Differential item functioning on the Myers-Briggs type indicator

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dc.contributor.authorGreenberg, Stuart Ellioten
dc.contributor.committeechairHarvey, Robert J.en
dc.contributor.committeememberFoti, Roseanne J.en
dc.contributor.committeememberHauenstein, Neil M. A.en
dc.contributor.committeememberGustafson, Sigrid B.en
dc.contributor.committeememberMarkham, Steven E.en
dc.contributor.departmentPsychologyen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:14:27Zen
dc.date.adate2008-06-06en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:14:27Zen
dc.date.issued1992-10-15en
dc.date.rdate2008-06-06en
dc.date.sdate2008-06-06en
dc.description.abstractDifferential item functioning on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was examined in regard to gender. The Myers-Briggs has a differential scoring system for males and females on its thinking/feeling subscale. This scoring system preserves the 60 % thinking male and 30 % thinking female proportion that is implied by the Jungian theory underlying the Indicator. The MBTI's authors contended that the sex-based differential scoring system corrects items that subjects at a certain level of a latent trait either incorrectly endorse or leave blank. This reasoning is the classical definition of differential item functioning (DIF); consequently, the non differentially scored items should exhibit DIF. If these items do not show DIF, then there would be no reason to use a differential scoring system. Although the Indicator has been in use for several decades, no rigorous item response theory (IRT) item-level analysis of the Indicator has been undertaken. IRT analysis allows for mean differences in subgroups to occur, independent of the question of DlF. Linn and Harnisch's (1981) pseudo-lRT analysis was chosen to test for the presence of DlF in the MBTl items because it is best for tests of relatively small length. The Myers-Briggs subscales range from 22 to 26 items, which is relatively small by lRT standards. lRT analyses conducted on N=1887 subjects indicated that no items on the thinking/feeling subscale showed evidence of DIF. Out of 94 items, only one extraversion/introversion item and one judging/perception item showed evidence of DIF; no Thinking/Feeling items showed DIF. It is recommended that sex-based differential MBTI scoring be abandoned, and that the distribution of type in the population be examined in future studies.en
dc.description.degreePh. D.en
dc.format.extentix, 181 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-06062008-171223en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-06062008-171223/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/38455en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V856_1993.G744.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 29046290en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V856 1993.G744en
dc.subject.lcshMyers-Briggs Type Indicatoren
dc.subject.lcshSex differences (Psychology)en
dc.subject.lcshTypology (Psychology)en
dc.titleDifferential item functioning on the Myers-Briggs type indicatoren
dc.typeDissertationen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplinePsychologyen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.namePh. D.en

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