Function Theory and the Brain
I believe that using modern research into how the brain operates we can recontextualize the lessons learned from function theory into more scientifically robust frameworks that can be nearly synonymous with the language of Cognitive Psychology.
I will attempt to use this research to reword/reimagine function theory with new terms and ideas that demonstrate it's potential scientific rigor.
Why does it matter?
As we can see, function theory and cognitive psychology share quite a bit in regards to the kinds of questions they attempt to answer and investigate. It is for this reason that learning about one could very well teach us about the other.
This is where the book "Neuroscience of Personality" by Dr. Dario Nardi comes in. This book does a fantastic job at explaining how the functionality of the brain is very closely related to the intuitive theory of how people differ in their information metabolism according to function theory.
In short, Dr. Nardi puts many participants through brain scanning assessments and records the activity of their brain while performing many tasks of different types and skill sets. He then takes this data and calculates which regions of the individuals brain are active most often and used most proficiently.
These regions each have a select number of functions they perform. I have an interactive web app that allows you to see this in action to get a better understanding of exactly what it is that produces different behaviors in individuals and differing skill sets among individuals.
The web app can be found here:
Reworking Function Theory
If we accept that there are 8 main modes of operation our brain uses to create complex thoughts and behaviors, we can then attempt to understand those 8 modes on a more granular and tangible scale. As of right now they are theoretical ideas that can be used to inform our theories and understanding. However, we can improve this by re-defining what a function is using the research given by Dr. Nardi.
Instead of a function being some imaginary building block, what if we considered a function to be a combination of regions in the brain? These new functions would be different for each person and attempt to group together the regions of an individuals brain which share a similar aptitude and frequency of use. We could then use these groupings or functions to classify an individuals skill set and general mode of operation based on concrete and tangible observations about their brain.
Another benefit to viewing functions in this way would be the elimination of the idea that there are only 16 personality types. (Something that already has more development thanks to Objective Personality who created a theory that allows for many more "types". In fact according to their theory there are upwards of 1024 personality types).
The idea that Function Theory wants to put every single individual into one of 16 categories and that these 16 categories will tell you everything about yourself is a notorious misconception surrounding function theory. However, we can remove this issue without needing to delve further into function theory by re-characterizing what a function is into a more dynamic and individualized system based on an individuals unique brain constitution.
Breakdown
Functions = A grouping of four brain regions that are used with similar frequency and skill.
1st function = 4 Highest used brain regions
2nd function = Next 4 Highest used brain regions
3rd function = Middle 4 brain regions.
4th function = Bottom 4 brain regions.
Examples:
NeTi
Red (Highest): Fp2, F7, T3,P4
Yellow (High): Fp1, C4, T4, O2
Green (Medium): F8, T5, T6, O1
Blue (Low): F3, F4, C3, P3
SiFe
Red (Highest): Fp2, C4, T5, O2
Yellow (High): Fp1, T3, T4, O1
Green (Medium): F3, C3, P3, T6
Blue (Low): F7, C4, F8, P4
As you can see, there is a clear difference between the two individuals brains specifically regarding which regions they seem to prefer and use most often vs least often.
If we say that these groupings of regions are called functions we can start to understand what a "function" really means as far as what behaviors they favor and subsequently what behaviors an individual will perform compared to someone else with a totally different skillset and set of dominant brain regions.
This theory is still very much a work in progress however I am confident this could be a very useful system once developed.
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