Life Styles Inventory™ & Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator®:
A Comparison of Two Surveys
We are often asked: “What is the difference between the Life Styles Inventory™ and the MyersBriggs Type Indicator®?” Whereas both of these surveys help individuals to better understand themselves and others, they differ in terms of what they measure, how they measure it, and how the results are used. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to highlight what we believe are some of the most important differences between these two popular instruments. The Life Styles Inventory™ (LSI) measures twelve distinct thinking and behavioral styles that are distinguished by their orientations toward task versus people and higher-order needs for satisfaction and growth versus lower order needs for security and safety. The LSI builds on the work of a variety of noteworthy psychologists, including Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Albert Ellis, Karen Horney, Timothy Leary, David McClelland, Harry Stack Sullivan, as well as management scholars, such as Fredrick Hertzberg, Douglas McGregor, and Ralph Stodgill. It is designed to provide individuals with an opportunity to identify specific strengths in their thinking and behavior, as well as any “stumbling blocks” that may be standing in their way. As such, the LSI is used to initiate positive changes in how people approach their work and interact with others— changes that can increase both their personal and professional effectiveness. In contrast, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) measures preferences rather than thinking styles. More specifically, it is a system for classifying the ways in which people become aware of, perceive, and judge events. The MBTI is an application of Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types. It is designed to help individuals become acquainted with their own preferences as well as the preferences of others based on the four