Asking and declaring

Asking / Declaring, sometimes called Questim / Declatim or Interrogative / Declarative, is one of the 15 Reinin dichotomies.

Asking and declaring types

• The asking IM types are LII, ILE, EIE, IEI, ESI, SEE, LSE, SLI.
• The declaring IM types are ESE, SEI, LSI, SLE, LIE, ILI, EII, IEE.

ILE

SEI

ESE

LII

EIE

LSI

SLE

IEI

SEE

ILI

LIE

ESI

LSE

EII

IEE

SLI

Asking

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Declaring

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Typical characteristics

Askers

1. tendency to dialogue
2. much of what an asker says seems more question-like, even statements
3. always, as the other person talks, affirm the receipt of information with yeah, mhm, etc.
4. motive of communication is external
5. can talk to an audience as a whole very well
6. starts talking at times expecting someone to get interested and start paying attention
7. has a tendency to interrupt and feels comfortable pausing half way on the speech and with "questions allowed all the time" way, returning to what was said later if necessary
8. quite often asks a non-rhetorical question and answers it himself
9. often just asks questions to fill in time, without serious need to actually find the information asked

Declarers

1. tendency to monologue
2. much of what a declarer says seems more statement-like, even questions
3. listens attentively and silently to others' speeches to return to a long speech
4. motive of communication is internal
5. finds it easier to talk to one person at a time
6. before starting to talk, first ascertains that attention is grabbed
7. is very patient in terms of others speeches in terms of letting finish
8. prefers to finish the speech before letting others talk, likes closure and that their point was conveyed
9. questions are often either rhetorical or only strictly motivated by serious need for certain information

Extended characteristics

Taken from 2003 study of Reinin traits.

Askers

• Asking types have a tendency to use interrogative intonations. Their statements sound far less categorical than those of declarers.
• Asking types are inclined to answer a question with a question. Quite often they begin their story with phrases like "What should I tell you about?...". They often asks question that serve no purpose and require no answer ("Will you be there? - Who? I? I'll be there!") and repeat questions they've been asked even though they heard and fully understood them ("Will you be there? - Will I be there? Well..."). Often they use questions as means to keep the conversation going (For instance they may ask questions just to buy time to think of the answers)
• Askers, to a large degree, conduct communication in a form of a question and an answer. Always conducting dialogues with who ever they are talking to ("I would like to hear your response", "Ask me, I'll answer") or in imaginary conversations (internal "dialogue"). Even if the story of the asker was planned as a monologue, as a rule it decomposes into fragments (question - answer) inevitably turning into a dialogue.
• The asker quickly and at once reacts to a question set in the path of it's monologue (Independent of importance and rationality/irrationality of the question asked) ? answers the question then continues where they left off. As they are naturally prone to a dialogue style of communication over a "meek"(Unrequited) monologue mode, they prefer when they are asked questions when in monologue mode. Also because of that it takes great effort to stay on course and resist the temptation to stray of course by interrupting the interlocutor with questions that could possibly take them of course.

Declarers

• When Declaring types speak they're inclined to use affirmative intonations and because of that they are often perceived as confident or as categorical. Even their questions are often relayed in an affirmative tone.
• Declaring types are inclined to ask questions to receive/get answers to them. Unlike askers, they rarely answer a question with a question or ask questions that are conversational surplus or ask questions as a way to keep the conversation going.
• Declarers are inclined to communicate in forms of monologues, where each party has "it's turn". Because of that they subconsciously attempt to transform a dialogue into a monologue (Either their own or that of their interlocutor by just listening without interrupting) and as a result of that the conversation ends up sounding like a sequence of two alternating monologues.
• Declarers can lose their train of thought when they are interrupted with questions during their monologues and because of that they usually wait and respond to such questions later. When asked a question "on topic" they will usually asks the person who asked the question to be patient as they are getting to that or to wait till they are finished and will try to incorporate their answer into their monologue. They relate with greater understanding to the desire to not to be interrupted while they are speaking and because of that they avoid asking questions while their interlocutor is speaking even if they are "on topic" and prefer to ask questions and voice reciprocal arguments after their interlocutor has finished speaking.

Analogy

The asker and declarer difference can be explained by a parallel of conducting narration in two different literary genres. For the declarer it's a finished narration, the full story, you can see the beginning, the culmination and the outcome, while the askers have more of a play like mentality with constant exchanges between characters.

Hypotheses

1. The orientation of the primary function strengthens the manifestation of each of the attribute: extraversion emphasizes the declaring attribute while introversion emphasizes the asking attribute.
2. Nonverbal communication is more clearly expressed in the asker then in the declarer (eye contact, gestures).
3. In written speech declarers are more inclined to replace questions with a narrative on the question's essence, while askers are more inclined to replace narration with questions or exclamations (as if demanding an answer, provoking the reader to a response).

Examples

Askers: "Is there more then one way? Yes" (The person has fully repeated the question they were asked) "Where to begin? Well, what would you like to know? Yesterday I went..." (The response to a question "what did you do yesterday" is with a series of questions practically removing the significance of giving an answer)

Declarers: "When people list their interests I don't understand whether it is with the intention to pursue the interests or what?" (The question sounds like a statement) Declarer: Will you be there? Asker: Who? I? Very well.

Additional Commentary and Notes

See also: Sociotypograph — determine your sociotype by Renin dichotomies.

Important note – Simple requests for information (i.e. asking questions) should not be mistaken for socionics "Asking" Renin trait. The name of this dichotomy should not be interpreted literally and mistaken for questioning done for the purposes of learning, clarifications, and gathering of additional information.

In particular, when people are studying socionics, they tend to bring up many questions about any topics that are unclear to them. Posing such questions for purposes of learning or clarification does not make them "Asking" types. Declaring types will readily ask questions to obtain information that they need, as this is a normal extent of lexical operations and human behavior. Conversely, once a person is confident in what they know, they will relay it in a more assertive and factual manner; such solid grasp on material does not make them a "Declaring" type.

Some citations illustrating how asking question is not same as Reinin "Asking" trait on the example of type EII ("Declaring" type):

• "But EII is one of the types who will ask a hundred questions before he goes and carries out what is needed of him." (EII-LIE semi-duality)
• "I like that they don't ask too many questions about everything, unlike our duals EIIs." (ESI-LSE semi-duality)

Since the Asking / Declaring dichotomy is very easily misinterpreted, it is inadvisable to use it in typing.

Theoretical properties of asking and declaring types

• Asking types are either judicious and logical, or decisive and ethical.
• Declaring types are either decisive and logical, or judicious and ethical.