An Examination of the Relationship Between Personality Type and Cognitive Style

This study investigated the relationship between psychological type, as measured by the Myers-Briggs 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.