Cognitive Development

[VH]

I had a random thought occur to me, and thought I'd share it.

If cognitive functions develop around the age of 2 and solidify around the age of 5, and if there are 8 distinct cognitive functions, then there may be some environmental factors involved in which functions become our inherent dominant and secondary functions.

I wonder if the following is true:

There are four inherent configurations of minds that people are born with. These four basic mental configurations inherently have one N, S, F, and T function that is set at birth, and likely genetic.

Mind 1: Fi, Ne, Te, Si
Mind 2: Fi, Ni, Te, Se
Mind 3: Fe, Ne, Ti, Si
Mind 4: Fe, Ni, Ti, Se

From there, our environment causes us to choose a dominant judging and perception function from each of the pairs by age 2, and then later choose which of those functions is the true dominant function by age 5. This is where we form our cognitive function orders, where each of the minds chooses a type.

Mind 1: ISTJ, ESTJ, INFP, ENFP
Mind 2: ISFP, ESFP, INTJ, ENTJ
Mind 3: ISFJ, ESFJ, INTP, ENTP
Mind 4: ISTP, ESTP, INFJ, ENFJ

 

[Faye]

So you're saying I choose to be INFJ over ENFJ, ISTP, and ESTP? I think I made the right choice then.

 

[Quinlan]

If I had chosen ENTJ I would be ruling the world right now!

 

[anica]

This is fascinating. So my g/f and I were born with the same mind configuration, Fe, Ni, Ti, Se; he ended up an ENFJ, while I'm an INFJ. Of course I'm trying to think of elements in our early environments that could've caused him to choose extraversion while I chose introversion. The first thing that comes to mind is that he was an only child until he was 5, while I had two younger brothers by age 5. He had loving, happy parents--who loved each other as well as him--while my family was pretty screwy with not a lot of love to go around. Just some rambling thoughts...

 

[arbygil]

This is fascinating. So my g/f and I were born with the same mind configuration, Fe, Ni, Ti, Se; he ended up an ENFJ, while I'm an INFJ. Of course I'm trying to think of elements in our early environments that could've caused him to choose extraversion while I chose introversion. The first thing that comes to mind is that he was an only child until he was 5, while I had two younger brothers by age 5. He had loving, happy parents--who loved each other as well as him--while my family was pretty screwy with not a lot of love to go around. Just some rambling thoughts...

I don't know if being an only child has anything to do with it, though, anica - I'm an only child. But both of my parents were extroverts...maybe that could be an issue, too?

 

[anica]

I don't know if being an only child has anything to do with it, though, anica - I'm an only child. But both of my parents were extroverts...maybe that could be an issue, too?

Could very well be. From what he's told me about them, they both sound like extraverts. My mother, I believe, was an introvert, possibly INFJ, while my father was an extravert, though I'm not sure about the rest of his preferences...maybe an ESFJ, when I think about it.