Carl Jung's Mental Processing Functions

Vocabulary flashcards covering Carl Jung's theory of personality functions, detailing the differences between introverted and extroverted sensing, thinking, feeling, and intuition.

Carl Jung

The theorist who proposed that there are four main types of mental processing—intuition, thinking, feeling, and sensing—and that each can be directed outward (extroverted) or inward (introverted).

Extroverted Sensing

A mental process focused on dealing with outward facts, reality, and sensations through direct real-world experiences, activities, and events.

Introverted Sensing

A mental process directed inward, characterized by strong internal memory of sensations (such as taste), bodily awareness, and precise recall of past information and facts.

Extroverted Thinking

A mental process focused on business efficiency, organizing resources, recognizing what the tribe or society needs, and executing solutions to provide it.

Introverted Thinking

A mental process focused on internal logic, reason, logical consistency, and mechanical understanding, typical of engineers.

Introverted Feeling

A mental process based on a subjective, personal value system and a strong internal sense of morality and individual right and wrong.

Extroverted Feeling

A mental process focused on the general common interest, tribe consensus, and evaluating what is good for everybody.

Extroverted Intuition

A mental process focused on observing external patterns, seeing how different ideas connect together, and operating in worlds of metaphor.

First Preference Function

The primary cognitive function that a person develops first as a young child and uses most naturally as their favorite mental process.

Fourth Preference Function

The least developed cognitive function in a person's hierarchy, which can be challenging to manage and often leads to unhelpful behaviors under stress.