Recent commentaries on developments in behaviour analysis and modification have noted the inclusion of ‘cognitive’ variables in what was previously a more radically operant discipline. This trend has been received with some gratitude by those researchers and practitioners who were impressed by the neo-Freudian theories of early psychotherapists such as Carl Jung.

For example, the tendency of behaviour analysts to ignore the projections of personality types on to clients has always been difficult to accept by those therapists who are imbued with deep clinical insight. In such cases, the exclusive use of observable behaviour has represented a denial of the prolific generation of immediate and profound clinical judgements, many times quite effortlessly performed without recourse to data. While we do not deny the value of event-recording, time-sampling, psychophysiological monitoring and self-report behavioural scales, we wish to point out that there are many much simpler procedures that enable assessment to be made on the basis of split-second insight, even with no regard at all for external facts. To this end, we have devised and recently field-tested an instrument designed to assess the potential of behaviour therapists for attributing immediate and archetypal classifications to their clients.