Algorithm of the Information Processing Procedure: Personality Type and Personal
In my experience teaching Socionics and moderating forums on the subject, I've frequently encountered misunderstandings about the roles of TIM (Type of Information Metabolism) and personal factors in human behavior. These misconceptions often lead to misinterpretations of Socionic concepts and elements, complicating the accurate application of Socionics in practice.
To effectively study Socionics, it's crucial to differentiate and understand the impact of both personal and TIM factors on human behavior. Without this clarity, correctly applying Socionic knowledge becomes nearly impossible.
I. The Process of Information Processing by the Human Psyche
1. Sensory Irritation
The first stage involves the irritation of sensory organs, which triggers the information processing process. For an average person with no sensory impairments, this process is the same for everyone, regardless of their TIM or personal characteristics.
Example: Imagine two people with different TIMs walking together down a city street. Their sensory organs are subjected to the same stimuli—they hear the same sounds, feel the same wind, smell the same scents, and see the same panorama.
2. Information Aspect Division
At the next stage, the incoming information flow is divided into eight parts (information aspects). This stage occurs universally within the human psyche.
3. Aspect Processing According to Model A
Information is processed for each aspect according to the specific function of Model A. This is where a person's TIM characteristics come into play.
4. Creation of an Information Map
Based on the processed data, an information map of the incoming flow is created, structured according to Model A. At this stage, the person understands what they perceive in the situation.
Example: Let’s revisit the two friends walking down the street. Suppose their TIMs are SLI and IEE. Despite walking together, their descriptions of what they saw will differ, aligning with their respective TIMs. An SLI might remember the city for its clean air, good food, and reasonable prices, while an IEE might focus on unique, non-standard, and exclusive aspects of the city, along with insights from interacting with locals.
5. Subjective Assessment
Next, the information map is subjectively assessed (good/bad, right/wrong) based on personal values, principles, beliefs, and norms. What a person evaluates (like people’s mood or restaurant prices) depends on their TIM, but the essence of the assessment depends on personal attitudes and beliefs.
Example: The IEE might note the exceptional openness and trustfulness of the city’s residents. Depending on personal beliefs, this quality could be seen as excessive and overly simplistic or as fostering a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere for communication.
6. Formation of Local Goals and Motivations
Based on the subjective assessment, local goals are formed, along with motivations (a system of reasons and arguments) in favor of a particular decision. The information structure of the motivation will depend on the TIM, but the essence and meaning will hinge on personal beliefs.
Example: The IEE, assessing the residents' trustfulness as unacceptable simplicity, might decide based on personal principles that “Simple people need to be taught to develop immunity against human malice” or “Simple people need to be protected from human malice.” Both motivations are built on the same information but have different meanings, leading to different decisions.
7. Decision-Making and Action Programming
At this stage, a decision is made aimed at achieving a specific result, and actions are programmed to reach this outcome. The actual desired result is influenced by personal attitudes, but the tools used to achieve the result depend on both personal attitudes and TIM.
Example: The IEE will decide to either “teach” or “protect” using situational opportunities and relationship management (acting from the Ego) or by exerting willpower and insisting on rules and formalities (acting from the Super-ego). The choice of tools is determined by personal factors, and these tools, in turn, dictate the expertise and effectiveness of the actions implemented.
8. Implementation of Actions
The final stage is the direct implementation of actions to execute the decisions made. These actions, carried out in specific situations, constitute purposeful behavior.
It's crucial to emphasize that stages 1 and 2 are independent of the Type of Information Metabolism (TIM), stages 3 and 4 are completely determined by the Type of Information Metabolism, and starting from stage 5, personal factors begin to interfere with the information processing process. These personal factors significantly impact decision-making and the execution of these decisions, i.e., human behavior.
II. A Little About Personal Factors
This article isn’t intended to delve deeply into personality factors, but it's necessary to clarify what we mean by personal factors.
Personal convictions, attitudes, beliefs, and principles are shaped by the immediate and broader society in which a person is raised. Throughout life, one's value system undergoes changes as they gain life experience and reevaluate their views. These changes are reflected in human behavior, which also evolves over time.
Personal factors can be categorized as follows:
1. Individual and Personal Factors:
- Level of self-esteem (arrogance/self-deprecation)
- Personal maturity (actualization/infantilism)
- Adequacy of self-perception
- Educational and cultural level
2. Local Social Factors:
- Family paradigm (family scenarios, family values)
3. Global-Social Factors:
- Cultural and professional environment
- Social level
- Regional-territorial paradigm
III. Conclusions from the Information Processing Algorithm
1. Accuracy of Type of Information Metabolism Descriptions
People often complain about the accuracy of existing descriptions of Types of Information Metabolism. The information processing algorithm explains why these descriptions can't be universally precise for every representative. Existing descriptions of Types of Information Metabolism are, at best, descriptions of average behaviors attributed to specific Types by their authors. Human behavior, influenced by both the Type of Information Metabolism and personal factors, is individual and can change over time.
2. Diagnosing Type of Information Metabolism
To diagnose the Type of Information Metabolism accurately, methods that assess the information processing at stages 3 and 4 are needed. This means analyzing the parameters of information processing by the functions of Model A and the structure of the resulting information map.
However, situational typing methods, which analyze a person’s behavior in specific situations, are still common. These methods should be used with caution, recognizing that the behaviors identified at stages 7 and 8 are heavily influenced by personal factors unrelated to the Type of Information Metabolism. When asking someone about their actions in a given situation, clarifying questions should be used to trace back through the algorithm to the initial information that shaped their motivation. In this case, it's the basic information, not the final decision, that indicates the Type of Information Metabolism.
3. Levels of Information Processing
Information processing occurs on several levels:
- Physiological (Stages 1 - 2)
- Type of Information Metabolism (Stages 3 - 4)
- Personal (Stages 5 - 6)
- Mixed (Stages 7 - 8)
Information interaction between people happens at each level, and at each level, you can observe the comfort or discomfort in information relations.
Information processing at the physiological level depends on the functioning of sensory organs. For example, communication between sighted and blind people can be challenging simply because their information flows differ significantly at the perception level.
Socionic intertype relationships describe information interaction at the level of the Type of Information Metabolism, illustrating how elements of Models A interact and how favorable the information exchange between partners will be within specific information aspects.
Information compatibility at the personal level is reflected in the compatibility of an individual’s personal, local social, and global social attitudes. A common example of personal incompatibility is mismatched family paradigms.
At the mixed level, the compatibility and consistency of people's behavior are determined by both their intertype relationships and the alignment of their personal attitudes. Relationships between people (not just Types of Information Metabolism) are formed at this stage. It's important to note that the significance and influence of interaction at each level can vary in different situations for different people.
This approach explains why sometimes duals can't find common ground or why people in uncomfortable intertype relationships (like conflict or superego relationships) struggle to get along.