Are Jungian preferences really categorical?: an empirical investigation using taxometric analysis

The question of whether the Jungian preferences are categorical or continuous has been a debated issue. We empirically addressed this question using taxometric analysis. Two bootstraps taxometric methods (MAMBAC and MAXCOV-HITMAX) were used with three Jungian personality measures: the Singer-Loomis Type Deployment Inventory (SL-TDI), the Personal Preferences Self-Description Questionnaire (PPSDQ), and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Results suggested there is not a true, non-arbitrary taxon underlying Jungian preferences measured by any of these measures. In other words, the preferences appear to manifest as continuous dimensions. Possible future research and implications for the measurement of the Jungian constructs are discussed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.