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    Introduction to Socionics


    Socionics is a theory of information processing and personality type, distinguished by its information model of the psyche, called Model A, and a model of interpersonal relations. It incorporates Carl Jung's work on Psychological Types with Antoni Kępiński's theory of information metabolism. Socionics is a modification of Jung's personality type theory that uses eight psychic functions. These functions process information at varying levels of competency and interact with the corresponding function in other individuals, giving rise to predictable reactions and impressions—a theory of intertype relations.


    Socionics was developed in the 1970s and '80s, primarily by the Lithuanian researcher Aušra Augustinavičiūtė, an economist, sociologist, and dean of the Vilnius Pedagogical University's department of family science. A. Augustinavičiūtė has later shortened her last name from "Augustinavichiute" to "Augusta" to make it easier to spell for foreigners. The name "socionics" is derived from the word "society", because A. Augusta believed that each personality type has a distinct purpose in society, which can be described and explained by socionics. Augusta created symbols to represent the functions described by Carl Jung and — together with a circle of fellow researchers/hobbyists — eventually created what is known as the "socionic model of the psyche" — a description of the psyche where each of the 8 information elements has its place in each person's psyche.


    The central idea of socionics is that information is intuitively divisible into eight categories, called information aspects or information elements, which a person's psyche processes using eight psychological functions. Each sociotype has a different correspondence between functions and information elements, which results in different ways of perceiving, processing, and producing information. This in turn results in distinct thinking patterns, values, and responses to arguments, all of which are encompassed within socionic type. Socionics' theory of intertype relations is based on the interaction of these functions between types.


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    Filatova portraits - Beta 

    by
    glam
    Published on 12-16-2011 07:27 AM  Number of Views: 5509 
    1. Categories:
    2. Socionics,
    3. IEI - INFp,
    4. SLE - ESTp,
    5. LSI - ISTj,
    6. EIE - ENFj,
    7. Visual Identification
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    These particular portraits are from Filatova's book "Personality in the Mirror of Socionics" (2001).

    While the idea of visual identification or VI in application to Socionics types is often met with staunch skepticism, there has been a considerable amount of research done on the relationship between personality and appearance that demonstrates that there indeed exist some interesting correlations, and that many of us are naturally in a habit of making personality estimates based on other people's appearance.


    On Filatova's portraits - from Wikisocion:
    It should be noted that Ekaterina Filatova did not herself use visual identification ("V.I.") to diagnose the types of the people in her books. She simply
    ...
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    MBTI Online Personality Tests, Quizzes and Resources 

    by
    siuntal
    Published on 12-16-2011 05:40 AM  Number of Views: 1100 
    1. Categories:
    2. MBTI
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    The Concept of Energy Exchanges in Model "A" and Construction of Two Main Vertical Subtypes by V.V. Meged, A.A. Ovcharov 

    by
    hkkmr
    Published on 12-16-2011 03:52 AM  Number of Views: 2047 
    1. Categories:
    2. Socionics,
    3. Subtypes
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    The Concept of Energy Exchanges in Model "A" and Construction of Two Main Vertical Subtypes by V.V. Meged, A.A. Ovcharov


    Original article: http://socionic.ru/index.php/2010-10...07-24/2998--qq


    Translator's notes

    This article provides the theoretical explanation of the subtype profiles compiled by Meged and Ovcharov.

    In summary, this article is stating that Dominant function subtype also emphasizes information that pertains to the Mobilizing function, while Creative function subtype will emphasize information that pertains to the Suggestive function. SLI-Si will have 'stronger' Si and Fi and 'weakened' Te ...
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    MBTI: Lenore Thomson's Descriptions of Cognitive Functions 

    by
    siuntal
    Published on 12-14-2011 01:50 AM  Number of Views: 4664 
    1. Categories:
    2. MBTI
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    Lenore Thomson's Descriptions of Cognitive Functions



    For descriptions of Socionics information elements see this link, for functions click here.
    Lenore Thomson's type profiles.


    Introduction and Short Descriptions


    Conflicting ways of assigning meaning

    Humans have four fundamental ways of giving consciously understood meaning to what they experience--which we will call "functions". Each of them can be used in a way that is independent of or grows out of socially accepted beliefs and morals--that is, in an Introverted or an Extraverted attitude. Each combination of function + attitude provides the vocabulary and ground rules for developing an epistemological and ethical perspective on life. No one of them, however, provides enough for a full life that incorporates all your potential, talents, and callings.

    Each way of assigning meaning leads to very different conclusions in everyday life about what is trustworthy and what is important. It is not possible to develop a coherent, functioning self by holding all of the perspectives in a balanced manner. As people become adults, they usually develop their epistemological and ethical perspectives along one pattern of assigning meaning. This is a person's Dominant Function.

    Eventually, they reach difficulties in their lives that cannot be resolved within the rules of the Dominant Function. At this time, they need to turn to an alternative way of making sense of things that modifies their dominant attitude without nullifying it. This natural alternative attitude is the person's Secondary Function. It's natural partly because we've been developing it all along. Extraverts have been using their secondary attitude to hold a piece of themselves in reserve--to cultivate a perspective that enables them to respond in ways not obviously dictated by their situation. Introverts have been using their secondary attitude to cultivate a definite place for themselves in the world.

    Introverted Function Attitudes

    The Introverted perspectives draw upon our innate, inherited potential to think and understand, without regard to present-day opportunities or social conventions.

    Introverted Sensation (Si) tunes you in to the chaos, unpredictability, and unknowability of the concrete world, leading you to value whatever few signs you can find that have stable meaning. For example, the stripes of tabby cats might hold a particular meaning for you, and you might come to treasure that. As an epistemological perspective, Si leads you to view anything from outside a familiar context as dangerous and untrustworthy. You are in tune with the fact that nearly all possibilities lead to destruction. For example, if you're designing an airplane, nearly all combinations of the variables fail. Of the possible combinations of wingspan, wing placement, wing shape, fuselage shape, and so on, there is only a tiny subset that make an aerodynamically workable plane--and then only if you get a whole lot of other things just right, too. All of life is like that, only much more complicated. We live only in the small islands of the world that we've grown up with and are suited to us. And we can't possibly know why these small islands are relatively safe. As an ethical perspective, Si leads you to protect the integrity of the things and signs that we depend on. This usually takes the form of setting up barriers against the unpredictable. For example, saving for a rainy day (hardships come at unpredictable times) or inspecting buildings for fire safety (so people can trust that "being inside a building" is a sign of safety against the elements). Within these barriers, where all is trustworthy and familiar, we can survive and enjoy what is precious to us--for a while.

    Introverted Intuition (Ni) focuses on what is inexpressible--the incommensurable and chaotic things that exist outside of any conceptual framework. For example, what do you hear in the theme-and-variations     ...
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    MBTI: Foundations and Personality Types 

    by
    siuntal
    Published on 12-14-2011 12:33 AM  Number of Views: 2265 
    1. Categories:
    2. MBTI
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    MBTI: Foundations and Personality Types



    Personality Types
    ENFJ, INFP, ISTJ, ISFP - many know these are the short-hand designations for the 16 Personality Types popularized by Isabel Myers and her successors fascinated by the theory of personality originally postulated by psychologist Carl Jung. But less well known is that there is an order and organization to these letters code.

    The middle two letters of the Personality Type Code refer to what Isabel Myers and Psychologist Carl Jung called the "mental functions" (Sensing, Intuition, Thinking, and Feeling). These functions or mental processes are divided into two categories: perceiving     ...
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    MBTI: Descriptions of cognitive functions from various sources 

    by
    siuntal
    Published on 12-13-2011 10:30 PM  Number of Views: 4962 
    1. Categories:
    2. MBTI
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    MBTI: Descriptions of cognitive functions from various sources



    Common mistakes people make when studying MBTI:

    Cognitive functions are not tools, skillsets, or behaviors that can be improved or learned. They are passive perspectives through which one perceives information. Think of yourself as a "photographer" and your mind as a "camera". The functions could be seen as different "colored filters". People of each type combines several of these colored filters (functions) to achieve a unique shade in which the world appears to them.

    There is no such thing as being borderline J/P, T/F, or S/N. These are not sliding scales though some tests misrepresent them as so. These letters that compose the 4-letter type code are representative of an underlying order of cognitive functions. It is these cognitive functions that define the type. For example, valued cognitive functions of type INFJ are Ni,Fe,Ti,Se while cognitive functions of type INTJ are Ni,Te,Fi,Se. If you take a look at the middle functions of these two types they are different: Fe,Ti vs Te,Fi. What this means is that INFJs extravert their feeling and introverted logic, while INTJs extraverted their logic and introvert their feeling. Thus one cannot be a "borderline" INxJ type.

    'J' and 'P' letters do not represent any cognitive functions in themselves. They stand for "Judger" and "Perceiver" which is decided by type's highest order extraverted function. All types that extravert a Je function (Fe or Te) as their dominant or auxiliary are Judging or J-types. All types that extravert a Pe function (Ne or Se) as dominant or auxiliary are Perceiving or P-types.

    J/P letters do not operate on a sliding scale, thus you cannot be "borderline J/P". Types that differ in their last letter are completely different in their cognitive functions. Changing the last letter changes all of the cognitive functions. For instance, INFJ's cognitive functional line-up is Ni,Fe,Ti,Se while for INFP's it is Fi,Ne,Si,Te. Even though their 4-letter codes differ only by the last letter, these two types share no functions in common and are very different. In studying types, it is better to conceptualize them in ...
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    MBTI: Form of the Inferior Functions 

    by
    siuntal
    Published on 12-12-2011 10:04 PM  Number of Views: 5183 
    1. Categories:
    2. MBTI
    Article Preview

    Form of the Inferior Functions


    Introduction:

    Inferior function is an attitude that is pushed out of consciousness as one develops dominant function, however, it still exerts a powerful influence on the person. It leads one to try to fulfill neglected needs, but in ways that clash with the rest of the person's life, experiences, and self-understanding. It confronts you with strange goals that you don't know how to attain. It "floods" you with motives and emotions you may not understand because you cannot easily discern this mode of perception. Attempting to view the world through Inferior Function will conflict with your life investments, ego, and identity that you have built with your dominant function. In other words, by using your inferior function, you are stepping outside of the criteria you have previously defined for yourself. In its usual state, the inferior function is suppressed by the dominant function. Inferior function is thus expressed infrequently but typically in a forceful, all-or-nothing manner.

    When you perceive through your inferior function, the dominant function is metaphorically speaking "tied up". The dominant function can work in tandem with the secondary function, or with the tertiary function, but not so easily with the inferior function. If you shift focus to your inferior function when your dominant function is 'on' full blast, your dominant function will usually re-take control through the Tertiary Temptation, unless your secondary function intercedes with a new perspective. There are other explanations of why the dominant function and the inferior function clash:
    • People don't focus on information coming from their Inferior Function because they know that it isn't their strong point - they cannot discern information well in this area. It feels strange and unfamiliar. People may feel like they are being childish when trying to express themselves in grip of their inferior function, and no one will take them seriously. They feel like they are not going to make much of an impact.
    • People don't rely on information coming from their Inferior Function directly because they don't want to compromise their world view and how they perceive and feel about themselves.

    Notes: The following series of excerpts was taken from Naomi Quenk's book "Was That Really Me? How Everyday Stress Brings Out Our Hidden Personality". They describe possible manifestations of one's inferior function, which is the weakest valued function in the psyche that corresponds to the archetype of anima or animus in Jungian analysis. (In Socionics, inferior function most closely correlates to suggestive function.)

    Related articles and topics:

    MBTI Tests and Resources
    Lenore Thomson's Descriptions of Cognitive Functions
    Jung's Theory of Psychological Type: Lenore Thomson Interview
    MBTI: Foundations and Personality Types
    MBTI: Experiencing Different Function-Attitudes
    MBTI: A Closer Examination of Feeling & Thinking
    MBTI: Functional Descriptions by J. H. van der Hoop
    Cognitive     ...
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