# What is Socionics? how is it different from MBTI? is it Legit?



## KimmyCat (Apr 2, 2011)

What is Socionics ..... is it as trusted as MBTI?


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## Random Ness (Oct 13, 2010)

No replies? I'm sad.

Socionics is as trusted as MBTI--in fact, it ought to be _more_ trusted. Both socionics and MBTI stem from Carl Jung's research. Socionics was created in Russia, so that's why it's not popular among English-speakers. What a shame! Because socionics actually gives _more_ than MBTI.

MBTI and socionics both give:
-8 functions
-4 similarly-named dichotomies (feeling is ethics, thinking is logics, judging is rationality, and perceiving is irrationality)

But socionics ALSO gives:
-11 additional dichotomies
-intertype relations
-romance styles
-temperaments (not like MBTI and Keirsey; you can be a different Keirsey type than your MBTI type!)
-quadras

The addition of intertype relations is the most helpful part of socioncis that MBTI just plain lacks.

The most important thing to remember when reading socionics material after already being a fan of MBTI is that the functions and dichotomies of socionics DO NOT EQUAL the functions and dichotomies of MBTI. This chart shows the correlation between MBTI and socionics type. Notice that a majority of people are actually not the same type:










Wikisocion.org is the god of all socionics sites. The16types.info is the god of all socionics forums. Just beware when searching socionics sites that some do not follow the classical socionics model (model A) and others assume that socionics = MBTI.


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## PrinceinExile (Dec 29, 2010)

No it shouldn't be trusted, I've found socionics is wrong in most cases.


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## Random Ness (Oct 13, 2010)

PrinceinExile said:


> No it shouldn't be trusted, I've found socionics is wrong in most cases.


I've found it right in most cases. *shrug*


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## PrinceinExile (Dec 29, 2010)

Random Ness said:


> I've found it right in most cases. *shrug*


Different strokes.


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## cyamitide (Jul 8, 2010)

Yeah it's legit and in some ways it is actually an improvement from MBTI, for example it describes inter-type relations and explains why some types get along better than others, why some types might conflict or have asymmetrical relations. It took me a month to learn it but it was worth it. Socionics is actually extremely similar to MBTI. It also has 16 types, 8 cognitive functions, 4 dichotomies like extravert-introvert, logical-ethical, sensing-intuitive, and so on. 

If you want to learn more about it I recommend this forum: the16types.info - A forum about Socionics

Socionics often uses three-letter notations for the types. Most common conversions are as follows:

INTP-LII, ENTP-ILE, ESFJ-ESE, ISFJ-SEI - comprise Alpha quadra, all these types value Ti,Fe,Ne,Si
ENFJ-EIE, INFJ-IEI, ISTP-SLI, ESTP-SLE - comprise Beta quadra, all these types value Ti,Fe,Se,Ni
INTJ-ILI, ENTJ-LIE, ESFP-SEE, ISFP-ESI - comprise Gamma quadra, all these types value Te,Fi,Se,Ni
ENFP-IEE, INFP-EII, ISTJ-SLI, ESTJ-LSE - comprise Delta quadra, these types value Te,Fi,Ne,Si

Quadra values are described in more detail here: Quadra - Wikisocion

Some introductory material to Socionics can be found here: Socionics Theory


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## aestrivex (Mar 7, 2011)

Random Ness said:


> The most important thing to remember when reading socionics material after already being a fan of MBTI is that the functions and dichotomies of socionics DO NOT EQUAL the functions and dichotomies of MBTI. This chart shows the correlation between MBTI and socionics type. Notice that a majority of people are actually not the same type:


"This chart shows the correlation between MBTI and socionics type."

no, this is a chart showing subjective best-fit ratings of a bunch of keirsey profiles by socionists (for purposes of this study, socionists is quite loosely defined, though there is a minimal guideline). it is not a chart showing the correlation between MBTI and socionics.


reading the closest thing available to the source study by lytov is instructive here.


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## cyamitide (Jul 8, 2010)

cyamitide said:


> ENFJ-EIE, INFJ-IEI, ISTP-SLI, ESTP-SLE - comprise Beta quadra, all these types value Ti,Fe,Se,Ni


oops made a typo .... ISTP should be LSI


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## timeless (Mar 20, 2010)

Socionics was developed in Soviet Russia in 1968 as a mind control experiment by the KGB. The theory was that if you could determine someone's personality type, it would be easier to control them. However, it was woefully underfunded and only had one test subject, Timothy Piotr Alexandrov. They gave Mr. Alexandrov a variety of mind-bending drugs including LSD in order to produce sixteen distinct personalities. The researchers then studied the different personalities.

Interestingly, some personalities seemed extroverted and some seemed introverted. But the words "extrovert" and "introvert" didn't exist until 1992, so they called certain personalities "Extratims" and certain "Introtims", based obviously on the subject's first name of Timothy. For example, Logical Intuitive Extratim is a Socionics typed developed from that naming system. The project was disbanded in 1982 and fully declassified after the fall of the Soviet Union. Socionics remains popular in Russia but is hesitantly approached because of its ties to the KGB. What made it worse is that Socionics was advertised as a way to defeat the Capitalist MBTI, and propaganda based on that still lingers and leaves a bad taste in people's mouths.


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## aestrivex (Mar 7, 2011)

timeless said:


> Socionics was developed in Soviet Russia in 1968 as a mind control experiment by the KGB. The theory was that if you could determine someone's personality type, it would be easier to control them. However, it was woefully underfunded and only had one test subject, Timothy Piotr Alexandrov. They gave Mr. Alexandrov a variety of mind-bending drugs including LSD in order to produce sixteen distinct personalities. The researchers then studied the different personalities.
> 
> Interestingly, some personalities seemed extroverted and some seemed introverted. But the words "extrovert" and "introvert" didn't exist until 1992, so they called certain personalities "Extratims" and certain "Introtims", based obviously on the subject's first name of Timothy. For example, Logical Intuitive Extratim is a Socionics typed developed from that naming system. The project was disbanded in 1982 and fully declassified after the fall of the Soviet Union. Socionics remains popular in Russia but is hesitantly approached because of its ties to the KGB. What made it worse is that Socionics was advertised as a way to defeat the Capitalist MBTI, and propaganda based on that still lingers and leaves a bad taste in people's mouths.


actually you are misinformed, socionics is basically more like kind of like a watermelon but you ignore this fact in your analysis so really your overview is totally skewed and pathetic and you deserve in every conceivable way my scathing disgust right now


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## Paragon (Mar 15, 2011)

timeless said:


> Socionics was developed in Soviet Russia in 1968 as a mind control experiment by the KGB. The theory was that if you could determine someone's personality type, it would be easier to control them. However, it was woefully underfunded and only had one test subject, Timothy Piotr Alexandrov. They gave Mr. Alexandrov a variety of mind-bending drugs including LSD in order to produce sixteen distinct personalities. The researchers then studied the different personalities.
> 
> Interestingly, some personalities seemed extroverted and some seemed introverted. But the words "extrovert" and "introvert" didn't exist until 1992, so they called certain personalities "Extratims" and certain "Introtims", based obviously on the subject's first name of Timothy. For example, Logical Intuitive Extratim is a Socionics typed developed from that naming system. The project was disbanded in 1982 and fully declassified after the fall of the Soviet Union. Socionics remains popular in Russia but is hesitantly approached because of its ties to the KGB. What made it worse is that Socionics was advertised as a way to defeat the Capitalist MBTI, and propaganda based on that still lingers and leaves a bad taste in people's mouths.


Do you have a source for this?


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## caramel_choctop (Sep 20, 2010)

*shrug* it confuses the hell out of me, that's all I know.
@Paragon I believe he was being sarcastic.


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## cyamitide (Jul 8, 2010)

aestrivex said:


> actually you are misinformed, socionics is basically more like kind of like a watermelon but you ignore this fact in your analysis so really your overview is totally skewed and pathetic and you deserve in every conceivable way my scathing disgust right now


:laughing:

KGB has succeeded!


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