Cognitive Functions: The 8 MBTI Cognitive Functions Explained

The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality test featuring sixteen personality types and eight corresponding cognitive functions. Each personality type has dominant, auxiliary, tertiary, and inferior functions that can inform how a person relates to the inner world and external world and approaches decision-making and problem-solving.

Psychologist Carl Jung outlined the cognitive functions in his 1921 book Psychological Types. According to Jung’s theory, people display four primary cognitive functions—Sensing, Intuition, Thinking, and Feeling—with either extroverted (or extraverted) or introverted tendencies. The eight cognitive functions are Introverted Sensing, Extraverted Sensing, Introverted Intuition, Extraverted Intuition, Introverted Thinking, Extraverted Thinking, Introverted Feeling, and Extraverted Feeling.

The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI for short) is a self-reported personality assessment. Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs, who drew heavily on the work of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, developed the MBTI to promote self-understanding by helping people clarify their abilities and preferences in life, work, and relationships.

The sixteen MBTI types include ISTJ, ISFJ, INTJ, INFJ, ISTP, INTP, INFP, ISFP, ESTJ, ENTJ, ENTP, ENFJ, ENFP, ESFP, ESTP, and ESFJ.

A scale of sensing, intuition, thinking, and feeling helps determine personality types, and personalities correspond to a particular function stack. The eight cognitive functions include:

1. 1. Introverted Sensing (SI): Introverted sensors rely on past experiences to understand present circumstances. Sensory input—sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound—plays a crucial role in memory recall and instinct. Personalities with a strong SI function, like the ISTJ personality, tend to think inwardly and in patterns.
2. 2. Extraverted Sensing (SE): Personality types with a strong SE function take in as much sensory information as possible; this makes them very detail-oriented and observant of the world around them. This function allows people to be present and live in the moment.
3. 3. Introverted Intuition (NI): This cognitive function allows people to use instincts to navigate the world. People with NI as a dominant function tend to focus inwardly and might find it challenging to articulate the reasons for decisions.
4. 4. Extraverted Intuition (NE): Individuals with NE as a dominant or auxiliary cognitive function are strong communicators and more readily notice patterns in the events and people around them. They can also articulate these patterns and ideas to others, making them compelling and trusted figures.
5. 5. Introverted Thinking (TI): Introverted thinkers are analytical. Personalities with a strong TI cognitive function tend to be quiet ponderers with a belief system based on personal experiences, previous insights, and discoveries. For this reason, they internalize events around them.
6. 6. Extraverted Thinking (TE): Extraverted thinkers rely heavily on reason and research to inform decisions. Personalities with strong TE tendencies set emotions aside and use logic. This function allows people to be persuasive.
7. 7. Introverted Feeling (FI): Introverted feelers show empathy and feel others’ joy and pain with excellent acuity. Personalities with FI as a dominant or auxiliary function tend to make decisions based on what feels suitable for the group and the current moment.
8. 8. Extraverted Feeling (FE): Cultural norms and societal mores dictate extraverted feelers’ belief systems. Personalities with a strong FE function use their beliefs to brainstorm and often exhibit great sensitivity and care for others.

Understanding your type of cognitive function can help you understand and strengthen your cognitive processes. Consider these real-world applications of your thinking, sensing, judging, and perceiving functions:

1. 1. Consider your love life. Understanding the different MBTI types can be helpful when it comes to finding compatible partners. Cognitive functions can further tell you how you might communicate with a partner and how you best intake information from them.
2. 2. Get to know yourself. Cognitive functions are on a broad scale but can offer a window into a person’s general habits. Knowing your dominant, auxiliary, tertiary, and inferior cognitive functions can make you more self-aware and empathetic toward others.
3. 3. Make smarter career decisions. Cognitive functions can inform how you process information and help determine the teams and work environments that best suit your needs.
4. 4. Navigate problem-solving. Cognitive functions are the tools that inform how people navigate troubles, big or small. Knowing your cognitive functions can help you approach problem-solving.
5. 5. Understand communication preferences. Some people are more impulsive in sharing ideas; others prefer to sit with a prompt or question before responding. The MBTI cognitive functions can reveal preferences for processing and speaking.

Developing relational intelligence and improving communication are essential to boost the quality of your personal and professional relationships. Discover Esther Perel’s approach to resolving conflict, having difficult conversations, and building trust when you sign up for a MasterClass Annual Membership.