Socionic Profiles of Dopamine Activity in the Central Nervous System (Unraveling the Secrets of the Behavior of the “Decisive”)

Let us examine the profiles presented in the tables.

Dopaminergic (dopamine-related) activity of the central nervous system is primarily associated with extraversion, secondarily with ethics, third with dynamics, fourth with judiciousness, fifth with carelessness, and sixth with questimity. The lion’s share of the contribution comes from extraversion (55% of the variance). High dopamine leads to a sharp increase in three psychic functions: Fe, Ne, and Qe, and reduces Ti, Di, Ni, and Se. The highest level of dopamine activity (on average across type groups) is observed in EIE, ESE, ILE, and IEE. The lowest is in LSI, LII, and ILI. The link with extraversion is explained by the fact that dopamine is an excitatory neurotransmitter and neurohormone. The connection with socionic dynamics is also clear - dopamine underlies the organism’s reward system and is tied to anticipation and motivation toward goal-directed movement (i.e., dynamic, temporally extended characteristics of behavior). Emotions are also closely related to motivational support, and in addition, empathy is tied to a large extent to the work of dopaminergic mirror neurons. This accounts for the connection between dopamine and ethics. The link with Ne is also understandable - this includes both the well-known role of dopamine in generating schizothymia and its equally well-known role in supporting creativity. Finally, Black Questimity (Qe) provides negative motivation (feelings of aversion, the drive to avoid). The dopaminergic mechanism of negative motivation is also well known to neurophysiologists. Of particular interest is the association of decisiveness with reduced dopamine levels. As we will see further, this fact explains, in essence, a great deal in the behavior of the “decisive”.

However, for the forthcoming explanation, it is necessary to introduce another neurohormonal regulator - namely, a group of neuropeptides produced in the pituitary gland collectively known as “endorphins”. Endorphins have a morphine-like effect (externally administered heroin merely imitates their natural action on the organism, activating in the CNS exactly the same neuronal receptors).
Endorphin receptors are predominantly located on neurons that conduct pain sensations, as well as on GABAergic interneurons. The role of these interneurons is to inhibit the conductivity of dopaminergic neurons in the subcortical reward center - the striatum. Activation of mu-opioid receptors on the neuron body by endorphins released from the pituitary leads to the blocking of its conductivity. If this is a neuron conducting pain signals, the pain decreases. If it is an inhibitory GABA neuron, then its inhibitory effect on dopaminergic neurons in the reward center sharply decreases, resulting in improved mood, increased motivation to achieve immediate goals, and increases the encouraging feeling of anticipation. In fact, externally administered morphine or heroin produce exactly these effects - analgesia and euphoria. The organism’s own endorphins do the same (except that, unlike external opiates, they do not lead to depletion of mu-opioid receptors on the neurons they bind to). And when are endogenous endorphins produced and released into the bloodstream in especially large quantities? In response to muscular or pain-related stress. The release of endorphins is the subtle inhibitory regulation of all stress reactions. Stress must mobilize the organism’s resources, not lead to shock. This is precisely the function of endorphins, keeping stress “within bounds”. Thus, in the “decisive”, dopaminergic activity is reduced, while the activity of GABA neurons that further restrain this activity is at an average or even elevated level. At the same time, the activity of the endorphin system is much higher in them than in the “judicious”. They have more mu-opioid receptors on their neurons, and the endorphin releases from the pituitary in response to stress are much more intense. On the one hand, this provides significantly better inhibitory regulation of stress reactions in the “decisive” - which is why they are more stress-resistant, feel less pain, and experience less physical muscular fatigue. On the other hand, this creates a temptation for them to elevate their mood (which is, on average, reduced in their group due to initially low dopaminergic activity) through artificial stimulation of endorphin release. The deliberate creation of conflict situations stems from this (stress induces endorphin release, which elevates mood and produces a sense of pleasure). The masochism of white intuitives also follows from this (pain and humiliation again trigger a powerful endorphin release, which in turn increases dopamine levels in synapses, producing pleasure and, through the same dopaminergic mechanism, reinforcing this habit). Intense physical training “to exhaustion” in many decisive sensory or logical types also originates here. Again, muscular stress leads to a prolonged post-release of endorphins, which then increase dopamine severalfold. From this also follows, incidentally, the tendency of some LIE individuals toward risk, in some representatives of this type almost bordering on addiction.

Thus, nearly all psychological features in the behavior of the “decisive” (with nuances depending on whether one is dealing with sensory or intuitive types, logical or ethical types) are explained by just two primary factors: a powerful endorphin system (which responds strongly to any stress) and initially reduced tonic dopaminergic activity, which, however, can be sharply and phasically (i.e., temporarily) stimulated via endorphins, thereby creating, through dopaminergic “pleasure” reinforcement, a habitual attraction to stressful situations of conflict, aggression, fighting, risk, offense, and pain. More detailed discussion of endorphin activity and its markers will be provided separately in the future.

It is well established that schizotypal manifestations (within stable personality traits), as well as the prodromal background of schizophrenia, are associated with initially elevated dopaminergic activity. Therefore, one of the practical conclusions arising from the analysis of the obtained psychological dopamine profiles is that both characterological schizotypal manifestations and the risk of manifestation of progressive schizophrenia (that is, as a disease rather than a personality trait) occur more frequently in EIE, ESE, ILE, and IEE, whereas the psychotypes LSI, LII, and ILI are, to a significant extent, on the contrary, protected from schizophrenia. Not every elevated dopaminergic baseline leads to schizophrenia, but in the presence of other metabolic disturbances that provoke it, it contributes to its development.