When two personality types come together, there are 16 different ways that their 4 conscious cognitive functions can line up with respect to one another. These patterns are called interaction dynamics, and each type experiences one of the 16 interaction dynamics with one other type.
You can identify the interaction dynamic of two types by asking the following questions:
First, do the two types share activity axes?
A type’s four functions contain one of the two judging axes, and one of the two perceiving axes.
| Possibility 1 | Possibility 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Judging Axis | Fi–Te | Fe–Ti |
| Perceiving Axis | Ni–Se | Ne–Si |
Two personalities either share the same axis for an activty or have a mix of one of each.
| J axis | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| shared | mixed | ||
| P axis | shared | 1 shared axes |
2 share P axis |
| mixed | 3 share J axis |
4 mixed axes |
|
Second, do the two types share function patterns?
Do the two personalities share or have mixed rhythm and polarity?
Rhythm is a personality’s preference for either judging or perceiving. The functions in a type always follow one of two rhythm patterns: Judging – Perceiving – Perceiving – Judging, or Perceiving – Judging – Judging – Perceiving.
Polarity is the order in which the judging and perceiving axes appear, either the introverted or extraverted function first. The two activity axis always have opposite orientations. If one leads with it’s introverted function, the other leads with it extraverted function and vice versa.
| Possibility 1 | Possibility 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Rhythm | JPPJ | PJJP |
| Polarity | Ji–Je / Pe–Pi | Je–Ji / Pi–Pe |
As with axes, two personalities can either have shared or mixed rhythm and polarity.
| Polarity | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| shared | mixed | ||
| Rhythm | shared | A shared patterns |
B shared rhythm |
| mixed | C shared polarity |
D mixed patterns |
|
For each of these four factors, in 8 of the interactions the two personalities share the same of the two possibilities and in 8 they are a mix of one of each, creating 16 possible unique combinations:
| A shared patterns |
B shared rhythm |
C shared polarity |
D mixed patterns |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 shared axes |
1A | 1B | 1C | 1D |
| 2 shared P axis |
2A | 2B | 2C | 2D |
| 3 shared J axis |
3A | 3B | 3C | 3D |
| 4 mixed axes |
4A | 4B | 4C | 4D |
