.
One of the most widely used type theories is that of Jung (1923). He identified four major preferences of people:
● relating to other people – extraversion or introversion;
● gathering information – sensing (dealing with facts that can be objectively verified) or intuitive (generating information through insight);
● using information – thinking (emphasizing logical analysis as the basis for decision-making) or feeling (making decisions based on internal values and beliefs);
● making decisions – perceiving (collecting all the relevant information before making a decision) or judging (resolving the issue without waiting for a large quantity of data).
This theory of personality forms the basis of personality tests such as the MyersBriggs Types Indicator.
Eysenck (1953) identified three personality traits: extroversion/introversion, neuroticism and psychoticism, and classified people as stable or unstable extroverts or introverts. For example, a stable introvert is passive, careful, controlled and thoughtful, while a stable extrovert is lively, outgoing, responsive and sociable.
As Makin et al (1996) comment, studies using types to predict work-related behaviours are less common and may be difficult to interpret: ‘In general it would be fair to say that their level of predictability is similar to that for trait measures.’
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