Personality Types

What are personality types?

Personality types are categories used to group individuals based on their distinct patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. These classifications offer descriptions, but their ability to predict outcomes depends on evidence for the particular system and use. Trait models instead measure dimensions on which people can differ by degree. The study of personality types is a subfield of psychology, with numerous theories and models developed over the years to describe and explain the unique qualities and characteristics that define an individual's personality.

How many personality types are there?

There is no single count across systems. The MBTI uses 16 types and the Enneagram uses nine; the Big Five describes five trait dimensions rather than five kinds of people. A system’s number of categories is not evidence that those categories are natural divisions.

Type labels versus trait profiles: an example

In the MBTI, ENFP combines four named preferences: Extraversion, Intuition, Feeling, and Perceiving. The letters place a person in one of the system’s 16 categories. By comparison, a hypothetical Big Five report might give separate scores showing relatively high Openness, moderately high Extraversion, average Agreeableness, lower Conscientiousness, and lower Neuroticism. Each dimension allows differences by degree rather than assigning one four-letter category.

This compares the form of the outputs, not their predictive accuracy. The hypothetical trait profile is not a translation of ENFP, and neither description establishes a person’s ability, career fit, or behavior in every setting.

Different Approaches to Personality

The approaches below are not all type classifications:

Trait Theory

Trait theories posit that personality is composed of a set of enduring, relatively stable characteristics or traits. The most widely accepted trait theory is the Five-Factor Model (also known as the Big Five), which identifies five broad dimensions of personality: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience. Other trait theories, such as Eysenck's three-factor model and Cattell's 16PF, have also been influential in the field of personality psychology.

Type Theory

Type theories propose that people can be grouped into distinct categories based on their personality characteristics. One of the most well-known type theories is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which categorizes individuals into 16 personality types based on four dichotomous preferences: extraversion vs. introversion, sensing vs. intuition, thinking vs. feeling, and judging vs. perceiving. Another example is the Enneagram, a nine-pointed system that describes nine distinct personality types and their interrelationships.

Psychodynamic Theory

Psychodynamic theories of personality, rooted in the work of Sigmund Freud, emphasize the influence of unconscious processes, early life experiences, and internal conflicts on the development of personality. These theories often focus on the role of the ego, superego, and id in shaping an individual's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Humanistic Theory

Humanistic theories of personality, associated with psychologists such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, focus on the individual's inherent drive for self-actualization and the role of personal growth, self-awareness, and free will in shaping personality. These theories emphasize the importance of understanding the subjective experiences and perspectives of individuals.

Social-Cognitive Theory

Social-cognitive theories of personality, championed by psychologists like Albert Bandura, emphasize the influence of learning, cognition, and social interaction in the development and expression of personality. These theories highlight the role of observational learning, self-efficacy, and reciprocal determinism in shaping an individual's personality traits and behaviors.

Using personality types

A category can be a convenient description, but it does not tell you everything about a person. Before using a type in career advice, assessment, or personal development, ask whether that particular classification predicts the outcome you care about.

Evidence: types, dimensions, and situations

McCrae and Costa’s MBTI study found dimensional relationships without support for qualitatively distinct types. Fleeson’s repeated-measure studies also show why a stable average tendency need not imply identical behavior in every situation. Evidence about one instrument does not automatically validate every personality classification.

For the broader definition and evidence on patterns and change, see personality.