Psychological Types #4: “NEUROSCIENCE OF PERSONALITY”

Here is a little bit more of an overview on the ways we can look at the brain: functional regions, waves, and networks.

Each brain region aids perception, cognition, emotion, and behavior in some way. Let's take a look at an example.

Note: In Section #3, you will have a chance to explore and self-rate all the neocortex brain regions.

People of different types tend to use their brains differently to meet both their practical needs (culture, career, etc) and their psychological needs.

One way we can define "flow" or being "in the zone" is when all brain regions are in synch, namely, relaxed but energetic, and often improvising around something we have expertise in.

As stimuli come into the brain, they can take two different pathways. One way is quick and goes directly to the prefrontal cortex for action. The other way is slow and goes to the back of the brain for reflection and collation before maybe taking action. We can also look at extroversion and introversion in terms of energy, focus of awareness, and enhancement or reduction of stimuli.

The download is simply a worksheet that describes extraverting vs. introverting, side by side.

Your brain essential has two CEOs. The left prefrontal cortex gets active when people make decisions, give explanations, focus to find errors, and similar activities. In contrast, the right prefrontal cortex gets active when people brainstorm, seek information, reflect on information, and manage where they are in a process. These two CEOs correlate well with Dr. Carl Jung's concepts of judging (aka rational) and perceiving (aka irrational) functions.

The download is simply a worksheet that describes goal-focused vs. open-ended CEOs, side by side.

A few metaphors can help us understand the brain. One is the brain as a toolbox. Another is as an orchestra. Both of these metaphors suggest multiple instruments or tools that ideally we understand how to use together.

Most likely you don't have access to brain imaging. In lieu of that, you are welcome to complete the NeuroPQ, a self-survey that results in a colored brain map to understand better the brain's functional regions and your likely strengths and blindspots.

There are 2 versions you can pick from: A longer version in book format (aka "NeuroPQ-34") and a shorter but large poster sized format (aka "NeuroPQ-poster-22"). The book format is easier to print. Whichever you prefer, you may also prefer the "Color Your Unique Brain Map", a full-page blank brain map that's easy to post up or show off.

These downloads are for the upcoming assignment.

Once you've completed the NeuroPQ, come here to hear typical questions and answers about your results. The attached download summarizes the most common Q&A.

Let's take a moment to focus on some factors (besides personality) that impact the brain and your results. Those include career, culture, gender, relationships, and more.

We explore the value of cognitive diversity in the workplace.

The downloadable is an article from Human Resources magazine, Workforce Solutions, on the value of cognitive diversity in organizations..

Let's watch some out-takes from a brain-imaging session. The client (INTJ preferences) tries a diverse set of tasks while EEG technology records his brain waves. After, software analysis reveals his favorite networks.

Remember: These are random moments, roughly 1/2 of what is a set protocol. Regarding the protocol, it is face-to-face with a bit of variety in order to stimulate the client's brain in various ways, as might happen in daily life. We're not testing for specific brain events or micro-reactions. And regarding the frame of mind, we encourage clients to come in a relaxed with a good energy level and free of mind-altering substances (e.g. alcohol). Also, clients participate voluntarily and almost all are drawn from a non-clinical population.

Here are out-takes from a 2nd brain-imaging session. The client (INFJ preferences) tries a diverse set of tasks while EEG technology records her brain waves. After, software analysis reveals her favorite networks.

Here is a recap of Jung's framework of 8 mental functions (aka, cognitive types or cognitive processes). Dr. Jung started with extraversion/introversion, observed 4 mental functions, and from there, he described 8 types, which we today called cognitive processes. If you are new to the subject, this should be enough to continue. If not, you may still find the recap useful.

The attachments summarize the processes and provide the statistical validity for them, and Jung's framework in general, from the CPA questionnaire.

Let's look at Se.  This process is more extraverted and relies on a more open-ended CEO, and these folks tend to show special patterns like wider sensory engagement and a "tennis hop" pattern.

The attachment offers more detail. And course #2 in this series goes in great depth about this process.

Let's look at Si.  This process is more introverted and relies on a more open-ended CEO, and these folks tend to show special patterns like more specialized behavior and great "fidelity" such as precise memory.

The attachment offers more detail. And course #2 in this series goes in great depth about this process.

Let's look at Ne.  This process is more extraverted and relies on a more open-ended CEO, and these folks tend to show special patterns like more divergent thinking and a "Christmas Tree" pattern of brain activity.

The attachment offers more detail. And course #2 in this series goes in great depth about this process.

Let's look at Ni.  This process is more introverted and relies on a more open-ended CEO, and these folks tend to show special patterns like more convergent creativity and a Zen-like focused flow to produce insights.

The attachment offers more detail. And course #2 in this series goes in great depth about this process.

Let's look at Te.  This process is more extraverted and relies on a more goal-focused CEO, and these folks tend to show special patterns like being more empirically oriented and showing more efficient brain activity.

The attachment offers more detail. And course #2 in this series goes in great depth about this process.

Let's look at Ti.  This process is more introverted and relies on a more goal-focused CEO, and these folks tend to show special patterns like tapping reasoning more often and being more selective about how they use their brain.

The attachment offers more detail. And course #2 in this series goes in great depth about this process.

Let's look at Fe.  This process is more extraverted and relies on a more goal-focused CEO, and these folks tend to show special patterns like being more sociable and being more concerned about others and the group.

The attachment offers more detail. And course #2 in this series goes in great depth about this process.

Let's look at Fi.  This process is more introverted and relies on a more goal-focused CEO, and these folks tend to show special patterns like deep, sustained listening and being more pensive in general.

The attachment offers more detail. And course #2 in this series goes in great depth about this process.

After a look at EQ (or emotional intelligence), we focus on a different approach: Emotional Dynamics. Emotion is something that happens all over the brain that educates, biases, and motivates decisions.

Using a worksheet, you will discover which dynamics likely color your emotional life. You may be surprised at the range of emotional response patterns.

Understand how dynamic emotion can be over the course of a day, or an interaction, and how that tends to relate to personality type preferences.

When we talk about personality, we need to talk about development. When we focus on brain wiring, neurotransmitters, and demographic data, we find consistent variations (subtypes) among people of the same type.

We can understand each of the 8 Jungian processes in two ways, as coins with two sides. There is an analytic ("yang") side and a holistic ("yin") side. Every person has biases from development, resulting in many variants or subtypes of each type (256 if we consider every possible combination!)

There are 2 downloadables. The 1st is a 1-page summary of the yin and yang of each function, used in Assignment #9. The 2nd is for use in Assignment #10; it's a 16-page article that goes in-depth on each of the 16 yin/yang manifestations of the Jungian processes, with examples.

These subtypes trace their origins to several sources. Besides brain wiring differences, there are neurotransmitter differences (Dr. Helen Fisher), the work of Dr. Victor Gulenko, and observations from cultural anthropology.

The 2 downloadables are papers about Dr. Helen Fisher's work. The 1st from 2021 takes a colorful approach to the 4 subtypes (aka temperaments as she calls them), while the PLOS paper details the science behind it all.

We can go beyond an Analytic vs Holistic binary to see 4 variants of each of the 8 Jungian processes.  For example, Se can express in 4 different ways: Mover, Adventurer, Participant, and Sensate. These are likely developmental in nature, reflecting a person's background, societal pressures, and daily activities.

We can group individuals of the same type into variants or subtypes based on brain wiring and other factors such as age, biological sex, career choice, cultural background, and the size of the organization they work in. Thus, these variants reflect development. Truly, people express their underlying type in different ways.

The Workshop #1 download is a 25-slide deck that includes slides in this course as well as bonus material on the subtypes.

You can download the "4 variants" INTJ and INFP as examples of the subtypes in detail.

These individuals are more driven and confident than others of their type. They strive to be leaders and either work at the top of hierarchies or independently but with others who are leaders. They tend to have brain wiring more to the front of the brain, with relatively higher levels of hormones like testosterone.

These individuals are more exploratory and social than others of their type. They tend to be rebels by their nature, travel or otherwise seek novelty, and work in small groups. They tend to have brain wiring in a "starburst" pattern that fires all at once, with relatively higher levels of hormones like dopamine.

These individuals are more conventional and specialized than others of their type. They tend to play quiet, hard-working support roles work in large organizations, though they can rise to be managers. They tend to have brain wiring that is an even-field with relatively higher levels of hormones like serotonin.

These individuals are more empathic and reflective than others of their type. They tend to work one-on-one in a relational way. They tend to have brain wiring that is more context-dependent--a mix of various modes--with relatively higher levels of hormones like oxytocin and estrogen.

While the term "subtype" is easy to understand, the term "variant" is more accurate. These vary to some extent with context and are generally developmental. We can rank them. Think of these 4 as points around a compass.

The "Wheel of Secret Strivings" download ties the subtypes to social values in our lives. For example, how do you prioritize, say, social status, comfort, caring for others, adventure, and so on?

The Workshop #2 download is a 25-slide deck that is mostly bonus material on the subtypes, including coaching tips.

The nervous system is more than the brain. It runs through the whole body, enervating the organs. Similarly, hormones circulate through the whole body. So really, if we want to talk about personality, we need to talk about the whole body. Thus, the power of body-mind practices.

The 1st download broadly covers "Nervous System Basics", all in one place, including endocrine glands. Some of this repeats section 2 lecture.

The 2nd download is an exercise to help you gauge each day your overall stress level, which is actually not always obvious to us, and to ramp down "fight or flight" to a more relaxed state.

The 3rd download is a guide to several other kinds of breathwork that you can try in addition to, or in lieu of, the Daily Pulse exercise.

In terms of type, in 1932, Jung gave 4 talks on the psychology of kundalini yoga (as summarized in the book here and in "Jung on Yoga". Jung also visited India, meet with yogis, and found a lot of inspiration from yoga concepts that greatly informed the rest of his work.

The download is the 1st chapter from the book "Jung on Yoga" by Dario Nardi.

Here is advice around body-mind practices for the 4 Jungian functions: Sensing vs. Intuiting preference, and Thinking vs. Feeling preference. Focus on the two functions that you prefer to better understand the benefits, pitfalls, and suggested practices to mind for your type.

The downloadables include an introduction to kundalini yoga and type-specific advice for body-mind activities, particularly yoga.

In this course, we covered brain basics, emotional dynamics, the subtypes, skills assessment with the NeuroPQ, advice for body-mind practices, and more. Remember that psyche is about consciousness, not behavior or even brains. And nature and nurture both play a role, often 50/50 is a good bet! Now consider, what will you take from all this?

Let's hear from some type professionals about the future of type. As Isabel Myers hoped, type can help bring peace out in the world, as well as within individuals. There are challenges of business applications, such as misuses, but overall it can help people find career satisfaction. Neuroscience can help bring more of a scientific basis (beyond questionnaires). Neuroscience may shift type as a theory and reconcile various personality tools. It can also help people find their best-fit. Overall, type is more popular than ever. It is a great tool since we are not made to look at ourselves, not really.