Detecting Socionic Types

There are three methods of detecting socionic types: testing, interviewing, distant type detection.

Testing

Although various books publish popular tests consisting of 50-70 questions, such as Keirsey Temperament Sorter, these in fact are not valid psychological instruments. Real psychological testing methodologies must include means of verification of correctness of their results, which is impossible to achieve with only several tens of questions.

On the other hand, the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, or Gray-Wheelwright Test, although being valid psychological instruments, detect types DIFFERENT FROM THE SOCIONIC TYPES. The MBTI is a similar but not identical system of types. This means that correlation between Socionics, on the one hand, and MBTI, on the other, is only approximate. For example, if you detected your type as ESFP according to MBTI, it may in certain cases correspond to ESFp, in other to ESFj in Socionics. SInce most deviations are caused by J/P criterion, which is determined differently in these two theories, in Socionics the last letter is not capitalized. So, if you know your type according to MBTI, you will need to check "bordering" socionic types.

Too complicated, you will say. MBTI gives me a reliable description of my type, why do I need socionics? But MBTI achieved an easy methodology of testing at the cost of neglecting some essential factors of Jungian personality types. Just reckoning with these factors allowed Socionics to create a system of intertype relationships.

Interviewing

Actually we are translating an article by Victor Gulenko giving a concise description of this methodology.

Distant Type Detection

It consists in comparing traits from type descriptions with characteristics of real people. In our opinion, it is still the least reliable methodology both in Socionics and MBTI. You may have noticed yourself significant divergences of lists of celebrities at different typological sites.

Is Visual Identification Possible?

This site represents E.Filatova's collection of portraits of typical representatives of each type (from: E.Filatova, Personality in the Mirror of Socionics, 2002in Russian).

IMPORTANT NOTE: a valid methodology of visual identification still does not exist. Filatova herself fotographed people only AFTER detecting their types. However, when the number of people diagnosed by her approached several hundreds (actually it exceeds 1500), she began to mention certain regularities in people's appearance, which correlated well with their personality types, and even so called "twin series" within each of the 16 types.

We will publish soon more materials on her methodology.

Mnemonic Table of Socionic Types

This table looks exactly like first socionic tests. Their obvious problem was that they worked excellently in the hands of their authors but failed in the hands of the others.

However, if you have already got certain experience in detecting types, and people more and more often are agree with your diagnosis, this table below should serve as a good mnemonic table containing clue traits of all 16 types. However, we do not approve using it for self-identification.

Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: Your type:
You are tempted by possibilities, finding unusual solutions. You are not desperate for immediate results; you live more often in the past or in the future than in the present; you foresee well the development of events; strive for extension of your knowledge, in doing this you sometimes acquire even knowledge redundant for the present; you often are distracted, routine chores make you feel depressed. You are intrigued by the objective laws of the world (science, technology). Here you like to apply your knowledge and skills in approaching non-trivial situations; you like to highlight and solve problems. You strive to understand the essence of things, to build a model of the essential processes in your mind, to guess or to discover latent capabilities. Passion for new and unusual things; fantasy, guesses, risk and luck.

ENTp

Contemplation, sober analysis, planning, considerate conclusions.

INTj

You study problems in dynamics, for you the practical outcome of the task is of greater importance than its logical perfection Skepticism, forecasting, pedantry, understanding requirements of the moment.

INTp

Optimism, business mood, developing procedures, weighed risk, leadership.

ENTj

You are interested in the world of human relations, in which field you understand the subtleties well; you are attracted by humanitarian activities (literature, the arts); you know how to influence people emotionally. You estimate well people's hidden talents, can understand and regulate their relations. Interest towards people, events; easiness of communication, search for compromise.

ENFp

Sympathy for others, strive to help, reserved emotions.

INFj

You foresee problems in relations, actively demonstrate both your positive and negative emotions Introspection, rich imagination, melancholy.

INFp

Capability to impress, to flash with artistic habits; a broad spectrum of emotions

ENFj

You are focused on achieving concrete results in a determined term; you like living in the here and now; as a rule, you are accurate, do not like visionarism; are very attentive to the details; you manage well organizing space around yourself, are capable of arranging living conditions for yourself and for other people; are capable of performing monotonous work without getting nervous. You are aimed towards practical implementation of knowledge (e.g. in business); you strive to look at the situation from an objective, not an emotional point of view; you always strive for an efficient usage of time and means. You are sure of the necessity to apply methods of enforcement, in order to achieve necessary practical results. Leadership, victory, large-scaled actions, surgical interventions, risk.

ESTp

System, order, planning, general rules for all, duty, will, obedience.

ISTj

You strive for qualitative fulfillment of work using the most efficient methods and procedures. Quality, convenience, esthetic, working by segments, privacy.

ISTp

Management, planning, responsibility, reasonable requirements

ESTj

You understand well the moods of others, know how to improve them (or to worsen them), can create emotional and physical comfort for people, easily can find an approach to almost everybody and, if necessary, manipulate them. You realize well what you want to obtain, understand the motivations of the others Optimism, emotionality, manipulating mood of others.

ESFp

Reserved in emotions, self-control, stability, moral, duty.

ISFj

You strive for harmonious relations between the people around you, to raise their spirits; you dislike conflicts. Shuttle diplomacy, comfort, pleasure, esthetics.

ISFp

Hospitality, warmth, active communication, striving to be useful to people.

ESFj