Is Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) more the result of environment or genetic influences?Is Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) more the result of environment or genetic influences?
Organisational B ehaviour a nd Leadership
« Is Myers-‐Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) more the result of environment or genetic influences?»
Introduction
It has been commonly believed in the last decades, that personality comes mostly from genetics but vary noticeably with time depending on the environment.
Nevertheless, no exact separation can be made for the level of influence of both categories. Through our readings we have encountered various analysis to identify people’s reactions to environment, as well as typical behaviours from heritable traits.
From those analyses it was possible to distinguish two major notions, the theoretical models of behavioural-genetic and the evolutionary approaches to personality development. State of the different models
Our paper will focus on major studies made on personality traits including MBTI. It may be important to state that there are nearly no behaviour genetic studies using MBTI.
The behavioural-genetic approach
Some analysts1 used the “Quantitative behaviour genetics” model, comparing trait similarities across individuals that thoroughly contrast in the genetic or environmental influences that they have in common; for instance, identical and fraternal twins, adoptive and biological children. There also exist models such as the “molecular behaviour genetics” model, where the purpose was to associate specific quantitative trait locus (QTL) to particular trait variances, through direct analysis of human DNA variation linked to personality variation. These personality psychologies helped to understand the heritability of personality trait but have failed to explain evolutionary genetics.
2
Concerning the MBTI, Thomas J. Bouchard and Jr. Yoon-Mi Hur realised a study in 1998 to assess the genetic and
« Is Myers-‐Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) more the result of environment or genetic influences?»
Introduction
It has been commonly believed in the last decades, that personality comes mostly from genetics but vary noticeably with time depending on the environment.
Nevertheless, no exact separation can be made for the level of influence of both categories. Through our readings we have encountered various analysis to identify people’s reactions to environment, as well as typical behaviours from heritable traits.
From those analyses it was possible to distinguish two major notions, the theoretical models of behavioural-genetic and the evolutionary approaches to personality development. State of the different models
Our paper will focus on major studies made on personality traits including MBTI. It may be important to state that there are nearly no behaviour genetic studies using MBTI.
The behavioural-genetic approach
Some analysts1 used the “Quantitative behaviour genetics” model, comparing trait similarities across individuals that thoroughly contrast in the genetic or environmental influences that they have in common; for instance, identical and fraternal twins, adoptive and biological children. There also exist models such as the “molecular behaviour genetics” model, where the purpose was to associate specific quantitative trait locus (QTL) to particular trait variances, through direct analysis of human DNA variation linked to personality variation. These personality psychologies helped to understand the heritability of personality trait but have failed to explain evolutionary genetics.
2
Concerning the MBTI, Thomas J. Bouchard and Jr. Yoon-Mi Hur realised a study in 1998 to assess the genetic and
Bibliography: (1998). Genetic (1996). Stability al. (2007).