Overview of Jung’s Theory of Personality Type
Jung’s personality type theory operates on the premise that every individual has two different attitudes towards their environment, i.e. two different directions where their energies focus: extraversion (E) where the focus is on the outer environment of people, places and things and introversion (I) where the focus is on the inner environment of ideas, concepts, and images. The mind possesses two different functions: perceiving, the way in which the brain takes in information and judging, the way in which the brain comes to conclusions about what has been perceived. The two perceiving functions are sensing (S): the use of the five senses (see, hear, touch, smell and taste), and the intuitive (I) function which allows the use of a sixth sense which includes insight beyond what is visible. The two judging functions are: thinking (T) the impersonal, objective analytical approach to decision making and feeling (F) the use of subjective personal values as the criteria for decision making. Each of the personality types uses all four of the basic mental functions; Sensing (S), Intuition (N), Thinking (T) and Feeling (F), but each of the types prioritizes these functions differently .The dynamics, i.e. the priority and degree to which each of the types uses the four functions is what provides the distinct personality traits of each of the personality types.
The analogy used by Isabel Myers is to compare personality type to a ship at sea. The ship needs a captain, the undisputed authority to set the course and bring the ship to port. The ship however would never reach port if each of its helmsmen aimed at a different destination and altered course accordingly. Jung’s type theory is based on the premise that there is a favorite or dominant function; the dominant function serves as captain of the personality. It decides what course to set and keeps the ship headed in that direction.
The other preferences are important but are subordinate to and serve the goals of the dominant function which provides the decisive orientation for the individual’s personality and operates under the individuals consciousness and will. The other functions are not valid in there own right and therefore must becomes the auxiliary, tertiary, or inferior functions. The secondary (auxiliary) function cannot be directly opposite from the dominant function. For example feeling (F) could never act as the second function to thinking (T). Because according to Campbell “ it is by its very nature too strongly opposed to thinking ”. A person with a dominant of thinking would have a secondary function of either sensing (S) or intuition (N) because the thinking (T) function would be too strong to allow the feeling (F) function to act as the second function. Because of the degree to which a person with a dominant thinking (T) prefers the use of the thinking function, the function of feeling (F) would have to be subordinated to the extent to which it would act as the inferior function, which is to say the least used function.
Myers and Briggs expanded upon Jung’s theory of psychological type through the introduction of a second set of attitudes: those attitudes being, judging (J) and perceiving (P). The attitudes of judging (J) and perceiving (P) dictate how an individual chooses to orient towards their external environment. Individuals who gravitate towards the attitude of judging (J) prefer a systemic, organized, very controlled life style they are very comfortable with and constantly seeking closure. By contrast perceiving (P) type individuals seek to experience and understand life rather than control it. Perceiving (P) type individuals gravitate towards spontaneity and flexibility; they are continually seeking new data from the external environment and therefore find coming to closure very difficult.
Through the self reporting questionnaire developed by Myers and Briggs, The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) a forced choice is made for: extraversion (E), or introversion (I); sensing (S) or intuition (N); thinking (T) or, feeling (F); and judging (J) or Perceiving (P). The letters for the chosen preferences appear in the type formula in this order: E or I, S or N, T or F, J or P. The four-letter type formulas stand for a complex set of dynamic relationships between the functions (S, N, T and F), and the attitudes (I, E, J and P).