More than thirty years of publishing research articles related to the theory and applications of psychological type and

the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator instrument.

Journal of Psychological Type

68
Issue 2 FEB 0 8

For female college students, no relationship was found between MBTI type and eating disorder behavior. Because type is an aggregation of personality preferences that are relatively stable and eating disorders are considered changeable, our results suggest that counselors should not rely on MBTI psychological type to predict eating disorder behavior.

The Relationship Between Eating Disorder Behavior and Myers-Briggs Personality Type

Amanda J. Burger Wayne State University Lori Anderson Hoffeditz Cedarville University
ABSTRACT

Michael W. Firmin Cedarville University Chi-en Hwang Cedarville University

Richard A. Wantz Wright State University

INTRODUCTION

This study examined the relationship between eating disorder behavior, identified by the Eating Disorder Inventory-2, and personality types, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) instrument, among a sample of female college students. No statistically significant relationships were found between MBTI personality type and eating disorder behavior.
Note: For the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) instrument, the eight preference categories are the following: Extraversion (E) versus Introversion (I), Sensing (S) versus Intuition (N), Thinking (T) versus Feeling (F), Judging (J) versus Perceiving (P).

Numerous studies have investigated the relationship between eating disorders and personality (Cassin & von Ranson, 2005; Claes, Vandereycken, Luyten, Soenens, Pieters, & Vertommen, 2006; Lilenfeld, Wonderlich, Riso, Crosby, & Mitchell, 2006; Sdersten, Bergh, & Zandian, 2006; Thompson-Brenner & Westen, 2005; Westen & Harnden-Fisher, 2001; Youssef, Plancherel, Laget, Corcos, Flament, & Halfon, 2004). Lilenfeld et al. extensively reviewed the literature on five theoretical models of the eating disorder-personality. These include

Published by the Center for Applications of Psychological Type Thomas G. Carskadon, Ph.D., Editor

C A P T

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the predispositional model (Lyons, Tyrer, Gunderson, & that personality crystallizes after adolescence (McCrae Tohen, 1997), the complication model (Keys, Brozek, & Costa, 1990; Stein, Newcomb, & Bentler, 1986). Henschel, Michelsen, & Taylor, 1950), the common McCrae and Costa (1982) concluded that the selfcause: third variable model (Lyons et al.), the common concept, which largely guides self-data at age 30, is a cause: spectrum model (Lilenfeld & Kaye, 1998), and good indicator of personality at age 80. Mussen, the pathoplasty model. Six methodological approaches Eichorn, Honzik, Bieber, and Meredith (1980) tested used for model testing include similar age groups with mothers of prospective design, recovered design, participants in the Guidance Study of retrospective design, cross-sectional the Institute of Human Development. design, family study design, and The mothers first were tested at Although eating multivariate twin study design. approximately age 30 and again at disordered behavior is Additional personality-centered age 70. The results demonstrated that just one example studies have focused on personality the relative standings of the women among many disorders in Anorexia Nervosa were consistent over the time interval. (Karwautz, Troop, Rabe-Hesketh, Specifically, 62% of the cross-time cormodifiable behaviors, Collier, & Treasure, 2003); individurelations were significant at the .05 it seems particularly als with a lifetime history of Anorexia level or better. Similarly, Field (1982) relevant for a college Nervosa (Holliday, Uher, Landau, examined a number of personality student population. Collier, & Treasure, 2006); Type 1 characteristics of women in young Diabetes Mellitus in young women adulthood, middle age, and young(Pollock-BarZiv & Davis, 2005); old age and obtained comparable perfectionism in Anorexia Nervosa conclusions. Her results illustrate that (Sutandar-Pinnock, Woodside, Carter, Olmsted, & 67% of the womens comparisons demonstrate a signifKaplan, 2003); neuroticism and heritability (Bulik, icant correlation over the entire span of 40 years. Sullivan, Tozzi, Furberg, Lichtenstein, & Pedersen, According to Bem and Allen (1974), a correlation of .30 2006); parental personality factors (Brunton, Lacey, & is typical of across-situation personality studies. In 64% Waller, 2005); personal, sociocultural, and relational of Fields correlations, the results exceeded this norm variables (Tylka & Subich, 2004); and general with a correlation of .40 or better. psychopathology (personality) and eating-relating Leon, Gillum, Gillum, and Gouze (1979) evaluated psychopathology (body esteem) (McLaren, Gauvin, & physically healthy and emotionally stable men from Steiger, 2001). Johnson, Cohen, Kasen, and Brooks middle age to old age spanning a 30-year timeline. The (2006) reported that personality disorder traits results indicated a significant degree of stability in (borderline, histrionic, antisocial, schizotypal, and personality with group levels as well as individual depressive) by early adulthood were found to be precorrelations. McCrae, Costa, and Arenberg (1980) also dictive of midlife eating and weight problems (binge supported the stability model of personality traits eating, purging, daily dietary restriction, and obesity). throughout adulthood in the male population. One The importance of consistency of personality for strength of their study was a research design that comthe predication of psychopathology is a debated topic pared the factor structure of the Guilford-Zimmerman among researchers. Even though some claim that Temperament Survey (GZTS) longitudinally and crosspersonality is not an enduring factor across situations sectionally across three age cohorts. This design allowed (Bem, 1972), many researchers have concluded that testing for potential cultural and historical changes that personality is stable throughout a lifetime (Conley, might have altered the value of the test items. Even 1984; Costa, Metter, & McCrae, 1994; Douglas & though the participants were evaluated in the 1960s Arenberg, 1978; Eichorn, 1973; Myers & McCaulley, and 1970s, a time period with many changes, the basic 1985; Myers, McCaulley, Quenk & Hammer, 1998; structure of personality traits did not show a meaningPedersen & Reynolds, 1998; Siegler, George, & Okun, ful difference in the 2 decades. 1979). Although many believe that personality stabilizes Many of the studies claiming personality stability and is consistent during adulthood, some researchers focus on adult populations. A popular opinion holds have attempted to study personality during the transi-

The Relationship Between Eating Disorder Behavior and Myers-Briggs Personality Type

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the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) scale prefertion from late adolescence to early adulthood. For ences were studied in detail by Reynierse and Harker example, Stevens and Truss (1985) administered the (2005a). Several studies have correlated the MBTI with Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS) to other personality inventories. Reynierse and Harker students during college, 12 years later, and then 8 years (2005b) found that MBTI preferences had significant later (timespan of 20 years). They reported mean interactions with self-report questionnaires (the DISC increases on some scales and mean decreases on others, system, the GZTS, and the Orientation with a stability coefficient falling in Inventory). The GZTS Sociability and the .2 to .4 range. Their findings sugRestraint were related to the MBTI gest moderate stability. (See Bems We may not be able preference categories E and J, respec[1972] typical consistency personality tively. The OI Task scale and the score of .3.) In a study conducted a to predict the likelihood Interaction scale were associated with year later, Stein et al. (1986) reported of getting an eating the MBTI preference categories T and slightly higher stability coefficients disorder from a certain E, respectively. in the range of .5 to .6 among people type of personality, Tobacyk (2003) used psychoin their late teens to early twenties. logical type as a basis for predicting More recently, McGue, Bacon, because we do not see preference for psychological systems and Lykken (1993), replicating any association between and counseling theoretical orientation. Conleys (1984) research, reported a stable trait and Communication behaviors and particsubstantial continuities in individual a problematic behavior. ular traits (argumentativeness) were differences in personality from late related to the MBTI whole type ENTJ adolescence to early adulthood. This and the NT core preference in college finding is particularly notable considjuniors and seniors (Loffredo & Opt, ering the life changes during this age 2006; Opt & Loffredo, 2000). Psycho-pathology attribrange. McGue et al. concluded that because the particutes (rebelliousness, combat-related posttraumatic ipants personalities at age 30 largely resemble their perstress disorder, conviction of a crime, length of marriage sonalities at age 20, environmental effects were not and employment, phobic symptoms, antisocial characcumulative, enduring factors on personality stability. teristics, and bipolar disorder) could be predicted from This conclusion supports the resilience of personality psychological type (Otis & Louks, 2001). Task-oriented (Costa, Zonderman, McCrae, Cornoni-Huntley, Locke, coping was negatively correlated with the MBTI & Barbano, 1987), with allowance for the ability of JudgingPerceiving dimension in undergraduate stusevere and extraordinary life experiences to reshape dents (Genco & Mitchell, 2006). The MBTI instrument personality in adulthood (McGue et al.; Turkheimer & was reported to have heuristic value for understanding Gottesman, 1991). personality disorders (Coolidge, Segal, Hook, Yamazaki, Taking the consistency of personality search even & Ellett, 2001). Personality type, friendship satisfaction, further, Backteman and Magnusson (1981) and and self-esteem in Japanese college women was studied Magnusson and Backteman (1978) investigated perby Kajita, Takahashi, Hayashi, Fukuharu, Sato, and Sato sonality traits in two different studies. The first study (2002) and Tsuzuki and Matsui (2000). They found that measured creativity in two administrations, the first at personality type similarity and friendship satisfaction 13 years of age and the second at 16. The correlations were positively and significantly correlated, but only were .45 and .43, respectively, for boys and girls. The for low self-esteem women. Counterfactual thinking second study measured a variety of personality traits in was found to be correlated with the MBTI Thinking an age population of 10 to 13 years, with two ratings at preference (Cahoon & Lundgren, 2001.) 10 and 13. Magnusson and Backteman found that the If behavior is modified, will the personality be modstability coefficient for all traits was .52 for boys and .48 ified as well? We could have selected many phenomena for girls, significant at the .001 level. These results to study the relationship of personality and behavior. support the longitudinal stability of personality trait Although eating disordered behavior is just one example characteristics even in early adolescence and are among many modifiable behaviors, it seems particularly comparable with correlations in adult populations. relevant for a college student population. Trait effects and categorical type effects for each of

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Table 1. Type Distribution for Eating-Disordered Females.

The Sixteen Complete Types ISTJ n = 12 (5.4%) +++++ ISFJ n = 36 (16.2%) +++++ +++++ +++++ + INFJ n = 14 (6.3%) +++++ + INTJ n=3 (1.4%) +

Dichotomous Preferences E I S N T F J P n = 123 n = 099 n = 149 n = 073 n = 056 n = 166 n = 129 n = 093 (55.4%) (44.6%) (67.1%) (32.9%) (25.2%) (74.8%) (58.1%) (41.9%)

ISTP n=9 (4.1%) ++++

ISFP n = 10 (4.5%) +++++

INFP n = 11 (5.1%) +++++

INTP n=4 (2.0%) ++

Pairs and Temperaments IJ IP EP EJ ST SF NF NT SJ SP NP NJ TJ TP FP FJ IN EN IS ES ET EF IF IT n n n n = = = = 065 034 059 064 (29.3%) (15.3%) (26.6%) (28.8%) (20.3%) (46.8%) (27.9%) (05.0%) (44.1%) (23.0%) (18.9%) (14.0%) (14.0%) (11.3%) (30.6%) (44.1%) (07.7%) (06.3%) (08.6%) (14.4%) (12.6%) (42.8%) (32.0%) (12.6%)

ESTP n=9 (4.1%) ++++

ESFP n = 23 (10.4%) +++++ +++++

ENFP n = 24 (10.8%) +++++ +++++ +

ENTP n=3 (1.4%) +

n = 045 n = 104 n = 062 n = 011 n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 098 051 042 031 031 025 068 098 017 014 019 032 028 095 071 028

ESTJ n = 15 (6.8%) +++++ ++

ESFJ n = 35 (15.8%) +++++ +++++ +++++ +

ENFJ n = 13 (5.9%) +++++ +

ENTJ n=1 (0.5%) +

Jungian Types n ETJ 16 EFJ 48 ESP 32 ENP 27

(E) % 7.2 21.6 14.4 12.2

Index n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Jungian Types (I) n % ITP 13 5.9 IFP 21 9.5 ISJ 48 21.6 INJ 17 7.7

Index n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

Dominant Types n % Dt. T 29 13.1 Dt. F 69 31.1 Dt. S 80 36.0 Dt. N 44 19.8

Index n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.

N = 222 + = 1% of N I = Selection Ratio Index *p<.05 **p<.01 ***p<.001

Amanda J. Burger, Lori Anderson Hoffeditz, Michael W. Firmin, Chi-en Whang, Richard A. Wantz

The Relationship Between Eating Disorder Behavior and Myers-Briggs Personality Type

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The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator instrument was chosen for the present study because of its ability to identify stable personality types. The present article examines the relationship between eating disorder behavior designated by the Eating Disorder Inventory2 and personality types designated by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator tool. We tested three dimensions of MBTI types separately, with eight EDI-2 dimensions. Using each of the four primary MBTI dimensions as variables, we hypothesized that neither the SN, the TF , nor the JP scales would have a statistical relationship with elevated EDI-2 scales. We did not include the EI dimension of the MBTI instrument in our analysis, as Bayne (1995) indicated that Introverts are often known to project themselves as Extraverts depending on circumstantial needs. According to the stability of personality framework, eating disorders should not have any relationship with psychological type. For example, INFJs should have the same incidence of eating disorder behaviors as ESTPs.
METHOD

eight ego-dysfunction subscales are Ineffectiveness, Perfectionism, Interpersonal Distrust, Interoceptive Awareness, Maturity Fears, Asceticism, Impulse Regulation, and Social Insecurity. Higher scores on the subscales indicate a greater level of eating and related psychopathology. The EDI also may be used to identify subclinical eating disorders (Garner, 1991). The scores on the subscales were analyzed individually. The EDI-2 profile form based on the subscale raw scores determined cutoff scores. Any scores higher than the cutoff scores for the female college population operationally were classified as eating disorder behavior. All participants were given the MBTI instrument and the EDI-2 during one class period. It took approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete the two inventories. Responses on both inventories were then hand-scored.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Participants. The participants were 248 female college students enrolled in a cross-section of undergraduate psychology courses at a private, Midwestern, comprehensive university. The students willing to complete both the MBTI instrument (Myers et al., 1998) and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2; Garner, 1991) during class were given extra credit in their respective courses. Nine classes were surveyed, and the students ranged from freshman to seniors. Materials and Procedure. Since its inception, the MBTI measure has been used in a variety of functions, such as education, counseling, career-guidance, team building, and facilitating communication. For a testretest interval of 6 years, the percentage of agreement in each MBTI category ranges from .83 to .90 (Myers & McCaulley, 1985). Because the MBTI instrument has shown good reliability over time, it was selected in this study as a predictor of stable personality types. The MBTI instrument Form G was used; according to the Form G scoring templates, the first 95 items out of 126 items were used for the type scores. The EDI-2 is a 91-item self-report instrument that measures symptoms associated with bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa in two categories: ego-dysfunction characteristics; and eating attitudes. The three subscales of the eating attitude dimension are as follows: Drive for Thinness, Bulimia, and Body Dissatisfaction. The

TABLE 1 provides an overview of the total type distribution for the sample used in the study. The results revealed larger proportions of E (55.4%), S (67.1%), F (74.8%), and J (58.1%). The two-type dominant pair combination was SJ (44.1%). Chi-square tests were used to examine the relationship between the SN, TF , and JP scales and eating behavior. None of the tests were significant. In summary, no relationship was found between the MBTI scales and the EDI-2 dimensions. We did not find any statistically significant evidence linking a particular MBTI preference with any of the EDI-2 dimensions. These results are consistent with our hypothesis that the MBTI instrument is a measure of personality stability. Eating disorders can be treated by short-term counseling and should not be related to stable personality traits. The findings support the MBTI instruments claim that high-moderate to clear preferences suggest low internal struggle or conflict (Myers et al., 1998). A problematic behavior can be modified and is probably a learned behavior, which implies the possibility of being unlearned. We may not be able to predict the likelihood of getting an eating disorder from a certain type of personality, because we do not see any association between a stable trait and a problematic behavior. All of the MBTI psychological types are robust and have their own strengths, although they do not appear to be linked to any problematic behavior. This argument also is supported logically by Harman, Armsworth, Hwang, and Vincents (1991) finding that the resilience to alcoholism in adult children of alcoholics had no relation to

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the EI dimension on the MBTI instrument. Another consideration for this conclusion is the MBTI instruments lack of sensitivity to diagnostic behavior. The MBTI tool was developed primarily to measure normal personality traits in a nonclinical
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Amanda J. Burger, M.A., is a Ph.D. student in clinical psychology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Her research has been on health-related issues in clinical populations. Lori Anderson Hoffeditz, Ph.D., is a campus counselor at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio. She completed her Ph.D. degree in counseling from Liberty University. She possesses significant clinical experience in working with students with eating disorders and has used the MBTI tool in multiple counseling settings. Michael W. Firmin, Ph.D., completed his doctoral degree at Syracuse University. He is Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio. He is a licensed psychologist in the State of Ohio, with a specialization in testing and assessment. He has used the MBTI instrument in multiple clinical settings. Chi-en Hwang, Ph.D., earned her doctoral degree in Educational Measurement from the University of Iowa. In addition to teaching statistics, she has introduced undergraduate students to the MBTI instrument in her Tests and Measurements classes. Richard A. Wantz, Ed.D., is Professor of Counselor Education at Wright State University and a licensed psychologist in the State of Ohio. He is a graduate of the Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services at Ball State University. Wantz has worked in academic and corporate milieus and introduces graduate students to the MBTI measure, employing the instrument in career counseling.

C O N TA C T
Michael W. Firmin, Ph.D. Chair, Department of Psychology Cedarville University 251 North Main Street Cedarville, Ohio 45314 937.766.7970 firmin@cedarville.edu

This Journal is being made available through the collaborative efforts of Dr. Tom Carskadon, Editor of the Journal of Psychological Type, and the Center for Applications of Psychological Type, Inc., CAPT, worldwide publisher. Dr. B. Michael Thorne serves as Executive Editor of the Journal of Psychological Type. Journal of Psychological Type is a trademark or registered trademark of Thomas G. Carskadon in the United States and other countries. CAPT is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the meaningful application and ethical use of psychological type as measured through the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator instrument. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Myers-Briggs, and MBTI are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust in the United States and other countries. Center for Applications of Psychological Type, Inc. and CAPT are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Center for Applications of Psychological Type in the United States and other countries. Copyright 2008 by Thomas G. Carskadon, Editor. ISSN 0895-8750.

The Relationship Between Eating Disorder Behavior and Myers-Briggs Personality Type