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:
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¶
