Cognitive Styles

- Sensing and Intuition are the perceiving functions. They indicate how a person prefers to receive data. These are the non-rational functions, as a person does not necessarily have control over receiving data, but only how to process it once they have it.

A sensorial person prefers to receive data primarily from the five senses, mentally lives in the present, is practical and uses common sense solutions automatically, the memory recall is rich in detail of facts and past events, and likes clear and concrete information; dislikes guessing when facts are not well defined or confusing.

Intuitive persons prefer to receive data from the unconscious, or seeing relationships via insights, they mentally live in the Future, Uses imagination and creates/invents new possibilities automatically, their memory recall emphasizes patterns, contexts, and connections and is comfortable with ambiguous, fuzzy data and with guessing its meaning.

- Thinking and Feeling are the judging functions, this criterion defines how the person processes information.

Thinking (Rational) uses logical 'true or false, if-then' connections. The thinking side of our brain analyzes information in a detached, objective fashion. It operates from factual principles, deduces and forms conclusions systematically. It is our logical/rational nature.

Feeling (Emotional) uses 'more or less, better-worse' evaluations. The feeling side of our brain forms conclusions in an attached and somewhat global manner, based on likes/dislikes, impact on others, and human and aesthetic values. It is our subjective/emotional nature.

These definitions are based on Carl Jung and Myers-Briggs.