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JUNG'S THEORY OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE CONSTRUAL OF OTHERS
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation of the psychological functions hypothesized by Jung to the way in which individuals construe other people. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was used to assess preferred functions. Kelly's Role Construct Reperatory (REP) Grid was used to sample individuals' construction of others. Four categories of constructs were derived to reflect Jung's theory of the functions: constructs consistent with the operation of the thinking function were designated as empirical; those consistent with the feeling function were designated as valuative; those consistent with the sensation function were designated as concrete; and those consistent with the intuitive function were designated as inferential. Three specific hypotheses were tested for each of the four functions. First, it was hypothesized that individuals for whom a specific function was preferred would be most likely to produce constructs consistent with that function. Second, it was hypothesized that individuals for whom a specific function was preferred would be more likely to give extreme responses on the REP grid rating scale when applying constructs consistent with that function. Third, it was hypothesized that individuals for whom a specific function was preferred would use more gradations in their responses when applying constructs consistent with that function. Results indicated that, for all four functions, constructs consistent with a specific function were used more frequently by individuals for whom that function was preferred. Additionally, only those subjects preferring intuition failed to give extreme ratings on constructs consistent with their preferred function. Individuals for whom thinking was preferred also differentiated more when utilizing empirical constructs. The results were interpreted as supportive of Jung's theory of the functions. They were also seen as elaborating previous research which has traditionally focused on the characteristics associated with types rather than the functions per se. It was suggested that future research could benefit from a shift in focus from the examination of types to a more focused examination of the operation of the functions, as reflected in the current methodology. Limitations on the generalizability of the current results and directions for future research were discussed.
Subject Area
Psychotherapy
Recommended Citation
BOSCARDIN, JAMES EDWARD, "JUNG'S THEORY OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE CONSTRUAL OF OTHERS" (1987). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8803990.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8803990