Personality theories, types and tests

MySense

Jung’ssixteen personality types

These types are automatically andunavoidably implied by Jung's theory, although Jung himself never made a bigsong and dance about them. They do however help to build up a fuller picture ofJung's theory, and they also relate directly to Myers Briggs'® interpretationand equivalents of these types (for which Myers Briggs® used their additionalJudging-Perceiving dimension to determine dominance between the two preferredfunctional types after the Jungian Introverted or Extraverted 'attitudes').

Logically, adding an auxiliaryfunction to each of Jung's main eight Psychological Types now produces sixteentypes, which (subsequent to Jung's Psychological Types book), might be shown asfollows, and in each case the first 'Function' (the middle word) is the mostdominant. Remember that Introversion and Extraversion are not 'Functions', theyare Jungian 'Attitudes':

• Extraverted Thinking Sensation - ET(S)
• Extraverted Thinking Intuition - ET(N)
• Extraverted Feeling Sensation - EF(S)
• Extraverted Feeling Intuition - EF(N)
• Extraverted Sensation Thinking - ES(T)
• Extraverted Sensation Feeling - ES(F)
• Extraverted Intuition Thinking - EN(T)
• Extraverted Intuition Feeling - EN(F)
• Introverted Thinking Sensation - IT(S)
• Introverted Thinking Intuition - IT(N)
• Introverted Feeling Sensation - IF(S)
• Introverted Feeling Intuition - IF(N)
• Introverted Sensation Thinking - IS(T)
• Introverted Sensation Feeling - IS(F)
• Introverted Intuition Thinking - IN(T)
• Introverted Intuition Feeling - IN(F)
  

Using what you know about each ofthese attitudes and functional types you might now be able to begin to identifyand understand your own Jungian type.

(How each of these Jungian typesincluding auxiliaries relate to the Myers Briggs® interpretation and system isexplained in the Myers Briggs® section. As you will see when youcome to it, the Myers Briggs® system uses the additional dimension or pairingof Judging-Perceiving, not only as a type indicator in its own right based onJungian ideas, but also as a means of determining functional dominance among the two preferredfunctions, whose methodology depends also on whether the dominance is directedvia Introversion or Extraversion.)

While Jung's theories are usedwidely in psychometrics and personality testing, his original purpose and focuswas clinical, in pursuit of better understanding and treatment of mentalillness, and improving the quality of human existence. As such Jung placedgreater emphasis on the unconscious than is represented within modernpsychometrics and 'commercialised' personality theories.

On which point there is great valuefor us all in Carl Jung's thinking about the deeper workings of the mind,especially the unconscious, beyond simply seeing Jung's ideas as a model forcategorising personality.

Significantly Jung for instanceobserved that improving our awareness and acceptance of the four functionswithin ourselves - whether as conscious or unconscious elements - is importantfor developing a healthy existence, and 'life-balance', as we might say today.

Conversely, repression of any of thefunctions, by oneself or by another person or pressure, is unhelpful and unhealthy,and leads to problems surfacing sooner or later, one way or another.

We see evidence of this when parentscondition or force certain behaviour on their children, or when adults inhibittheir feelings, or deny themselves sensation of reality. We also see evidenceof people's unconscious mind reverting from unconscious to conscious behaviourwhen they are under the influence of alcohol or significant stress. And we alsosee the unconscious mind as a chief element within the theories of TransactionalAnalysis, which when studied alongside Jung's ideas, togetherprovide a powerful perspective of personality and behaviour. It's all mightypowerful and thoroughly fascinating stuff.

The aim of studying and learningabout these ideas brings us back to Jung's own purposes and the fact thatJungian theory recommends that all people should strive to develop anyneglected or suppressed functions, and to embrace all four functions as beingpart of the whole person.

MySense

Myers Briggs® typeindicator (MBTI®)
The Myers Briggs® Type Indicator (MBTI®) is a widely used and highlyregarded system for understanding and interpreting personality, and derivesmost of its underpinning theory from CarlJung's Psychological Types ideas and to a lesser extent the FourTemperaments (or Four Humours).
Myers Briggs® (in fact Isabel Briggs Myers working with her mother KatharineBriggs) essentially developed Carl Jung's theories into a usable methodologyand system for understanding and assessing personality (more easily andaccessibly than by becoming an expert on Jung and his theories).
The owners of the system, the Myers Briggs® Foundation, explain that thepurpose of their MBTI® 'personal inventory' system is to "make the theoryof psychological types described by Carl G Jung understandable and useful inpeople's lives...", and that, "..The essence of the theory is thatmuch seemingly random variation in the behavior is actually quite orderly andconsistent, being due to basic difference in the way individual prefer to usetheir perception and judgment...."
(This last sentence is interesting because it highlights Myers Briggs'®emphasis on and interpretation of their Judging-Perceiving dimension -basically Jung's Rational/Irrational definitions - as a means of clarifying functiondominance within each whole MBTI® personality type.)
The MBTI® model and test instrument was developed by Katharine Briggs andher daughter Isabel Briggs Myers in 1942 after their studies particularly of CarlJung, whose basic concepts relating to this aspect of personality andbehaviour are described above.
Myers Briggs'® MBTI® concept is featured in Katharine Briggs and IsabelBriggs Myers' key book 'MBTI® Manual: A Guide to the Development and Use of theMyers-Briggs Type Indicator®' which was first published in 1962, some yearsafter the tests had been in use. Isabel Briggs Myers later extended and builton these ideas in her 1980 book 'Gifts Differing'.
The Myers Briggs Foundation explains also that "...The theory ofpsychological type was introduced in the 1920s by Carl G. Jung. The MBTI® toolwas developed in the 1940s by Isabel Briggs Myers and the original research wasdone in the 1940s and 50s. This research is ongoing, providing users withupdated and new information about psychological type and itsapplications..."
According to the Myers Briggs Foundation more than two million people areassessed using the MBTI® personal inventory instrument around the world everyyear. It's a big business...
The MBTI® model (along with other personality theories and psychometricsmodels) is particularly useful for:

• understanding     and developing yourself
• understanding     and developing others
• understanding     what motivates others
• understanding     others' strengths and weaknesses
• working     in teams - by ensuring that all relevant necessary capabilities are     represented in the team
• allocating     and agreeing tasks and project responsibilities
• agreeing     roles and development with others and for oneself
  

Myers Briggs® theory and the MBTI® model is a method for understandingpersonality and preferred modes of behaving. It is not a measurement ofintelligence or competence, emotional state or mental stability, 'grown-upness'or maturity, and must be used with great care in assessing aptitude for jobs orcareers: people can do most jobs in a variety of ways, and the MBTI® giveslittle or no indication of commitment, determination, passion, experience,ambition etc., nor 'falsification of type', all of which can have a far greaterinfluence on personal success than a single personality test.
In most respects psychometrics tests and personality models are aids topersonal development and to helping people understand more about themselves.They are not to be used a single basis for recruitment or career decisions.
Myers Briggs® theory and the MBTI® modelThe Myers Briggs® MBTI® system uses a four-scale structure for identifyingand categorising an individual's behavioural preferences, based almost entirelyon Carl Jung's theories and his (translated) descriptive words.
Each of the four MBTI® scales represents two opposing 'preferences' (inother words, preferred styles or capabilities). All abbreviations are obviousfirst letters, other than N for Intuition, which causes the word to be shownsometimes as iNtuition - just in case you were wondering. The MyersBriggs® Judging-Perceiving dimension basically equates to Jung'sRational/Irrational categories of the two pairs of Jungian Functional types.The colour coding is consistent with the colours used in the Jung section - itwas not part of Jung's or Myers Briggs'® theory, but hopefully the colours helpexplain the pattern and connections.

(E)	Extraversion	or	Introversion	(I)	the focus or  direction or orientation of our behaviour - outward or inward	'Attitude'  or orientation
(S)	Sensing	or	iNtuition	(N)	how we gather  information	Function  (Jungian 'Irrational' or MB 'Perceiving')
(T)	Thinking	or	Feeling	(F)	how we decide	Function  (Jungian 'Rational' or MB 'Judging')
(J)	Judging	or	Perceiving	(P)	how we react to the  world - do prefer to make decisions or keep open to options (and also which  middle 'Functions' do we favour)	Myers Briggs'®  added dimension equating to Jung's 'Irrational' and 'Rational'

Myers Briggs® (Isabel Briggs Myers and Katharine Briggs) added a fourthdimension to the three Jung dimensions (Introvert-Extravert, Thinking-Feeling,Sensation-Intuition), namely Judging-Perceiving, which is related to apersonality's approach to decision-making, and particularly how the personalitydeals with the outer world (Extraverted) as distinct from the inner world(Introverted). The Myers Briggs® Judging-Perceiving dimension can alsobe used to determine functional dominance among the two preferred functionaltypes (aside from Introvert-Extravert, which are not functions but 'Attitudes',or orientations). This can be a tricky little aspect of the Myers Briggs®theory and is explained at the end of this Myers Briggs® section. Happily it'snot crucial to deriving value and benefit from Myers Briggs'® ideas, so don'tagonise over it if you don't understand it straight away.

MySense

Aside from determining functional dominance, irrespective of the waydecisions are made (by Thinking or Feeling) the Judging type makesdecisions sooner than the Perceiving type. As such the Myers Briggs'®Judging-Perceiving dimension is not found (as a functional dimension) in theJung model, although Judging and Perceiving most certainly relateto the Jungian descriptions respectively of Rational and Irrational,which Jung uses to categorise the two pairs of Functional Types (the Rational'judging' Thinking and Feeling, and the Irrational 'perceiving' Sensing and Intuition - refer to the Jung explanation).
Moving on, David Keirsey, in his book Please Understand Me II, provides someadditional helpful explanation of how Isabel Myers attached her own meanings tothese Jungian words, he said, "putting her own spin on them". Keirseyinterestingly also points out that Myers differed markedly from Jung's use ofthe words Sensation and Perception, which Jung considered held the samemeaning, but to which you can see here and elsewhere that the Myers Briggs®system attached different meanings. For this reason if you want to avoid doubtand any confusion in the minds of Jungian purists then it's safest to use thewords 'Rational' and 'Irrational' when correlating these Jung terms to theMyers Briggs'® 'Judging' and 'Perceiving'. The right-side column is simply atranslation, using more recognisable modern words, for showing the four MBTI®dimensions.

MBTI® type names, based on Jung's language	alternative Myers Briggs® meaning or 'spin'
(E) Extraversion or Introversion (I)	(E) Expressive or Reserved (I)
(S) Sensing or Intuitive (N)	(S) Observant or Introspective (N)
(T) Thinking or Feeling (F)	(T) Tough-minded or Friendly (F)
(J) Judging or Perceiving (P)	(S) Scheduling or Probing (P)

It is interesting to note that many of these words above appear commonly indifferent personality testing systems, for example DISC systems, which againdemonstrates the closely connected nature of many psychometrics models andproducts.
Most people, to varying degrees at different times depending oncircumstances, use both preferences within each of the four scales, but each ofus tends to have (and therefore will indicate via testing) a certain preferencefor one style or another in each of the four scales.
There are no 'right' or 'wrong' or 'good' or 'bad' preferences, and thereare no good or bad or right or wrong 'types' although obviously certain'preference' behaviours and personality 'types' can be more or less appropriateor effective in given situations. Within personal limits, adaptability, asever, is a valuable attribute. Self-awareness enables adaptability. If you seekconfirmation of the value of adaptability look at the Cybernetics page (laterbest, not right now).
Here are descriptions of each of the MBTI® preferences in slightly moredetail.

preference for the outer world and one's own action and  effect on it	(E) Extraversion	or	Introversion (I)	preference for inner self and ideas to understand and  protect or nurture it
gathers information by: focusing on facts within  information	(S) Sensing	or	iNtuition (N)	gathers information by: interpreting patterns,  possibilities and meaning from information received
decides by using logic, consistency, objective analysis,  process-driven conclusions	(T) Thinking	or	Feeling (F)	decides according to what matters to self and others, and  personal values
in dealing with the world organises, plans, controls, and  decides clear firm actions and responses - relatively quick to decide	(J) Judging	or	Perceiving (P)	in dealing with the world responds and acts with  flexibility, spontaneity, adaptability and understanding - relatively slow to  decide

According to the Myers Briggs® (MBTI®) system each of us is representedby four preferences, one from each of the four scales. Can you begin toidentify yourself, and others around you?

(E)	Extraversion or Introversion	(I)	do we focus on outside world (E) or inner self (I)  - do we find people energising (E) or somewhat draining (I)?
(S)	Sensing or iNtuition	(N)	the way we inform ourselves - how we prefer to form a view  and receive information - observed facts and specifics (S) or what we  imagine things can mean (N)?
(T)	Thinking or Feeling	(F)	our way of deciding - how we prefer to make decisions -  objective and tough-minded (T) or friendly and sensitive to others and  ourselves (F)?
(J)	Judging or  Perceiving	(P)	our method for handling the outside world and particularly  for making decisions - do quite soon evaluate and decide (J) or  continue gathering data and keep options open (P)?

By measuring or categorising a person's overall personality or behaviouralstyle according to four preferences - one from each of the four scales (E-I,S-N, T-F, J-P), the MBTI® system logically contains sixteen main 'types', eachrepresented by four-letter code, for example: ESFJ or INFP or ESTJ, etc.
The sequence of the four-letter preferences within the Myers Briggs® code,whatever the combination, does not change:
The 1st letter denotes the Jungian 'Attitude' or orientation;the direction or focus of the personality - Introvertor Extravert
The middle two letters denote the Jungian 'Functional Type'preferences, namely:
The 2nd letter is the preferred Jungian 'Irrational' function(Myers Briggs® 'perceiving') - Sensing or Intuition
The 3rd letter is the preferred Jungian 'Rational' function(Myers Briggs® 'judging') - Thinking or Feeling
The 4th letter is Myers Briggs'® added dimension to indicate the preferredway of dealing with the outer world; to evaluate and decide or to continuegathering information - Judging or Perceiving- equating to Jung's 'Irrational' and 'Rational' functional type categories,and thereby enabling functionaldominance to be determined.

All sixteen different Myers Briggs® MBTI® personality type combinations,each being a four-letter code, are commonly presented in an MBTI® 'Type Table'.
In the 'Type Table' example below the groupings correlate (accordingparticularly to Keirsey)to the Four Temperaments, which for interest is reflected by the colour codingin the table below to to aid comparisons when you look again at the FourTemperaments types. However this is merely an interesting point of note,and is not significant in the workings of the Myers Briggs® theory or itsapplication. The Four Temperaments correlations are more significant in theKeirsey model.
The MBTI® 'Type Table' is typically shown elsewhere in other resourceswithout these headings, and can be shown using other groupings, depending onthe views of the theorist or interpreter.

MySense

The MBTI® 'type table' related toFour Temperaments Keirsey groupings

SP - sensing perceiving	SJ - sensing judging	NF - intuitive feeling	NT - intuitive thinking
ESTP	ESTJ	ENFJ	ENTJ
ISTP	ISTJ	INFJ	INTJ
ESFP	ESFJ	ENFP	ENTP
ISFP	ISFJ	INFP	INTP
sanguine or artisan	melancholic or guardian	choleric or idealist	phlegmatic or rationalist

I repeat that you will see these MBTI® types shown in different groupingsthan the Keirsey/Four Temperaments structure shown above. This is by no meansthe definitive arrangement of the MBTI® personality types. There are others. Iplace no particular significance on the structure of these groupings andperhaps neither should you since many great minds disagree about it.
For example Myers Briggs® themselves prefer to show the types in noparticular stated grouping, but which are actually grouped in four columns ST,SF, NF and NT, which are the four logical groupings when combining pairs ofJung's four functional types. This is close to Keirsey's presentation of them,but not the same.
And highly the regarded MBTI® Jungian neurologist, psychiatrist, psychopharmacologist,and psychotherapist Robert I. Winer, M.D., prefers the following four-waygrouping on the basis that he considers these types to be the four mostdistinguishable through observation of people's behaviour: TJ,('Thinker-Judgers') FJ ('Feeler-Judgers'), SP ('Sensor-Perceiver') and NP('Intuitive-Perceiver'). You pays yer money and takes yer choice as they say.Incidentally Winer's 'Winer Foundation' website (www.gesher.org) is one of themost impressive and wonderous on the web dedicated to MBTI®/Jungian theory,full of useful profiles and guidance for self-awareness and development. Heseems a lovely fellow.
Other interesting groupings of the sixteen MBTI® types are shown in matrixpresentations in each of the Benzigerand DISCsections. These different groupings attempt to correlate the personality types(and traits implied) between the different systems and as such can be veryhelpful in trying to understand it all.
The Myers Briggs® organisation is at pains to point out, rightly, that all(MBTI®) types are equal. As with the individual 'preferences', there are no'right' or 'wrong' or 'good' or 'bad' types, although again obviously, certain'type' behaviours can be more or less appropriate in different givensituations.
Indeed most people will display type-behaviours resembling many of thesixteen types in any one day, depending on the circumstances. It is howeverthe case that most of us will have a certain preferred type with which we aremost comfortable, and which is held to be, according to the MBTI® model, our'personality'.
In terms of understanding what personality characteristics each of thesesixteen various 'MBTI®' types represent, at a very basic level you can simplycombine the type descriptions, for example:
An ISTJ is someone who is on balance focused inwardly (Introvert - I)who tends to or prefers to gather information by concentrating on facts(Sensing - S), makes decisions by logic and process (Thinking - T), and whoseapproach and response to the world is based on order, control, and firm decisions(Judging - J).
And for a contrasting example, an ENFP is someone who is on balancefocused on external things and people (Extravert - E) who tends to or prefersto gather information by interpreting patterns, possibilities and meaning(Intuitive - N), makes decisions according to personal values and what mattersto self or others (Feeling - F), and whose approach and response to the worldis flexible, adaptable and understanding (Perceiving - P).
At a more detailed level it's useful to consider 'functional dominance',specifically relating to the original four Jungian functions (the middle twoletters of the four-letter Myers Briggs® MBTI® code). The methodology foridentifying dominant and auxiliary functions, and thereafter 3rd and 4thfunctions (which do not appear in each four-letter type code), is explainedbelow in the MBTI®function dominance sub-section. While a little tricky for some people tograsp quickly, anyone can understand this if they put their mind to it, andit's well worth the effort because identifying functional dominance doesprovide an excellent and rapid way to define each and any of the sixteen mainpersonality types from their four-letter codes without the need for reams ofsupporting notes.
At a more complex and fully detailed level there are various resources whichgive detailed descriptions of the MBTI® personality types, includingmyersbriggs.org, and in my opinion far more fully and clearly at the excellentwww.gesher.org. The Jungian psychologist Michael Daniels' website atwww.mdani.demon.co.uk is also an excellent resource for learning about MyersBriggs® types and Jungian theory.

MySense

MBTI®function dominance
Acknowledgments to Simon Pusey for the in MBTI® Function Dominance diagram (Powerpoint slide) and a PDF diagram; also to Andrew Roughton for the alternativeexplanation of MBTI® dominance; to Ian Mitchell for correcting an error inthe the ISTJ example below (previously wrongly shown as ISTJ),and to José María Ribal for correcting an error in two paragraphs which wronglyreferred to the 2nd letter being 'Thinking or Feeling' instead of 'Sensing oriNtuition'.
For a quick explanation see the in MBTI® Function Dominance diagram in Powerpoint slide formator as a PDF. For a more detailed explanation of function dominanceread on.
It's not vital to understand function dominance in order to benefit from theMyers Briggs® theory, but it does help explain how to identify the dominantfunction (of the middle two letters - the Jungian Functional Types) withinany MBTI® four-letter type code, and logically from this the auxiliaryfunction (and then also the 3rd and 4th functions). Themethodology therefore enables rapid description and understanding of anyfour-letter MBTI® type code without supporting notes. It's a neat technique. Anadditionalalternative explanation of MBTI® dominance using different examples andperspective follows this one. Feel free to skip ahead to it if the firstexplanation is not to your liking. In any event having two differentperspectives of a complex theory is often helpful towards gaining best possibleunderstanding.
Remember that the first letter is the Introvert-Extravert 'Attitude' ororientation - it's not a 'function', and the fourth letter is the Myers Briggs®additional Judging-Perceiving dimension, it's not a Jungian 'Function', and waslargely introduced by Myers Briggs® in order to determine dominance between thepreferred Jungian Functions (second and third letters).
Understanding Myers Briggs'® functional dominance methodology also helpsexplain how the Myers Briggs'® four-dimension model (four letters) relates toJung's three-dimension model (main Jungian 'Psychological Type' plus auxiliaryfunction - three letters), at least in the way that the Myers Briggs®interpretation implies and considers it to do so. (Just to repeat once more,Jung didn't use the Judging-Perceiving dimension as such, he stuck with threedimensions: Introvert-Extravert; Sensing-Intuition, and Thinking-Feeling.)
This explanation necessarily repeats the essential structure alreadyexplained in order to stand alone as a useful item in its own right.
Here goes. Hold on to your hats.
The Myers Briggs® MBTI® personality type is always presented as afour-letter code, in which the letters take the same positions in the coderegardless of dominance. This is to say: function dominance is not indicatedby the sequence of the letters.
Again, here is the sequence of the MBTI® letters and descriptions of whatthey denote. View this table as columns, not rows:

1st letter	2nd letter	3rd letter	4th letter
Extravert or  Introvert	Sensing or  Intuition	Thinking or  Feeling	Judging or  Perceiving
E or I	S or N	T or F	J or P
inwardly or outwardly focused/oriented	how we get information	how we decide	how do we handle the outside world? - how soon do we  decide? - do we judge or continue to perceive?
Jungian 'Attitude' or orientation	Jungian 'Irrational' or Myers Briggs® 'Perceiving' Function	Jungian 'Rational' or Myers Briggs® 'Judging' Function	dimension added by Myers Briggs® - also identifies which  Function is used in dealing with the outer world

These four preferences produce a four-letter code, for example ENFP or ISTJ.
It is very useful if we can determine within the personality which is thedominant Function of the essential Jungian 'Four Functional Types'. In otherwords is it the 2nd or 3rd letter that is most dominant within the whole type?
If we know the dominant superior function then obviously we can determinethe auxiliary, because it will be the other middle letter in the code.(Incidentally when we've sorted out the superior and auxiliary functions, wecan also then determine the 3rd and 4th functions, which is explained after wesort out the superior and auxiliary).
So, for the examples above:
Within the ENFP personality type is Intuition (N) or Feeling(F) dominant?
And within the ISTJ personality type is Sensing (S) or Thinking(T) dominant?
In fact the dominant function within the ENFP personality type is N(Intuition), which for the sake of this exercise we will show as ENFP. This means that F (Feeling) is theauxiliary function.
And the dominant function within the ISTJ personality type is S(Sensing), which for the sake of this exercise we show as ISTJ. This means that T (Thinking) isthe auxiliary function.
But why?
Here's my best explanation of the Myers Briggs® methodology for determiningdominant function, which they based on their interpretation of Jung's theory,and it is quite logical when you think about it. The methodology operates byusing different points of reference - it's like a formula or a process:
First,

• Extraverts     direct their dominant function outwardly, towards the outer     world, and their auxiliary function inwardly.
• Introverts     direct their dominant function inwardly, towards their inner     world, and their auxiliary function outwardly.
• So     whether the personality is Extravert or Introvert (1st letter E or I) is a factor in determining functional dominance (between the 2nd and 3rd letters).
  

Second,
Remember Jung categorised the two pairs of opposite functions as Irrationaland Rational, which correlate to Myers Briggs® Judging and Perceiving:

• Myers Briggs® 'Perceiving' refers to Jung's 'Irrational' functions (2nd letter) - Sensing or Intuition.
• Myers Briggs® 'Judging' refers to Jung's 'Rational' functions (3rd letter) - Thinking or Feeling.
  

Third,

• A Judging preference (4th letter J) indicates that the personality prefers to use the Judging function (3rd letter Thinking or Feeling) to deal with the outer world.
• A Perceiving preference (4th letter P) indicates that the personality prefers to use the Perceiving function (2nd letter Sensing or Intuition) to deal with the outer world.
  

Fourth, therefore,
If the personality is Extravert (1st letter E) and is also Judging(4th letter J) then the Judging Function (3rd letter Thinking or Feeling) will bethe dominant function (since this is thefunction used chiefly to deal with the outside world, and Extroverts use theirdominant function chiefly to deal with the outside world). For example in the ENFJ type, Feeling is the dominantfunction, which is mainly directed outwardly. The auxiliaryfunction Intuition which tends to be directed inwardly.

MySense

If the personality is Extravert (1st letter E) and is also Perceiving(4th letter P) then the Perceiving Function (2nd letter Sensing or iNtuition) will bethe dominant function (again this is thefunction used to deal with the outside world, and Extroverts use their dominantfunction to deal with the outside world). For example in the ESTP type, Sensing is the dominantfunction, which is mainly directed outwardly. The auxiliaryfunction is Thinking, which is mainly directed inwardly.
Fifth, (on the other hand),
Remember that an Introvert's dominant function is mainlydirected inwardly, towards their inner world, therefore an Introvert'sJudging-Perceiving preference (4th letter J or P) whichrepresents how they approach the outer world will indicate their less dominant function,which means that for Introvert types, the letter other than the oneindicated by the 4th letter J or P will be their dominant function.
So it follows, if the personality is Introvert (1st letter I)and is also Judging (4th letter J) then the Judging Function(3rd letter Thinking or Feeling) will be the auxiliary function, since this is the functionused to deal with the outside world. Remember, Introverts use their dominantfunction chiefly to deal with their inner world, not the outside world.An Introvert uses their auxiliary function chiefly to deal with the outsideworld. For example, in the INTPtype, Intuition is used mainly to deal with the outside world,but since the priority focus of the Introvert is their innerworld, so Thinking is their dominant function.
Similarly if the personality is Introvert (1st letter I) andis also Perceiving (4th letter P) then the Perceiving Function(2nd letter Sensing or iNtuition) will be the auxiliary function since this is the function usedto deal with the outside world. The dominant function will be the otherfunction, which the Introvert focuses on their inner world. For example, in theISFJ type, the outside worldapproach indicated by the Judging preference (4th letter J) is Feeling,which because it is focused on the outside world in an Introvert is the auxiliaryfunction. Therefore the other function, Sensing, is the dominant onefocused on the Introvert's priority inner world.
There. That's the difficult bit. You may now take a break.
Here is additional explanation of MBTI® dominant functions. Having a secondperspective can assist overall appreciation of any complex matter.

Additional explanationof MBTI® function dominance
This additional explanation is kindly provided by Andrew Roughton, which isgratefully acknowledged. (I'm also grateful to Ian Mitchell for correcting anerror in the ISTJ example above which was wrongly shown as ISTJ,and to Pierre Lemasson for correcting an error in 3b below - probably my typo,not Andrew's - which stated that the the remaining letter will be yourauxiliary instead of dominant function.)

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1) Your dominant function is found in either the 2nd or 3rd letter inyour code. You also have an auxiliary (second) function.
a) If the 2nd letter is your dominant function then the 3rd is yourauxiliary function and vice versa.
b) If the 3rd letter is your dominant function then the 2nd is yourauxiliary function.
Remember the 2nd letter in your code relates to your Perceiving function. Doyou perceive information through your senses (S) or through intuition (N)?
The 3rd letter in your code relates to your Judging function. Do you makejudgements (decisions) through Thinking (T) or through Feeling (F)?
2) The 4th letter describes how you relate to the outside world. Do youprefer to deal with the world through your Judging function or through yourPerceiving function?
a) If your 4th letter is J then we first look to the Judging functions -Thinking or Feeling.
i) If your code is ISFJ then we first look to the judging functions.
b) If your 4th letter is P then we first look to the Perceiving functions -Sensing or Intuition.
i) If your code is ENFP then we first look to the Perceiving functions.
3) The 1st letter in your code (E or I) tells you whether you will firstfind your dominant or your auxiliary function.
a) If your 1st letter is E (Extravert) then you will first identify yourdominant function letter and the remaining letter will be your auxiliaryfunction.
i) If your code is ENFP then you will find your dominant function. Becausethe 4th letter is P we look to the perceiving function letter in your codewhich in this case is N for Intuition. So your dominant function is Intuition.Your auxiliary function is represented by the remaining letter F for Feeling.
b) If your 1st letter is I (Introvert) then you will first identify yourauxiliary code and the remaining letter will be your dominant function.
i) If your code is ISFJ you will first identify your auxiliary function.Because the 4th letter is J we look to the judging function letter in your codewhich in this case is F for Feeling. So your auxiliary function is Feeling.Your dominant function is represented by the remaining letter S for Sensing.
4) The reason for the different treatment for Extravert and Introvert is todo with the preference for the outer (E) or inner (I) world, and the 4th letteronly identifies how they relate to the outer world. For the Introvert this willalways be their auxiliary function because their dominant function must relateto their inner world.
a) Logically if the introvert relates to their outer world through, forexample, their judging functions (thinking or feeling) then their remainingletter tells you which function they use in their inner world. This, for them,is their dominant function.
i) The ISFJ relates to the outer world through their Judging function(represented by the J) which in this case is Feeling (represented by the F). Byelimination they must relate to their inner world through the Sensing function(represented by the S). Thus Sensing is the ISFJ's dominant function andFeeling is their auxiliary function.
b) Extraverts on the other hand use their dominant function to relateto the outer world and so the 4th letter identifies how you relate to the outerworld.
i) The ENFP relates to the outer world through their Perceiving function(represented by the P) which is Intuition (represented by the N). ThusIntuition is the ENFP's dominant function and Feeling is their auxiliaryfunction.
Andrew Roughton, July 2006.
National Principal
Vision College NewZealand

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Identifying 3rd and 4th function dominance
Logically according to Jung's theory, and Myers Briggs® interpretation,functional dominance can be extended beyond the superior (dominant) andauxiliary (secondary) functions to potential tertiary (3rd) and quarternary(4th) functions. This enables the identification of the order (relativestrength or preference) of all four functions - Thinking, Feeling, Sensing andIntuition - within any given type. The process for doing this is simple, onceyou crack the dominant and auxiliary methodology. Here's how to determine 3rdand 4th functional dominance:
Remember Jung's principle of opposites and the four compass points. The mostdominant or 'superior' function is balanced by its opposite in the unconscious,and will be correspondingly the least dominant just as the superior function isthe most dominant, to whatever extent.
The 4th function therefore, available consciously in whatever degree, isalways the opposite of the superior. For example, where a personality'ssuperior or most dominant function is Thinking, logically its quaternary(or 4th or weakest function) function will be Feeling. Where apersonality's superior function is Feeling, its 4th function will be Thinking.Where Intuition is dominant, so Sensing will be least strong.Where Sensing is the superior function, so Intuition will be theweakest. And that's the full set.
Applying the same 'balancing opposites' principle, logically, the 3rdfunction is the opposite of the 2nd or auxiliary. Same pattern as for the1st-4th correlations. Easy.
The extent to which any personality is able to make use of supportingfunctions depends on other factors. Some people are able to draw on the 3rd and4th functions more ably than others (dominant and auxiliary as well for thatmatter).
From the perspective of understanding and describing each of the sixteenMBTI® personality types simply from their four-letter codes, identifyingfunctional dominance - from superior or dominant, to auxiliary, to 3rd and to4th functions - is a very useful technique. When you understand the methodologyyou can say a great deal about any personality type just by looking at itsMBTI® four-letter code - because you can determine the preference (whichimplies prevalence and priority) of each of the four functions, two of whichwill not even be represented in the MBTI® four-letter code!

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Below is the complete set of functional dominance mixtures, showing 1st, 2nd,3rd and 4th preferred functions according to MBTI® type. We can also very usefully group the Myers Briggs® types accordingto their Jungian four dominant functions, which is a super matrix for understanding these theories.

MBTI® types and functional dominance
The left column shows the MBTI® sixteen types, colour-coded as to Extravertor Introvert. These MBTI® types are grouped in four sets according to '1stfunctional dominance' ('superior' function) which are colour-coded in themiddle and right columns accordingly. For each MBTI® type, the middle and rightcolumns show the dominant (superior) function, followed by the 2nd (auxiliary)function, and then the 3rd and 4th functions, which are largely unconscious andcan be accessed when required depending on the person. Note that each of thefour main functional dominance groupings (Thinking, Feeling, Sensing,Intuition, represented by the four colours) contains only two differentsequential 'dominance sets', and that each of these can be formed by both an Extraverted and an Introverted type.

MBTI® type	functional dominance - 1st to 4th
ESTJ	TSNF	Thinking, Sensing, Intuition, Feeling
ISTP	TSNF	Thinking, Sensing, Intuition, Feeling
ENTJ	TNSF	Thinking, Intuition, Sensing, Feeling
INTP	TNSF	Thinking, Intuition, Sensing, Feeling
ESTP	STFN	Sensing, Thinking, Feeling, Intuition
ISTJ	STFN	Sensing, Thinking, Feeling, Intuition
ESFP	SFTN	Sensing, Feeling, Thinking, Intuition
ISFJ	SFTN	Sensing, Feeling, Thinking, Intuition
ESFJ	FSNT	Feeling, Sensing, Intuition, Thinking
ISFP	FSNT	Feeling, Sensing, Intuition, Thinking
ENFJ	FNST	Feeling, Intuition, Sensing, Thinking
INFP	FNST	Feeling, Intuition, Sensing, Thinking
ENTP	NTFS	Intuition, Thinking, Feeling, Sensing
INTJ	NTFS	Intuition, Thinking, Feeling, Sensing
ENFP	NFTS	Intuition, Feeling, Thinking, Sensing
INFJ	NFTS	Intuition, Feeling, Thinking, Sensing

The extent to which people are able to call upon and make use of theirauxiliary, and particularly 3rd and 4th functions depends on the individualperson, and is also the subject of continuing debate and ongoing research bypsychologists. Most people are capable of developing their less strongfunctions to some degree or other. Knowing what they are and that they exist inus is the starting point.
Similarly everyone is capable of understanding their own functionaldominance and how this style might be perceived by others. Using this matrix you might be able to have a good guess as to your own Myers Briggs® MBTI® typeand your functional dominance. At the right column: ask yourself - also ask someone who knows you well - what order of preferences best represents your own personality? Having decided this, are you mainly extraverted or introverted? You might now have a reasonable idea of your ownMBTI® personality type.
Aside from using Myers Briggs® MBTI® model to understand one's own or otherother people's personality types, the most important opportunity is that everyone can and should use systems such these to endeavour to access and develop their weaker functions.
This was central to Jung's motivation, and this opportunity and encouragement echoes through Myers Briggs'® ideas too. Awareness of the fact that we all possess these unconscious under-developed functions is the first step towards realising that they can be developed and used, alongside ournatural preferences, brought into play consciously.

The Myers Briggs® MBTI® system typically involves the use of MBTI® testing instruments to determine people's own types or 'profiles', the process and analysis of which is best administered by a suitably qualified person to giveproper explanation and feedback to people being 'tested'.
There are significant commonalities between the Myers Briggs® personality model and that of DavidKeirsey. Both systems draw strongly on the work of CarlJung and (Keirsey's more than Myers Briggs®) also to the Four Temperaments. Further comparisons are indicated in the FourTemperaments and Keirseysections on this page, and these cross-references between models (notably Benziger)help with the understanding of each model independently.
Some differences between Myers Briggs® and Keirsey'sinterpretations. Not least, as Keirsey points out, Myers Briggs® is effectivelyan interpretation and extension of Jung's model - both of which focus on the minds and thinking types of people, whereas Keirsey's system, building on MyersBriggs®, Jung, and others, seeks to identify and point to what the different personality types can do well in different circumstances. In addition there are some detailed differences between certain type descriptions of Myers Briggs®and Keirsey, which concern complex interpretations that seem to me to be amatter of personal opinion, based on the experiences of the theorists themselves and not matters that can be proven one way or another. As we've already seen, this is not a perfect science, and when we drill down deeper than broad definitions the detail is open to different interpretation.
As you learn about these concepts, see each model (Myers Briggs®, Jung,Keirsey, Four Temperaments, Eysenck, Benziger, etc) as self-sufficient andstand-alone. Note the common aspects between the models by all means because there are many: seeing the common aspects will greatly improve your overall understanding of the subject and of people; but do not try to overlay and match definitions and descriptions from model to model if the fit is not obvious and clear. Respect each model in isolation for what it is - a different perspective of the same highly complicated thing - the human mind.
More information about the Myers Briggs® organisation and MBTI® system is at myersbriggs.org.
Note that Myers Briggs®, MBTI® is likely to beprotected trademarked intellectual property for use in direct training andtesting applications.

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