Newsletter #46

In this issue:

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and Communicating with INTPs

About the Strong Interest Inventory®: Realistic Theme & College Majors

About the FIRO-B™: Team Development – Wanted Inclusion

The 16PF®– The 16 Personality Factors: Factor Q4 – Tension

Communicating with INTPs

Many INTPs report they prefer people who are logical, factual, precise in expressing themselves, and experts in their fields. Competency is an issue for many Intuitive Thinkers, and INTPs are no exception. When communicating with INTPs you can usually expect to be challenged, questioned, critiqued, or get involved in a long, intense debate. They often enjoy information that is presented in a global format, showing the "big picture," or how all the parts fit together. Like many introverts, INTPs often want time to analyze the information they've received before answering. It's common for INTPs to enjoy working on complex problems, to think about the future, so many like working on models, plans, brainstorming ideas, or other global issues. INTPs can rarely overlook logical inconsistencies in your statements. Instead they will probably wonder what you really meant, or if you are knowledgeable in your field.

When communicating with INTPs you'll want to avoid focusing on emotional or personal issues. Most INTPs have little interest or patience with such topics, particularly at work. Many INTPs focus on what needs to be corrected instead of what's working well. They often prefer not to supervise others, nor do they like to be closely supervised themselves. Routine matters or extensive details seldom interest them. It would be unwise to expect INTPs to provide a lot of encouragement or support, or to show lots of appreciation. It helps to have a thick skin and not to take their criticisms or questions personally. You'll want to avoid giving INTPs specific, detailed instructions on how to perform a task, as they will likely be thinking about ways to do it more efficiently. Top

About the Strong Interest Inventory: Realistic Theme & College Majors

The latest version of the Strong was released in December 2004. One study looked at the relationship between themes on the Strong and the college majors chosen by the participants. This issue we'll look at those who scored highest on the Realistic scale.

Let's start with the men. The top college majors for this group were Engineering, Computer Technology, Computers & Information Systems, Biological Sciences, Management, Marketing, Political Science, Psychology, and Administration.

For women, the list included Engineering, Law Enforcement & Protective Services, Applied Art & Design, Computers & Information Systems, Management, Sociology, Mathematics, Biological Sciences, and Health & Medical Services.

As with all statistics, these results cannot predict how any one individual will respond to the Strong based on his or her major alone. It's also true that people with the same majors had different top themes on the Strong. Therefore, no one should pick or drop a major because his or her top theme on the Strong might indicate it's not as popular with the group. Top

The FIRO-B: Team Development – Wanted Inclusion

When working with teams, the FIRO-B can provide useful insights into how each person likes to work with others. The items below are quite likely to be true for you the higher your score on a scale is. If you scored at seven or above, you probably demonstrate these behaviors very often. If you scored two or less, you probably rarely do these things. Of course, those in the middle will likely do them to varying degrees, depending on the situation.

This time we'll discuss Wanted Inclusion and how people with high scores are likely to act on a team.

Those who score highest on Wanted Inclusion will often seek out facts and information from others. These people will likely joke around a lot with the rest of the team, and can attempt to focus attention on themselves. They will usually let others know about their talents, abilities, connections, insights, etc., all with the goal of showing they are unique. People with high scores on this scale often want a balance between individual and team efforts in the group. They will likely attempt to get others to participate in introductions, discussions, and other types of team activities. In general, they will try to get others to express Inclusion as much as possible.

Most people will share the above traits to some degree. However, it's likely that this style will dominate for some people more than others. Your score on the scales should indicate which style is the preferred one for you. Top

The 16 Personality Factors: Factor Q4 – Tension

The next 16PF scale for discussion is the Factor "Q4" scale, which is Tension (Tense vs. Relaxed). What exactly does this scale measure?

High scorers tend to be fidgety and restless when they have to wait for something. In some cases, a person might be irritable or very impatient. These people tend to become quickly frustrated with people and get annoyed when their plans have to be changed. Some tension is useful to help focus or take action and can help motivate some people.

In contrast, low scorers tend to be tranquil and relaxed. They report not being upset when people interrupt them, and tend not to get fidgety or restless when waiting. They tend to be patient people and slow to become frustrated. However, they might be so comfortable that they lack the motivation to make changes or push themselves to accomplish a task.

Factor Q4 is the most important factor in the global Anxiety scale. Likewise, this factor correlates with the Impression Management scale. Sometimes people want to appear more favorably (low score) or less favorably (high score) than they really are.

As with all the 16PF scales, major insights come from the interactions among the 16 scales, and not from each scale in isolation.