socionics

Socionics is a pseudoscientific theory of personality and relationships that originated in the Soviet Union. Developed by Lithuanian psychologist Aušra Augustinavičiūtė in the 1970s, it proposes that individuals can be classified into sixteen distinct personality types based on how they process information and interact with the world. These types are derived from a model of the psyche that includes eight "mental functions," each with a different orientation and content. Socionics posits that these functions are arranged in a specific hierarchy within each type, influencing an individual's cognitive processes, behavior, and interpersonal dynamics.

A central tenet of socionics is the concept of "intertype relations," which describes how different personality types are predicted to interact with each other. The theory suggests that certain pairings are inherently more harmonious or conflict-prone than others, with the most favorable relationships, known as "dual relationships," occurring between complementary types. This aspect of socionics has been particularly influential, attracting interest in areas such as relationship counseling and team building, although its claims lack empirical validation.

Socionics is often compared to Carl Jung's theory of psychological types and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), as both systems utilize similar concepts of cognitive functions. However, socionics presents a more detailed and complex model of these functions and their interactions, leading to a different set of personality types and a more elaborate framework for understanding interpersonal dynamics. Despite its popularity in some circles, socionics is not widely accepted within mainstream academic psychology due to its theoretical underpinnings and the scarcity of robust scientific research supporting its claims.