Advances in Physiology Education, Vol 268, Issue 6 61-S65, Copyright © 1995 by American Physiological Society
Myers-Briggs psychological type and achievement in anatomy and physiology
P. H. Harasym, E. J. Leong, B. B. Juschka, G. E. Lucier and F. L. Lorscheider
Office of Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Results from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) for 259 nursing
students were compared with their achievement on examinations in an
undergraduate course in anatomy and physiology. Factor analysis
demonstrated that no relationship existed between any of the eight
individual personality traits purported to be measured by MBTI (i.e., E,
Extrovert; I, Introvert; S, Sensing; N, Intuition; T, Thinking; F, Feeling;
J, Judging; P, Perceiving) and examination scores in this course. The
analysis also showed that the bipolar scales S vs. N and J vs. P collapsed
into a single bipolar scale (S/J vs. N/P). This means that the MBTI is only
capable of measuring three bipolar scales of personality traits instead of
four scales as currently claimed. Contrary to other findings, results from
an analysis of variance revealed no meaningful relationship between course
achievement and psychological types.
