Could MBTI be coupled with Spiral Dynamics?

We received this question after publishing the articles Simple SDTEST??Gives Great Possibilities and Mathematical Psychology.?The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Spiral Dynamics are two systems that categorize personality traits and motivational values, respectively. This article is dedicated to answering this question. It will show a real example of how to use the SDTEST?? V.U.C.A. poll designer.

Brief Overviews of the Systems

MBTI categorizes personality into 16 types based on preferences across four dichotomies: Extraversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. It has been extensively validated and applied in career development, leadership, and team-building.

Spiral Dynamics maps the evolution of motivational value systems in a spectrum of colors or levels, from basic survivalist Beige to holistic-minded Turquoise. It builds on Clare Graves' theory of levels of human existence and has been used extensively in organizational development and coaching.?SDTEST??has?76097 results from 168 countries, with results clustered into 7632?unique?motivational patterns.?

While both systems group people into "types," MBTI reflects non-hierarchical preferences, while Spiral Dynamics depicts hierarchical development.

Possible Connections Between the Systems

Some relationships could potentially be theorized between MBTI types and Spiral levels based on apparent similarities in focus:

1. Intuitive types (N) may gravitate toward the holistic Yellow and Turquoise levels.
2. Sensing types (S) match the practical Red and Blue levels.?
3. Thinking types (T) resonate with the objective, logical Orange level.
4. Feeling types (F) align with the harmonic Green level.

So Intuitive, Feeling types like INFJ could speculatively be associated with later Green and Yellow Spiral levels, while Sensing, Thinking types such as ISTJ fit earlier Blue and Orange levels.

Studying the correlation between Spiral Dynamics developmental stages and MBTI personality types could potentially yield some valuable insights, but it also has limitations:

Potential benefits:

1. Seeing relationships between motivational values and personality preferences - e.g., Achiever Orange correlated with Thinking preference
2. Understanding interactions between developmental level and type - e.g., how INFJs may express differently at different Spiral levels
3. Explaining tensions within types via value differences - e.g., INTJs driven by power versus achievement?
4. Mapping types/functions to transitional stages - e.g., Intuition in late Orange, Feeling in early Green

Limitations:

1. Differences in goals and validation of the two systems?
2. Individuals express both multiple values and multifaceted personalities
3. Correlations may reinforce stereotypes about both frameworks

Intriguing connections may emerge, directly linking MBTI types to Spiral Dynamics levels.

The SDTEST?? V.U.C.A. poll designer

The SDTEST?? V.U.C.A. poll designer?is as simple as Google Forms.?Watch this two-minute video to get acquainted and compare.?The main difference of the SDTEST?? V.U.C.A. poll designer is the presence of an independent multilingual UI for changing the site language and poll form. If, for example, your primary site language is English, and you do the poll in 6 international UN languages, then you only need to use the language change window for the poll form. If you are doing this work together with colleagues whose primary language is Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, German, French, or other languages, then for their convenience, they can change the language of the site.

Create and share your Poll (MBTI)

Now you know the functionality of the Designer, and you can create your own, for example, MBTI.

We invite you to look “under the hood” of the poll?Psychological Wellbeing (by Carol D. Ryff) we have already created.?Developed by psychologist Carol D. Ryff, the 42-item Psychological Wellbeing (PWB) Scale. Source: Ryff, Carol D., Psychological Well-Being Revisited: Advances in Science and Practice, NIH Public Access, Psychother Psychosom, Vol.83, No.1, Pp.31, (2014).?Watch the next two-minute video.

Now, you need to share the link to your survey, and survey participants choose the language in which they are comfortable answering the questions.?Watch the next one-minute video.

Poll results and their analysis

We do not have the results of the MBTI poll, so for example, we will use the poll?“Psychological Wellbeing (by Carol D. Ryff)“?we used above.?

Below is an abridged version of our VUCA poll “Psychological Wellbeing (by Carol D. Ryff)“ results. The full?version of the?results is available for free in the FAQ section after login or?registration.

Exploring correlations between the two systems,?MBTI and Spiral Dynamics,?could provide additional insights into motivational development and personality.?

Some opportunities this could open up include:

1. Gaining a more multifaceted view of personality by seeing how motivational values at different Spiral levels interact with MBTI preferences. For example, Thinking types may express differently at Blue conformity-focused stages versus Orange achievement-focused stages.
2. Understanding nuanced developmental pathways for different personalities. For instance, mapping what transitional stages INTJs may pass through as they evolve in consciousness compared to ESFPs.?
3. Diagnosing developmental conflicts and tensions within the same MBTI type driven by differing value systems. An ESTJ at the Red power-driven stage may experience internal tensions with one at the Orange efficiency-focused stage.
4. Appreciating how different MBTI functions or skill sets come to the fore at different Spiral levels. For example, Intuition was expressed more strongly in late Orange, and Feeling came online in early Green.
5. Tailoring coaching and development interventions by incorporating personality and motivational level insights. An INFP may need a different approach at Blue versus Green.

However, deriving such integrative insights requires avoiding simplistic stereotyping, acknowledging limitations in current Spiral Dynamics validation, and recognizing that personality and values are multi-faceted within individuals. If these complexities are accounted for, exploring potential connections between the frameworks could yield a more textured perspective on the interplay between personality type, values, and consciousness development over the lifespan. However, this endeavor requires extensive research and careful interpretation.

Conclusion

In summary, while the MBTI personality typology and Spiral Dynamics developmental spectrum offer distinct lenses, exploring their potential connections could yield additional insights. Observing how motivational values interact with personality preferences at different stages may provide a more multifaceted view of individual differences. However, directly coupling the two frameworks oversimplifies their nuances.?

Each system has a different purpose and validation base. Individuals express multifaceted personalities and multi-layered values that resist rigid mapping between categories. Stereotyping risks must also be avoided. If these complexities are recognized, judiciously analyzing relationships between the two systems could contribute to a more textured understanding of personality and consciousness development. However, further research and careful interpretation are required to derive meaningful integrative insights from correlations.

An open and nuanced exploration of how motivational development interplays with personality types, without forcing definitive linkages, may offer complementary perspectives that enrich our comprehension of the psychology of individual differences. This endeavor promises intellectual rewards but requires diligence in acknowledging both frameworks' limitations and avoiding oversimplification. With care, synergies between them may help capture a fuller portrait of diversity in personality and values.