PSYCHOLOGY MATTERS

Psychological type recognition during a child’s developmental years provides an enormous benefit to the child.  As with adults, children and young adults of the same personality type consistently display similar actions and behaviors, share a common value system , and are motivated  in the same way. The following is an brief overview of characteristics and behaviors typically found in each of the 16 Jung / Myers-Briggs personality types during childhood and as young adults:  

  ISTJ - Introverted /Sensing/ Thinking / Judging:  Thrive in an environment that is orderly and structured. They enjoy having a schedule to follow and will often take on extra personal responsible. They are quiet and reflective; rely upon tangible facts; are logical, analytical and organized. Their preferred learning environment is task oriented and they need precise and accurate instructions at home and in the classroom. 

ENFJ - Extraverted / iNtuitive / Feeling / Judging: Have a strong desire to please others and thrive on positive reinforcement. They become very upset by conflict and disharmony. They are talkative, exuberant, and warm. Enjoy social interaction; have a breadth of interest and grasp of possibilities. They learn best at home and in the classroom in situations that are structured, but flexible enough to allow them to talk and interact with their peers. 

ISTP - Introverted / Sensing / Thinking / Perceiving: Love hands-on activities, are action oriented and flexible. They are highly interested in and observant of how things work and often. They often take apart toys in an effort to observe and understand “what makes them tick”. They have little interest in theory; like to solve problems systemically and thrive in learning situations that allow them to learn alone, at their own rate, in their own time frame. 

ISFJ - Introverted / Sensing / Feeling / Judging: Are diligent and conscientious; have a deep concern for other’s feelings and work at trying to please parents, teachers, and other authority figures. They learn best in an environment in which they know precisely what is expected of them. Security and routine are very important to ISFJs. This means, knowing exactly who is going to be there when they get home from school. 

 ENTP - Extraverted/ iNtuitive / Thinking / Perceiving: Challenge established truths and norms are very outgoing and lively. They like to develop unusual ways of doing traditional childhood things, which often means outwitting parents and other social authority. Tell and ENTP child some behavior is inappropriate and he or she becomes even more committed to that behavior. They like a learning environment, which allows them to compete and match wits with others. They are skilled negotiators with a natural gift for getting others excited about their ideas.   

ESFJ - Extraverted/ Sensing / Feeling / Judging: Thrive in an environment, which providesconsistency, and personal attention, rules and authority are important to them. .Acceptance of others is also very important to them and they strive to please their parentsand others. They begin to accept responsibility at an early age; are warm, outgoing, andmake friends easily. For them to do their best in the classroom a positive teacher studentrelationship is essential. It is vital for them to like the person who teaches them,and disharmony.  

ESTJ - Extraverted/ Sensing/ Thinking /Judging : Like results-oriented activities and clearly hey are logical, pragmatic, and organized; communicate freely;have a strong sense of reality; and are more tasks driven than relationship oriented.Belonging, tradition, and camaraderie are very important to them. They have littlepatience for the abstract, theory, and inefficiency. They like schedules and want to knowspecifically what is required of them. They learn best in very structured environments inwhich objectives are clearly stated.  

INFP -  Introverted/ iNntuitive/ Feeling/ : Have a depth of concentration, are quiet and reflective; they decide early on what is important to them. They are intrigued by possibilities, the abstract and theory. They create their own fantasy world and live very much within the world they create. They are self-reliant and prefer to have a very small circle of close friends. They abhor making mistakes and try to avoid letting others know when they do so. They thrive in situations in which they receive appreciation for their unique approach. The ideal learning environment for them is flexible and rewards imagination and creativity.

 INTP - Introverted/ iNtuitive/ Thinking/ Perceiving :  Are inwardly focused, tend to enjoy their own thoughts more than the company of others; and need large amounts of time alone. They are very skeptical and analytical and trust reason above all else. They connect unrelated thoughts and seek objective solutions to enigmatic problems. They also tend to enjoy activities that may be atypical of children their age. They regard their parents, teachers, and other adults as their equal and feel free to challenge them when ever they perceive their thinking to be illogical. Competence in a teacher is important to them. 

ESFP -  Extraverted/ Sensing/ Feeling / Perceiving : Are very action oriented, they have a basic need to feel an impulse and immediately act upon that impulse. Talkative, gregarious, and sociable they desire harmony and understanding and like to make others happy. They learn best by doing and become easily bored with things that do not involve interaction and a hands-on approach. They dislike theory and the abstract; they respond best to direction when it is concrete, simple, and accurate. It is very important for them to get to know and be liked by their teachers. 

ESTP - Extraverted/ Sensing/Thinking/Perceiving : Are highly energetic. They possess a unique concept of time, which revolves totally around the present. Talkative and proactive in establishing relationships they view school as an important social event rather than an academic experience. They become restless when required to set for any length of time; and are often misunderstood and mis -diagnosis as hyperactive. They learn best in an environment, which provides hands-on activities and where they see and immediate tangible application for subject matter. 

ISFP -  Introverted/ Sensing / Feeling / Perceiving :  Are sometimes overlooked because they shun the spotlight. They are often drawn to people and animals that need special care. Quiet and introspective they desire a harmonious environment and one on one communication. They dislike structure and institutional settings that rob them of their spontaneity. When the material is theoretical or abstract and the atmosphere is ridged they often resist the educational process. They learn best in a relaxed and flexible setting.

 INFJ -  Introverted/ iNtuitive/Feeling/ Judging :  Are most comfortable in a predicable orderly environment. Their general demeanor is quiet and soft-spoken; they are introspective and imaginative; and have a tendency to create and live in a world of their own. When they are drawn into the outside world it is to become involved with and help others. They develop strong ideals at an early age and learn best when information is present as a vehicle by which to further those ideals. 

INTJ -  Introverted/ iNtuitive / Thinking / Judging :Are independent and individualistic. They focus their energy inward and need time alone for quite contemplation. Their inward focus most often revolves around thoughts of the way the world is or ought to be; they are highly imaginative and like to daydream. They are driven to establish their own rules and standards and can be quite stubborn when parents and other authority figures relay information to then that contradicts their own beliefs. They are diligent in their pursuit of new ideas and thoughts and learn best when allowed to design their own approach. 

ENFP -  Extraverted/ iNtuitive/ Thinking / Perceiving : Are vivacious, innovative, imaginative and curious. Energetic and sociable, they seek and provide affirmation and place a high value on harmony. They have the unique ability to extemporaneously express plausible and compelling reasons for their own ideas. They thrive in a learning environment in which the teacher takes personal interest in them; where they can interact with their peers, ask questions and develop new ideas. 

ENTJ: Extraverted/ iNtuitive/ Thinking / Judging  : Tend to take charge of themselves and others. They seek power and control and want to have an impact. They want to change things to fit their concept of how things should be. Conflict may develop when parents and other authority figures exercise too much control and deprive them of their need to control themselves. They enjoy a learning environment that allows them to critique, debate and view problems from all sides.

The Murphy-Meisgeier Type Indicator for Children (MMTIC) online assessment makes  is it possible to identify the personality types of children grades 2 through high school.  

Within the framework of Carl  G. Jung / Myers-Briggs personality type theory  functions refer to the mental processes used to take-in and process information.  There are four functions.  Sensing  and intuition , which represent and individual’s preference for taking in data from the environment.  An individual uses both of these functions but has a natural tendency to favor one over the other.  The sensor prefers using his / her sensing function.  Those with a sensing preference make concrete and realistic observation of objects or circumstances in the immediate environment. Where as an individual with a natural tendency for the intuitive preference makes mental connections with observations of his / her surroundings and may perceive something entirely different from the sensing type person. Sensors tend to make very detailed observations of their environment and initiatives are very general in their observations.  The thinking and feeling function address how and individual processes data and makes decisions. As with the sensing and intuitive functions an individual uses both the thinking and feeling function but is naturally drawn to use one of the functions over the other.   A person with a thinking preference uses objectivity as criteria when making decisions.  This type is considered to be very logical and methodical in the decision making process.  A person with a feeling preference for decision-making uses a subjective approach.  Individuals with a preference for the feeling function believe that personal considerations are important and should not be left out of decision-making.  Individuals with a preference for feeling are also very value oriented in their decision making process, their personal values are at the center of how they arrive at decisions and can not be in conflict with the decision that is made.         Dominate Function: An individual’s most highly refined function, it is the function an individual prefers using the most often.      Auxiliary Function:  An individuals’ second most preferred function.  The auxiliary function works with and supports the dominant function.     Tertiary Function:  An individual’s third preferred function.  It is a lesser-developed function, which works to support the auxiliary function.    Inferior Function:   An individuals’ least developed function. The inferior function is the opposite function of the dominant function, for example and individual who is a dominant thinker would have feeling  as an inferior function and an individual who is a dominant feeler  would have thinking  as an inferior function. 

ISTPs are realist who apply expediency and reasoning as they manage and adapt to situations. They are happiest when in situations that require immediate attention. Reflective, utilitarian, pragmatic and,logical they have a knack for taking in and retaining data of a technical nature. ISTPs enjoy working in an environment that is casual and informal and lets them use available resources in the most efficient manner possible to deal with concert/ tangible problems. ISTPs prefer a work environment that: Allows for economy of motions and energy and does not require needless routine / Provides the opportunity to use troubleshooting skills / Enables them to understand and apply technology. For ISTPs career satisfaction means: working independently, expediently, and dealing with real world objectives. Three careers that meet these criteria that have been determined by The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to be in high demand are: Forest Fire Fighter, Regional Commercial Pilot, and Civil Engineer. Forest Fire Fighter: Forest fire fighters work as members of a crew to put out fires in forests and rangelands. Qualities necessary to succeed as a forest fire fighter include initiative, good judgment , mental alertness, mechanical aptitude, endurance, strength and the ability to function under conditions of stress and danger. Education and Training: Typically a high school diploma . Completion of community college courses, or  an associate degree, in fire science however  may improve chances for a job .Wage and Projected Growth: BLS estimates median wage for 2006 was $19.80 per hour , $41,190 annually.  Projected occupational growth from 2006 to 2016 is estimated to be between  6%  to 13%.  Regional Commercial Pilot: Flies and navigates small fixed or rotary winged aircraft, for the transport of cargo and passengers. Pilots often start out working for smaller commuter and regional airlines to acquire the experience needed to qualify for higher paying jobs with national or major airlines. Qualities necessary to succeed as a pilot include: mental alertness, mechanical aptitude, the ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust controls to exact positions,  to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, and an aptitude to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions. Education and Training: Pilots very often learned to fly in the military, however a growing numbers of commercial pilots are choosing to receive training  from colleges that have been  certified by the FAA to provide flight instruction. Wage and Projected Growth: BLS estimates the annual median wage for 2006 was $57,480. Projected occupational growth from 2006 to 2016 is estimated to be between 7%  to 13%. Civil Engineer: Plan, design and oversee the engineering duties related to the construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities such as roads, bridges, pipelines, power plants, etc.  General characteristics associated with success in this occupation include  the ability to : work independently, apply general rules to specific problems to produce common sense solutions, and   arrange things or actions in a certain  pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules . Education and Training: A bachelors degree in engineering is required for most all entry-level engineering jobs. College graduates with a degree in a natural science or mathematics occasionally also qualify for some engineering jobs. Wage and Projected Growth: BLS estimates the annual median wage for 2006 was  $32.98 hourly, $68,600 annually.Projected occupational growth from 2006 to 2016 is estimated to be between  14% to 20%.

Attitudes determine how and individual uses his /  her four functions.   The two attitudes developed by Jung are those of extraversion and introversion.  These two attitudes refer to the way in which an individual relates to his/ her environment.  Extraverts relate to their environment outwardly, their focus is on people and objects in the outside world.  An extrovert gains psychological energy from the outside world.  Extraverts interact continuously with the environment, are easily approached by others, talk through situations in order to think, and are energized by numbers of people . Approximately 75% of the U.S.  population prefer the attitude of extraversion and 25% of the population prefer introversion . Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs, the developers of the Myers-Briggs Type Instrument (MBTI), devised the second set of attitudes judging and perceiving.  The attitudes of judging  and perceiving have a dual purpose their primary purpose as stated by  Myers is to “describe unidentifiable attitudes and behaviors to the outside world ”.  An individual who prefers the judging  attitude seeks order, structure and closure in their environment.  An individual who prefers the attitude of perceiving seeks a flexible, spontaneous and open-ended environment.   Approximately 50% of the U.S. population prefer the attitude of judging and the other 50% prefer the attitude of perceiving.   The second purpose of the judging and perceiving attitudes is used in conjunction with the attitudes of extraversion  and introversion to determine which of the functions is the dominant function and which is the auxiliary function.