An Examination of the Relationship Between Personality Type and Cognitive Style

This study investigated the relationship between psychological type, as measured by the MyersBriggs Type Indicator® (MBTI; Myers & McCaulley, 1985), and cognitive style as measured by the Kirton Adaption–Innovation Inventory (KAI; Kirton, 1999b). These 2 measures are widely used by creativity researchers and practitioners, yet little is known about the conceptual relationship between the theories and measures. The study built upon 8 previously published studies that correlated the 2 measures as a base for comparison with a sample of 1483 individuals from both education and business settings. The results of correlations between the measures showed a statistically significant relationship between the MBTI and KAI. Stronger relationships were found between the MBTI function scales of Sensing–Intuitive and Judging–Perceiving, which respectfully accounted for 30 and 19 percent of the variance with the KAI total score. The relationship was further explored through an analysis of previous studies and a conceptual understanding of the core constructs. Implications and recommendations for future study were outlined. Scholarly interest in individual differences has been well established (Dillon, 1985; Dillon & Schmeck, 1983; Willerman, 1979). Our interest in the area of individual differences stems from the Cognitive Styles Project initiated by Isaksen and Treffinger (1985) at the Buffalo State College Center for Studies in Creativity. This program of research investigated the conceptual and practical relationships between aspects and characteristics of the creative person, and the operations of the creative process. The program of research is described in more detail in Isaksen (1987, 1995) and Isaksen and Dorval (1993). This study was designed to examine the relationship between psychological type and cognitive style. Both psychological type and cognitive style have explicit theoretical foundations and specific operational measures, allowing a conceptual as well as empirical exploration of their relationship. Specifically, this study examined Jung’s (Jung, 1923) construct of psychological type and Kirton’s (Kirton, 1987) theory of cognitive style. The study used the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI; Myers & McCaulley, 1985) as the measure of psychological type and the Kirton Adaption–Innovation Inventory (KAI; Kirton, 1999b) as the measure of cognitive style. Both of these measures are widely used by creativity researchers and practitioners. They are used to provide insights into one’s personal orientation to creativity, creative problem solving, and organizational innovation (Fleenor, 1997; Gryskiewicz, 1982; Isaksen, 1987). Although both concepts are frequently used, there has been very little attention paid to how they may actually be related on a conceptual level. Are Creativity Research Journal 343 Creativity Research Journal Copyright 2003 by 2003, Vol. 15, No. 4, 343–354 Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. The authors thank Virginia Sundell for her help in data assembly and searching the literature while she was a student at the Buffalo State College Center for Studies in Creativity and a research intern at The Creative Problem Solving Group, Inc. Correspondence and reprint requests should be sent to S. G. Isaksen, c/o The Creative Problem Solving Group, Inc., 1325 North Forest Road, Suite 340, Williamsville, NY 14221. E-mail: cpsb@ cpsb.com Do N ot C op y they equivalent, completely unrelated, or are some aspects related? On the surface, both constructs focus on the nature and constructive use of different preferences. Both have more than 200 published empirical studies and are well commercialized in that they offer manuals, qualification courses, and functional networks of researchers and practitioners. The assessment instruments both use dichotomous scaling in that the interpretation is based on a continuous scale with both ends emphasizing opposite preferences with equal value and importance. There are also some obvious differences. Psychological Type, as measured by the MBTI includes four independent factors. Kirton’s theory and measure describes three, ipsative, subtrait factors. Both approaches are based on different theoretical and conceptual origins. The Jungian-based MBTI, introduced in 1942, has been revised and is offered in a number of different forms, while Kirton’s measure, known as the KAI, has remained relatively unchanged since its original publication in 1976. The following sections provide the theoretical and conceptual basis for this study and will focus on the concepts of psychological type and cognitive style.