Socionics
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Socionics (a portmanteau word from society and bionics) is a branch of psychology that is based on Carl Jung's work on Psychological Types, Freud's theory of the conscious and subconscious, and Antoni Kępiński's theory of information metabolism. It was founded mainly by the Lithuanian researcher Aušra Augustinavičiūtė in the 1970s and is evolving rapidly.
Socionics is based upon the idea that a person's character acts like a set of blocks called "psychological functions". Different ways of combining and chaining these functions result in different ways of accepting and producing information, which in turn results in different behavior patterns and thus different character types. Socionics also includes an intertype relations theory, based on the interaction of these functions between personalities.
The institute of Socionics - [International Institute of Socionics (IIS)] - was founded in 1991 in Kiev, Ukraine. The director is Dr. Alexander Boukalov.
Jung's psychological types
Carl Jung describes four basic psychological functions that are capable of becoming conscious:
- Sensation - all perceptions by means of the sense organs
- Intuition - perception by way of the unconscious, or perception of unconscious events
- Thinking (Logic) - interpretation of information based on whether it is correct or incorrect
- Feeling (Ethics) - interpretation of information based on its ethical aspects
One function dominate consciousness and its opposite characterize unconsciousness. Generally there is auxiliary (i.e. secondary) function from other pair of functions.
It is common to refer to both dominant and auxiliary function, for example Intuitive-Thinking or Sensation-Feeling.
Attitude of consciousness is basic direction of conscious interests and energies flow. Two possible directions of flow are introversion (inward to subjective, psychological experience) or extroversion (outward to the environment of objects, other people and collective norms). Opposite attitude characterize unconsciousness.
So dominate function of consciousness can be introverted or extroverted. That gives as a result 8 different major psychological types. Mixed types includes also auxiliary function.
Combined Functions, Or: How to Create a Type
When the strongest sensing/intuition function and the strongest thinking/feeling functions are known, the psychological type can be established. For instance, if your two main functions are introverted sensing and extroverted thinking (In that order!), your type is SiTe, also known as SLI (Sensory-Logical Intratim). You are an Introvert who prefers Sensing and Thinking, with Sensing over Thinking. Because Sensing and Intuition are information-gathering functions, Perceiving functions, you, who prefer one of them over the decision-making, or Judging, Feeling and Thinking functions, is also a Perceiver. Your main function is Introverted, because Introverts keep their preferred function "inside": The inside world counts for more than the outside, and, hence, that is where you send your most trusted function. For an Extrovert, this is the other way around. In the more widespread MBTI system, this corresponds to the type ISTP, although not completely: A socionics ENTp could well be an MBTI ENTJ and vice versa, although this controversy is more regular in introverted types.This gives a total of sixteen types:
| functions | description | name | person | type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Si Te Ni Fe Ne Fi Se Ti | SLI (Sensory-Logical Intratim) | Craftsman | Jean Gabin | ISTp |
| Se Ti Ne Fi Ni Fe Si Ti | SLE (Sensory-Logical Extratim) | Legionnaire | Zhukov | ESTp |
| Si Fe Ni Te Ne Ti Se Fi | SEI (Sensory-Ethical Intratim) | Mediator | Dumas | ISFp |
| Se Fi Ne Ti Ni Te Si Fe | SEE (Sensory-Ethical Extratim) | Politician | Caesar | ESFp |
| Ti Se Fi Ne Fe Ni Te Si | LSI (Logical-Sensory Intratim) | Inspector | Maxim Gorky | ISTj |
| Te Si Fe Ni Fi Ne Ti Se | LSE (Logical-Sensory Extratim) | Director | Sherlock Holmes | ESTj |
| Fi Se Ti Ne Te Ni Fe Si | ESI (Ethical-Sensory Intratim) | Conservator | Theodore Dreiser | ISFj |
| Fe Si Te Ni Ti Ne Fi Se | ESE (Ethical-Sensory Extratim) | Bonvivant | Victor Hugo | ESFj |
| Ni Te Si Fe Se Fi Ne Ti | ILI (Intuitive-Logical Intratim) | Critics | Balzac | INTp |
| Ne Ti Se Fi Si Fe Ni Te | ILE (Intuitive-Logical Extratim) | Seeker | Don Quixote | ENTp |
| Ni Fe Si Te Se Ti Ne Fi | IEI (Intuitive-Ethical Intratim) | Lyricist | Bradbury | INFp |
| Ne Fi Se Ti Si Te Ni Fe | IEE (Intuitive-Ethical Extratim) | Psychologist | Tom Sawyer | ENFp |
| Ti Ne Fi Se Fe Si Te Ni | LII (Logical-Intuitive Intratim) | Analyst | Descartes | INTj |
| Te Ni Fe Si Fi Se Ti Ne | LIE (Logical-Intuitive Extratim) | Entrepreneur | Jack London | ENTj |
| Fi Ne Ti Se Te Si Fe Ni | EII (Ethical-Intuitive Intratim) | Humanist | Dostoyevsky | INFj |
| Fe Ni Te Si Ti Se Fi Ne | EIE (Ethical-Intuitive Extratim) | Mentor | Hamlet | ENFj |
(Please note that in socionics, the perceiving/judging preference in the MBTI-style system is left lower case.)
Socionical functions
Socionical functions represent abilities of the person to perceive and process the information on various information aspects. In total exists 8 socionical functions, each function cooperates with the certain aspect of a reality, perceives, processes and gives out the information on this aspect. Socionical functions
P (lat. - profiteor) - "the logic of actions " - is responsible for efficiency of actions, understanding of technological processes, the organization of work.
L (lat. - logos) - "the structural logic " - is responsible for understanding of logic communications and structures, classification, ordering, the analysis, logic explanations and proofs.
E (lat. - emoveo) - "the ethics of emotions " - are responsible for perception of an emotional condition of the person, expression of emotions, management of an emotional condition of people.
R (lat. - relatio) " the ethics of attitudes " - are responsible for understanding of mutual relations between people, skill to build attitudes, a moral and moral estimation, aspiration to humanism.
I (lat. - intueor) - " the intuition of opportunities " - is responsible for understanding of essence of the phenomena and processes, an estimation of potential opportunities of people and the phenomena, vision of variants of succession of events.
T (lat. - tempus) - " the intuition of time " - is responsible for an estimation of time, timeliness of actions, understanding of a course of processes in time, forecasting.
F (lat. - factor) - " the power sensing" - is responsible for perception of space, appearance and the form of subjects, an estimation of an alignment of forces, strong-willed and power methods of achievement of the purpose.
S (lat. - sensus) - "the sensing of sensations " - is responsible for perception of physical sensations, questions of comfort and a cosiness, pleasure.
The Intuition of opportunities, intuition of time, power sensing and sensing of sensations are considered as irrational functions..
The Logic of actions, ethics of emotions, intuition of opportunities and power sensing are considered as extratim functions.
The Structural logic, ethics of attitudes, intuition of opportunities and sensing of sensations are considered introtim functions.
Model A
Aušra Augustinavičiūtė has developed the evident scheme of an arrangement socionical functions which subsequently has received the name " Model A ". It is hierarchical model which shows an arrangement of all functions in mentality of the person.
- function 1 - "program". This function defines meaning of the life and the program of actions of the subject.
- function 2 - "creative". This function defines the mechanism of activity and a way of realization of program function.
- function 3 - "role". The subject usually attempts to be competent in the use of this function, but is rarely able to use it without some difficulty.
- function 4 - "painful". A place of the least resistance. In the painful function the subject painfully perceives the information and requires tactful help to act upon it.
- function 5 - "inspired". The subject largely lacks this function, but sees it as being of great importance and graciously accepts help in its utilization.
- function 6 - "activation". The subject generally does not understand this function very well. However, he responds positively to influence, and, indeed, searches the outside environment to gain a grasp of this function.
- function 7 - "observant". The subject generally has a good grasp of this function, but attempts to limit its use considerably. Arguments calling for restraint are often use to overlook this function.
- function 8 - "demonstrative". The subject often has a good command of this function, and displays it so naturally that he is generally not aware of it.
1, 2, 7, 8 are strong functions. Functions 3, 4, 5, 6 are weak.
1, 2, 3, 4 functions form a mental ring. 5, 6, 7, 8 functions form a vital ring.
The Arrangement socionical functions in model A
To Everyone socionical to type there corresponds the arrangement socionical functions in model Functions of model And are located not any way, and according to the certain rules.16 socionical types on model A
| | |- | | | | | | | | |}The Description on model A
The Example of the description of socionical type on model A (the intuitively-logic extrovert (ILE), ENTP, IL, «Seeker», «Inventor», «Don Quixote»):
- " Intuition of opportunities " - base function. It sees potential abilities of systems and people, sees opportunities of a situation and variants of succession of events, well understands an essence of the phenomena and processes, loves all interesting and unusual.
- " Structural logic " - creative function. It well understands logic schemes, can be engaged with success jurisprudence, languages, programming, easily proves that in what itself trusts, aspires to explain, classify all.
- " Strong-willed sensing " - role function. It tries to prove to be as the strong-willed person and the strong personality, however to do constant efforts above itself (himself) and to work in conditions of a rigid competition to it difficultly.
- " Ethics of attitudes " - painful function. It badly understands attitudes between people, is sometimes inclined to show tactlessness, to offend casually.
- " sensing of sensations " - inspired function. It badly understands questions of comfort, a cosiness, health, a feed, requires comfort, but itself provide it cannot, requires that that of it cared.
" Ethics of emotions " - activation function. It well perceives jokes and humour, loves the emotional people capable "to light" a collective and to create an atmosphere of a holiday.- " Intuition of time " - observant function. It traces a stock of time and tries to be in time everywhere though quite often all does at the last minute, can be late, restrictive arguments - "not now", " there is no time ".
- " Logic of actions " - demonstrative function. It can understand without superfluous words work of any mechanism, the quite good organizer, can develop high working capacity, however is constant be engaged in one only work to it is uninteresting.
Intertype Relationships
Intertype Relationships is - attitudes between representatives of socionical types, caused by an arrangement socionical functions in model А Between people with socionical types various types of mutual relations as carriers of different types differently perceive will be various also and process the information. There Are 14 kinds of Intertype Relationships ttitudes between representatives 16 socionical types:
- Identity
- Duality
- Mirror
- Activity (Activation)
- Comparative (Kindred)
- Semi-duality (Partial Duality)
- Look-a-like (Business)
- Illusionary (Mirage)
- Benefit (Request, Order)
- Supervision (Control)
- Contrary (Extinguishment)
- Super-ego
- Quasi-identity
- Conflicting (Conflict)
All kinds Intertype Relationships, except for the transmission and supervision, are symmetric, attitudes of the social order and audit are asymmetric.
Dual attitudes are considered optimum because program (base) function submits the information on inspired function of dual, creative - on activation function, and demonstrative (background) covers painful function of dual.
More on Intertype Relations: http://www.socionics.com/rel/rel.htm
Quadras
A Quadra is a group of four sociotypes in which mirror, activity, and dual relations are experienced by each member of the group. The unique feature of the quadra is that it offers the greatest degree of psychological comfort among all groups containing four types in which functional interaction is symmetrical. The feeling of comfort and harmony produced by the quadra is due to the fact that all types in the quadra are alike in that they seek the expression of the four information elements in their ego and super-id blocks and the repression of the information elements in their super-ego and id blocks.
Alpha
| Beta
|
Delta
| Gamma
|
References
- Carl Jung (1968), Approaching the Unconscious (from Man and His Symbols), ISBN 0440351839.
External links
- http://www.socionics.us (English)
- http://www.socionics.info (links database, English, Russian)
- http://www.socionics.com (English)
- http://socion.info (English)
- http://www.the16types.info (English)
- http://www.typelab.ru/en/articles/lytovs-intro1.html (English - An excellent and very thorough introduction to Socionics)
- http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Jung/types.htm Psychological Types by C.G. Jung (English)
- http://socionikabg.com (Bulgarian, under development)
- http://www.simplysocionics.com (English portal site with articles, forums, chat and more...)
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