This page is included as a “just in case” for just-in-case we blog about these rather specific terms. Visitors of our ParentingbyTemperament site will be familiar with them but others may not.)
Preferences
Our scales, and those of the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory and the Keirsey Temperament Inventory II, are based on the measurement of eight possible preferences grouped in four pairs of opposites. These are as follows:
- Introversion/Extraversion–Where you focus your attention–your inside world or the outside world
- Intuition/Sensing–How you process information–more imaginatively or more concretely and factually
- Feeling/Thinking–How you make decisions–more on personal values or more on cool logic
- Perceiving, Judging–How you structure your world and your activities–preplanned and organized or flexibly open to events as they happen
Each person, then, is seen as having one preference or the other in each of the four pairs. The word preference is very accurate for what is meant here, meaning that you naturally prefer one way of acting, behaving, feeling over the other, not that you do not use the non-preferred behaviors and feelings. That is, an extravert may much prefer to do most things with other people and large groups, but that does not mean that they never work, play, or relax alone.
Temperament
a.) The word is used loosely to cover many circumstances. It does generally imply characteristics that are inborn or genetically given, however.
b.) More precisely, in the language of preferences and temperament (as used by Kiersey and by us in our Sorter scales), it refers to combinations of preferences that are thought to have particularly strong effects. The four temperament combinations that Keirsey discusses, and that we use a great deal in our parenting website are as follows:
- Sensing-Perceiving (SP) A very strong focus on the here and now, on what is both factual and of practical use. We call these people Masters of the Moment.
- Sensing-Judging (SJ) Again, a very practical focus, but with a great emphasis on making things work in an orderly way, for self, family and community. We call them Keepers of the Flame.
- Intuition-Feeling (NF) Combining a dreamy imagination with a strong emphasis on values, interactions and community, these are highly idealistic persons. We call them Humanity’s Champions.
- Intuition-Thinking (NT) Here imagination also plays a major role, but it is coupled with a strong preference for analytic thinking and a strong drive for visible accomplishment. We call them Passionate Achievers.
Type
Finally each person’s four preferences can be combined into any of 16 different Types, each of which strongly predicts certain kinds of outcomes. An INFP, for example, with Introversion, Intuition (the N), Feeling, and Perceiving, could be expected to be quiet, imaginative, deeply concerned for others, flexible and open to change. You would not expect to find them as the CEO of a Mega-Corporation. Their opposite, the ISTJ could easily be that CEO, and certainly would be found trying to make things happen somewhere. Details for the 16 types can be found to some degree on our Parenting by Temperament website by taking one of the free Sorters there. This information can be found in more detail by Googling MBTI, or Type or even specific Types, on the internet.