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The Keirsey Temperament Sorter (KTS) is a self-assessed
personality Personality is the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional patterns that are formed from biological and environmental factors, and which change over time. While there is no generally agreed-upon definition of personality, mos ...
questionnaire designed to help people better understand themselves and others. It was first introduced in the book ''
Please Understand Me ''Please Understand Me: Character and Temperament Types'' (first published in 1978 as ''Please Understand Me: An Essay on Temperament Styles'') is a psychology book written by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates which focuses on the classification an ...
''. It is one of the most widely used personality assessments in the world. The KTS is closely associated with the
Myers–Briggs Type Indicator In Personality type, personality typology, the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an introspection, introspective self-report study, self-report questionnaire indicating differing Psychology, psychological preferences in how people perceiv ...
(MBTI); however, there are significant practical and theoretical differences between the two personality questionnaires and their associated different descriptions. It has been criticized as
pseudoscience Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or falsifiability, unfa ...
.


Historical development

:''See also Historical Development of Theories of the Four Temperaments''
David Keirsey David West Keirsey (; August 31, 1921 – July 30, 2013) was an American psychologist, a professor emeritus at California State University, Fullerton, and the author of several books. In his most popular publications, ''Please Understand Me'' (19 ...
became familiar with the work of Ernst Kretschmer and William Sheldon after WWII in the late 1940s. Keirsey developed the Temperament Sorter after being introduced to the MBTI in 1956. Tracing the idea of temperament back to the ancient Greeks, Keirsey developed a modern temperament theory in his books ''Please Understand Me'' (1978), ''Portraits of Temperament'' (1988), ''Presidential Temperament'' (1992), ''Please Understand Me II'' (1998), ''Brains and Careers'' (2008), and ''Personology'' (2010). The table below shows how Myers' and Keirsey's types correspond to other temperament theories or constructs, dating from ancient times to the present day.


Four temperaments

Keirsey expanded on the ancient study of temperament by
Hippocrates Hippocrates of Kos (; grc-gre, Ἱπποκράτης ὁ Κῷος, Hippokrátēs ho Kôios; ), also known as Hippocrates II, was a Greek physician of the classical period who is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of ...
and
Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...
. In his works, Keirsey used the names suggested by Plato: Artisan (iconic), Guardian (pistic), Idealist (noetic), and Rational (dianoetic). Keirsey divided each of the
four temperaments The four temperament theory is a proto-psychological theory which suggests that there are four fundamental personality types: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Most formulations include the possibility of mixtures among the types w ...
into two categories (roles), each with two types (role variants). The resulting 16 types correlate with the 16 personality types described by Briggs and Myers.


Artisan

The Artisan temperament is one of four temperaments defined by Keirsey. Correlating with the SP (sensing–perceiving) Myers-Briggs types, the Artisan temperament comprises the following role variants (listed with their correlating Myers-Briggs types): Composer (ISFP), Crafter (ISTP), Performer (ESFP), and Promoter (ESTP). Artisans are concrete and adaptable. Seeking stimulation and virtuosity, they are concerned with making an impact. Their greatest strength is ''tactics''. They excel at troubleshooting, agility, and the manipulation of tools, instruments, and equipment. The two roles are as follows: :* Operators are the directive (proactive) Artisans. Their most developed intelligence operation is ''expediting''. The attentive Crafters and the expressive Promoters are the two role variants. :* Entertainers are the informative (reactive) Artisans. Their most developed intelligence operation is ''improvising''. The attentive Composers and the expressive Performers are the two role variants.


Guardian

The Guardian temperament is one of four temperaments defined by Keirsey. Correlating with the SJ (sensing–judging) Myers–Briggs types, the Guardian temperament comprises the following role variants (listed with their correlating Myers–Briggs types): Inspector (ISTJ), Protector (ISFJ), Provider (ESFJ), and Supervisor (ESTJ). Guardians are concrete and organized (scheduled). Seeking security and belonging, they are concerned with responsibility and duty. Their greatest strength is ''logistics''. They excel at organizing, facilitating, checking, and supporting. The two roles are as follows: :*Administrators are the directive (proactive) Guardians. Their most developed intelligence operation is ''regulating''. The attentive Inspectors and the expressive Supervisors are the two role variants. :* Conservators are the informative (reactive) Guardians. Their most developed intelligence operation is ''supporting''. The attentive Protectors and the expressive Providers are the two role variants.


Idealist

The Idealist temperament is one of four temperaments defined by Keirsey. Correlating with the NF (intuitive–feeling) Myers-Briggs types, the Idealist temperament comprises the following role variants (listed with their correlating Myers-Briggs types): Champion (ENFP), Counselor (INFJ), Healer (INFP), and Teacher (ENFJ). Idealists are abstract and compassionate. Seeking meaning and significance, they are concerned with personal growth and finding their own unique identity. Their greatest strength is ''diplomacy''. They excel at clarifying, individualizing, unifying, and inspiring. The two roles are as follows: :* Mentors are the directive (proactive) Idealists. Their most developed intelligence operation is ''developing''. The attentive Counselors and the expressive Teachers are the two role variants. :* Advocates are the informative (reactive) Idealists. Their most developed intelligence operation is ''mediating''. The attentive Healers and the expressive Champions are the two role variants.


Rational

The Rational temperament is one of the four temperaments defined by Keirsey. Correlating with the NT (intuitive–thinking) Myers-Briggs types, the Rational temperament comprises the following role variants (listed with their correlated Myers-Briggs types): Architect (INTP), Fieldmarshal (ENTJ), Inventor (ENTP), and Mastermind (INTJ).Keirsey.com Portrait of the Rational
Rationals are abstract and objective. Seeking mastery and self-control, they are concerned with their own knowledge and competence. Their greatest strength is ''strategy''. They excel in any kind of logical investigation such as engineering, conceptualizing, theorizing, and coordinating. The two roles are as follows: :* Coordinators are the directive (proactive) Rationals. Their most developed intelligence operation is ''arranging''. The attentive Masterminds and the expressive Fieldmarshals are the two role variants. :* Engineers are the informative (reactive) Rationals. Their most developed intelligence operation is ''constructing''. The attentive Architects and the expressive Inventors are the two role variants.


Four interaction roles

In his book ''Brains and Careers'' (2008), Keirsey divided the role variants into groupings that he called "four differing roles that people play in face-to-face interaction with one another."Brains and Careers
/ref> There are two Proactive Enterprising Roles: *Initiators (expressive and directive): Field Marshal (ENTJ), Supervisor (ESTJ), Promoter (ESTP), Teacher (ENFJ)—Preemptive *Contenders (attentive and directive): Mastermind (INTJ), Inspector (ISTJ), Crafter (ISTP), Counselor (INFJ)—Competitive There are two Reactive Inquiring Roles: *Coworkers (expressive and informative): Inventor (ENTP), Provider (ESFJ), Performer (ESFP), Champion (ENFP)—Collaborative *Responders (attentive and informative): Architect (INTP), Protector (ISFJ), Composer (ISFP), Healer (INFP)—Accommodative The roles were implied in the informing/directing factor introduced in ''Portraits of Temperament''. In his 2010 follow-up book, ''Personology'', "Coworkers" is renamed "Collaborators" and "Responders" is renamed "Accommodators".


Temperaments and intelligence types

The following table shows how the four rings relate to one another and to the various temperaments.


Myers–Briggs types versus Keirsey's temperaments

The type descriptions of Isabel Myers differ from the character descriptions of David Keirsey in several important ways: * Myers primarily focused on how people think and feel; Keirsey focused more on behavior, which is directly observable. * Myers's descriptions use a linear four-factor model; Keirsey's descriptions use a systems field theory model. * Myers, following Jung's lead, emphasized the extraversion/introversion (expressive/attentive) dichotomy; Keirsey's model places greater importance on the sensing/intuition (concrete/abstract) dichotomy. * Myers grouped types by 'function attitudes'; Keirsey, by temperament. Myers grouped types according to cognitive function: the 'thinking type' grouping for those with dominant thinking; the 'intuitive type' grouping for those with dominant intuition; the 'feeling type' grouping for those with dominant feeling; and the 'sensing type' grouping for those with dominant sensing. Keirsey's temperaments correlate with Myers' combinations of preferences: Guardians with sensing plus judging (SJ); Artisans with sensing plus perceiving (SP); Idealists with intuition plus feeling (NF); and Rationals with intuition plus thinking (NT). Myers paired ESTJs with ENTJs, ISFPs with INFPs, INTPs with ISTPs, and ENFJs with ESFJs because they share the same dominant function attitude. ESTJs and ENTJs are both extraverted thinkers, ISFPs and INFPs are both introverted feelers, INTPs and ISTPs are both introverted thinkers, and ENFJs and ESFJs are both extraverted feelers. Keirsey holds that these same groupings are very different from one another because they are of different temperaments. ESTJs are Guardians whereas ENTJs are Rationals; ISFPs are Artisans whereas INFPs are Idealists; INTPs are Rationals whereas ISTPs are Artisans; and ENFJs are Idealists whereas ESFJs are Guardians.


Empirical validation

In a 2001 peer-reviewed study published in the ''Journal of Career Assessment'', data from the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II online instrument and Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) for 203 college freshmen were analyzed and compared. Positive correlations appeared between the concurrent MBTI and Keirsey measures of psychological type, giving preliminary support to the validity of the online version of Keirsey.


See also

*
Analytical psychology Analytical psychology ( de , Analytische Psychologie, sometimes translated as analytic psychology and referred to as Jungian analysis) is a term coined by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, to describe research into his new "empirical science" ...
*
Carl Jung Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philo ...
*
Eduard Spranger Eduard Spranger (27 June 1882 – 17 September 1963) was a German philosopher and psychologist. A student of Wilhelm Dilthey, Spranger was born in Berlin and died in Tübingen. He was considered a humanist who developed a philosophical pe ...
, author of ''Types of men'' *
Ernst Kretschmer Ernst Kretschmer (8 October 18888 February 1964) was a German psychiatrist who researched the human constitution and established a typology. Life Kretschmer was born in Wüstenrot near Heilbronn. He attended Cannstatt Gymnasium, one of the o ...
*
Five temperaments In psychology, temperament broadly refers to consistent individual differences in behavior that are biologically based and are relatively independent of learning, system of values and attitudes. Some researchers point to association of temperam ...
*
Four temperaments The four temperament theory is a proto-psychological theory which suggests that there are four fundamental personality types: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Most formulations include the possibility of mixtures among the types w ...
*
Socionics Socionics, in psychology and sociology, is a pseudoscientific theory of information processing and personality types. It incorporates Carl Jung's work on '' Psychological Types'' with Antoni Kępiński's theory of information metabolism. Socio ...
*
Temperament In psychology, temperament broadly refers to consistent individual differences in behavior that are biologically based and are relatively independent of learning, system of values and attitudes. Some researchers point to association of temperam ...
*
Type theory In mathematics, logic, and computer science, a type theory is the formal presentation of a specific type system, and in general type theory is the academic study of type systems. Some type theories serve as alternatives to set theory as a foundat ...


References


External links


Keirsey Temperament Website
{{Jungian psychology Personality typologies Personality tests