It may be hard to identify what kind of personality your child has at a very young age, however, there are several fundamental traits present at any age. Identifying these general characteristics can help parents make better decisions when introducing a young child to new people and situations or handling behavioral issues.
Personality typing has long been held as a way of categorizing people according to their respective tendencies to act and think in certain ways. And what better way to do that with your own kids than to compare their characteristics to those from the 16 Personality Types quiz, which has categorized more than 223,567,596 people?
History of the 16 Personality Types
Before the quiz came to be, the origins of these 16 personality types can be dated back to 1943. The assessment is based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) created by mother-daughter duo, Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers.
The two were intrigued by the personality type theory ideas and Carl G. Jung’s book Psychological Types published in 1921. They believed their interest and Jung’s ideas could be brought to a wider audience.
Myers was particularly interested in its effect on people in the post-war world. World War II was a huge influence on the project and this quiz was made with the intention of making the world a better place. The theory was that if people knew their personality types then they could figure out a way to better work together and there’d be less conflict.
And the MBTI assessment was created.
What Are the 16 Personality Types?
The assessment is designed to sort individuals into 1 of 16 personality types. Each personality type has a detailed description that explores different facets of a person’s life — academics, business, and personal development. We will break down those below.
The questionnaire has four opposing dichotomies:
- Extraversion vs. Introversion: How do you gain energy?
- Sensing vs. Intuition: How do you collect information?
- Thinking vs. Feeling: How do you make decisions?
- Judging vs. Perceiving: How do you organize your environment?
These preferences are the basis for a four-letter code that gives you a personality type. For example, if you get “ENFJ” your personality type is defined as extraverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging. The “N” is typically used for “intuition” in order to avoid confusion with “introversion.”
There is a test you or your kids can take to determine where they fall on the scale.
The 16 Personality Types Test
The most common model is the 16 Personalities Test. This assessment’s approach is far more simplified than the original and adds a fifth dimension called “identity.” This explores how confident we are in our abilities and decisions.
The letter “-A” is used to define individuals who are assertive while the letter “-T” is used to define individuals who are self-conscious. Additionally, the combinations are categorized into sections — analysts, diplomats, sentinels, and explorers. And, each section has corresponding characters for every personality type making it all the more fun to follow.
This assessment is set as a quiz, and the questions may be too difficult for a young child to answer. However, analyzing the 16 different personality types and categorizing your child may help you understand them. The assessment is targeted for children 13 years or older, so if your teen would like to explore their personality, they can.
Breaking Down the 16 Personality Traits
1. Architect: INTJ-A/INTJ-T
An architect’s personality is one that is driven by curiosity. They are always up for a challenge and do well in pushing themselves to see things from all perspectives. Their greatest strengths lie in their decisiveness and independence. More than that, they are a jack-of-all-trades and plan to accomplish everything they set their mind to. However, sometimes this high self-confidence can go to their heads and can be perceived as arrogant and judgmental. This, as a result, can spread into their home and work environments. They tend to challenge authority and set their own rules which can make their lives a bit harder.
Though they have more success in friendships than relationships, architects still have trouble bonding with anyone they don’t perceive to be on their “level.” In friendships, they are looking for intellectuality and honesty, and tend to hold their standards very high.