Socionics
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Socionics
Socionics is a type theory based on Jung's Psychological types, founded mainly by the Lithuanian researcher Aušra Augustinavičiūtė in the 1970s. It is based upon the idea that a person's character acts like a set of blocks called psychological functions. Different combinations of functions result in different ways to gather and process information, which in turn causes different personalities and character types.
Socionics puts heavy emphasis on intertype relations, or interaction dynamics between different personalities. It is, in fact, one way to determine one's type, and socionics proponents often believe it is one of the more reliable ways.
Since socionics is based on Jungs work, it uses similar functions.
Socionics Functions
- 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
Sensation and Intuition are referred to as irrational functions, or perceiving functions, and Thinking and Feeling as rational functions, also judging functions. We use the perceiving functions to gather data, and rational functions to make decisions based on the data.
Each function is either introverted or extroverted.
| Function | Acronym | Symbol | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extroverted thinking | Te |  | Te is responsible for efficiency of actions, understanding of technological processes, the organization of work. |
| Extroverted ethics (feeling) | Fe |  | Fe is responsible for perception of an emotional condition of the person, expression of emotions, management of an emotional condition of people. |
| Extroverted intuition | Ne |  | Ne 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. |
| Extroverted sensing | Se |  | Se 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. |
| Introverted thinking | Ti |  | Ti is responsible for understanding of logic communications and structures, classification, ordering, the analysis, logic explanations and proofs. |
| Introverted ethics (feeling) | Fi |  | Fi is responsible for understanding of mutual relations between people, skill to build attitudes, a moral and moral estimation, aspiration to humanism. |
| Introverted intuition | Ni |  | Ni is responsible for an estimation of time, timeliness of actions, understanding of a course of processes in time, forecasting. |
| Introverted sensing | Si |  | Si is responsible for perception of physical sensations, questions of comfort and a cosiness, pleasure. |
Socionics types
Like MBTI, socionics has 16 types, based on their functions. Socionics types are described by their two strongest functions. Jung, on the other hand, had only eight types, based on one dominant function.
The functions are generally arranged in a similar manner to MBTI. Introverts dominant function is introverted, extroverts extroverted. The secondary function opposite to the dominant, in both direction and rationality: if the dominant is rational (judging), the secondary is irrational (perceiving); and if the dominant is extroverted, the secondary is introverted.
For example, if the dominant function is introverted thinking, the secondary must be extroverted sensing or intuition. Augustinavičiūtė would describe this as logical sensory introvert or logical intuitive introvert, and Jung as introverted thinking (note, again, that Jung used only the primary function for each type).
J and P on socionics and MBTI
Socionics definitions of judging and perceiving are different, and incompatible with MBTI. This is a common cause of confusion, because socionics INTp may or may not be MBTI INTP, and vice versa. This is why lowercase j and p are usually used with socionics types, and uppercase with MBTI.
Socionics defines j and p with the dominant function, whereas MBTI uses the prominent extroverted function. As a way of example, take dominant introverted thinking with secondary Extroverted Intuition. On MBTI, this would be INTP, because the dominant function is introverted and the first extroverted function is perceiving (intuition). On socionics, however, the person is INTj: his dominant function is judging (thinking).
This is mostly a problem for introverts: since extroverts dominant is extroverted their socionics and mbti types tend to be more compatible. MBTI ENTPs dominant function is , which would make them socionics ENTp.
Intertype relations
Socionics attempts to describe the nature of interaction and relationships between people based on their socionic type. There are 16 different types of relationships. More info at socionics.com and socionics.us
Visual identification
Some socionists use a controversial method of type diagnosis called "visual identification." This involves attempting to guess someones type from visual cues alone, facial expression, posture, clothing, and even static facial features. Most socionists take notice of some of these aspects as they try to identify a type, but occasional socionists make this the basis of their type diagnosis method. However, no two socionists use exactly the same method, and the rules for relating physical characteristics to type are based on personal experience alone.
Visual identification is one of the most criticized aspects of socionics, as many people don't believe that guessing ones personality can be reliable. There's also some disagreements on whether it can work from photographs or does it require live view of the person. Even socionics proponents seem to agree that it's far less reliable with photos. Most publishing socionists do not consider visual identification alone to be a viable method of type diagnosis.
Here is a quote on V.I. from a website that promotes it:
"V.I. (Visual Identification) is the fastest and most reliable method of Type identification of today. It works on the principal that an inner process will always manifest itself through its outer boundaries - a sack with a brick will have a different shape than a sack with a football." [1]
