The Cognitive Typology (CT) model is comprehensive and takes time to learn in its entirety. Begin with a theory overview to become familiar with all core concepts in a short writeup below. Reading time 6 minutes.

The Cognitive Typology (CT) model is a Jungian system that describes cognitive type across four scales of emergence. First, types begin as cognitive processing variations (metabolism) taking place at the millisecond scale in our cortical activity. Secondly, that processing shows itself in micro-expressions and body movements (vultology) which can be noticed at the second-by-second level. Thirdly, this multiplies into large scale habits and behaviors (behavior) that typically characterize the type. Finally, type manifests in the person’s overall psychological narrative and lifelong struggles with integrating certain archetypes (psychodynamics).

The CT model does not describe all elements of personality, but instead focuses specifically on object management; our method of conceptualizing objects and handling information. Many other important aspects of personality are better described by a person’s emotional dispositions, defense mechanisms, general intelligence, mental disorders or specific neurodiversities. Each of these other personality variables can coexist with a person’s cognitive type in a complementary but non-overlapping manner. As such, CT is a limited hypothesis that should not be over-extended into other domains it does not describe.

The structure of the model follows after the Jungian tradition, but begins with Judgment (J) and Perception (P) as the primary category. It then divides into Extroverted Judgment (Je), Introverted Judgment (Ji), Extroverted Perception (Pe) and Introverted Perception (Pi) as the four energetics. The four energetics form a cognitive architecture that assists us in doing the following four key cognitive tasks:

When combined, these processes allow us to register an object by what informational properties it holds (Pe), how it is distinct from other objects (Ji), how it is part of an object-set that spans across time (Pi), and how the object behaves in a causal reality (Je). Without each of these dimensions, we would not have a proper grasp of any objects.

The typological part of Cognitive Typology then comes from the way individuals will be skewed towards one of these four processes, tending to metabolize information with a preference for that modality over the others. This is called a person’s energetic type. The four energetic types are the Je-lead type, Pi-lead type, Ji-lead type and Pe-lead type. This preference has influences spanning from a person’s ontological assumptions, to common behavioral patterns.

These preferences can be seen in a conversational setting, where language prompts the manipulation of abstract mental objects. As the person thinks, micro-expressions and body-mannerisms emerge (vultology) which reflect which of the four thought processes they are engaged in at that moment. Over time, the sort of thought processes most typical to them can be understood from the visual information, and this information is used to help define their core type. CT does not use introspective self-report questionnaires for type identification, as cognition does not necessarily always align with the ego, but our unconscious bodily expressions are harder to fake.

The four energetic processes are further observed in two variations each, by the Jungian attitudes T or F and N or S. In the CT system, the attitudes are properties that a function assigns to its objects. These properties are specifically defined as impersonality or inanimacy (T), personality or animacy (F), association or intersectionality (N), literality or discreteness (S). The letters T/F/N/S are not used in any other of the many Jungian interpretations, for example not as “thinking,” “feeling,” “intuition,” or “sensation.” With these specific definitions in mind, we understanding the eight cognitive functions as follows:

Each of these has specific cognitive functionalities which emerge from the conjunction of the function attitude (N/S/T/F) with the object type (Je/Ji/Pe/Pi). Each of these eight functions also has its own vultological signals that are used to identify it in a person.

The CT system is characterized by two macro-operations we each have. The Judgment system oscillates between Ji-Je, and Perception oscillates between Pi-Pe. Neither system is complete without both I/E poles working in tandem, which allow for mental continuity. Temporal contextualizing (Pi) requires information gathering (Pe), and procedural processing (Je) requires definitional understanding (Ji).

Continuity is also necessary between discrete (S) and associative (N) objects, as well as between personal (F) and impersonal (T) objects. This necessity binds one energetic function with its opposite both in terms of its energetic properties and functional properties, creating the following axes which are four whole systems:

We suspect most individuals possess one of these J systems and one of these P systems rather than both, since these systems parse information in ways that are mutually exclusive at the computational level. And with each person possessing one J and P system at the cortical level, four possible combinations form: Alpha (Modular/Gravitic), Beta (Vortical/Gravitic), Gamma (Vortical/Radial) and Delta (Modular/Radial).

Since the four energetic types can each belong to the Alpha, Beta, Gamma or Delta quadras, this yields a total of sixteen possible cognitive types, each of which has a distinct psychology and vultology.

Coming back around to the energetic functions, neuroplasticity allows for an individual to partially change the level of weight they give each of the four energetic modes of processing. A person’s total available processing power doesn’t increase over time, but changes in priorities can cause a person to spend less time in one modality and put that time into another. These modes are called developments, and there are eight of them (I—, II–, I-I-, I–I, III-, II-I, I-II, IIII). The four lines represent the four energetics, listed in 1-2-3-4 order according to the Harold Grant interpretation. A line represents a highly used process (conscious) while a dash represents a lowly used (unconscious) process.

Although CT is not an emotional system, emotions are tracked in an elementary way, to help parse apart cognitive type from emotional attitudes. The two attitudes that are tracked are unguarded (seelie/adaptive) and guarded (unseelie/directive). This duality is similar to the Big Five agreeableness spectrum. Traditional Jungian models conflate unguarded attitudes with F and guarded attitudes with T. By treating emotional attitude as a separate dimension, CT allows for unguarded/agreeable T types and guarded/disagreeable F types.

Although CT is not a mental disorder system, the potential presence of mental illness is tracked using a signal called fallen affect. When the signal is highly detected, it suggests the person may have a mental condition such as depression or anxiety, and this will alter their experience of their cognitive type. By identifying fallen affect, CT is able to separate out the effects of mental illness from effects caused specifically by cognitive type.

When combined, this classification is specific down to 1 in 512 possible combinations. And when male/female psychology differences are added as an additional external factor that separates out type expression, the total resolution of the CT model is 1024. Altogether this yields a type classification which may be written like this:

Or more commonly just simplified to: FiSe ll– Seelie. Higher resolution is theoretically possible, but 1024 appears to be the minimum resolution necessary for a proper description of how type manifests in a whole person. 

Each element of this classification can be visually determined and compared to a profile that reflects the expected psychology of this classification. Brief profiles of these combinations are under construction at the link below: