News & Research
A study conducted with Temple University medical students and led by Judith Katz found that personality preferences correlated with the students' choice of medical specialty. Surgery and Psychiatry were more often chosen by Introverts, whereas Extroverts were more likely to choose Obstetrics and Gynecology. Family Medicine and Psychiatry were popular with Intuitives. Thinking types more often chose to specialize in Internal Medicine, Surgery, Emergency Medicine, and Radiology, while Feelers were more likely to choose Ob/Gyn. Many of the specialties were dominated by Judgers, including Pediatrics, Anesthesiology, and Orthopedics; the only specialty where Perceivers were the majority was in Psychiatry.
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A national survey of real estate agents conducted by Douthit Communications, Inc., found that 75% of agents are Extraverted Judgers, three times the percentage of Extraverted Judgers in the population as a whole. The sample consisted of mostly seasoned agents, and researchers were not clear whether Extraverted Judgers are more likely to choose real estate, or whether they are the types most likely to succeed in the industry.
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The diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome may sometimes be a misinterpretation of a personality type of ISTP or INTP, according to researcher Robert G. Chester in an article published in the Journal of Psychological Type. Many of the symptoms of Asperger's syndrome, including a preference for solitude, visual and intuitive thinking, and a critical and objective communication style, are similar to characteristics of normal type development among ISTPs and INTPs.
The author also notes that mothers who are ENFJs or ESFJs may find their ISTP and INTP children particularly difficult to understand, which may lead to the children being labeled with a diagnosis of Asperger's disorder. Although Chester found no evidence that Asperger's syndrome is not a valid diagnosis, the syndrome may in some cases be confused with the normal personality traits of INTP and ISTP types.
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Intuitive Thinking personality types are the most likely of all of the types to be argumentative, according to research led by Donald Loffredo, Ed.D, at the University of Houston. ENTJs in particular tended to score as highly argumentative. Intuitive types are more likely to approach argument as a means of exploring possibilities, while Thinking types often enjoy argument as an exercise to think things out logically and analyze a situation. Thinkers are also less likely than Feeling types to get emotionally involved in an argument, and so are more likely to approach conflict without reservations.
The researchers also found that, independent of type, men tend to be more argumentative than women. Thinking types can benefit from understanding that their tendency to argue may not be appreciated by Feeling types, who usually prefer to build consensus and focus on harmony rather than engage in argument.
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ENFPs are overrepresented among students who leave college, according to research led by Phil Barrineau in liberal arts colleges in the Southeast. The study also found a higher tendency to leave college among Intuitive Perceiving types in general. ENFPs are often characterized by a spontaneous and intuitive approach to life, and may experience difficulty seeing a project to completion. Students who are aware of their pesonality preferences can work on developing organizational skills to help them to adapt to the structure of college, and may benefit from choosing programs that allow them more flexibility in choosing courses of study and pursuing personal projects.
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People with a preference for Sensing are more likely to be politically conservative, and are also more likely to be disinterested in politics, according to a study led by researcher Robert W. Boozer. Conversely, those with a preference for Intuition are more likely to be liberal and have more interest in politics. While type preferences are not correlated with political party affiliation, there are some relationships between type and individual political issues. Thinking types are more likely to support the death penalty than Feeling types, and Introverts are more likely to report high levels of political alienation than are Extroverts.
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