We are all different. And we are talking not only about the external data that nature gave us. We differ from each other in behavior, reactions to certain situations, characteristics of interaction with society, mentality, etc. Human development has long been the object of study by psychologists and scientists. As a result of observations of people that have been going on since ancient times, various psychological typologies of personality have emerged.
They say that if you understand typologies, you can make your life a lot easier: firstly, you will understand yourself, your characteristics, strengths and weaknesses; secondly, at a minimum, learn to interact effectively with people. Is this really so and what personality typologies will help “reveal all the cards” of a person, we will tell you in this article.
Welcome to the world of amazing people!
Antique typology
Even before Theophrastus, Hippocrates created the doctrine of the internal juices (or liquids) in the human body. This is: yellow bile (lat. cholos),
black bile (lat.
melas cholos),
blood (lat.
sanguis)
and mucus (lat.
phlegma)
. From the four main juices he derived four temperaments:
- Choleric (mood changes strongly and quickly, tense, mental states are directed primarily outward).
- Melancholic (the mood is strong, but changes slowly, tense, mental states are directed mainly inward).
- Sanguine (mood changes slightly and quickly, is not tense, mental states are directed primarily outward).
- Phlegmatic (mood changes slightly and slowly, is not tense, mental states are directed primarily inward).
Classification of people by temperament
Few people know that the founder of the definition of personality types is the famous ancient Greek physician and philosopher Hippocrates. Being a leading doctor of his time, he conducted many interesting experiments.
Since Hippocrates was a supporter of materialism, he tried to find a connection between temperament and the amount of one of 4 fluids in the body: lymph, blood, yellow and black bile.
As a result, he introduced 4 main types of temperament:
- choleric;
- phlegmatic person;
- melancholic;
- sanguine
According to Hippocrates, yellow bile predominated in the body of choleric people, black bile - of melancholic people, lymph - of phlegmatic people, and blood - of sanguine people.
For obvious reasons, modern medicine cannot take seriously these conclusions of the famous ancient Greek doctor, who did not leave behind any explanation as to how he managed to identify such patterns.
An interesting fact is that Hippocrates compared a person’s character with his physical health. He believed that in our body thoughts, the state of organs and emotions are inextricably linked.
In modern medicine and psychology there is such a direction as psychosomatics. Psychosomatics (“psyche” - soul and “soma” - body) studies the influence of psychological factors on the occurrence and course of somatic (bodily) diseases. By approaching this issue correctly, many people have managed to get rid of various ailments associated with psychosomatics.
What is personality
A personality is a person who enters into relationships with the environment and manifests himself in the process of activity. It is also a set of properties, qualities, mental abilities, physical and emotional characteristics. They make a person individual and are revealed in the process of interaction with society.
Personality is manifested through habits and preferences, the use of accumulated knowledge. Different situations lead to changes in behavior; a person determines tactics based on experience, relying on emotions. Depending on this, there are different types of people. For example, they are divided by their ability to perceive information. Visual learners trust their eyes more, auditory learners trust hearing, and kinesthetic learners trust tactile sensations.
Understanding personality structure in various psychological theories
There are a number of psychological theories that describe the structure of personality. Russian and Soviet psychological schools are represented in the works of I.P. Pavlova, A.N. Leontyeva, B.G. Ananyeva, K.K. Platonova and others.
In Soviet psychology there is a tradition of distinguishing between an individual and a personality. Two Soviet psychologists did the most towards this distinction: B.G. Ananyev and A.N. Leontyev. With some differences in understanding of personality, and with some general differences or approaches, these authors defined the essence and characteristics of personality and drew the line of distinction (“line of demarcation”) at the same place. Man, in their opinion, is a natural, biological being, possessing both innate and life-formed characteristics. Personality is a socially constructed trait.
According to A.N. Leontiev, a person as a natural being is an individual with one or another physical constitution, type of nervous activity, temperament and dynamic forces of biological needs.
Characterizing a person as a person, B.G. Ananyev wrote that there is reason to distinguish two main classes of individual characteristics:
- Age-gender;
- Individually typical.
The first class includes:
- Age-typical characteristics that unfold during the formation of an individual (stages of ontogenetic development), and sexual dimorphism, the intensity of which corresponds to the ontogenetic stages;
- Constitutional characteristics (physical and biochemical individuality), neurodynamic properties of the brain and features of the functional geometry of the cerebral hemispheres (symmetry-asymmetry, function of paired receptors and effectors).
Defining the above characteristics as primary, and psychophysical functions and organic needs as secondary, these authors note that in temperament and predisposition there is a higher integration of all these characteristics. Defining the difference between a personality and an individual, A.N. Leontyev wrote that personality, like the individual, is a product of the integration of processes that carry out the relations of the subject. As the main difference of personality, he called the social relations specific to the individual into which he enters in his objective activity.
For B.G. Ananyev, the starting point of the structural-dynamic properties of a personality is its position in society, where this personality is formed and formed.
A.N. Leontiev believes that personality is a relatively late product of human socio-historical and ontogenetic development.
Personality as a general scientific and secular concept means:
- Human personality as a subject of relationships and conscious activity;
- A stable system of socially significant traits that characterize a person as a member of a particular society or community.
In psychology, personality is understood as a core, an integrating element that connects the various mental processes of an individual and gives his behavior the necessary consistency and stability. Depending on what exactly is seen at such a beginning, theories of personality are divided into psychobiological (W. Sheldon), biosocial (F. Allport, K. Rogers), psychosocial (K. Adler, K. Horney and other neo-Freudians), psychostatic ( “factorial”) - (R. Cattell, D. Eysenck and others).
Based on these theories, a personality typology is carried out. A distinction is made between specific historical personality types, ideal types corresponding to certain theoretical concepts, and empirical groupings of interviewed individuals. In sociology, the identification and existence of various social personality types is associated with the characteristics and properties of socio-economic formations (class, social group personality types). The category “socio-historical personality type” is used to designate certain sets of personality traits determined by a particular historical era and the social structure of society.
In Western psychology, there are widespread typologies that mainly take into account personality traits (traits and characteristics of individuals due to their initial innate orientations).
Personality types in psychology
In psychology, there is a classification of people according to personality types:
- Explosive. A person reacts violently to events or words and is characterized by increased excitability. He is sullen, usually cruel and overly impulsive;
- The hysterical type wants to be recognized and noticed. For him, the main thing is the presentation of himself and his own emotions. He is extravagant, his behavior is theatrical. Such a person is fickle and cannot be called sincere. He overacts, trying to increase his importance;
- The asthenic type is fearful, too vulnerable people. They have little stamina and get tired quickly. A person is always preoccupied with something, tends to invent illnesses and create problems. The sad mood hides behind a mask of indifference, sometimes it seems too cheeky;
- The psychasthenic type is overly anxious and indecisive. He always doubts his actions and regrets what he has done. Such people double-check everything, are prone to pedantry, and follow instructions exactly;
- The schizoid type avoids contacts, finds it difficult to establish communication, and is unable to empathize. A person finds himself in creativity, escaping from reality. He is cold, angular, awkward, afraid of new things.
Classification depending on character
Unlike temperament, which is considered an innate personality trait, character is a concept with a broader meaning. A person’s character is formed on the basis of innate temperament under the influence of the characteristics of the surrounding social environment throughout life.
Personality typology in psychology, based on character traits, determines types of people based on a set of constant behavior patterns and natural reactions to certain events.
Classification of characters according to Karl Leonhard identifies the following types of personality:
- Demonstrative.
- Pedantic.
- Stuck.
- Excitable.
Kretschmer's theory of determining character types, widespread in wide circles, proposes a division into 3 types of physique, which correspond to 3 types of characters:
- An asthenic is a thin person with long limbs, a narrow chest, and a belly without fat. This type corresponds to the character of schizothym. The behavior of these people is dominated by seriousness and coldness. Communication with others is superficial, without deep inner content. Shikhotims are people with steel energy, stable and unshakable.
- Picnic is a man of average height, with a dense figure, a wide chest and a massive belly. Character - cyclothyme, is determined by increased excitability, sociability, and a high degree of adaptability to the surrounding world.
- An athlete is a person with a stately, proportional physique. Character – iksotim. Such people are calm, restrained, and inclined to adequately assess events. Sometimes change is difficult to cope with.
Types of temperament according to Hippocrates
The oldest and at the same time the most famous classification of personality types was developed more than 2,500 thousand years ago by the ancient Greek philosopher and healer Hippocrates. I think everyone knows about this typology, but I’ll start with it. Firstly, out of respect for the discoverer, and secondly, because many modern classifications are based specifically on types of temperament.
So, according to Hippocrates, all people are divided into 4 types depending on the fluid prevailing in their body:
- Sanguines. For this type of people, the leading role is played by blood (“sangva” in ancient Greek). Therefore, they are very energetic, active, persistent in achieving their goals, irreconcilable and often cruel. Sanguine people are excellent warriors and leaders.
- Cholerics. Their body is dominated by bile (in ancient Greek - “holi”), so they are extremely fickle, fussy, talkative and emotional. They are characterized by frequent mood swings, imbalance and the inability to focus on one thing for a long time.
- Melancholic people. Their predominant black bile (“melena holi”) makes them gloomy, sad people, constantly in a depressed mood. People of this type are touchy, but sensitive and capable of sympathy and empathy.
- Phlegmatic people. Thanks to the mucus (“phlegm”) that dominates their body, they are sedentary, uncommunicative, self-absorbed, often in a thoughtful state and incapable of strong emotions.
It has now been proven that temperaments do not exist in their pure form, although Hippocrates’ observations are generally correct. It’s just that each of us has individual qualities of different types of temperament. As a rule, there are more of some of them, but it happens that individual properties of all temperaments are present almost equally. Therefore, in modern psychology, it is the individual qualities of temperaments that are isolated and studied. For example, the level of emotionality, the level and nature of sociability, stability or, on the contrary, variability of the psyche, etc.
This is interesting: Topics in psychology: let's take a closer look
So why do we need all this?
Today there are so many personality typologies that you involuntarily begin to doubt whether you need to bother yourself with them? The answer is clear – of course you need it! But just don’t score, but at least show interest in them.
First of all, the ability to understand psychotypes is useful for ourselves. If a person understands what type of personality he is, he will know his strengths and weaknesses, which means he will be able to competently manage them. This is a way to discover new opportunities for yourself, because often people tend to follow stereotypes or advice rather than listen to their own nature.
This is the case when a born speaker goes to work as an accountant, because, as his mother said, he will always have some money. As a result, no pleasure from work, no energy and no future prospects.
Cholerics, for example, make good bosses. They can handle any job that requires a lot of energy: journalist, coach, teacher, etc. Sanguine people easily find companionship, they can lead people, and they have good organizational skills. Phlegmatic people are strong in precise disciplines, while melancholic people are hard workers who love to work alone and require attention to detail.
As you can see, knowledge of the fundamental typology of Hippocrates’ personality already gives an understanding of what’s what. Now imagine what will happen if a sanguine person is seated at the mathematician’s table, and even alone?
Almost all HR specialists use various methods for assessing personality typology in their work. This is necessary both in personnel selection and in personnel changes, because an employee’s good results in an ordinary position do not always indicate that he will be an excellent leader; perhaps he lacks a natural manager, so a comprehensive assessment of personnel is important.
Surely, each of us has friends with whom we just can’t find a common language, or even some we consider, as they say, “not of this world.” There may be a conflict and misunderstanding with someone, because often people who are accustomed to being open with others, sociable and energetic perceive the slowness or isolation of their interlocutor, friend or colleague, as a kind of challenge, a negative personal attitude, which, naturally, is a mistake .
It is important to understand that there are no bad personality types, there are people with their own characteristics of character and behavior that are inherent to them by nature. It is the ability to assess a psychotype that helps to find a common language with others, prevent and resolve conflicts, and even agree on something.
And it is also important to understand that there are personality types that, in tandem, provide maximum or minimum productivity. If we look at the example of the DISC model, “red” interact best with “yellow”, but it is better not to pair them with “blue”, because These are two diametrically opposed personalities.
If you correctly consider the information about what type of personality your interlocutor (relative, colleague) belongs to, you can easily find the necessary levers to achieve maximum efficiency in communication. For example, with “yellows” you need to be positive in your communication, more often interested in their opinions, and to argue your point of view, refer to the views of authoritative individuals. You shouldn’t talk only about business with the “greens”. Informal communication is best suited to resolve various issues [O. Knysh, 2019].
Moreover, according to some psychologists, each personality type has its own illnesses. More precisely, if some character trait of a person is exaggerated or, conversely, strengthened, then mental abnormalities may appear. This relationship is clearly shown by the “7 radicals” personality assessment method, where all the names of radicals are derived from the names of diseases: schizoid, epileptoid, hysterical, hyperthymic, paranoid, emotive, anxious [V. Ponomarenko, 2006].
We are all individual and have our own set of personal qualities and character traits, which means that each person needs different approaches to communication, and if we are talking about children, then based on the child’s personality type, it is possible and necessary to build an individual education system.
If you find it difficult to determine on your own which personality type is dominant and which are auxiliary, and also cannot sensibly assess your strengths and weaknesses, we advise you to follow this useful link and discover the wonderful world of self-knowledge.
What is a psychotype
Any person represents a unity of the general and the individual. Recognizing the right of everyone to be a bright and unique personality, we must understand that the laws by which the psyche works are common to everyone, which means there are many similarities between people. This allows psychologists to draw general conclusions and develop effective and applicable methods of psychotherapy and correction to all individuals.
But along with general and individual traits, there are also typical ones, that is, they allow people to be united into groups (types) based on some common characteristics. In this case, we will talk about psychological characteristics and, accordingly, psychotypes. A psychotype is a complex of mental characteristics that make up a generalized model of human behavior and his reactions to external stimuli. These patterns are characteristic of many people, which allows them to be grouped together.
Why are such classifications needed? Psychologists need them to use different approaches to working with clients according to their types. However, too general methods and advice are not always effective, and it takes a lot of time to understand the individual “cockroaches” of each person. It’s easier to start from typological features and start analyzing individual problems and choosing work methods from them.
Here's an example. According to the characteristics of contacts with the outside world, all people can be divided into two types: extroverts and introverts:
- Extroverts are open to the world and other people and draw their energy from outside themselves.
- Introverts are closed in their inner world; they have difficulty building relationships with others and focus on their own resources.
It is clear that in order to develop the correct strategy for communication and interaction with a client, a psychologist needs to know what type he is.
It is also useful for ordinary people to know about their own psychotype. Such information allows you to interact with the world more effectively and avoid many mistakes. That is, knowledge of psychotypes is a useful thing, and special tests have been developed to determine them.
True, there is one problem: there are so many different typologies, classifications and their descriptions that it is not easy for even a psychologist to understand them. Therefore, I will introduce you only to the most popular ones.
Features and methods for determining psychotype
Determining the psychological characteristics of a person for certain purposes is the responsibility of a separate branch of psychology - psychological diagnostics. To determine psychotypes, various methods are used: tests, questionnaires, conversations.
Psychological consultations provide a specific person with knowledge that helps them better understand a certain situation, as well as adjust their actions in it. Modern psychology has a number of studies that make it possible to determine psychotypes by appearance, habits and a number of other characteristics.
Psychodiagnostic methods are classified according to several parameters:
By type of task:
- projective;
- multifactorial;
- accentuation;
- physiological;
- effective.
By form:
- blank;
- computer;
- sensory.
To address:
- conscious;
- unconscious.
Typology of psychotypes according to A.E. Lichko
Soviet psychiatrist A.E. Lichko, based on extensive research, identified the following personality types in psychology:
- Schizoid;
- Hyperthymic;
- Hysterical;
- Cycloid;
- Psychasthenic;
- Epileptoid;
- Sensitive;
- Conformal;
- Emotionally labile;
- Asthenoneurotic;
- Paranoid;
- Unstable;
Let us briefly describe personality psychotypes, external signs and behavioral characteristics.
1. The schizoid personality type gives a person duality. They tend to be withdrawn, experience difficulties in interpersonal communication, and are emotionally cold. They have an extravagant imagination. Alcohol is often used as a communication drug.
2. The hyperthymic type is characterized by mobility, restlessness, sociability, noisiness, high spirits, lack of perseverance, and mischief. The importance of their own personality is greatly overestimated, they are drawn to companies, sometimes asocial.
3. Hysterical types aspire to leadership positions
They differ in that they want to attract attention to themselves at any cost (egocentrism). They love praise very much
People of this type are prone to pretense, unnaturalness and posing. Feelings are superficial, willpower is weak and, as a rule, low authority.
4. Individuals with a cycloid psychotype are prone to mood swings. Activity and playfulness on the rise with a tendency to binge drinking can give way to a decline in mood up to subdepression. Such periods are characterized by weakness, lethargy, boredom, and a desire to be alone.
5. Psychasthenics are prone to “self-flagellation” and “self-criticism.” They are indecisive, suspicious, timid, experience obsessive fears, and are angular in their movements.
6. Representatives of the epileptoid type are characterized by the following traits: increased jealousy, angry malice, cruelty, and imperiousness. In a state of alcoholic intoxication, they are capable of aggression, often fall into unconsciousness, and exhibit sadomasochistic tendencies. At the same time, they have accuracy, pedantry and frugality.
7. Personalities of the synthetic type are very worried about their inferiority, are impressionable, and are prone to intellectual and aesthetic hobbies.
8. Conformists, like chameleons, easily adapt to environmental conditions. At the same time, they are weak-willed. In a good team, they make excellent performers. At the same time, they can drink themselves to death “for company” and cannot refuse. The self dissolves in the environment.
9. The emotionally labile type is characterized by extreme changes in mood even for insignificant reasons. Increased attachment to loved ones and relatives, very susceptible to signs of attention.
10. Asthenoneurotics are very capricious and irritable. As a rule, they sleep poorly, suffer from hypochondria and poor appetite.
11. The paranoid type is very distrustful, suspicious, and always on edge.
12. Individuals with an unstable psychotype are characterized by the following manifestations: lack of initiative, easy subordination. They often fall into bad company and are prone to gambling, idleness, pleasure and antisocial behavior.
Typology
What it is?
When trying to classify people by character, a person’s relationship to the surrounding reality, to himself, and to the people around him can be taken as a starting point.
Typology of characters according to Leonard
Clinical classifications (such as, for example, the character typology according to Leonhard) take sharpened (accentuated) character traits as a basis.
Accentuation is a significant aggravation of certain personality elements and character traits; This condition is expressed in selective low resistance to certain influences on the personality with normal, sufficient, and sometimes increased resistance to others.
In accordance with Leonhard's theory, personality has basic traits (there are significantly fewer of them, but they form the basis, the “core” of personality) and additional, secondary ones. The main types of accentuations are included in the typology of characters according to K. Leonhard.
- Hyperthymic accentuation . Personalities of this type are sociable and are in high spirits most of the time. Such people are talkative, energetic, and prone to risk. They get down to business with enthusiasm, but are not inclined to finish what they start. In communication they are superficial, unnecessary; do not tolerate monotonous, monotonous work; not adapted to work under discipline.
- Dysthymic accentuation . In this case, a low mood background, a pessimistic attitude, and a focus on negative and sad aspects of life prevail. Such a person is prone to isolation, solitude and tries to avoid conflicts. Prefers to communicate with people who demonstrate friendliness towards them. Characteristic personality traits are conscientiousness, a serious attitude towards one’s obligations, and a sense of justice.
- Cycloid accentuation . Characterized by alternating phases of positive and negative attitudes. In moments of high mood, such a person is active and energetic, and in times of depression, he prefers solitude. The frequency of phase changes is different.
- Excitable accentuation . Slowness and passivity are replaced by outbreaks of irritability and loss of self-control. In a calm state, such a person usually demonstrates accuracy and pedantry. However, in case of emotional arousal, he loses self-control, shows aggressiveness, and provokes conflict. Due to such characteristics, these people are usually unstable in the team. In family life they occupy a position of power and can suppress household members.
- Stuck or paranoid accentuation . Characterized by suspiciousness, touchiness, vindictiveness, and stability of a negative emotional state. These people have a sense of social justice and a tendency to make higher demands on themselves and others. In everyday life - taciturn, conflict-ridden, does not tolerate other people's opinions, strives for dominance.
- Pedantic accentuation . Such a person rarely gets involved in conflicts. And if he gets involved, he ends up on the passive side of the conflict. Willingly cedes leadership to others. Strengths: conscientiousness, stability; negative side: a large number of formal requirements, boring.
- Anxious accentuation is manifested by extremely low contact and timidity, low mood, constant self-doubts, often unfounded. In uncomfortable situations, such a person seeks protection and support. In a calm state - friendly, obliging, self-critical. Often find themselves in the role of a so-called scapegoat; becomes a target for jokes in the team.
- Emotive accentuation . Characterized by selectivity, pickiness in contacts, and focus on a trusting relationship. Such people have a narrow social circle consisting of people whom they are accustomed to trust. They hide the resentment, “carry it within themselves.” They show a tendency towards increased sentimentality and vulnerability. They are characterized by a heightened sense of duty and strive to provide assistance.
- Demonstrative accentuation . Such people easily establish contacts, have a need for dominance and universal attention, fame and praise. In a team, they demonstrate easygoing behavior, are capable of intrigue, are distinguished by artistry, originality, non-standard thinking and actions, charisma and, at the same time, egocentrism, ambition, hypocrisy, inflated ambitions, and claims. The most important thing for this person is what impression he makes on others.
- Exalted accentuation . Manifests itself in sociability, heightened sensitivity, and sincerity. Mood and emotions are subject to momentary impulses. Such people are characterized by attachment to loved ones and friends, passion, empathy; emotional instability, mood swings, at times - a tendency to panic, rash, impulsive actions.
- Extroverted accentuation . Representatives of this group are surrounded by a large number of friends, cheerful and sociable, open to new information, talkative, do not strive for leadership, and yield it to others; often show frivolity and thoughtless actions; a tendency to spread rumors and gossip, lack of independence, a tendency to go with the flow, “to be like everyone else.”
- Introverted character . A representative of this group is the exact opposite of an extrovert. It is characterized by isolation, isolation from the social environment, secrecy, and increased vulnerability; He prefers loneliness and self-absorption to any communication. He does not tolerate interference in his life, protects it, and can give the impression of an unemotional idealist, incapable of emotional relationships with people. Characteristic: rigidity of thinking, always insists on his own, even if the fallacy of his opinion is obvious; perseverance.
Typology of characters A. E. Lichko
Studying various types of accentuations in adolescents, A. E. Lichko considered accentuations as a temporary state of the human psyche; according to his observations, as one grows older, traits that appear in the early stages may lose their sharpness, and over time they reappear with all clarity, especially in critical situations. Lichko's typology of characters identifies 11 types of accentuations.
- Hyperthymic type . The person is active and sociable, restless, and insufficiently disciplined. His studies are uneven, his mood is high. Able to enter into conflicts with adults. Has a variety of hobbies, all of them superficial. Overestimates his capabilities, self-confident, prone to bravado.
- Cycloid character type . Such a teenager is characterized by irritability; he prefers loneliness to the company of his peers. It’s hard to go through troubles, even the most insignificant ones; In response to a remark, aggression is possible. The background of the mood is changeable - from elated to depressed.
- Labile . The mood of such a teenager is changeable and unstable; such people are called unpredictable. Even the most insignificant circumstance can be a reason for a change in mood. Even for the most insignificant reason such a person can become despondent. When they are depressed, they need the support of those who can cheer them up and distract them. Such people feel very well the attitude of others towards them; their behavior depends on momentary emotions. The perception of the world around us often changes - from gloomy tones to light and rainbow ones.
- Astheno-neurotic type . The frequency of mood changes is 1 - 2 per month. Characterized by capriciousness, suspiciousness, suspicion, irritability and fatigue. These traits are most pronounced during intellectual stress.
- Sensitive type . Characteristic features are increased susceptibility to both joyful and sad events. Such people do not like large noisy companies and active games. In communication they can be meek and shy, especially in the presence of strangers. They are perceived by others as closed and very selective in their contacts. They are rarely open, only with those whom they know well and trust. They prefer to communicate with younger children or older ones. They are obedient, attached to their parents, adapt poorly to their peers, and are prone to developing an inferiority complex. A sense of duty is formed early, moral requirements for oneself and others are revealed, and complex types of activities are often chosen.
- Psychasthenic type . Characterized by accelerated early intellectual development. Teenagers are prone to introspection, thinking and evaluating other people's behavior. Self-confidence is combined with indecisiveness. Actions are often hasty, including in situations where caution and prudence are required.
- The schizoid type is characterized by poor communication skills and an undeveloped ability to empathize. Such teenagers avoid their peers and prefer solitude or the company of adults. Often demonstrate indifference to others, are not inclined to empathize or show interest in other people; live in their own world, full of fantasies, which, according to them, can be “difficult to express in words.” In external manifestations they are very restrained, which makes them look insincere and secretive; among their peers they are in the “exclusion zone”.
- Epileptoid . In childhood, such people often cry, “harassing” those around them, tease younger ones, mock those who are weaker, and early reveal cruel character traits. Characteristic: hypertrophied pride, imperiousness, even cruelty; in a company these are dictators, setting their own strict rules and demanding obedience. In conditions of a strict disciplinary regime, they feel comfortable, are able to threaten their superiors, and achieve advantages over their peers.
- Hysterical . Such teenagers stand out among their peers for their constant thirst for attention. Their psychology is self-centered. They have strong inclinations towards posing and theatricality. They cannot stand it when someone is praised in their presence, or when someone gets more attention than themselves. Attracting everyone's attention and praise to oneself in any way becomes the main goal of one's actions. These people claim an exceptional position among their peers; to achieve this, they take on the role of “ringleader” and work a lot for the public.
- Unstable type . Such teenagers are prone to idleness, entertainment and idleness. There are no stable interests, including professional ones. Such people are called “weak-willed”, “weak-willed”.
- Conformal type . The main feature is the so-called opportunistic behavior. A person, without thinking, blindly, submits to the opinion of the majority or the authority of an individual. This is an opportunistic type, capable of abandoning his beliefs for the sake of his current interests; always finds moral justification for his actions.
Some researchers in the field of psychology build a typology of characters on the basis that they associate certain character traits with constitutional characteristics, for example, the Kretschmer classification. This typology is based on the fact that the type of body structure in a certain way corresponds to a person’s propensities for certain mental illnesses. For example, asthenics and athletes are most prone to schizophrenic syndromes (schizothymic personality type), and picnics are most prone to manic-depressive psychosis (cyclothymic type).
Typology of characters according to Kretschmer (constitutional typology)
- Asthenic type . These are tall, thin people with a narrow shoulder girdle, thin skin, underdeveloped muscles and fatty tissue.
- Athletic type . Developed skeleton, highly developed muscles. Height is average or above average. Wide shoulder girdle and chest.
- Picnic type . The internal cavities of the body are highly developed. Muscles and musculoskeletal system are poorly developed, prone to obesity. Average height.
Kretschmer's typology is compiled in a purely speculative manner, but it contains quite truthful observations.
Three-component structure of personality behavior
This concept was supplemented by Kretschmer's personality typology; the theory belongs to N.N. Obozov and includes cognitive (cognitive), affective (sensual) and practical (transformative) components.
- Thinker . It is characterized by a focus on thinking about life, science and art; loves puzzles and logic problems; concentrated, not sociable.
- Companion . Communication-oriented, establishing contacts, witty, loves company.
- Practitioner . A man of action; cannot stand unfinished business, empty reasoning; loves clearly defined tasks and decisive actions; good organizer.
Theory of K. Jung
This classification has become quite widespread in psychology. It is based on whether people belong to either an extroverted or introverted type. Extroverts are most characterized by initiative, flexibility of thinking and behavioral reactions, and communication skills; An introvert is characterized by a fixation of interests on his own inner world, isolation and unsociability, a tendency to introspection; such people experience significant difficulties in adaptation.
A person receives information through the following channels:
- Feel;
- intuition;
- objective logic;
- subjective feeling.
According to Carl Jung's theory, people use all of the above channels in life, but each individual uses different functions with varying success and effectiveness. The function that is used more often and more successfully than others is called dominant. According to the author, the dominant function is so important that it sets the tone for the entire complex of human behavioral reactions. Thus, eight psychological types were derived, united in Jung’s classification.
Typology according to Jung
- Extroverted feeling type . These are people with an extremely acute “sense of fact”, people of tangible reality, not prone to passivity and reflection, and not having power-hungry inclinations. The constant motive of such a person is to sense the object, receiving sensory impressions that are as pleasant as possible. All his emotions are based on the tactile features of the object. They tend to demonstrate their refined taste.
- Introverted feeling type . Unlike the extroverted sensation, this type focuses on the intensity of subjective sensations and is distinguished by calmness and passivity.
- Extroverted intuitive type . has a keen sense of everything that has certain prospects. Always in the process of searching for opportunities. A dynamic personality who takes on new endeavors too intensely, sometimes with overly expressed enthusiasm. Among representatives of this type, women are more common; Intuitive activity is more evident in social life than in the professional sphere.
- Introverted intuitive . Quite a peculiar type. A sort of mystic dreamer; on the one hand, a visionary-visionary, on the other, an esthete-artist. The dreamer contemplates, but the artist, not of this world, creates extraordinary things that are insignificant and banal at the same time. Such a person often considers himself an unrecognized genius and appears as such to those around him.
- Extroverted thinker . This is a person who makes his entire life dependent on intellectual conclusions. Such a person attaches the greatest importance to objective reality. The thinking of representatives of this psychotype is very positive and productive.
- Introverted thinker . A person belonging to this type is silent and unsociable, encounters people who do not understand him, and, thanks to this, becomes convinced of the “impenetrable stupidity” of people. Thinking is aimed at understanding one’s inner world and its significance.
- Extroverted Feeler . The features of this psychotype are most characteristic of female psychology; these people live guided by their own feelings and emotions.
- Introverted Feeler . As a rule, these people are silent, incomprehensible, hidden under a banal, sometimes infantile, mask. May have a melancholic temperament; invisible in the team.
Character classification according to K. Horney
Emphasizes the importance of socio-cultural moments in the formation of character traits.
- Compliant type . Characterized by a people-oriented attitude that creates helplessness. In any situation he prefers to give in.
- Separate type . The defensive attitude “I don’t care” has been formed.
- Hostile type . Oriented against people. A priori hostile. Strives for dominance.
Typology of character by E. Fromm
The name of this author is associated with the concept of “social character,” which is understood as a set of personality traits refracted in historically established social relations. According to Fromm's theory, there are 5 stable character types:
- Receptive type . Such a person is convinced that everything necessary must be gleaned from outside; seeks support; in relationships, these people are very sensitive to lack of attention. He looks at life with optimism and is friendly until a threat arises.
- Operating type . Feels affection only for those who can give something; prefers to get everything through force, is capable of stealing ideas, passing them off as his own. He is caustic, sarcastic, suspicious, cynical, envious, and inclined to appropriate what others have.
- Cumulative type . He doesn't like expenses; they make him anxious. Stinginess extends both to material values and to feelings and thoughts. Pedantic, clean, obsessively punctual, stubborn.
- Market type . Such a person treats his own personality as a commodity to be bought and sold; is able to develop qualities that are in demand; there is no stable character. Market orientation extends to thinking. These people do not retain their individuality; thinking is reduced to “grasping” ideas for the purpose of successful manipulation.
- Productive type . Unlike the other four, which are unproductive, he is able to rationally use his strengths to realize his inherent potential. Such people do not necessarily become famous. He is simply able to think independently, respect himself and others, in a word, he enjoys life, does not experience anxiety, admires nature and art. Unproductive ones can be transformed into productive ones, for example, stubbornness - into perseverance, despoticism - into the ability to take the initiative.
In Fromm’s typology, in addition, three more modifications of a social nature are described:
- Masochist-sadist . This person tends to see the reasons for all his successes and failures in people, and not in objective reasons and social events. If it is necessary to remove an obstacle, he directs aggression towards the person whom he considers the cause of failure. Such a person is often engaged in self-education and self-improvement, and attempts to change people for the better; especially dangerous in a leadership position.
- Destroyer . Aggression and desire to eliminate an inconvenient object are clearly expressed. People who are anxious, helpless, disabled, physically or emotionally turn to destructiveness.
- Conformist automaton . Such a person in a critical situation ceases to be himself, meekly submits to the situation, to the requirements of a social group of any type, and quickly learns the “necessary” type of thinking and way of behavior; does not have his own opinion and social position; conscious or unconscious opportunist.
Basic psychotypes of men and women
Depending on the gender of the individual, the same events may be perceived differently.
Women are more attentive to details, but at the same time they often do not see the whole picture. Men are characterized by a global scale of perception of the world. They are not interested in all sorts of little things that make ladies indescribably delighted.
Female psychotypes have their own specifics and can be divided into the following groups:
- Mother. Always preoccupied with caring for someone. Takes care of everyone, a pronounced leader in the family;
- Active woman. Lives for herself, is self-sufficient, requires care and attention for her person;
- The woman is an altruist. Devoted to her beloved man, ready to give everything for his good;
- Daughter. Selfish, needs constant care and attention.
Male psychotypes can be divided into the following groups:
- Caring father. Constantly controls the situation, is demanding of others, and does not accept compromises. Does not admit mistakes;
- Active man. In the foreground is the benefit in everything. May take risks. Your desires are above all;
- The man is altruistic. Surrounds the family with care, is a good owner;
- Son. Egoist. Lives one day at a time, has tendencies towards extravagance. Increased self-esteem.
Jung's personality typology
Jung, following the philosopher Kant, builds his typology in order to reveal the means to personal development. He deals with his patients, for whom typology can help overcome psychological difficulties, but Jung classifies both himself and healthy people as typable. Jung does not hide his analysis, unlike the diagnostic map of accentuations according to Gannushkin and Lichko, from his patients.
Jung, looking through the history of art, music, poetry, philosophy, notices that people are usually identified in pairs, for example, rational and emotional. In this pairing he sees an important meaning, and makes his main discovery - just like natural counter-directional forces, for example, stretching, compression, exhalation, inhalation, two opposite directions can be distinguished in the psyche, settings for extraversion and introversion.
Both directions are present in the psyche of each subject, but one of them always prevails. Jung explains this through the psychoanalytic construct in which one attitude is present in consciousness, and its opposite is present in the unconscious. Jung's idea here, however, is to balance yourself.
Further, Jung identifies another dichotomy, thinking and emotions opposed to each other, then talks about the dominant mental function. He finds another pair of characteristics, sensory-intuition. He considers all these functions to be unbalancedly present in the structure of the psyche; one of them always dominates.
Sensory is a sensation, our perception of how the action of our action occurs. Emotion is associated with the acceptance of a perceived event on an emotional level. Thinking allows you to comprehend the situation. Intuition, which according to Jung denotes the ability to anticipate the consequences of an action, its future results, is associated with the ability to imagine.
Jung could be followed by another author, Lazursky, who, along with the identification of types, considers the levels of development. This attempt is present, although it is far from indisputable.
Personality structure as a totality, domestic approach
“Structure is a set of stable relationships between the many components of an object that ensure its integrity and self-identity. The concept of structure implies viewing an object as a system...”
The problem of personality structure in psychology is even more confusing than the concept of “personality” itself. Let's first consider the views of household psychologists. B.G. Ananyev offers a fairly detailed analysis of the characteristics of the psychological structure of the individual, pointing, in particular, to the works of A.G. Kovaleva, V.N. Myasishchev and K.K. Platonov, noting that their differences “in the interpretation of the concept of personality structure are quite characteristic of the current state of the problem.”
A.G. Kovalev presents personality as a synthesis of complex structures, such as:
- Temperament (structure of natural traits);
- Orientation (system of needs, interests and ideals);
- Abilities (system of intellectual, volitional and emotional qualities).
All these structures arise as a result of the interaction of psychological characteristics of the individual, which “characterize a stable, constant level of activity that allows the individual to best adapt to inactive stimuli due to the greatest adequacy of their reflection.” In the process of activity, the features are interconnected in a certain way, in accordance with the requirements of the activity.” Moreover, he believes that the “structure of an individual’s mental life” is formed by the relationship between mental processes, mental states and mental properties of the individual.
Unlike him, V.N. Myasishchev adhered to the two-dimensional structure and functioning of the psyche - potential and procedural. He referred to potential as such qualitative personality traits as intelligence, talent, character, abilities; to processes - activity, the experience of thinking, and their functioning always represents a dialectical unity in which “the potential can be judged by its implementation in the process, while the process itself is internally determined by the nature of the potential.” According to his concept, the unity of personality is characterized by direction (dominant attitude towards certain objects), level of mental development, dynamics of personal reactions (temperament) and personality structure, which includes “... proportionality, harmony, integrity of personality, its breadth and depth, its functional profile, those. the relationship between various mental properties or what is primarily called the character of a person.” So, according to B.G. Ananyev, from the point of view of V.N. Myasishchev, personality structure is “only one of the definitions of its unity and integrity, i.e. a more special personality property, the integrative features of which are associated with the motivation, attitudes and tendencies of the individual.”
K.K. Platonov presents the degree of integration in the personality structure in different ways. In accordance with a set of criteria, he identifies a dynamic functional psychological structure of personality, consisting of four substructures:
- Socially conditioned traits formed by upbringing (orientations, moral traits);
- Biologically determined traits (temperament, gender and age characteristics, pathological organic changes, predispositions, instincts, simple needs);
- Personal experience acquired, including as a result of training (the volume and quality of existing knowledge, skills, abilities and habits);
- Individual characteristics of various mental processes or mental functions as a form of reflection (mostly dependent on biologically determined characteristics).
In addition “to the four main, so to speak, lines, two more substructures are superimposed on them - character and abilities. Moreover, K.K. Platonov calls this structure functional, “since both the entire structure and its constituent elements are considered as mental functions.” Sooner or later, this functional structure as a “psychological pattern” will almost completely cover the morphological and physiological structure as a physiological outline...” Moreover, he calls this structure psychological because “it generalizes the psychological characteristics of the individual, although it is associated with the social roles of the individual.”
Jung's typology
The basis for dividing people into psychological types is the tendency to predominantly direct vital energy (libido) outward to the situation or partners (extroversion) or to refrain from spending energy and influencing oneself from the outside (introversion). Hence the openness and sociability of pronounced extroverted types and the isolation and tendency to solitude of introverted psychotypes.
Both types of behavior are biologically based. In the animal world there are also two ways of adapting to the environment. The first, “extroverted” - the desire for unlimited reproduction in combination with the weak functioning of defense mechanisms (as in rats, rabbits, lice). The second, “introverted” - a small number of offspring with strong protective mechanisms (in most large mammals). Like animals, what an extrovert achieves through mass contacts with the outside world, an introvert achieves through a maximally independent position.
Carl Jung first introduced the concepts of extraversion and introversion as the main types of ego orientation. And later he supplemented his psychological typology with a description of four basic mental functions:
- thinking (logic);
- feeling (aesthetic judgments and ethical values);
- sensation (perception through the senses);
- intuition (unconscious perception).
Each of the basic psychological functions can be directed both outward and inward - the extraversion-introversion criterion. According to which of the functions is more developed (leading), the individual can be classified as a thinking, feeling, sensing or intuitive extrovert/introvert. The opposite of the predominant function is repressed into the unconscious and gives rise to interesting effects. For example, the thinking type does not like excessive displays of emotions, shouting, or pathos. But the “thinker” will receive the greatest pleasure from communicating with the emotional feeling type.
Myers-Briggs typology
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is based on Jung's typology. Both of its creators did not have a psychological education, but after reading Jung’s “Psychological Types” they began to actively type in practice, conducting observations of people’s behavior and his research. Living during wartime, they had the opportunity to observe large masses of people in unusual situations, and based on this material they described the differences between types in more detail.
Further, MBTI was effectively developed as a system that allows you to form work teams, select personnel, and predict the behavior of employees in a company. Specialists using MBTI aim to build proper management in connection with the personality types of both the manager and subordinates. MBTI allows you to separate not only the strengths, but also the weaknesses of the subject and, concentrating on the strong characteristics, place the employee in the most suitable position for him in the organization.
According to the MBTI, a person's type comes in four formats. The first is the source of energy from where a person draws energy. An extrovert receives energy from the outside, he needs to constantly act and communicate, this is his way of survival and comfort zone. It is in the process of interaction with the external world that he receives the impetus for development and the material for it. An introvert, on the contrary, draws energy from within himself and therefore loves solitude.
The next one is the center of attention, a way of obtaining information about the world around us. Here we are dealing with sensory as a reliance on the senses, intuition as a supraconscious process of analysis, forecasting and anticipation of events. The sensory type is based on the present and past experience, while the intuitive is able to see figuratively, the whole picture, as if from above.
Next comes the decision-making center using the thinking or feeling mode. The thinking type reasons based on right and wrong, while the feeling type reasons based on personal values.
And the last pair of characteristics, judgment and perception, are related to the individual's lifestyle. People of judgment live in an orderly, predictable world, while people of perception live in a deep, elemental world with open options for all kinds of choices, which is why they do not make decisions until the last moment.
The reason for dividing people into types
In psychology, it is customary to distinguish types of people, dividing them into groups, depending on behavioral reactions, emotional manifestations, tendency to excitability and intellectual abilities. There are many online tests that allow you to assess temperament or character, helping to determine how a person will behave in a non-standard critical situation.
Note! Survey data is used when hiring to understand whether the applicant is suitable for the chosen position. It is useful to notice a person who is called a “narcissist”
It’s hard to work with him, because he doesn’t see anyone around him and doesn’t respect other people’s opinions.
Some rely on test data to find their soulmate. Theories have been developed about the compatibility of people with similar or different character traits and social attitudes.
To select employees, it is important to evaluate the relationship between initiative and responsibility and to evaluate people’s activity. Based on this feature, Ksenia Aleksandrovna Slavskaya, a psychologist and philosopher, created a classification of personality types, where, for example, the harmonious type included people who proposed an action plan and were responsible for its implementation
Contemplative - they put forward an idea, but could not cope with it on their own. Personality typology is used by pedagogy in order to eliminate conflicts and normalize the atmosphere in the team.
Children's group
Additional Information
There is a direction in psychology that studies corrupt behavior, this is important when interrogating suspects. A brief description of such personality types - the use of psychological defense methods, speed in decision making, a sense of impunity
Historical background
Logic of development of classification hypotheses in psychology
The entire history of humanities research from a systemic and classification perspective is an arena of struggle between two opposing methodological directions, the goals of which were:
1) “catch” the central organizing link, a kind of engine of any structure, and distribute people according to the qualitative specifics of these central links;
“The typological approach consists of a global perception of man and the subsequent reduction of the diversity of individual forms to a small number of groups united around a representative type” (Maley, 1960).
2) decompose the psyche into its component parts in order to understand the work of its parts and create a classification based on differences in the structure and quality of the parts.
“It is necessary to reduce all personality traits to elementary mental elements and elementary forms of basic psychological laws that reveal the nature of the discovered connections” (Polan, 1894).
Currently, there are several thousand different psychological classifications that indicate certain differences between people or mental characteristics as such.
Classifications may have different basic scales of generalization and degrees of internal rigor.
Classification of people and psychological characteristics
The logic of the development of psychological classifications required the parallel existence of two scientific approaches: one of which was called “psychology of types”, and “others - psychology of traits”. Over time, both approaches shifted towards each other: the psychology of types - in attempts to understand the structure of the psychological traits of each type, the psychology of traits - in attempts to achieve a higher system of generalizations.
“As soon as the fact that the observed traits do not correspond to individual essential mental characteristics, but are only aspects of personality and behavior, received general recognition, the need immediately arose to identify the fundamental factors underlying these traits. Hymans and Wiersma, as well as other scientists after them, tried to solve this problem. However, all these studies were fragmentary, their results were determined by preliminary hypotheses, and the choice of features, as a rule, was determined by the personal opinion of the researcher "R. Miley.
An example of the development of trait psychology (stages):
- Identification of types of love as psychology of traits. In ancient times, the typology of types of love was very popular, which included:
Sources used:
- https://healthperfect.ru/tipologiya-lichnosti-v-psihologii.html
- https://studopedia.ru/24_36269_chelovek-individ-individualnost-lichnost-tipologiya-lichnosti.html
- https://studopedia.ru/14_67995_tipologizatsiya-lichnosti.html
- https://ru.qaz.wiki/wiki/psychological_typologies
Personality types in conflict situations
Conflicts are an integral part of life. It is often impossible to do without them, and avoidance will only aggravate the tension and push the goal away. What are the types of personality, depending on behavior in conflict:
Demonstrative. He strives to be the center of attention, so he creates conflicts to make others remember him. It is better not to leave such people aside, but to give them compliments and praise. This will calm them down, the desire to conflict will decrease; Rigid. Conflicts arise due to a person’s touchiness. He constantly feels like he is underestimated or offended. He tends to take things personally and does not tolerate defeat
It is important for him that his truth be recognized; he himself will never refuse it. It’s better not to provoke such a person; it’s easier to smooth out the unpleasant situation and apologize
A constructive dialogue with him is unlikely to happen; The uncontrollable type relies on emotions. It flares up easily and cools quickly when it releases steam. Then he becomes accommodating and is ready to make concessions. He shouts loudly, explaining his position, and can show aggression; The ultra-precise type constantly worries about his own safety. He is too suspicious and anxious. Demands performance at a high level from those around him. Treats himself with even greater pickiness. He's easy to hit. He experiences resentment in private, avoiding public conflicts; The conflict-free type is the most unpleasant type. He dislikes arguments so much that he avoids them in every possible way. Agrees and follows the lead, a person changes his point of view and tactics of behavior. He depends on the personality forcing him to accept a different opinion. This is an unreliable, unprincipled person for whom it is important to avoid quarrels; The conflict type will resolve any controversial situation, turning it in their favor. He even creates it on purpose, because he is confident in himself and has sufficient arguments to win, no matter how many opponents he has.
Conflict situation
Psychological personality types according to Jung
Carl Gustav Jung is a famous Swiss psychiatrist and teacher. Personal information about him says that he worked together with Freud. He divided people into extroverts and introverts. The type depends on the characteristics of perception. Extroverts strive to understand the world around them, interacting with it in every possible way. Introverts try to isolate themselves from their surroundings. Their energy is directed “inward”.
Extroverts are friendly, open, and active. They need company and the energy of the crowd. Introverts are reserved and seek solitude. They are not averse to joining the team, but they do not need to be the center of attention.
Extrovert and introvert
Note! Each type corresponds to a specific temperament. Thus, extroverts include choleric and sanguine people, and introverts include melancholic and phlegmatic people.
This distribution is easy to understand once you know the characteristics of temperament types. The following typology of people is widely used:
- The choleric person is unbalanced, his actions are subject to impulses. It quickly lights up, but its energy instantly runs out. The mood fluctuates;
- A sanguine person is also characterized by constant mood swings. He reacts quickly to everything that happens and eagerly gets down to business. He can work for a long time, his energy has no end. Does not tend to get upset over failures, quickly forgets about mistakes, turning them into invaluable experience to move on;
- A phlegmatic person acts slowly, shows almost no emotions, and his facial expressions are inexpressive. He is slow to catch fire, but works hard and always strives for a high result. He is distinguished by perseverance and perseverance;
- A melancholic person is always worried; he is easily hurt and unsettled. Experiences spill out. It’s hard to inspire him; his work moves very late.
There are many classifications of types of people in psychology that allow us to characterize their qualities, relationships with society and ways of achieving goals. It is interaction with people and the outside world that helps assess personality.
Personality archetypes
One of the methods for assessing mental qualities was the definition of an archetype.
An archetype is the basis that determines a person’s feelings, thoughts, behavior and needs. Based on this knowledge, the psychotherapist helps to get rid of unwanted complexes and change the course of his life. Jung's archetypes are part of the universal unconscious, a genetic memory given to a person from birth that shapes his worldview.
6.1
6 Archetypes of Carl Jung
Self is the harmonious interaction of the conscious and unconscious in a person as a source of creative energy. The balance of opposing elements of the psyche is normalized. Jung formulated the prototype of the self as a basic, all-encompassing quality, a sign of balance and coexistence of opposites. Many people have not developed this quality and are unaware of its existence.
The person prefers to wear a mask and meet the expectations of the environment. Representative of the collective psyche. The chosen role helps to communicate with society, determines the choice of profession, attitude towards people, tastes. May suppress individuality.
Shadow. A manifestation of the unconscious, which is repressed due to social rejection. Thoughts, memories, feelings that are not recognized by a person. According to Jung's theory, the ego's task is to realize the potential of the Shadow for personality development.
Animus. The masculine component of feminine nature, the ability to express personal opinion and defend it. A positive animus means insight, wise, balanced actions. Negativity encourages recklessness. The animus strives to influence the world around it and is expressed in categorical and firm judgments.
Anima. Manifestation of the feminine principle in a man: sensual impulses, emotionality, frivolity, love at first sight, romance. Femininity is directed inside a person, towards awareness of feelings and self-awareness. Men under the influence of the animus are emotionally unstable, irritable, and impulsive.
The description of psychotypes makes it possible to determine the strengths and weaknesses of a person’s character, to avoid conflict situations and misunderstandings. This is an opportunity to understand the environment and the motives of their behavior in order to coexist harmoniously in the family and society.
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Online tests to determine personality types
The most accessible way to determine your personal psychotype is online tests that anyone can take using the Internet. Most tests are aimed at revealing a person’s internal potential, his ability to interact, and behavioral characteristics among close people.
There are also many modern classifiers for a variety of specific tasks.
Examples of online test categories:
- Multifactorial methods for personality research (Cattell test).
- Projective tests (Luscher color test)
- Leonhard tests for determining personal accentuations.
- Tests for temperament research (Eysenck, Strelyau).
- Questionnaires for intelligence research (IT intellectual potential test).
- Tests for research in various fields of activity (Torrance test)
- Methods of self-satisfaction, life values (Muddy's vitality test).
Personality typology is receiving more and more attention in practical application. Specialists from all fields of activity are turning to the latest achievements of psychology. Methods for unlocking individual potential are being improved every day and allow us to understand the essence of a person with great accuracy.
Personality types. Jung's classification:
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Man is a biosocial being, a special, highest link in the development of living organisms on Earth. The biological principle (anatomy, physiology, the course of various processes in the body) is inextricably interconnected with social traits (team work, thinking, speech, creativity).
An individual is a member of homo sapiens, a separate living organism, an individual.
Personality is the social image of a person, consisting of his social image and internal appearance.
— The public image is determined by the activities and position of a person in society, the realization of his individual potential, the level of development and social activity of the individual.
— The internal appearance is the individuality of a person, his natural inclinations, traits and properties, relatively unchanged and constant in time and situation, distinguishing one individual from another.
Individuality is the totality of all inherited and acquired qualities that distinguish one person from another
The concept of “personality” expresses the totality of social qualities that an individual has acquired in the course of life and manifests them in various forms of activity and behavior. This concept is used as a social characteristic of a person. Is every person an individual? Obviously not. A person in the clan system was not a person, since his life was completely subordinated to the interests of the primitive collective, dissolved in it, and his personal interests had not yet acquired proper independence. A person who has gone mad is not a person. A human child is not a person. He has a certain set of biological properties and characteristics, but until a certain period of life he is devoid of signs of social order. Therefore, he cannot perform actions and actions driven by a sense of social responsibility. A child is only a candidate for becoming a human being.
Formation of man. In order to become an individual, an individual goes through the necessary path of socialization, that is, assimilating the social experience accumulated by generations of people, accumulated in skills, abilities, habits, traditions, norms, knowledge, values, etc., joining the established system of social connections and relationships.
Socialization is carried out through communication, upbringing, education, the media, a system of social control, etc. It occurs in the family, kindergarten, school, special and higher educational institutions, work collectives, informal social groups, etc. In the process of socialization, everyday, everyday views and ideas, production, labor skills, legal and moral norms of behavior, political attitudes and goals, social ideals, scientific knowledge, religious values, etc.
Socialization begins from the first minutes of an individual’s existence and continues throughout his life. Each person goes through his own path of socialization. A person is not born a personality, he becomes a personality. A person can be called a person when he reaches such a level of mental and social development that makes him capable of managing his behavior and activities, giving an account of the results and consequences of his actions. In other words, a person becomes a person when he is able to act as a subject of activity, when he has one or another degree of self-awareness. A person cannot become an individual without going through the process of socialization.
Addition:
Human. Individual. Individuality. Personality.
Since ancient times (starting with ancient Indian, ancient Chinese, and ancient philosophy), the problem of man has occupied the minds of philosophers. This problem becomes even more relevant in the 20th century, when the scientific and technological revolution became new factors in human life and the human personality risks being leveled out “in the clutches” of the information-technological society.
Man is a special being, a natural phenomenon, possessing, on the one hand, a biological principle (which brings him closer to higher mammals), on the other hand, a spiritual one - the ability for deep abstract thinking, articulate speech (which distinguishes him from animals), high learning ability, assimilation cultural achievements, high level of social (public) organization.
The problem of personality is one of the central ones in the entire system of humanitarian knowledge. And each of the theoretical disciplines that study personality outlines its image in its own way, expressing it in specific concepts, from its own point of view.
Philosophy analyzes the problem of personality in its own way. It is no coincidence that in the structure of philosophical knowledge, in the system of philosophical anthropology, such a branch as “personalism” has emerged - a philosophical concept of personality and its universal status, free development.
From the standpoint of philosophical personalism, a person is not an object among other objects, a thing among other things. It cannot be known from the outside. Personality is the only integrity that we both cognize and create from within. Russian personalism (N. Berdyaev) considers personality as something inimitable, unique, and valuable in itself. It must be understood only from itself, and not from anything external (nature, sociality, even the transcendent). The essence of personality is its freedom. It is a spiritual reality, the triumph of freedom over slavery, victory over the heaviness of the world.
Most philosophers believed that an individual becomes a personality, not by withdrawing into himself, but by entering into complex relationships with Others, appearing in an ensemble of social relations, presenting himself as a social individual.
Based on the fact that in different theoretical constructs a person “looks” differently, it can be argued with one degree or another of evidence that each individual is a person, and vice versa, that not everyone can be considered as a person. Thus, for a lawyer, a newborn is a person protected by law and possessing a certain set of rights (property, the right to protection of dignity, etc.). But for a teacher or psychologist, a newborn is only the potential of a full-fledged personality; he still needs to “stand out”, become a personality.
In philosophical humanism, it is still customary to consider all living individuals to be individuals, regardless of any differences (age, ethnicity, presence or absence of talent, etc.). Even those who have left us “to another world” are also individuals. Respect for the dead is an integral feature of any humanistically oriented culture.
Sometimes it is proposed (by M.S. Kagan) to separate three concepts that characterize an individual person in this way:
Individual is a designation for a person taken as an “individual”, a single representative of the species “Homo sapiens”;
Personality is a sociological interpretation of an individual, which includes his acquisition of a set of sociocultural roles and the maturation in the inner world of a set of value orientations.
To characterize the spiritual nature of a person, the concept of “personality” has been used for many centuries - the totality of a person’s innate and acquired spiritual properties, his internal spiritual content.
Personality is the innate qualities of a person, developed and acquired in the social environment, a set of knowledge, skills, values, goals.
Individuality is a cultural vision of an individual, in which his uniqueness, uniqueness, originality, his “self” and irreplaceability come to the fore.
Thus, man is a socio-biological being, and in the conditions of modern civilization, due to education, laws, and moral norms, the social principle of man controls the biological.
Life, development, upbringing in society is a key condition for the normal development of a person, the development of all kinds of qualities in him, and transformation into a personality. There are cases when people from birth lived outside human society and were raised among animals. In such cases, out of two principles, social and biological, only one remained in a person - biological. Such people adopted the habits of animals, lost the ability to articulate speech, were greatly retarded in mental development, and even after returning to human society did not take root in it. This once again proves the socio-biological nature of man, that is, that a person who does not have the social skills of educating human society, possessing only a biological principle, ceases to be a full-fledged person and does not even reach the level of animals (for example, in whom he was brought up).
Practice and work are of great importance for the transformation of a biological individual into a socio-biological personality. Only by engaging in any specific activity, and one that meets the inclinations and interests of the person himself and is useful for society, can a person assess his social significance and reveal all facets of his personality.
When characterizing a human personality, attention should be paid to such a concept as personality traits - innate or acquired habits, way of thinking and behavior.
People are distinguished by qualities, their presence, and development. Through qualities one can characterize a person’s personality. To a large extent, qualities are formed under the influence of family and society.
In philosophy, positive moral qualities are highlighted:• humanism;• humanity;• honor;• conscience;• modesty; generosity;• justice;• fidelity;• other qualities. and socially condemned-negative: • arrogance; • cynicism; • rudeness; • parasitism; cowardice;• nihilism;• other negative traits. Socially useful qualities include: • will; • determination; • wisdom; • skill; attitudes;• beliefs;• patriotism.
A person, as a rule, combines all types of qualities; Some qualities are more developed, others less.
A characteristic feature of every person and personality is the presence of needs and interests.
Needs are what a person feels they need. Needs may be:
• biological (natural) - in preserving life, nutrition, reproduction, etc.;
• spiritual - the desire to enrich the inner world, to join the values of culture; material - to ensure a decent standard of living;
• social - to realize professional abilities, to receive proper assessment from society.
Needs are the basis of people’s activities, an incentive to perform certain actions. Need satisfaction is an important component of human happiness. A significant proportion of needs (except biological) are formed by society and can be realized in society. Each society has a certain level of needs and the ability to satisfy them. The more developed the society, the higher the quality of needs.
Interests are a specific expression of needs, interest in something. Together with needs, interests are also the engine of progress. Interests include:
• personal (individual);
• group;
• class (interests of social groups - workers, teachers, bankers, nomenklatura);
• public (of the whole society, for example, security, law and order);
• government
• interests of all humanity (for example, in preventing nuclear war, environmental disaster, etc.). Interests may also be:
• material and spiritual;
• normal and abnormal;
• long-term and immediate;
• permitted and unauthorized;
• general and antagonistic.
The presence of a different hierarchy of needs and interests, their conflict and struggle are the internal engine of the development of society. However, differences in interests contribute to progress and do not lead to destructive consequences only if the needs and interests are not extremely antagonistic, aimed at mutual destruction (of a person, group, class, state, etc.), and are correlated with common interests.
• A special aspect of the normal life of a person (person) in society is the presence of social norms.
Social norms are generally accepted rules in society that regulate people's behavior. Social norms are vital to society:
• maintain order and balance in society;
• suppress hidden biological instincts in a person, “civilize” a person;
• help a person join the life of society and socialize.
Types of social norms are: “^ moral norms;
• norms of the group, team;
• special (professional) standards;
• rules of law.
Moral norms regulate the most common types of human behavior. They cover a wide range of social relations and are recognized by everyone (or the majority); The mechanism for ensuring compliance with the requirements of moral norms is the person himself (his conscience) and society, which can condemn a violator of moral norms.
Group norms are special norms that regulate the behavior of members of narrow groups (they can be the norms of a friendly company, a team, the norms of a criminal group, the norms of a sect, etc.).
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Social typology of personality allows you to: streamline ideas about the character, orientations, and incentive mechanisms of an individual’s behavior; predict the dynamics of personality development, identify its capabilities; reveal the unity of general, special and individual personality traits; analyze those qualities of a person that are determined by his existence as a special subject; characterize life activity, behavior, social connections, internal structure of the personality; to form criteria, signs, indicators that reflect the essential features of a particular group of people.
Currently, various variants of personality typology are known. It makes sense to highlight two main trends in personality typology: within the framework of socio-psychological typology, people are divided according to psychological characteristics (temperament, character, intellectual abilities, etc.); within the framework of sociological typology, indicators such as social status, lifestyle, nature and direction of interests, etc. are used as criteria for classification.
Social type is a generalized holistic social characteristic of an individual.
However, all these are just idealized models: in reality, there are individuals who have only some characteristics of one type or another.
In modern sociology, the following social personality types are distinguished.
Marginal personality (the concept of “marginality” denotes specific relationships between a social subject and a social community, relationships that are opposite to normal ones). The concept of “marginal personality” was formulated by American sociologist Robart Park in the 1920s to designate the socio-psychological characteristics of immigrants who have not adapted to the norms and demands of city life.
Characteristics of a marginal personality in sociology: immorality; passivity; aggressiveness.
Prerequisites for marginality: loneliness; loss of social connections; poverty and unemployment; social vulnerability; violation of civil rights and personal freedoms.
Authoritarian personality (described in detail by Douglas Kellner). Among the features of this personality type: orientation towards middle class values; inability to think critically, desire for humility; suspicion, the desire to “find the enemy”, to punish those who violate generally accepted norms; intolerance towards other people's views and beliefs; superstitiousness and stereotypical thinking; uncompromisingness, reaching the point of fanaticism - relationships with people are built on the principles of domination and subordination, strength and weakness; thirst for destruction and cynicism; catastrophism and eschatological worldview; exaggerated interest in sexual matters.
In addition to those indicated above, sociology also distinguishes such types as the cultural ideal of personality, basic personality, and normal personality. Cultural, ideal personality - a culturally determined desired image of an ideal personality. The basic personality (the concept was developed by D. Kardiner and others) is not an ideal personality, but a complex of traits that quite often manifest themselves in members of a particular community; personality that embodies
a set of common typical traits shared by a large number of individuals.
A normal person is usually called a statistically average person who has adapted to the conditions of a given society, acting within the framework of established social rules and included in the system of social relations.
Psychological typologies
are classifications used by psychologists to describe differences between people. The problem of finding an essential basis for the classification of psychological types - that is, a basis for defining a wider range of derived characteristics - is key in differential psychology.
Mixed classifications
Modern system classifications are associated with the names of K. Jung, G. Eysenck, L. N. Sobchik, L. Ya. Dorfman and others. The authors of modern system concepts try to summarize as much as possible the results of empirical studies of individual human characteristics within the framework of a single typological model. Such a model, as a rule, is the center of a structure that combines general, typological and individual psychological characteristics of a person.
Examples
Such system classifications can be: “The Theory of Leading Tendencies” by L. N. Sobchik, “The Concept of the Meta-Individual World” by L. Ya. Dorfman.
Modern problems of psychological classifications
Problems of psychological classifications are associated with the high complexity and ambiguity of mental reality. It is much easier to classify the material world.
In psychology we are faced with the fact that with the help of consciousness we can study consciousness. Here new opportunities open up, but also new limitations associated, in particular, with subjectivity and its overcoming. As is known, in the human psyche there are conscious and unconscious components of cognition. They often work independently, as two different assessors of the situation. Therefore, assessments using projective tests (which are aimed at exploring the unconscious) often conflict with self-assessments using questionnaires (which appeal to consciousness or conscious behavior).
To assess a psychological type, it is important that the measuring instrument (test, technique) be “calibrated” not for the present and relevant, but for the typical, more likely to be repeated throughout life. That’s why methods that allow typologists to see the present through the prism of an individual’s entire life journey are so important: biographical, structured conversation, longitudinal observation in a natural situation
Such methods are well developed in clinical research. When working with healthy people, they are rather the exception.
Example:
Personality research program of Lazursky A.F.
The issue of training a qualified specialist in the field of research and diagnosis of types is an independent problem. You need a whole range of knowledge and skills.
of the diagnostician is important for measuring psychological type.
to see not individual fragments of mental reality, but to operate with systems (cognitive, value-motivational, emotional, volitional) and take into account their holistic nature, knowledge of stable variants of these systems, and the ability to compare them. Comparing and evaluating these systems is complicated by the lack of a well-developed methodological framework: there is no consensus on what to compare and how to evaluate.
To the researcher
it is necessary to be able to work with both qualitative and quantitative methods of studying empirical reality, taking into account the following factors:
- The scale and complexity of the study (the ability to draw and take into account several plans at different scales)
- The nature and specificity of the distribution of properties and characteristics in the environment under study.
- A minimum set of subscales that do not violate the completeness and construct validity of a psychological property.
Socionic personality types
Socionics is a science designed to study personality types and the relationships between them. She pays a lot of attention to the perception and use of information that a person encounters every day.
There are the following types of personality:
- Dostoevsky. He is distinguished by highly developed intuition and the ability to empathize. At the same time, he will never put his interlocutor in an uncomfortable position. Innate politeness and sense of tact will not allow him to offend a person;
- Yesenin is able to calculate the outcome of an event in advance; he acts several steps ahead of the others;
- Don Quixote lives outside of boundaries and time. He finds several ways to solve problems and can evaluate the benefits of each action;
- Jack London. A person of this type is cold and acts based on logic. To achieve the goal, he notices everything that surrounds him, using information and people as resources;
- Stirlitz wonderfully organizes the work of the group, acting as its leader. Everyone will feel comfortable. Stirlitz himself is also capable of completing the tasks facing him;
- Hamlet lives by emotions, skillfully managing them to create the atmosphere he needs;
- Robespierre is conscientious, responsible and efficient. Power and glory are in last place for him;
- Balzac is able to notice details and will not forget to make a caustic remark, which is why he is often considered a cynic;
- Gaben loves comfort and regularity in everything. He will choose comfort and tranquility, protect himself from noise and bustle;
- Huxley is curious and attentive. He can read between the lines and see what others see as fantasy. He tends to dream, which helps him reach unprecedented heights;
- Gorky thinks rationally, putting cause-and-effect relationships at the forefront;
- Dreiser lives based on moral principles. If something goes against them, he falls into indignation and will never give up his opinion;
- Dumas is a true introvert who creates his own cozy world;
- Napoleon is a leader, a fighter, striving to show his superiority at every opportunity. He is stubborn and always gets his way;
- Zhukov is also confidently moving towards the goal. Guided by cunning, showing selfishness, regardless of people and their desires;
- Hugo is charismatic and positive. He charges everyone around with a positive attitude.
Napoleon as an image of a sociotype
Each of the personality types in psychology belongs to one of four groups:
- parents;
- infantile personalities;
- aggressors or victims;
- victims.
Note! According to psychologists, opposites form strong pairs; they attract and complement each other. For example, Jack London and Dreiser, as a victim and aggressor, or Don Quixote and Dumas, an infantile personality and a parent
Psychotypes according to Jung.
Jung divided personality types based on two general concepts: introversion or extroversion, as well as the main preferences of each personality type:
Condition 1. Where does a person get energy from?
An introvert is a person whose attention is directed inward; he receives energy from within. An extrovert's interest is directed outward; he receives energy from his environment. Condition 2
How a person accumulates knowledge. Methodically and scrupulously, based on facts, the sensory-sensing psychotype collects information. Intuitive people act mostly irrationally, based on the situation. Condition 3. How a person makes decisions. The thinking-logical type acts after an objective analysis of data. The emotional-feeling type makes decisions based on emotions, without unnecessary thinking. Condition 4. Concerns lifestyle. The rational type systematically implements the planned scenario. The perceiving type is often unpredictable, spontaneous, and flexible.
Based on the above conditions, Jung identified 8 psychotypes:
Classification depending on temperament
Most often, a personality typology is compiled based on the division into temperaments. Despite its antiquity, the theory of Hippocrates is the most widely known and is still relevant today. Modern psychologists associate temperaments with the innate properties of the nervous system; Hippocrates associated them with the predominance of one type of fluid.
Temperament type | Main features | Positive side | Negative side | Predominant liquid |
Choleric |
| Ardent Enthusiast | Rash decision making. | Yellow bile (chole) |
Sanguine |
| Energetic and flexible specialist in any field. | Inconstancy, superficial hobbies. | Blood (sangvis) |
Phlegmatic person |
| High level of responsibility and endurance in any situation. | Dryness in communication, indifference to other people. | Lymph (phlegm) |
Melancholic |
| Deep feelings, emotions. | Shyness, tendency to depression. | Black bile (melena chole) |
Carl Gustav Jung also considered it correct to divide humanity into psychotypes based on innate temperament.
In his theory, he went further than Hippocrates; his classification is based on the division into 2 main types according to the direction of perception:
- Introverts - attention is directed inward, the assessment of events and actions occurs based on personal perception.
- Extroverts are focused on society, more focused on the surrounding reality than on internal experiences.
Jung based the addition of the classification on 4 senses:
- thinking;
- intuition;
- emotions;
- Feel.
As a result, Jung's classification of types is as follows:
Personality type | Main positive qualities | Flaws |
Thinking extrovert | Reasonableness in decision making, objective assessment of reality. | Lack of emotions, ignoring moral laws. |
Intuitive extrovert | Activity, the ability to captivate. | The type of adventurers who quickly catch fire with ideas and also quickly cool down. |
Emotional extrovert | Ability to correctly evaluate partners and situations, love of art. | Emotionality is cold, without external manifestation of feelings. |
Sensitive extrovert | Aesthetes enjoying life. | Excessive craving for pleasure and pleasure at any cost. |
Thinking introvert | High intellectual sociability aimed at deepening knowledge. | Difficulties in communicating with people around you, bad teachers and advisers. |
Intuitive introvert | Ability for imagination and art. Type of artists, mystics. | Creativity is not always clear to others. |
Emotional extrovert | Increased sensitivity to the needs of others. | Emotions are hidden, tendency towards melancholy. |
Sensitive introvert | Emphasis on sensory perception. | Difficulties in communication if the object does not evoke strong sensations. |