Changing Frames

“Won’t this be confusing to people who have learned about their type as a four letter code?,” was the question put to me as I was talking about the Pearman Personality Integrator.  Of course, there are loads of assumptions and questions behind this question which are worth considering if you want to approach psychological type from a different frame.

Let’s celebrate the use of well developed and substantial self-awareness strategies that invite an individual to consider how he or she behaves and affects the world around them.  And, most importantly, let’s celebrate any self-awareness strategy that enhances how an individual perceives and judges events in everyday life.

The four letter code produced by the MBTI® and similar tools approach psychological type from a very specific perspective.  Keep in mind that the assessment tools are NOT the same thing as Jung’s theory of psychological types. The four letter code tools seek to provide a fundamental sort between various polarities (E/I, S/N, T/F, and J/P).  Each polarity intends to tap into a specific kind of psychological preference suggested by Jung with exception to the last scale—J/P which is designed to prompt a deductive analysis for finding the type dynamic.  Myers J/P scale is her invention and not part of Jung’s theory. For example, the proposition is that a code such as ENTJ has a dynamic of Extraverting Thinking and Introverted Intuiting processes.  This combination produces a pattern defined as a personality type.  This model provides for sixteen codes and sixteen descriptions.  

The core propositions of this model are that the dichotomies are a basic sort of attributes and the code identifies a presumed dominant and auxiliary mental function, as identified by Jung.  Users of this kind of assessment need to understand that other than zeroing in on Jung’s definitions and turning some of Jung’s reflections on the mental processes into hard and formulaic rules, Jung actually presented type in a very different way.

Jung notes that he started from the perspective of energy attitudes he defined as Extraverting and Introverting.  He realized this was too broad and focused on the “functional types” such as Extraverted Sensing, Introverted Intuiting, etc.  A true assessment of psychological type as Jung spelled it out would look at Extraverting and Introverting as central to the type.  Jung wrote that he was convinced that these attitudes were profound throughout a person’s life while the mental functions were subject to lots of variations and changes over the lifespan.  After assessing Extraverting and Introverting, taking a look at the use of the eight functions would reflect type as Jung proposed it.

While the four letter code model is popular and accessible, other than abundant evidence on the associated attributes of E, I, S, N, T, F, J and P, after 60 years of research there is no substantial supporting evidence for the dominant and auxiliary deduction embedded in the model.  Do not confuse the availability of lots of publications as any empirical evidence “proving the model.” I believe the behavior patterns are real and I have written about those behavior patterns in a number of ways.  Behavioral type patterns are evident from the lens of the four scales.  

The elements of the four code model are reasonably established but the core propositions are not substantiated and the patterns written about are not the same thing as psychological type as Jung proposed.  To some degree this is to be expected as the inventories producing a four letter code do not directly assess for Jung’s mental functions.  Devotees of this model may find it difficult to step aside and consider an alternative approach, which could enrich their understanding of the psychological system Jung outlined at the heart of type.

The two frames on type —the four letter code and the mental functions—are useful for different reasons.  The sixteen codes and descriptions are easily presented and digested, though have the limitation of not informing an individual about the underlying system or facilitating a conversation about type with the goal of enhancing perceptions and enriching judgment.  For those who want a snap shot of how they may be using type processes, the four letter code model has a sense of being definitive and “tells you what you are.”  For those who want to explore and discover what the architecture of psychological type is and how their individual use of that architecture would find the Pearman Personality Integrator™ a useful and handy tool.  

With the Pearman, I’ve sought to achieve several key things.  Not only is it important to approximate what Jung proposed as the system using his functional types framing, I wanted an assessment that honored the following:

• inviting a discussion between what is comfortable and natural with what is demonstrated due to everyday demands.  The strain between natural and demonstrated can drain important psychological energy that can be used elsewhere.

• giving recognition of the overall energy (E/I), perceiving (S/N), and judging (T/F) indicators.  Devotees of J and P can ask a few facilitative questions to determine that or if more thorough, look at the eight function scores to see what the individual is reporting as primary extraverted and introverted mental functions.  For example, a true “judging” individual is persistently critiquing and organizing and “perceiving” is persistently questioning and exploring which is evident in discussing how an individual approaches work.  With the Pearman, you can also look at the two selected mental functions and follow the trail to which is the most comfortable extraverted mental function.  For example, and ENF with a considerable degree of Extraverted Intuiting is likely an ENFP in the four code system, if that is important. 

• assessing the mental functions in a direct way without deducing and prescribing a formulaic pattern.  In presenting type this way, the individual gets to look at the overall system of type and sort through a variety of possibilities with a goal toward clarifying ways to have clearer perceptions and sounder judgments. And researchers will be able to directly evaluate the propositions of the eight mental functions.

And there is a more complex reason for the structure of the Pearman which includes a key factor of flexibility.  Being type agile—knowing when and how to adjust your response—means you can proactively anticipate which process is likely to produce a better outcome, leverage insights from multiple sources, and do so without strain that reduces capacity to flex.

The deepest operating principle of the Pearman is to tap into Jung’s proposition that his theory was to explore the psychology of the types and not to categorize individuals.  The driver of this psychology is in the subject-object relations of each of the mental functions.  Only when we can begin to identify what the possible mental resources are can be begin to manage them more productively.  We can learn to be less subject to these processes and make them more of an object of our awareness and use.  My core goal is to invite the individual to become a more intentional narrator of his or her life by seeing choices and by revealing resources that might otherwise be ignored.

Yes, it is true that there are no snap shot patterns with the Pearman, and if that is what an individual needs, the Pearman will not scratch that itch.  If on the other hand, the preference is to begin to uncover and learn to access the full range of psychological resources available to each individual, the Pearman is the only tool with that frame in mind.  I am not interested in telling other people what they are per se as I am in getting them into a process of discovery.  The four letter code frame of type brings you to the door of the house while the Pearman takes you through every room of the house to decorate as you will.   

https://tap.mhs.com/pearman.aspx

The Pearman Personality Integrator™ is the trademark of Multi-Health Systems, Inc.

MBTI® is the registered trademark of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator Trust