Sources

Cognitype™ is a typological model of cognitive triadic personality types derived from other derivatives of Jung’s Psychological Types. From the material below, we extricated a truly cognitive typology from the mix-up of pulsive and affective, trait and temper facets, through rearranging the systems, editing, eliminating and expanding terms, and reinterpreting everything upon new and clearer principles arising from this. Cognitype™ was “born” with fundamental novelty in late 2017. “Cognitive process” was clarified to “cognitive template,” and the third elemental dichotomy was added, prompting a bulk of changes. More significant changes in terms and concepts occurred around 2020 such as in subtypes and the nature-funnel, with supertype classifications and descriptions from this into 2021.

16Personalities

~ A nod to the culturally popular, typologically notorious 16P for having sufficient hint of something to look elsewhere for substance. Read our critique of typological trait models here.

A Little Bit of Personality

~ Among the many sources skimmed, ALBOP’s basic series stood out and planted some seeds for reconsidering and reworking the dichotomies.

Cognitive Processes by Linda Berens & Dario Nardi

~2015/2016? CognitiveProcesses introduced the slightly different “cognitive process” instead of “cognitive function,” suggesting a particular, personal cognitive method or strategy, with questions, especially as to further the distinction, which we assumed, from traits. To answer, our own perspectives began from altering their terms, mostly renaming or “synonyming,” in our first documents.

The Big Book of Realistic Drawing Secrets, by Carrie Stuart Parks & Rick Parks

~2017 (We also recommend this book for its intended artistic purposes) On page 29 in the section “Thinking in Patterns” and on the next page’s “Perception,” it states:

  • “The human brain is very efficient. It processes information at an astounding rate, then places that information into a memorized pattern so it makes sense to us in the future.”
  • “Your brain records a recognizable pattern for each object and recalls that pattern when necessary.”
  • “When you draw, it is the memorized pattern that you usually reproduce on paper, not the reality of the object in front of you. Anything unique about the object you see may be lost when your brain recalls the pattern on file.”
  • “This means our mental patterns of most objects we want to draw are missing the details necessary to make the object appear realistic.”
  • “Seeing as an artist […] is about perception, the mind’s ability to interpret what we see.”
  • “Perception filters exists solely to keep us from overloading on too much information.”
  • “Our perceptions dictate that objects must have strong outlines and defining edges.”

Most typological models hold cognitive functions as a kind of orientation, preference, interest, etc. which induces coinciding cognitive behaviors, focusing attention or prioritizing mental contents or subject matters. But for the cognitive process to be a how, not what, of thinking, it cannot be so literal of or extrinsic to thought. Rather, our model clarified these processes as cognitive templates, the figural simplifications, reductions, and projections inherent within the cognition itself. These are outlines, preexisting frameworks, that all thoughts are processed in the manner of, as if they were. Likewise, not looking to faces, but seeing faces in clouds.

At this time, the Feeling vs Thinking dichotomy was being (or failing to be) debugged. Working backwards with fresh eyes brought about the new modular vs relational (now substantives vs connectives) dichotomy also underlying Sensing vs Intuition, which began major redefining and redescribing of type from these new principles.

Casual Cognition / INTJ & INFP Coffee

~2018-2019 Then INTJ & INFP Coffee, Alex and Calypso often connected cognitive type to language patterns in videos like Ni vs Ne Authors: Different Writing Styles, Ni vs Ne Writing Styles (Including Excerpts!), and J vs P Lead Speech Pattern. Their discussions of type, even where we diverged, significantly influenced our understanding and development.

YouTube & Personality-Database Communities

~2019-2020 Gradual, ongoing adjustments were largely facilitated by involvement and discussion within the personality community. This helped in finding words to expand applications, such as “narrative” for Fe by Talking with Famous People, “axiom” for Ti by CognitiveType, or Binyamin Tsadik’s statistical precision vs accuracy, though we apply it in the opposite manner. We thank everyone who has contributed to the personality community.

Languages & Natural Patterns

~2020 With the emphasis on typology as a form of semi-collectively personalized cognitive utility, the parallels already in formal languages such as for math, logic, and coding/programming became apparent for typology. This also extends into natural languages but with less clarity. Although applied for their own meaning in typology, some of the terms (such as “operations”) were searched for and found within these fields. This still has room to adapt, keeping these parallels in mind. We welcome anyone who has more experience in these areas to discuss or suggest further ideas. Patterns in nature are an even more figurative parallel to cognitive type. You can read about natural patterns on Wikipedia or in Philip Ball’s Patterns in Nature, among others.

Click here for further cognitive and typological resources.
Versions

Increasing by 1 with conceptual changes, numbers X.Y.Z. indicate X: major changes in nomenclature/terms or first principles; Y: moderate changes in nomenclature/terms or ideas such as in different traits/tempers/types; Z: minor changes in descriptions or discussions.

CTPTv1.1.1

The information currently published is the first, official version of Cognitype™ or CTPT — the Cognitive Triadic Personality Types, by PersonalityTapestry.