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[Other/Multiple Temperaments] At what age do one's cognitive functions become too developed to be typed?

Willow Tree

New member
Joined
May 29, 2016
Messages
24
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
I'm butting in again! Discussing the 'science' of MBTI is good. Sometimes we're too caught up in the theory and forget that it's just a theory, a hypothesis that can be reformed at all times.

Even if a person is very well developed he/she might still have some sort of preference. If anything you can still look at his/her four letters. My dad uses good feeling functions to communicate to others and can pretend to be extraverted and all that, but he's an INTJ.

One question regarding to the MBTI theory that I have, (I posted it in another thread btw): If the inferior function is so bad, then what about the other four 'unused' functions?
So is an INFJ or an INFP worse at Se? It's the inferior of an INFJ, but nonexistent in INFP. Si, though, is the third function of INFPs.
 

MisterNi

Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2008
Messages
169
MBTI Type
ENTJ
Enneagram
739
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
Or rather, what is the age range where one can be accurately typed generally speaking?

Additionally, are some types more inclined to have more equally developed functions earlier on or in general that would make it more difficult to type them?

What could contribute to someone being developed with regard to cognitive functions at a young age? I suspect this might not alway be a positive thing btw.


**note** I know I am new and I am asking a lot of questions. I'm sorry if I am annoying you all, but I am rather curious about this stuff, so the good news is it will likely stick in my brain and I likely won't have to ask again.

What you're referring to is cognitive capabilities which generally peak well... that really depends on the person which doesn't really have anything to do with age. Some people aren't truly alive until they reach 100, even!
 

highlander

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 23, 2009
Messages
26,562
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Or rather, what is the age range where one can be accurately typed generally speaking?

Additionally, are some types more inclined to have more equally developed functions earlier on or in general that would make it more difficult to type them?

What could contribute to someone being developed with regard to cognitive functions at a young age? I suspect this might not alway be a positive thing btw.

The dominant function is said to be developed by 13 and the auxiliary function is said to develop between age 13 and 21. From the age of 21 to the mid-40s, you develop your tertiary function. From your 40s through your 70s, you will develop your inferior function more completely. Since type relates to the dominant and auxiliary function, I imagine the tests would get increasingly accurate towards the end of the teens and early twenties. MBTI uses dichotomies and not functions. I haven't seen any statistics on when that is reasonably reliable but would imagine it is similar.

I think people can rely too much on the dominant function and that can probably impair development of the auxiliary and tertiary. If a person grows up in an environment that devalues their dominant and auxiliary function, that could distort results too.
 

Obfuscate

Permabanned
Joined
Aug 20, 2016
Messages
1,907
MBTI Type
iNtP
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954
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
i know that some intps (and entps) prefer to appear as the type that they are interacting with... this may make typing them difficult...
 

Yama

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Dec 1, 2014
Messages
7,684
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ESFJ
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so/sx
There is no finish line we hit where growth stops. People are always growing. There is no such thing as too developed; only developing.
 
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