Cognitive functions - Definition and Overview

The cognitive functions, sometimes known as mental functions, are thinking, feeling, sensing and intuition. They were intially conceived of by Carl Jung in his pioneering work "Psychological Types" (1921, ISBN 0691097704). Each one of these mental functions can be either introverted or extraverted (known as attitudes).

Isabel Myers interpreted Jung's writing as saying that the auxiliary, tertiary, and inferior functions are always in the opposite attitude of the dominant. Many, however, have found Jung's writing to be ambiguous, and those who study and follow Jung's theories (Jungians) are typically adamant that Myers is incorrect. Jungians posit that Jung made explicit the point that the tertiary function is actually in the same attitude as the dominant, providing balance. More recently, typologists such as John Beebe and Linda Berens have introduced theoretical systems that include all eight functions, with the latter four known as the "shadow functions," residing largely in the unconscious.

The Center for Applications of Psychological Type, co-founded by Myers, has internal controversy regarding the attitude of the tertiary. "The MBTI Qualifying Program," a binder given out during official training, has the tertiary in the opposite attitude of the dominant on page 13, however, "The Manual," which gives official instructions on how to use the test, has the tertiary in the same attitude on page 31. Dr. Charles Martin [1] (http://www.drcharlesmartin.com), ex vice president of research at CAPT, writes the following on page 22 of the binder, "In what attitude is the tertiary? Isabel Myers read Jung to say that the auxiliary, tertiary, and inferior are all in the same attitude and opposite the dominant. Others (Harold Grant) read: tertiary is in the same attitude as the dominant."

The cognitive functions according to Carl Jung

Carl Jung invented the theory of the cognitive processes in his work "Psychological Types". He used the terms dominant, auxiliary, and inferior.

The cognitive functions according to Isabel Myers:

Isabel Myers created the original type table. To find the opposite type of the one you are looking at, jump over one diagonally.

The cognitive functions according to John Beebe:

John Beebe has not published a type table, however, the format that Isabel Myers used works well for his theory. Just as in Myers's table, jump over one diagonally to find the type whose first four functions are opposite. This does not work with the last four, however.

The cognitive functions according to Linda V. Berens:

The layout of Beren's type table is unique, however, the ordering of her cognitive processes is the same as John Beebe's. They also use different terminology.