Every waking moment of the day, particularly at school, we are bombarded by information. To make sense of this storm of stimuli, each of us creates filters, protocols by which we prioritize what type of information we prefer to focus on. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator splits us into two groups: Sensing people tend to pay attention to what their five senses tell them, while Intuitive types focus on underlying patterns.
Sensing types draw upon common sense and direct experience to deal with problems. They are most concerned with the present moment and that which is palpable, concrete, and real. Often detail-oriented and rule-focused, Sensors prefer to understand concepts at the smallest level of understanding, then expand into a bigger picture.
Sensing types prefer to learn a new task by being shown how to do it.
- Break down new material step by step
- Think of real life examples of abstract concepts
- Use visual aids or other sensory rich tools to study
Intuitive types pay more attention to impressions or patterns in information. Intuitives are flexible and resilient and enjoy freedom to explore the diversity of life. For Intuitives, the big picture can be more important than the facts. They are more concerned with the future than the past and tend to think in abstract ways.
Intuitives prefer to learn new tasks through hands-on experience.
- Seek out hard facts to back up your ideas
- Use symbols and metaphors to understand new information.
- Be realistic about how much you can accomplish in a day
The Sensing/Intuition axis is just one of the 4 dichotomies explored by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Each one gives us valuable information about how a student might best study, learn, and succeed in educational settings. Combine all 4 in one personality type, and you’ll have a powerful road map to academic success!
(And if you or your teen want to master a ton of essential vocabulary words while learning about Myers-Briggs personality types, you definitely want the Roots2Words: Personalities and Perspective Words program.)
Mike Bergin