NOTICE
© As the Cognitive Style Inventory is intended to be used on the Internet, linking to this page is permitted. However copying or reproducing this inventory, in whole or part, is prohibited without the express permission of the author.
Ross Reinhold - ross@personalitypathways.com

Determining one's natural Myers-Briggs type or cognitive style is frequently complicated by our life-long learning experiences. The classic question is: " Am I this way because I learned it or is this just the way I am?"

In reviewing the comparisons in our inventory, you may find yourself drawn equally to opposing choices. In such cases I suggest you try to think back to how you were before the age of 12 or even younger if you can recall. The rationale for this suggestion is the fact that by the time we are 3 years old, the core of our cognitive organization is well-fixed. . . although the brain continues to allow some plasticity until puberty.

After the onset of puberty, our adult learning begins to overlay our core personality - which is when the blending of nature and nurture becomes more evident. For some people, this "learning" serves to strengthen what is already there, but with others it produces multiple faces to personality. Discovering or rediscovering this innate core of yourself is part of the journey of using personality type to enrich your life.

Each of the four questions of the CSI inventory has two parts. The first part is a general description of the preference choices. The second part is a list of paired statements. Use both parts to form your opinion on your more dominant preference.

Q1. Which is your most natural energy orientation?

Every person has two faces. One is directed towards the OUTER world of activities, excitements, people, and things. The other is directed inward to the INNER world of thoughts, interests, ideas, and imagination.

While these are two different but complementary sides of our nature, most people have an innate preference towards energy from the either the OUTER or INNER worlds. Thus one of their faces, either the Extraverted (E) or Introverted (I), takes the lead in their personality development and plays a more dominant role in their behavior.

• Act first, think/reflect later.

• Feel deprived when cutoff from interaction with the outside world.

• Usually open to and motivated by outside world of people and things.

• Enjoy wide variety and change in people relationships.

• Think/reflect first, then Act.

• Regularly require an amount of "private time" to recharge batteries.

• Motivated internally, mind is sometimes so active it is "closed" to outside world.

• Prefer one-to-one communication and relationships.

Q2. Which way of Perceiving or understanding is most "automatic" or natural?

The Sensing (S) side of our brain notices the sights, sounds, smells and all the sensory details of the PRESENT. It categorizes, organizes, records and stores the specifics from the here and now. It is REALITY based, dealing with "what is." It also provides the specific details of memory & recollections from PAST events.

The Intuitive (N) side of our brain seeks to understand, interpret and form OVERALL patterns of all the information that is collected and records these patterns and relationships. It speculates on POSSIBILITIES, including looking into and forecasting the FUTURE. It is imaginative and conceptual.

While both kinds of perceiving are necessary and used by all people, each of us instinctively tends to favor one over the other.

• Mentally live in the Now, attending to present opportunities.

• Using common sense and creating practical solutions is automatic-instinctua.l

• Memory recall is rich in detail of facts and past events.
  

• Best improvise from past experience.

• Like clear and concrete information; dislike guessing when facts are "fuzzy."

• Mentally live in the Future, attending to future possibilities.

• Using imagination and creating/inventing new possibilities is automatic-instinctual.

• Memory recall emphasizes patterns, contexts, and connections.

• Best improvise from theoretical understanding.

• Comfortable with ambiguous, fuzzy data and with guessing its meaning.

Q3. Which way of forming Judgments and making choices is most natural?

The Thinking (T) side of our brain analyzes information in a DETACHED, objective fashion. It operates from factual principles, deduces and forms conclusions systematically. It is our logical nature.

The Feeling (F) side of our brain forms conclusions in an ATTACHED and somewhat global manner, based on likes/dislikes, impact on others, and human and aesthetic values. It is our subjective nature.

While everyone uses both means of forming conclusions, each person has a natural bias towards one over the other so that when they give us conflicting directions - one side is the natural trump card or tiebreaker.

Thinking Characteristics

Feeling Characteristics

• Instinctively search for facts and logic in a decision situation.

• Naturally notices tasks and work to be accomplished.

• Easily able to provide an objective and critical analysis.

• Accept conflict as a natural, normal part of relationships with people.

• Instinctively employ personal feelings and impact on people in decision situations.

• Naturally sensitive to people needs and reactions.

• Naturally seek consensus and popular opinions.
  

• Unsettled by conflict; have almost a toxic reaction to disharmony.

Q4. What is your "action orientation" towards the outside world?

All people use both judging (thinking and feeling) and perceiving (sensing and intuition) processes to store information, organize our thoughts, make decisions, take actions and manage our lives. Yet one of these processes (Judging or Perceiving) tends to take the lead in our relationship with the outside world . . . while the other governs our inner world.

A Judging (J) style approaches the outside world WITH A PLAN and is oriented towards organizing one's surroundings, being prepared, making decisions and reaching closure and completion.

A Perceiving (P) style takes the outside world AS IT COMES and is adopting and adapting, flexible, open-ended and receptive to new opportunities and changing game plans.

Judging Characteristics

Perceiving Characteristics

• Plan many of the details in advance before moving into action.

• Focus on task-related action; complete meaningful segments before moving on.

• Work best and avoid stress when keep ahead of deadlines.

• Naturally use targets, dates and standard routines to manage life.

• Comfortable moving into action without a plan; plan on-the-go.
  

• Like to multitask, have variety, mix work and play.
  

• Naturally tolerant of time pressure; work best close to the deadlines.

• Instinctively avoid commitments which interfere with flexibility, freedom and variety.

Resources to learn more about the MBTI & Personality Type