Product Description

Author Rowan Bayne evaluates and explores theory and practice in the worls of the MBTI instrument. Bayne delves into a variety of type-related topics and prompts readers to examine the research personality terminology and descriptors. Discover how MBTI theory relates to critical thinking and research skills. Bayne's challenges and insights will prompt MBTI professionals to stretch and examine their understanding of the indicator.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #246808 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 169 pages

Otto Kroger, Author and MBTI Consultant
Rowan Bayne has accomplished an intellectual work of art for anyone interested in or working with the MBTI assesment tool.

About the Author
Rowan Bayne Ph.D. is the author of Psychological Types at Work: An MBTI Perspective (Thomas, 2004) and has written, co-written, and co-edited ten other books. He teaches counseling in the School of Psychology at the University of East London, UK, and has studied, taught and investigated MBTI theory for twenty five years.

Customer Reviews

Flawed
This book is based on the MBTI system and please understand that this system has serious flaws. The only effective system to personality typing is used by Rod Novichkov in his book How to Find Yourself and Your Best Match Socionics. Eventhough the book sounds like a matchmaking book it is infact written with the purpose of explaining the different personality types and goes further to explain morphology and intertype relationships between people. Read Socionics and inspire your professors to look at this type theory before you seek answers from MBTI; you will be impressed.

A must-buy for MBTI practitioners
This book is essential reading for people who use the MBTI or compatible instruments.

As the title suggests, the book contains Rowan's 'critical reflections on MBTI theory and practice'. These reflections are of significance because Rowan is a respected expert in the field, though perhaps not as well known as he should be because he is based in the UK. But whether you agree with his views or not, all practitioners should be aware of and consider the points he makes.

Rowan's starting point is very unusual for a type book, asking 'what counts as good evidence?'. Although this seems an odd opening, it lays an important foundation, demonstrating why and how type practitioners need to consider research and evidence in their everyday work. Rowan's "full stop study" is particularly memorable, which illustrates the dangers of attributing too much to type or being taken in by our own anecdotal observations.

Rowan then takes us on a whirlwind tour of many areas of current type theory and practice and gives his assessment of current understanding and how well it is supported by evidence. He doesn't cover all areas of type by any means, only "a small proportion of those which could be investigated" (p146), but he packs a lot into only 147 pages. It feels like a fast ride because Rowan skilfully interleaves two types of message: descriptive information and his reflections on the evidence that supports (or otherwise) commonly held beliefs.

The book as a whole is a snapshot in time: as research hopefully moves on, some of the questions raised in this book will be answered. But the issues need to be considered now, and they are relevant to every practitioner, not just type researchers.

Although this is an excellent book, I think a better distinction could have been drawn between the theory and the MBTI instrument. This would have enabled users of other instruments to engage more fully with the book.

Nevertheless, this is a significant and well-written book. Rowan is one of those in the very top echelon of writers whose ideas are led by research, but who can express his views in straightforward ways. If you are a user of type instruments, this book will add to your understanding whatever level you operate at, whether a new practitioner or lifelong expert. My recommendation is that you buy it and apply the type of thinking Rowan promotes in your understanding and use of type.