Developer of psychological testing method, author, researcher. Isabel Briggs Myers was born October 18, 1897 to Lyman J. Briggs and Katharine Cook Briggs. She began developing a type indicator during World War II with her mother, Katherine Cook Briggs. Over the next 40 years, she developed and conducted research using the Briggs Myers Type Indicator (MBTI), a psychological testing instrument. She produced several articles and publications as a result of these research projects.
The original concept for the Type Indicator evolved from Katharine Cook Briggs's extensive studies of contemporary children's educational and social developmental theories. She combined these with the theories of the prominent psychologist Carl Jung to develop a testing method to help determine the best vocation for a child, what she saw as a key to their future happiness and well being. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator [MBTI] began life as the Briggs-Myers Type Indicator Test, which Katharine and Isabel constantly worked on further refining with the assistance of Edward Laney (a manager at The Pennsylvania Company who was the first to utilize and apply the MBTI concept to personnel management) under the auspices of Briggs-Myers Type Research, Inc. The name changed was to 'Myers-Briggs Type Indicator' in the late 1940s when Isabel took over the majority of the work, Katharine semi-retiring along with her husband. From there it grew in association with Educational Testing Service during the late 1950's and into the early 1960's, and later publication through the Consulting Psychologist Press.
In 1970, along with Dr. Mary H. McCaulley, she established the Typology Laboratory at the University of Florida, Gainesville. In 1975, the Center for Applications of Psychological Type (CAPT) was formed at the University of Florida as a field office of the American Medical Students Association. Isabel Briggs Myers died in 1980.
-
1897:
Born October 18 to Lyman J. Briggs and Katharine Cook Briggs and spent her childhood and was home-schooled by her mother in Washington, D.C., where Lyman Briggs worked as a physicist.
-
1918:
Married Clarence "Chief" Myers and settled in Swarthmore, a suburb of Philadelphia.
-
1919:
Graduated from Swarthmore College with a B.A. degree in political science.
-
1926:
Birth of son, Peter Briggs Myers.
-
1927:
Birth of daughter, Ann Myers.
-
Circa 1939:
Began developing a type indicator during World War II with her mother, Katherine Cook Briggs.
-
1943:
Publication of Test Form A and Form B.
-
1944:
Publication of Briggs Myers Type Indicator Handbook.
Conducted study project at Radio Corp. of America.
Publication of Test Form C.
-
1947:
George Washington Medical School project. Publication of Test Form C3.
-
1948:
Occupational groups in corporations project commences.
-
1953:
Report: "Assessment of Medical Students as to Judgment and Perception by the BMTI".
-
1955:
Medical Schools testing project
Report: "Effect of Type in Medical Schools and Proposed Use of BMTI for Admissions".
-
1956:
Pennsylvania High Schools project commences
Publication of Test Form D.
-
1957:
High Schools project using Test Form D
Publication of Test Forms D1, D2, D(EEx3).
-
1958:
Publication of Some Findings with Regard to Type
Rhodes Scholar project commences.
College Student project commences
-
1962:
Publication of Manual for the Myers Briggs Type Indicator
Publication of Test Form F by the Educational Testing Service.
-
1963:
Report: "Relation of the Jungian Types to Higher Education: A Six-year Follow-up of a High School Population."
-
1964:
Nursing project commences.
-
1968:
Nippon Recruit Center project.
Death of Katherine Cook Briggs
-
1970:
IBM and Dr. Mary H. McCaulley establish the Typology Laboratory at the University of Florida, Gainesville.
Publication of Introduction to Type.
-
1974:
Ann Myers Hughes dies unexpectedly after minor surgery.
-
1974:
UF Freshman project.
-
1975:
First national conference series on the MBTI held at UF.
Consulting Psychologists Press assumes publication of the MBTI.
Center for Applications of Psychological Type (CAPT) established as a field office of the American Medical Students Association.
Publication of Test Forms G, GJ.
-
1976:
Publication of Test Form GK.
-
1977:
Publication of Test Form H.
-
1979:
Association of Psychological Type established.
-
1980:
Publication of Gifts Differing.
Death of Isabel Briggs Myers.
From the guide to the Isabel Briggs Myers Papers, 1885-1992, 1940-1980, (Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida)
