Date of Award

8-1980

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Counseling and Personnel

First Advisor

Dr. William A. Carlson

Second Advisor

Dr. Greg Boothroyd

Third Advisor

Dr. Kenneth Bullmer

Fourth Advisor

Dr. E. Thomas Lawson

Abstract

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was chosen to measure four bipolar personality types: introversion-extroversion, intuition-sensation, feeling-thinking, and perception-judgment. A marital compatibility self-reporting instrument developed by Whipple and Whittle, the Marriage Compatibility Inventory (MCI), was used to gauge the strength of each of six compatibility factors: sociability, emotional stability, dominance, intellectual and educational level, heterosexual level, and the drive level.

The present study was organized to explore the following hypotheses stated in the null form: (1) There are no significant differences among the four bipolar personality types as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator across the groups of married, dating, or separated/divorced couples. (2) There are no significant differences among the six marriage compatibility factors as measured by the Whipple Whittle Marriage Compatibility Inventory across the groups of married, dating, or separated/divorced couples. (3) There are no significant differences among the difference variables, i.e., DV1 = MF1 - FFi, where DV1 is the expression used for each of the compatibility factors, one through six, across the groups of married, dating or separated/divorced couples. (4) There are no significant differences among the six compatibility factors and the eight specific personality types as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Whipple-Whittle Marriage Compatibility Inventory. (5) There is no significant relationship between couple compatibility and the four bipolar personality types.

Three groups of couples were tested with both instruments. Group 1 was composed of 30 couples who were engaged, or who had a "steady" relationship of more than 60 days. Group II consisted of 30 couples who were married at the time of the testing, had not been previously divorced and who at the time of the testing stated that they did not, at that time, wish to separate from their mates. The third group (Group III) consisted of 30 couples who, at the time of testing, had either filed for divorce, were actually divorced or who had been separated from their spouses for more than three months. All three groups were tested on a first-come first-tested basis in Western Michigan.

Five null hypotheses were generated and the statistical design used for one-way analysis of variance and a Pearson product moment correlation to seek the relationship between two rank-ordered groups within the sample population.

The results failed to reject all five null hypotheses. Reasons seen as being responsible for this are: (1) the probability that "personality types," as reflected on the MBTI, are too complex and ambiguous and that personality traits may be a more accessable area for research; (2) like the MBTI, the MCI may not have the validity originally believed and may lack the specificity needed to produce a clear fix on compatibility as a variable.

Comments

Fifth Advisor: Dr. Paul Mountjoy

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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