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Augusta model of the information metabolism
¶
A. Augustinavichiute
Journal Socionics, methodology and psychology of personality, N 1,
1995
Model of the information metabolism
The scientific technical revolution joins two tendencies: the creation
of new industrial enterprises and new approaches to the use of working
resources. In this situation the problem of psychological typologies
gains new importance.
I call the reader’s attention to the typology created by Carl Gustav
Jung, which I have improved upon using A. Kepinski’s theory of
information metabolism. It allows one to look at the specific social
function of each individual, which depends on their type of personality
or intellect. The personality type determines the methods of selecting
which information is accepted from the external world. The ability to
focus on one or another aspect of the external world depends on the
individual’s aspirations, on where he directs his behavior, and his
relation to other people.
A double bond with the surrounding world is a necessary condition of any
functioning organism. From one side it is connected in the process of
energy metabolism, i.e. in the exchange of chemical substances with the
environment. From the other side it is connected through the process of
information metabolism to the world of electro-magnetic phenomena.
According to A. Kepinski the external information signals which the
psyche receives are similar to the food which the organism obtains
through the process of energy metabolism, i.e. as food is necessary for
the organisms energy metabolism, so information signals are for the
information metabolism of the psyche.
The ability of an organism to receive and transfer signals depends on
the formation of energy pulses within the organism, i.e. the process of
information metabolism begins with the formation of small energy
charges. In order to function as the apparatus of information
metabolism, the brain depends on a constant stream of signals obtained
from both outside and within the organism. If this stream of signals
ceases for any length of time, the organism’s psyche will begin to
disintegrate.
According to information theory, a system only receives the information
that it is attuned to, i.e. the only signals which it picks up are those
which it can issue itself. The signals which the organism is more
consciously aware of will likewise be more consciously produced. For
example, a man who does not notice his own tone when speaking, does not
pay attention to the tone of other people speaking.
The signals which are obtained externally are organized into two groups.
The first group contains all the dynamic processes. A man’s conscious
and unconscious movement communicates to others not only his present
actions, but to a certain degree his future ones as well. These signals
of future actions comprise a second group which are about people’s
emotional states and moods. These two groups of signals transfer the
information about external and internal dynamics.
There are also two aspects to information of static phenomena. Each
organism is an object which tries to avoid collisions with other objects
which are dangerous to it. Therefore it is necessary to transfer and
receive information about external qualities. Simultaneously he feels
the need to examine his own structure and the structures of other
objects in order to understand the potential capabilities of himself and
others. These signals can be transmitted, for example, through the color
of a face.
Thus, we can say that like every living being, man possesses four
functions, or four capacities of adaptation to the external world. Four
groups of man’s capabilities will subsequently be called extraverted and
be designated by the following symbols:
. The capacity to gather information about
external processes we will conditionally call logic -
,
the capacity to gather information about internal processes which occur
in the internal world of man - ethics -
, the capacity to
have precise information about the form and appearances of surrounding
objects - sensation -
, and the capacity to examine
structure and potential abilities - intuition -
.
Any type of information is processed by one of two methods: information
about objects
and their structure
assimilated in the context of the space between them -
(white logic) and in the context of their mutual attraction to each
other -
(white ethics). Information about processes
grasped in the context of time -
(white intuition) and in
the context of well-being -
(white sensing). Thus, there
are four spatial capabilities or skills of the psyche: the perception of
distances -
, the perception of attraction-repulsion -
, the perception of time -
and the
perception of well-being -
.
It is possible to compile this table:
Symbols of the seperate component parts of perception
¶
black
white
properties of objects
properties of space
action, motion
distance
excitation, motivation to act
attraction
form
state
structure
time
These capacities are inherent in all life. Mankind is segregated due to
the fact that he has not one, but sixteen types of personality.
Therefore within the psyche of individuals of different personality
types, only some of those elements of perception take special positions.
Two of them dominate, forming the so called ego. This is confirmed when
we study people and see how differently they think, how many alternate
ways of thinking of the very process of thinking exist.
Within the abstract theoretical model, if we contemplate a subject then
with the brains functioning occurs a displacement of energy charges. Two
rings of information metabolism (IM) are formed (See fig. 2).
One of these rings (static) receives and digests information about the
form of objects, their structure, attraction to other objects and
distance between them. In this case the information received is about
both the objects of the external world and about the organism itself as
an object. This is the initial point of analytical thinking.
The second ring recieves dynamic information, i.e. information about the
internal processes of the object (including emotions) and movements in
space. In the context, as has already been explained, of well-being and
in the context of time. This is the initial point for synthetic
thinking.
One of these rings (the upper in fig. 2) is more active, the other is
more passive. Therefore some types’ IM will be predominantly analytical
in thinking, the others - synthetic. It is interesting that analytical -
static thinking people always have a purposeful goal to obtain, and
synthetic - dynamic thinkers have a particular means for the achievement
of objectives.
⬆ good to go
⬇ needs to be worked on
One element of the active and one element of the passive ring performs
the leading role of the IM series. When in the active upper ring this
role belongs to a white element the psyche formed is introverted,
inlined to a certain idleness with the external world. When this role
belongs to a black element the psyche formed is extraverted, clearly
inclined towards the external over the internal world. The leading
elements of both rings are always a pair of elements, for example Te and
Ti.
In connection with the fact that the energy pulses can have one of two
directions, and both rings can be the active ring, it becomes clear why
the number of personality types is sixteen: 4 X 2 X 2 = 16.
The active ring IM assumes information directly from nature and other
environments, including the social environment. In this ring there is
much independence. If a man receives commands and instructions through
these elements then they are inspected for accordance with real life
situations. Within this ring is the ego block. Concerning the ego block,
one should say that on the basis of the information processed by this
block, the individual is only inclined to lead and not to be
subordinated.
Socially the activity of the passive ring is seemingly limited to an
auxiliary role, assuming information in essence about itself and its
activity. If the active ring contains the ego and super-ego blocks, i.e.
the individual’s conscience and social personality, then within the
passive ring lies super-id (the unconscience)- the accusations of man
with respect to those surrounding his deficiencies of health. Also in
the passive ring is the id block - the barely realised or insufficiently
realised actions of the individual. This ring has a tendency to follow
any directive information. If external activity is insufficient for
activation then tendencies are formed towards insufficient physical
activity. This causes psychosomatic disturbances.
Thus, an integral intellect is formed from the people with sixteen types
of thinking. These sixteen different types are each different and
simultaneously equivalent units of the social intellect of society. It
is possible to say that the unit of the integral human mind is only the
collective group of sixteen personality types together.
The function of an individual within society is determined by their type
and capacity of intellect.
It is possible to speak about the social function and role of each
personality type. First of all, the fact that some types fulfill the
role of theoreticians, others - businessmen, the third are disposed to
artistic and poetic roles, the fourth are inclined towards power and
control. In some types thinking is abstract, in others - concrete.
Each individual has a need to feel that they introduce contributions to
their environment which correspond to their intellectual level and type
of personality. In my opinion, man transfers a manifestation of his
intellect more easily than a manifestation of his personality type.
Note on the transfer: It is now known, for example, that working in
leadership roles worsens the psychosomatic state in introverts and
improves it in extraverts. Introverts are inclined towards work where
they can reveal their personal abilities and values, but not leadership
talents. Leadership talents are inclined to be exhibited with more or
less success by extraverted personality types. For the best leadership
of research institutes any of the intuitive- logical extraverts are
suitable. Large industrial and agricultural exterprises as well as
different government economic agencies of the state can be led by both
sensory-logical extraverts. For the leadership within sociocultural
institutions, up to the Red Cross and society “knowledge”, both
ethical-sensory extraverts. And for the leadership within theatrical
types of organizations- ethical-intuitive extraverts.
Below are several models of separate personality types
¶