Ok, I have to admit that I have used this phrase once or twice in my lifetime, before I knew better! This phrase can be an accurate way to describe observed behavior; however it is inaccurate when describing someone’s preference for type. This phrase is often used when someone gets their MBTI® results and their PCI is in the “Very Clear” range, which means they have a long bar in the Extroverted (or toward any of the preferences) direction, or are almost “off the chart”. This type of person will very often agree with their reported type for Extroversion, and sometimes will describe themselves as an “off the chart Extrovert”. Although they might exhibit a lot of extroverted behaviors, this is an inaccurate interpretation of their PCI. A high PCI, or long bar, describes clarity or consistency of preference, not how much a person exhibits the behaviors associated with a preference. A very clear PCI (preference clarity index) simply says that this person consistently answered the questions in the direction of Extroversion, and as a result, will more than likely agree with their results (but not always). Although someone may indeed exhibit a lot of extroverted behaviors with a high PCI, the MBTI is not measuring how much they have of this preference, or of behaviors associated with Extroversion. It simply measures how consistently they answered in one direction over the other. There are assessments that measure how much extroverted behaviors someone exhibits, but the MBTI assessment is NOT one of them. Other ways to say “off the chart Extrovert” include “I am a strong extrovert” or “he is a huge extrovert” – all inaccurate in terms of describing MBTI results. Any other ways you have heard people describe a preference that infers how much someone has of a preference?
Ever heard people describe the characteristics for a preference with a phrase that begins with “People who prefer Sensing are good with details and specifics”? We’ll tackle this fun topic next week!
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