# Types and The Brain: The [Pseudo?]Science Behind MBTI



## Fanille (Sep 3, 2009)

When Carl Jung wrote about the cognitive functions, he did not have the technological resources we have today to study parts of the brain, so he relied largely on anecdotal evidence from interactions with people. Now, neuroscience has evolved to the point where we can pinpoint certain aspects of the brain that are responsible for personality and behavior. This has allowed people like Jonathan Niednagel and Lenore Thomson to expand upon Jung's original theories and give an added dimension to personality typing. However, science hasn't proven everything, and a lot of the theories surrounding MBTI are still not evidence-based as of yet.

I will point out that neither myself, Niednagel, nor Thomson are neuroscientists; it is the work of others that has led them to develop their theories. I also do not currently have access to the original research articles that formed the basis of these theories, but I do have a copy of Niednagel's book, _Your Key To Sports Success_, which has a chapter on the neuroscience behind typing. Most of my information will come from that chapter, as well as the page on Niednagel's web site, "Brain Types & The Brain".

*Front and Back: Extraversion and Introversion*

Niednagel associates Extraversion with the front of the brain (anterior to the central sulcus) and Introversion with the back of the brain (posterior to the central sulcus). Most of the areas in the brain that initiate action and speech are located in the front of the brain, while the back of the brain gathers and processes data.

Here are some lines from Niednagel's site regarding Extraversion:



> --personality—the *prefrontal cortex* is the most significant area for creating one’s outward “personality”.
> 
> --Expressing language through conversation/speech (activated by _*Brocas [left anterior forebrain])*_. In general, Extraverts speak more and louder than Introverts. (Nurturing, environment, and genetic variances also affect speech patterns; thus explaining most speech differences among Extraverts [and Introverts].)
> 
> ...


And here are the points regarding Introversion:



> --understanding and comprehension of language (processed in_* left temporal*_ lobe—Wernickes)
> 
> --5 senses (taking in world around self)
> 
> ...


*Left and Right: Judging and Perceiving*

It had been thought that the left side of the brain was associated with Thinking and Sensing, while the right side of the brain was associated with Feeling and Intuition. More recent studies, though, have shown that aspects of all four are located in both hemispheres. For example, while verbal logic comes from the left hemisphere (and especially Broca's area in the left anterior), the right hemisphere is superior in spatial and synthetic reasoning. The left frontal region expresses emotion, while the amygdala (located in the posterior) is responsible for emotional memory. The understanding of abstract words comes from Wernicke's, in the left posterior region of the brain, while the right anterior part is responsible for intonation, mental imagery, and the understanding of metaphor.

Here's what Niednagel has to say about the left side of the brain:



> *Judging (J):* Structure, organization, seeking closure, local/detailed, methodical, and analytic (step-by-step).
> 
> --the_* left brain is essentially the Judging hemisphere*_ (unknown to Jung and Myers)
> 
> ...


And here's what he has to say about the right side of the brain:



> --_*right brain is principally the Perceiving hemisphere*_
> 
> --it’s involved in parallel/pattern processing
> 
> ...


In addition, it is worth noting that, even though J's may be left-brain dominant and P's may be right-brain dominant, we all are capable of using both hemispheres. We will, if possible, prefer one over the other, however.



> A study out of Duke University shows that, _*if at all possible, our brain will solve tasks by processing information in only one hemisphere*_. We see this on simple problem solving tasks. However, as the tasks get more complex, the brain will always choose to process by coordinating information between the two hemispheres. Weissman and Banich (2000). Neuropsychology, vol 14(1), 41-59.


*So What Hasn't Been Proven?*

As I've mentioned above, Thinking, Feeling, Sensing, and Intuition are all located in both the left and right hemispheres of the brain, with specific aspects in each. Thomson organizes the functions as follows (note that Thomson is making an approximation here; science hasn't specifically pinpointed the functions to these specific regions):

Front-Left: Te, Fe
Front-Right: Se, Ne
Back-Left: Si, Ni
Back Right: Ti, Fi

Interestingly, each region of the brain is associated with two functions. According to this, Ti and Fi are in the same part of the brain, so how can we neurologically tell the difference between the two?

Niednagel primarily uses motor movements to distinguish between SFs, STs, NFs, and NTs. Motor movements are initiated from the primary motor cortex, with specific regions of the cortex correlating to specific regions of the body:










Niednagel's theory is that SFs specialize in the gross motor region (from the toes to the elbow), STs specialize in the fine motor region (from the wrist to the eye), NFs specialize in the "language" region (face to swallowing), and NTs specialize in the cerebral cortex (separate from the fine motor cortex).










And from this, comes this:










While science has pinpointed specific areas of the primary motor cortex to specific muscles in the body, the association between the middle two letters of one's type and their motor skills comes largely from anecdotal evidence (basically Niednagel observed that certain people of the same personality type had the same motor skill arrangement).

Effectively, we have only really proven the existence of two of the four letters of the type code: E vs. I and J vs. P.


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## Mutatio NOmenis (Jun 22, 2009)

Excellent work. I support stickying this.


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## FrozenFire (Aug 18, 2009)

To me, this is the most interest aspect of the Myers-Briggs Theory of personality. There is a science behind it that involves various aspects of the brain (as shown by some parts of the OP), great stuff here, I'll have to take a look at it.


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## Marco Antonio (Nov 25, 2008)

what do you mean by "specializes in cerebral cortex"?


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## penchant (Sep 20, 2010)

Does this connect in some way as well...? MBTI Brain Types | Lenore Thomson Bentz

I like the image used on that website:


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## Fanille (Sep 3, 2009)

penchant said:


> Does this connect in some way as well...? MBTI Brain Types | Lenore Thomson Bentz
> 
> I like the image used on that website:


Yes, it does. In fact I did mention Thomson in my OP, but this diagram is much more clear than the way I explained it. Thanks for the link.


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## How Do You KNOW (Jan 9, 2011)

mind = blown


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## beenatam (Feb 22, 2011)

This is almost always a benign tumor on the pituitary gland, and it's very treatable. Usually with medication and/or surgery. It doesn't require chemo, and almost never spreads to other parts of the body.


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## skycloud86 (Jul 15, 2009)

beenatam said:


> This is almost always a benign tumor on the pituitary gland, and it's very treatable. Usually with medication and/or surgery. It doesn't require chemo, and almost never spreads to other parts of the body.


What is, exactly?


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## myexplodingcat (Feb 6, 2011)

penchant said:


> Does this connect in some way as well...? MBTI Brain Types | Lenore Thomson Bentz
> 
> I like the image used on that website:


These were confirmed by PET scans. It is not pseudo-science.


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## Up and Away (Mar 5, 2011)

myexplodingcat said:


> These were confirmed by PET scans. It is not pseudo-science.


Any idea of sample size anyone?


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## SulfonicOrb (Jan 31, 2011)

So the NF's have best usage of face? :laughing:


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## CarenRose (Aug 18, 2010)

And us NTs can *really* move our scalps! 



Souled In said:


> Any idea of sample size anyone?


Also, when, where, and how? I am very interested in this.


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## PrinceinExile (Dec 29, 2010)

I'm going to use this on skeptics from now on -favorites-


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## Up and Away (Mar 5, 2011)

myexplodingcat said:


> These were confirmed by PET scans. It is not pseudo-science.


Its interesting though that the emotion center is right in the center of the brain, and that the only distinction in brain hemispheres has to do with E and I, and J and P. Not S N or T F, since they share spaces.

That being said, this might only be the surface of the iceberg.

Also, was brain activity evenly distributed in each hemisphere?


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## MiGoreng (May 10, 2011)

This looks really interesting! *saves to finish reading later*

Are there any counter arguments to it?


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## Grunfur (Oct 23, 2011)

Neuroscience hasn't got as far enough as to cure autism, so it can't possibly justify enough about personality other than identifying the lobes for traits.


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## Cosmicsense (Dec 7, 2011)

I'm sorry, but that makes no sense whatsoever, lol!


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## Staffan (Nov 15, 2011)

When I read Thomson's book I thought it was strange that she wrote about such a potentially important finding based on just one source. Until I looked up Mr Niednagel on Wikipedia: Brain types - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

Staffan said:


> When I read Thomson's book I thought it was strange that she wrote about such a potentially important finding based on just one source. Until I looked up Mr Niednagel on Wikipedia: Brain types - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Yea I have a tendency to trust Nardi's work a little bit more since it is much more grounded in actual neurology.

I do find it funny that this thread is linked as a source on the wiki page though.


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## Staffan (Nov 15, 2011)

LiquidLight said:


> Yea I have a tendency to trust Nardi's work a little bit more since it is much more grounded in actual neurology.
> 
> I do find it funny that this thread is linked as a source on the wiki page though.


Yes, Wiki isn't always reliable. But it does feature criticism form The American Board of Sport Psychology which is affiliated with some real psychologists and neuroscientists. But I'm not ruling these findings out altogether. I'm just suspicious of a finding that a guy with a business degree promotes and various real psychologists criticize. They're not saying his findings need to be wrong though but that there is no proof. But given that Thomson's book was published 1998 it doesn't look like there is much proof forthcoming.


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## CyberHiker (Aug 8, 2011)

By this logic I must be an SF. I'm not buying this theory.


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## Pr0metheus (Jun 23, 2012)

Interesting theory but very spotty science to actually back it up. This guy needs to stop claiming his ideas as fact until there are peer-reviewed studies that can validate some of what he is theorizing. Also, having a "testimonials" section on your website is easily the most effective way of instantly tripping the big red skeptic alarm. 

Red alert, shields up!


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## Enkidu (Apr 19, 2010)

Fanille said:


> It had been thought that the left side of the brain was associated with Thinking and Sensing, while the right side of the brain was associated with Feeling and Intuition. More recent studies, though, have shown that aspects of all four are located in both hemispheres. For example, while verbal logic comes from the left hemisphere (and especially Broca's area in the left anterior), the right hemisphere is superior in spatial and synthetic reasoning. The left frontal region expresses emotion, while the amygdala (located in the posterior) is responsible for emotional memory. The understanding of abstract words comes from Wernicke's, in the left posterior region of the brain, while the right anterior part is responsible for intonation, mental imagery, and the understanding of metaphor.
> 
> In addition, *it is worth noting that, even though J's may be left-brain dominant and P's may be right-brain dominant, we all are capable of using both hemispheres*. We will, if possible, prefer one over the other, however.


YES. When I first clicked on this this thread, I thought it was going to be another tired, old Right Brain vs. Left Brain argument. I was pleasantly surprised. Personally, I believe that the education system & the values of a society over-emphasize the development of one side of the brain over the other. Dependence on a set behavior or style of thinking is trained throughout childhood. New research in neuroscience shows how interconnected the brain is - Jung could not fathom this in his day.


Fanille said:


> As I've mentioned above, Thinking, Feeling, Sensing, and Intuition are all located in both the left and right hemispheres of the brain, with specific aspects in each. Thomson organizes the functions as follows (note that Thomson is making an approximation here; science hasn't specifically pinpointed the functions to these specific regions):
> 
> Front-Left: Te, Fe
> Front-Right: Se, Ne
> ...


Some of this reminds me of Dr. Dario Nardi's work on the neurobiology of MBTI: Neuroscience of Personality. His research is a move in the right direction, unfortunately its major flaw is that Nardi works within the MBTI framework. Instead of recognizing the limits of Jung's outdated psychoanalysis, Dario subjugates neuroscience for the sole purpose of bolstering that theory. This is ideology and the rot of orthodoxy. 


Fanille said:


> Effectively, we have only really proven the existence of two of the four letters of the type code: E vs. I and J vs. P.


I've always been a bit dubious of the intuition/sensing and thinking/feeling dynamics. Thank you for your efforts, this sounds promising.


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## Beauty for Ashes (Feb 6, 2013)

These statistics: Top 10 Complex Logic Users by Personality Type - wambly.weebly.com make sense in light of the hemispheres used... If INFPs use mostly the right side of their brains, it would make sense that they don't venture over to the logical side as much as others....


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## FranklinVanDoesburg (Jun 2, 2014)

Hi, just arrived in this café: this image is cool and looks like what I have found

Back Left: ij
Back Right: ip
Front Left: ep
Front Right: ej

Can you see the consequences?

Greetings 



Fanille said:


> Yes, it does. In fact I did mention Thomson in my OP, but this diagram is much more clear than the way I explained it. Thanks for the link.


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## FranklinVanDoesburg (Jun 2, 2014)

I totally agree with this theory:

Front-Left: Te, Fe
Front-Right: Se, Ne
Back-Left: Si, Ni
Back Right: Ti, Fi


I found some backing for this view in the work of Antonio Damasio. He argues that feeling/emotion is the basis for all thinking. That's why T & F are 'connected' in the brain. Just like S & N.

I work as a movement-coach and made my own typology based on Jung. I added p&j to Jung's system. I think it works better than MBTI...


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## ae1905 (Jun 7, 2014)

Interesting information, but largely drawn from the conclusions of people who aren't neuroscientists. It has the ring of journalists rushing to report on findings on the leading edge of science that they don't understand. Here's an excerpt from the Wikipedia entry for _Lateralization of brain function_. It appears to contradict the above claims that the left hemisphere is J and right side is P, and so on.



> Broad generalizations are often made in popular psychology about one side or the other having characteristic labels, such as "logical" for the left side or "creative" for the right. These labels are not supported by studies on lateralization, as lateralization does not add specialized usage from either hemisphere.[2] Both hemispheres contribute to both kinds of processes,[3] and experimental evidence provides little support for correlating the structural differences between the sides with such broadly-defined functional differences.[4]
> 
> The extent of any modularity, or specialization of brain function by area, remains under investigation. If a specific region of the brain, or even an entire hemisphere, is either injured or destroyed, its functions can sometimes be assumed by a neighboring region in the ipsilateral hemisphere or a corresponding region in the contralateral hemisphere, depending upon the area damaged and the patient's age.[5] When injury interferes with pathways from one area to another, alternative (indirect) connections may develop to communicate information with detached areas, despite the inefficiencies.
> 
> ...


In the 60's, I think, when scientists tried to measure the MBTI dichotomies to test the theory, the only one they could measure was E vs I. T vs F, N vs S, J vs P all fell along a single bell-shaped curve.

This is not to say the research should not continue--it definitely should--only that one should take the claims of non-specialists with a big grain of NaCl.


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