Keirsey Temperament Sorter
The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is a psychological test developed by David Keirsey in 1978 that categorizes people into four basic temperaments, each with four sub-temperaments. Keirsey's temperament sorter is essentially based on the Myers-Briggs type indicator ( MBTI ) from 1958. The concept of temperament is controversial in modern psychology .
According to Keirsey or the MBTI model, four character traits in their polar expression determine the temperament (I / E, N / S, F / T and J / P), for example introversion versus extraversion etc. The combinations of the different pairings result in a total of 16 Temperaments based on four basic temperaments.
You can either assign yourself to a temperament on the basis of the descriptions through self- observation or fill in a test sheet, which can be found in Keirsey's two books Please understand me (1984) and Please understand me II (1998) and is also available on the Internet. The test consists of 70 dichotomous questions.
The four dimensions
I vs. E.
This describes the motivation to experience the senses. This distinction is widely used, but is often used incorrectly in colloquial terms, because an introvert does not have to be shy, and an extrovert does not have to be open to talk (even if it is often the case). Instead, an outside-oriented person is more sociable, ready to act and more focused on his environment, an inside-oriented person is more concentrated, more intense, territorial and fixated on himself (not in the selfish sense). Extraverts draw energy from being with other people, introverts draw energy from being alone. One also speaks of the tendency towards breadth (E) to depth (I) of the sensory experience. However, there are few misunderstandings in this pairing. According to Keirsey, extraversion occurs around 75%, and introversion only 25%.
N vs. S.
This describes the filtering of sensory impressions. The sensory mind gives the highest weight to the “raw data” and pure impressions, the intuitive mind can also fall back on a “sixth sense” and grasp moods that come more from experience than from real information. This character trait is one of the great differences between people. Sensory people focus on "having" tangible things, details, broad knowledge and tend to think in a reductionist way . Intuitive people want to “be”, strive for deep knowledge and think more holistically , theoretically and abstractly. Here, too, sensory persons are more widespread with around 75% than the intuitive with 25% of the population.
F vs. T
This describes the structuring of the impressions into an action model. The thinker categorizes strongly and leads back to a few basic elements, of which certain proposals for action exist and the strongest of which is used. The feeling activates far more memories and also includes side conditions that can be important in complex social situations. When T-types make a decision, they figuratively take a step back and distance themselves from the object in order to analyze it; F-types take a step forward and can better empathize with the problem. This is the only area where there are differences between men and women. According to Myers, about 60% of emotional people are women.
J vs. P
- Judging / followers (Judging) vs. Perception / awareness of (Perceiving)
This describes the security about the recognized model, which is implemented in actions. If the perceived model is seen as largely correct, it is implemented much more tightly, or decisions are delayed or neglected if the model is classified as unsuitable. Plans are dynamically adapted to information and implemented flexibly. This requires a more spontaneous and irregular approach. Assessors ( judging ) are decisive and design their model even before all the information is available. This model is retained and corrected even in difficult circumstances, but is reluctantly discarded. They prefer to act systematically and according to plan. Ps seem to be more "playful", more spontaneous and less serious natures than the organized and routine Js. You could say that Ps are procedural while Js are result oriented. P-types are more likely to question authorities, J-types more to question values and norms. It can be assumed that the population is equally distributed.
Furthermore, the letter “X” can be used if no clear tendency can be identified in a pairing. This means that mixed types can theoretically also occur. As a rule, however, this does not happen, and it should be considered which tendency dominates.
Overview
Summary of the differences between the eight versions:
| Extraversion (E) | Introversion (I) |
|---|---|
| Socializing | Territoriality |
| interaction | concentration |
| external | internally |
| extensive | intensive |
| many relationships | limited relationships |
| Consumption of energy | Conservation of energy |
| Interest in the outside | Interest in the inside |
| Happenings | internal reactions |
| Sensing (S) | Intuition (N) |
|---|---|
| Experience | idea |
| past | future |
| realistic | speculative |
| Perspiration | inspiration |
| Actual | Possible |
| factual | dreamy |
| usefulness | imagination |
| truth | poetry |
| practically | inventive |
| reasonable | resourceful |
| Thinking (T) | Feeling (F) |
|---|---|
| objectivity | subjectivity |
| Principles | individual |
| Guidelines | social values |
| Laws | mitigating |
| Circumstances criteria | intimacy |
| Stability | conviction |
| impersonal | personally |
| justice | humanity |
| category | harmony |
| Norms | good or bad |
| criticism | recognition |
| analysis | sympathy |
| Judgment (J) | Perception (P) |
|---|---|
| decided | draw |
| decided | additional data acquisition |
| fixed | flexible |
| planning ahead | Adaptation |
| make it happen | let it happen |
| to lock | leave free choice |
| make decisions | Delaying decisions |
| according to plan | open and flexible |
| accomplished | arising |
| final | provisionally |
| finalize | surrender |
| time pressure | Take your time |
| translate into action | wait |
Keirsey's concept of temperament
Classifications of temperament and character are almost as old as humanity itself. One of the earliest traditions in this regard goes back to the Greek philosopher Plato .
| SP | SJ | NF | NT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plato (340 BC) | air | earth | Fire | water |
| Aristotle (325 BC) | hedonist | owner | moralist | Dialectician |
| Galenus (190) | Sanguine | Melancholy | Choleric | Phlegmatic |
| Paracelsus (1550) | changeable | diligent | inspired | strange |
| Adickes (1905) | innovative | traditionally | doctrinaire | skeptical |
| Spranger (1914) | esthetic | economically | religious | theoretically |
| Kretschmer (1920) | hyperactive | depressive | hypersensitive | numb |
| Fromm (1947) | exploiting | hoarding | susceptible | marketing |
| Myers (1958) | exploring | planning | friendly | thinking |
| Keirsey (1978) | Artisans | Guardians | Idealists | Rationals |
According to Keirsey, the temperament determines the tendency to lead life, while the character determines the way of life. Character describes the attributes given, temperament is predisposed. If you compare the brain with a computer, temperament would be the hardware and character would be the software .
“Temperament is a configuration of inclinations, while character is a configuration of habits.
Character is disposition, temperament is pre-disposition. "
Keirsey claims that temperament properties are predisposed. Recognition enables the parents of children to use the knowledge for their type-appropriate upbringing. Parents should focus their attention on the how , not the what , that is, experiences and not actions. Children are different from the start and should be treated accordingly. No education, 'shaping' or even traumatic experience can change this difference. When raising children, one should not try to press the children into the temperament of their parents, but rather they should be encouraged individually.
"With that we would have the four horsemen [of the apocalypse of childhood]: not plague, famine, etc., but interference, inaccessibility, misjudgment and rejection that arise from parental benevolence and are based on the unconscious assumption of equality."
Cooperator, helper
Utilitarians |
The distribution in the population is very different and can only be roughly estimated. Keirsey expects NTs to be the least widespread at seven percent, followed by NFs at around ten percent. The sensory temperaments dominate, whereby SJs with around 40 to 45% are said to be somewhat more common than SPs with 35 to 40%.
The basic temperaments
The core of Keirsey's temperament typification is the opposing pair of sensors (S) vs. Intuition (N). The combination of intuition (N) with feeling (F) or thinking (T), as well as sensory (S) with judging (J) or perception (P) determines the basic temperament.
SP
- Sensory perception
- Base temperament Artisans
- Subtemperaments composer, crafter , performer, promoter
SPs are looking for freedom of action and variety and want to influence and interact with their environment. Their greatest strength is their tactical intelligence, which means that they excel at creating, assembling and acting. For SPs, resources are something that should be consumed. Today is what counts for them, the here and now. Often times, they like to be in the spotlight and are characterized by generosity, tolerance, and perseverance. SPs tend to only do something when they want to. Then, however, they are more persistent than other temperaments and are better able to deal with setbacks. Because of their impulsive nature, they tend to exaggerate. SP children are sometimes considered disobedient because they test limits and seek first-hand experience at an early age. In today's civilization, male SPs are better able to pursue their interests than female ones, which can sometimes lead to clichés . SPs prefer unusual or action-oriented professions such as artist, pilot, surgeon, racing driver, actor, mercenary or construction worker on large projects.
SJ
- Sensory judgment
- Base temperament Guardians
- Subtemperaments Protector, Inspector, Provider, Supervisor
SJs look for belonging and membership and feel responsible for themselves and those around them. 'If I don't do it, who should?' Asks the SJ. Their great strength is logistic intelligence, ie their strength lies in checking and planning. The focus is on the usefulness of things. A structured life is important to them, which is why rules, responsibility and repetitive events such as traditions or anniversaries are more popular with them than with other temperaments. Accordingly, they perform their tasks steadily and precisely. As parents, SJs genuinely care for their children, but can be very strict if their offspring does not behave socially. It should also be noted that due to their pessimistic attitude, SJs tend to save resources in order to create a cushion. Monitor SJs to ensure safety and a cyclical life. You are considered the defender of the sanction . Professionally, they feel comfortable in the service sector such as banking, middle management, accounting, civil servants, secondary school teaching, nursing or administration.
NF
- Intuitive feeling
- Base temperament idealists
- Subtemperament Healer, Counselor, Champion, Teacher
NFs look for meaning, significance, and identity. 'How can I be who I really am?' Asks the NF. Their greatest strength is their diplomatic intelligence, which means that they excel through integration, clarification and inspiration. They often enjoy “soft” and pseudosciences , as well as transcendence and mysticism . They like competitive behavior far less than harmony and togetherness. Logic is at least as pronounced in them as in other temperaments, but for them it represents something optional. They are particularly good at dealing with people and are most likely to perceive subtleties in motor skills, gestures and language. NF parents show their love for their children primarily with physical approaches such as stroking, cuddling, rubbing, etc. NF children are often dreamy and have long been caught up in their imaginations. Professionally, they feel drawn to social areas such as kindergarten teachers, primary school teachers, writers, educators, psychologists, consultants or the like.
NT
- Intuitive thinking
- Base temperament rationals
- Subtemperaments Architect, Mastermind, Inventor, Field Marshal
NTs strive for competence and understanding. Their greatest strength is their strategic intelligence - that is, they excel at theories, plans, concepts, and engineering. Authorities and certificates leave NTs unimpressed, but knowledge and skills do not. For them everything has to make sense and be effective, which is why they often express themselves briefly and accurately in their communication. They see redundancy and repetitions as superfluous. NT parents understand better than anyone else how to support their child individually by reducing rules to a minimum. NT children question authorities and are often considered stubborn. In terms of time, NTs live in the future, for them the past is something closed. What matters to them is what will or could be. Sometimes NTs are considered socially underdeveloped and mentally overdeveloped. The professional activities are mostly in scientific areas such as engineering, architecture, mathematics or philosophy.
Overview
The following tables, which are slightly modified translations from Please understand me II and excerpts from Understand me , show the concise characteristics of the temperament types.
| SP | SJ | NF | NT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interests | ||||
| Education: | artisanal | commercially | humanistic | scientific |
| Employment: | technology | morality | moral | technology |
| Talent: | Equipment | material | people | Systems |
| orientation | ||||
| Present: | hedonistic | stoic | altruistic | pragmatic |
| Future: | optimistic | pessimistic | in good faith | skeptical |
| Past: | cynical | fatalistic | mystical | realistic |
| Location: | Here | Gate (gateway) | Medium (pathway) | Junction |
| Time: | Now | Yesterday | tomorrow | interval |
| Self-image | ||||
| Self-esteem: | artful | reliable | empathetic | refined |
| Self-esteem: | bold | charitable | benevolent | autonomous |
| Self-confidence: | customizable | respectful | authentic | determined |
| values | ||||
| Be: | stimulated | involved | enthusiastic | reluctant |
| Trust: | pulse | authority | intuition | reason |
| Nostalgia: | effect | Affiliation | romance | Result |
| Search: | stimulation | safety | identity | Knowledge |
| Advocate: | Freedom of movement | gratitude | confirmation | Deference |
| Strive for: | virtuosity | Executive | wisdom | Wizard |
| Social roles | ||||
| Friendships: | Playmate | mate | Soulmate | "Knowledge friend" |
| Parenting: | freedom | socialize | Harmonics | Individuator |
| Guide: | Intermediary | stabilizer | catalyst | visionary |
| Characteristic | ||||
| Language: | harmonious | associative | inductive | deductive |
| Reference: | indicative | commanding | interpreting | categorically |
| Syntax: | descriptive | comparing | metaphorically | conjunctive |
| Rhetoric: | heterodox | orthodox | exaggerating | technically |
| Intellect: | tactics | logistics | diplomacy | strategy |
| Management: | operator | Administrator | mentor | coordinator |
| -offensive: | organizer | Overseer | Teacher | Field Marshal |
| -defensive: | Craftsman | inspector | Consultant | scientist |
| Information: | Entertainer | Conservator | Lawyer | engineer |
| -offensive: | actor | Supplier | champion | inventor |
| -defensive: | composer | protector | healer | architect |
| Colour: | red | orange | green | blue |
| Greek God: | Dionysus | Epimetheus , Demeter | Apollo | Prometheus |
| Totem : | chameleon | beaver | Dolphin | owl |
Similar temperaments
SP vs. NT
Both characters are utilitarians, which is why it can sometimes happen that they are “confused” with one another. The following table shows the reason for many misunderstandings.
| medium | purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| NT | Services | Skills |
| SP | Skills | Services |
Utilitarians (especially the perceiver ) tend to be more prognosticated than ADHD , because unlike the 'cooperators' they only do things when they want to or see sense in it.
SJ vs. NF
Just as there are big differences between SP and NT, SJ and NF are very different. Both are "helpers" (cooperators), but differ on the basis of their intuition and sensor technology. For SJ the “outside” is more important, for NF the “inside”. This is particularly well expressed in the English nouns morality (Sittlichkeit, SJ) and morale (Geistig-Seelische Verfassungs, NF), which both have the same root word, but whose differences are difficult to translate into German and can lead to unwanted confusion.
The 16 temperament types
Keirsey has derived handy typifications for the 16 combinations of the 4 dimensions:
|
NF : Idealists, idealists INFP: Healer, |
SJ : Guardians, protectors ESTJ: Supervisor, Promoter |
|
NT : Rationals, rationalists INTP: Architect, Architect |
SP : Artisans, artisans ESTP: Promoter |
Portraits of the temperaments can be found under #Literature or in the #Weblinks .
Partner choice
When choosing a partner, the saying 'opposites attract' is gaining in importance. Of course, any temperament can live happily with anyone, but there are combinations that tend to go better or worse. In his first book, Please understand me , Keirsey argued that couples should be entirely different.
Examples:
- INTP - ESFJ
- ENFJ - ISTP
Keirsey corrected this statement in his second book, Please understand me II, to the effect that partners only have intuition (N) or sensory (S) in common and should otherwise be opposite.
Examples:
- E S FJ - I S TP
- I S FP - E S TJ
- E N FJ - I N TP
- E N TP - I N FJ
However, Keirsey could not produce any evidence for his theories to this day, which is why these assignments are purely speculative.
reception
"It is not the purpose of a psychological typology to classify human beings into categories - this in itself would be pretty pointless."
"It's not the purpose of a psychological typology to divide people into categories - that in itself would be pretty pointless."
Although Jung, on whose archetypes the MBTI model is based, was always against such a categorization, many people did it.
In Anglo-American regions, the MBTI and the further developments of Keirsey in the work area and in matchmaking are often used. The prevalence of MBTI has increased in Western Europe, but is not comparable to that in America. In Eastern Europe and Russia, the MBTI counterpart socionics is very popular. A five-element doctrine has long been based in the east , but it seems to converge with the four-element doctrine of the west.
Temperament types shouldn't be overrated as they are just one factor among many. On the one hand, people are changeable in certain areas, on the other hand, other values such as knowledge, intelligence or skills are left out. The differentiation of people on the basis of temperament traits is nevertheless more precise than the reduction to physical characteristics (as was often used in ancient times) or as pseudosciences such as astrology . Keirsey's types enable an abstraction through which supposedly a lot can be learned about a person with little effort, but through which many individual characteristics of people are lost.
Unlike the MBTI model, Keirsey does not work with functional attributes such as introverted feeling (Fi), extroverted thinking (Te) etc., which makes the application of the model less complex - in a positive sense it is easier to learn and use, in a negative sense it is exhausted more quickly and cannot go into so much depth.
Gunter Dueck , who sees himself as an INTJ (rationalist, mastermind) type, draws on Keirsey's books in some of his works and creates his own character model based on them.
The couple Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger have published several books to help people in work, education and partnership, and use the MBTI as a central tool. Here, too, Keirsey's remarks are used and supplemented by his own observations.
Works
- with Marilyn Bates: Please Understand Me . Prometheus Nemesis Book, 1984, ISBN 0-9606954-0-0 . (English)
- with Marilyn Bates: Please understand me . Intj Books, 1990, ISBN 0-9606954-4-3 .
- with Ray Choiniere and Stephen E. Montgomery (Eds.): Presidential Temperament: The Unfolding of Character in the Forty Presidents of the United States . Prometheus Nemesis Book, 1992, ISBN 0-9606954-6-X . (English)
- with Marilyn Bates and Stephen Montgomery: Please Understand Me: Character & Temperament Types . Prometheus Nemesis Book, 1994, ISBN 1-885705-00-X . (English)
- Portraits of Temperament . Prometheus Nemesis Book, 1995, ISBN 0-9606954-1-9 . (English)
- with Ray Choiniere: Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence . Prometheus Nemesis Book, 1998, ISBN 1-885705-02-6 . (English)
literature
- About Keirsey's Model (by Stephen Montgomery)
- Stephen Montgomery: The Pygmalion Project, Vol. I: The Artisans . Prometheus Nemesis Book, 1989, ISBN 0-9606954-2-7 . (English)
- Stephen Montgomery: Pygmalion Project, Vol. II: The Guardian . Prometheus Nemesis Book, 1990, ISBN 0-9606954-5-1 . (English)
- Stephen Montgomery: The Pygmalion Project, Vol. III: The Idealist . Prometheus Nemesis Book, 1993, ISBN 0-9606954-9-4 . (English)
- Stephen Montgomery: Pygmalion Project: The Rational . Prometheus Nemesis Book, 2003, ISBN 99993-6665-1 . (English)
- Stephen Montgomery: The Pygmalion Project: Love and Coercion Among the Types (Love & Coercion Among the Types Series) . Prometheus Nemesis Book, 1990, ISBN 0-9606954-5-1 . (English)
- Stephen Montgomery: People Patterns: A Modern Guide to the Four Temperaments . Prometheus Nemesis Book, 2002, ISBN 1-885705-03-4 . (English)
- Continuing
- Isabel Briggs Myers, Peter B. Myers: Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type . Davies-Black Publishing, 1995, ISBN 0-89106-074-X . (English)
- Paul D. Tieger, Barbara Barron-Tieger, Marly A. Swick: The Art of Speed Reading People: Harness the Power of Personality Type and Create. Little Brown and Company, 1999, ISBN 0-316-84518-3 . (English)
- Paul D. Tieger, Barbara Barron-Tieger, E. Michael Ellowich: Nurture by Nature: Understand Your Child's Personality Type - And Become a Better Parent . Little Brown and Company, 1997, ISBN 0-316-84513-2 . (English)
- Lenore Thomson: Personality Type (Jung on the Hudson Books) . Shambhala Publications, 1998, ISBN 0-87773-987-0 . (English)
- William Bridges: The Character of Organizations . Verlag für Angewandte Psychologie, 1997, ISBN 3-8017-0879-9 .
Web links
- From or through Keirsey
- http://keirsey.com/ - Keirsey Official Site
- http://keirsey.com/sorter/instruments2.aspx?partid=0 - Keirsey Temperament Sorter II (English)
- http://www.pomona.edu/Magazine/pcmfl05/FSkeirsey.shtml - report on Keirsey (English)
- http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/...v7n1.html - Relationship between personality and education (English)