Week 12 Listening Exercise

COMM 470 – Dr. Finn

WebCT Diary Entries for Week 12 ends on April 25 at 3:30 pm

There is only one type of exercise this week – there is no Exercise B. (Next week, we’ll return to conversations about the past, present, and future, as well as conversations about people present vs. people absent.)

Exercise A –

This week, focus on the four (Keirsey) temperaments as an easy, shorthand approach to thinking about psychological type. Use the temperaments summary below to consider how some of the differences you experience with friends, family, and acquaintances may be due to different temperaments.

Brief Overview of the Four Temperaments

David Keirsey (Keirsey & Bates, 1978) is generally credited with simplifying the interpretation of the Myers-Briggs (MBTI) and providing an easy-to-remember, and therefore an easy-to-use, structure for thinking about psychological types in everyday life. These are the 2-letter temperaments, which provide the widest behavioral predictions with a simplified structure. As with the MBTI, no one is ‘all’ any one temperament. We each have preferences, yet exhibit a certain amount of the non-preferred approaches, too.

You have a detailed outline of the four temperaments in the Temperaments Workbook you were given yesterday in class. Here’s a brief summary of the four temperaments.

NF Temperament (MBTI types ENFJ, INFJ, ENFP, INFP)

The NF temperament is found in about 12% of the population.

• NFs focus on people and relationships and see the ‘personal’ in their dealings and decisions
• NFs have empathy, concern for people, and are supportive of others
• NFs tend to inject ‘themselves’ into every situation, so are often perceived to be too egocentric
• The NF Quest is identity
• The NF Style is catalyst
• The NF Achilles Heel is guilt

NT Temperament (MBTI types ENTJ, INTJ, ENTP, INTP)

The NF temperament is found in about 12% of the population.

• NTs are conceptualizers, they are intellectually curious, and prefer ‘objective’ perceptions
• NTs will argue the other side just to ensure a good debate
• NTs tend to have an answer for everything, so are often perceived to be arrogant
• The NT Quest is competency
• The NT Style is visionary
• The NT Achilles Heel is incompetence
• (Let me remind you that my temperament is NT.)

SJ Temperament (MBTI types ESTJ, ISTJ, ESFJ, ISFJ)

The SJ temperament is found in about 38% of the population.

• SJs focus on procedures and rules, and prefer stability and structure
• SJs are generally loyal to the system in place, so resist change and support traditions
• SJs tend to follow rules and procedures, so are often perceived as too compliant or rigid
• The SJ Quest is belonging to meaningful organizations
• The SJ Style is stabilizer or traditionalist
• The SJ Achilles Heel is disarray or disorganization

SP Temperament (MBTI types ESTP, ISTP, ESFP, ISFP)

The SP temperament is found in about 38% of the population.

• SPs focus on the now – the present moment – and want to DO something
• SPs favor action, are good in crises, are free spirits, and don‘t worry about what happened yesterday
• SPs tend toward immediate action (before planning), so are often perceived to be impulsive or rash
• The SP Quest is action
• The SP Style is trouble shooter or negotiator
• The SP Achilles Heel is routine or inactivity

Note that with each of the temperaments, the strengths – when taken to extremes – can become weaknesses.

Again, keep in mind that these “temperaments,” like the MBTI, IQ tests, personality profiles, and the listening advice I’ve given you this semester are not “the truth.” They are structures that can be useful tools to help you become a better observer of human behavior and ultimately, a better listener.

Practice two things this week with your knowledge of the four temperaments. (Note that this assignment is closely tied to Listening Critique 2, which is due next week.)

First, examine your own behavior by considering YOUR temperament. Use it as a tool to understand how you behave in conversation and how you approach issues, problems, people, and life. Notice situations where your behavior seems to fit your (Keirsey) temperament, but also situations where your behavior does not fit your temperament. Share examples on WebCT this week.

Second, examine the differences you’ve noticed in the past between you and some of the people closest to you (parents, siblings, roommates, friends, and your COMM 470 teammates). In particular, think about people you really like, love, or enjoy, but who exhibit behaviors, tendencies, or approaches to problems that tend to drive you crazy. Examine what is going on in some of these situations. In particular, consider whether they may be operating from a different (Keirsey) temperament. Share examples on WebCT this week.

For Listening Critique 2 you are asked to briefly discuss each of the four temperaments by choosing 1) yourself, 2) any 470 teammate, and 3) two people in your life (again, parents, siblings, roommates, friends, or another COMM 470 teammate) who represent the other two temperaments. Since you must use at least one teammate in this assignment, you should begin discussing temperament with them on WebCT EARLY this week.