Psychological Type Defined

Psychological type theory has four basic observations and assumptions:

1. All sentient beings must take in data about their surroundings in order to respond appropriately. These are the the psychological functions of Perception:
   • Sensation
   • Intuition
2. All sentient beings process data about their surroundings, make decisions and develop actions based on this data processing. These are the psychological functions of Judging:
   • Objective decision making
   • Subjective decision making
3. Humans have personal preferences about which perceiving function and which judging function they prefer to use.
4. Consequently, it is a reasonable prediction that people will often behave in a manner consistent with these preferences. In other words, we will tend to do what we prefer to do given no other force acting on us – sort of Newton's First Law applied to human psychology.

Since our behavior has many influences, psychological type does not determine our behavior but it does predispose us toward certain behaviors. Some of the kinds of factors that may influence our behavior include:

• Personal choices, wants, needs and desires
• Psychological type
• Values, morals and mores
• Familial history, ties, upbringing and relationships
• Cultural and political influences
• Business demands and the challenge of earning a living

Psychological type focuses on preferences and not pathology. Thus, any of the psychological types are equally healthy, productive, and acceptable. Psychological type reflects normal healthy data collection and processing which all humans perform in preferred ways.