What is negativism in adult psychology, and why is it dangerous?

Negativism is a specific behavior when a person speaks out or behaves demonstratively opposite to what is expected. Negativism can be situational or a personality trait. The psychological basis for the manifestation of the negativism pattern is a subjective attitude towards denial and disagreement with certain expectations, demands, and worldviews of individuals and social groups. Negativism can be demonstrated or have hidden forms of manifestation. Children display similar behavior in stubbornness, conflict, resistance to authority, and deviant behavior.

Initially, negativism is a psychiatric term. Active negativism is expressed in actions that deliberately contradict requests, with a passive lack of reaction at all. Referred to as symptoms of schizophrenia, possibly as a manifestation of autism.

Negativism in psychology is a feature of behavior.

Various forms of resistance

In psychology, the phenomenon of negativism is divided into two forms of manifestation: passive and active. The active form of this behavioral model involves the manifestation of aggression and sharp resistance to attempts to influence by the public. Negativism has a close connection with nonconformism, which forces a person to perform actions that, in certain cases, are contrary to his desires.

The passive form of the phenomenon under consideration is characterized by a complete refusal to fulfill the demands and requests of people around. There are physiological types of manifestation of this personality disorder, which manifest themselves in the form of refusal to eat, sleep, move and contact with others. According to experts, negativism is one of the integral components of the complex of protesting behavior. In addition to negativism itself, this complex includes stubbornness, which has justified motives.

Despite the fact that stubbornness is one of the manifestations of the phenomenon under consideration, with negativism a person does not have specific motives for resisting. The only thing that connects the two manifestations of the protest behavior syndrome is the presence of common subjective factors that lead to their development.

Negativism in psychology is a condition in which a person refuses to adhere to established social foundations and norms of behavior. Such a protest has certain similarities with mutism. The term “mutism” should be understood as a mental disorder that forces a person to abandon the use of speech and gestures in order to avoid communication with others. The main difference between these conditions is that mutism manifests itself against the background of severe emotional trauma.

The final component of the complex of protesting behavior is obstinacy. Unlike negativism and stubbornness, obstinacy is aimed at various social principles, including important events or the very system of human values.

The most characteristic feature of this resistance is its groundlessness, the absence of reasonable grounds for it.

General information

In psychology, negativism is a separate term to designate a symptom of unmotivated resistance, characterized by a disorder of will and manifested in catatonic excitement and catatonic stupor - psychopathological syndromes, accompanied by movement disorders of an inorganic nature

It is important to distinguish children from stubbornness, since it has its own reasons, and the origin of negativism reactions is unconscious. They can manifest themselves at a communicative, behavioral or deep level (do not give external manifestations)

Typically, negativism comes down to unmotivated resistance to any demands/requests to move, speak, or follow any instructions, as well as the desire to do things contrary. It causes disruption of communication, learning and, in general, adaptation in this world.

According to Kretschmer, negativism is a manifestation of the activity of hypobulic mechanisms - a mental state characterized by a reduced desire and urge to activity. Whereas Bleuler believed that unconscious resistance was a sign of autism or personality dissociation.

Reason for behavior change

According to experts, negativism is an integral component of complex mental disorders. These disorders include catatonic syndrome, schizophrenia, dementia and autism. Often, a person, under the influence of prolonged depression, changes his own behavior pattern towards the phenomenon in question.

Most often, this condition occurs against the background of a long-term inability to satisfy one’s own needs. In such a state, a person negatively perceives the environment and life circumstances. Against the background of such a perception of the world around us, a person experiences psychological discomfort, which is reflected in the behavioral model.

The desire to change social foundations and refusal to comply with established norms may arise against the background of the difficulty of integration into society. The presence of this problem leads to a hypercompensatory reaction, which is triggered against the background of communication difficulties. The model of behavior in question can be expressed by furious stubbornness to any attempt to exert external pressure.

If a person with the disorder in question feels that the demands of society differ significantly from his internal needs, a kind of defensive reaction will be triggered. Experts explain this fact by the fact that the individual needs freedom of expression and the ability to control his own life.

Complications

The development of complications is often associated with late diagnosis and incorrect approach to treating the disorder.

When treating people with severe forms of catatonia, difficulties may arise in the daily care of patients, as a result of which complications may develop:

aspiration pneumonia - occurs due to the difficulty of eating in patients with mutism and the risk of aspiration;
risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism due to immobility in people with catatonia;
metabolic disorders associated with dehydration and exhaustion of the body - patients with catatonia may not eat or drink for a long time;
disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (constipation, intestinal obstruction, etc.)
urinary retention or incontinence;
neuromuscular complications (flexion contracture, nerve palsy)
formation of bedsores.

Also, in a state of catatonic excitement, the patient poses a danger to himself and others. The sudden onset of an attack of stupor can lead to an accident, overtaking a person driving a car, while crossing the road, at work, etc.

Complications of severe forms of catatonia are difficult to treat due to the difficulties in contact between the patient and the doctor.

How are negativism and age related?

Before we talk about the relationship between a person’s age and his behavioral model, let’s pay attention to the question of what nonconformism is, the definition and manifestation of this condition. The term “nonconformism” should be understood as a model of behavior that implies upholding personal attitudes that directly contradict the norms established in society. A striking example of such a model of behavior are children who consider themselves to be members of various subcultures (punks, goths and other informals).

According to statistics, a person faces several age-related crises throughout his life. This period of life will mark changes in behavior patterns and perception of the world around us, which manifests itself in the form of frequent emotional swings. During an age crisis, a person exhibits increased conflict, aggressiveness and a pessimistic perception of the world around him.

Negativism is caused by the action of psychological defense in response to influences that contradict the internal meanings of the subject
. According to scientific research, the vast majority of age-related crises manifest themselves between the ages of one month and twenty years. Let's look at the most common crises:

newborn crisis;
crisis of the first year of life and three years;
school crisis;
puberty crisis.

How does negativism manifest itself in childhood?

Negativism in children most often manifests itself at the age of three, since the foundation of a personal model of behavior is laid precisely at this age. Upon reaching the above age, children begin to strive for independence, which leads to the appearance of categoricalness and stubbornness. This period can best be described using the phrase “I myself.”

Young parents should be able to distinguish between the manifestation of the phenomenon in question and ordinary disobedience. Refusal of actions that the baby does not want to perform is the norm for this age. The phenomenon under consideration manifests itself in cases where a child shows a pronounced refusal to fulfill requests voiced by adults.

Conclusions. Expert advice

Children with motor alalia have a chance for a normal life if their parents did not let everything take its course. The disease can be identified at the age of 3 years, when the problem is completely correctable. First of all, it is necessary to make a diagnosis and confirm it with several doctors. So, an audiologist should give his opinion, because alalia is in many ways similar to ordinary deafness.

Treatment of the disease must be comprehensive. During diagnosis, its cause is determined and a course is prescribed. Afterwards, the child must be given medications, attend a physiotherapy room, classes on general manual motor skills, etc. Stimulating speech activity with a speech therapist plays a significant role.

Remember that the prognosis for alalia, although it depends on the degree of brain damage, is determined by proper treatment. Timely identification of the problem and the use of all available methods of therapy can often completely eliminate motor alalia and significantly reduce the impact of sensory alalia on the child’s life.

Clinical picture

Negativism is a symptom of a crisis caused by the transition to a certain stage of human development. In addition, this condition is characteristic of many mental disorders. The form of manifestation of this behavior model depends on the type of negativism (passive or active), and can be expressed either by demonstrative insubordination or passive resistance. Many people suffering from this disorder often ignore the recommendations of specialists, which greatly complicates the treatment process.

Negativism most often manifests itself in children in relation to the demands of adults who do not take into account their internal needs.

Negativism manifests itself in the human behavior model in the form of the following signs:

Difficulty creating communication connections and interacting with people around you.
Hot temper, isolation and conflict.
Mistrust and increased anxiety.
A rare desire to make concessions despite one’s own opinion.

In adulthood, manifestations of negativism are very similar to nihilism. Nihilism is a certain model of worldview, which is characterized as a conscious human choice. People with negativism, unlike nihilists, do not have the ability to control their own behavior.

Experts say that it is extremely difficult to describe the internal perception of the world around a person suffering from negativism, due to the fact that this model of behavior is perceived as the norm. This disorder can be characterized as the presence of difficulties in the formation of needs and desires. Often the development of the disorder is accompanied by internal conflicts and aggression directed at oneself. In the passive form of the disorder, patients experience retardation of consciousness, bordering on indifference to events occurring around them.

Preventive methods

Conformism and non-conformism are a kind of balance in the human model of behavior. The predominance of one aspect of this phenomenon can negatively affect the perception of the world around us. In order to prevent this mental disorder in loved ones, you should provide them with support and attention. Most often, people entering a crisis age need such support.

When carrying out prevention in children, it is important to teach them how to adapt correctly to society. Elderly people should pay special attention, since often upon reaching old age, a person loses communication ties with others. Remember that it is very important to prevent the development of frustration in a timely manner, since this condition is the main root cause of the development of negativism.

How to deal with the problem

Examples of nonconformism are often found in our lives. Examples of such behavior in society can be various coups d'etat, when people who disagree with the established order try to impose their own values on society. Unlike nonconformism, negativism more often manifests itself in everyday life not related to the public.

In the case of preschool children, various mental correction methods are used, based on the format of games and fairy tales. When negativism appears in adolescence, cognitive-behavioral techniques are used. It is very important to be able to find the necessary thread that will allow you to make contact with a teenager who is isolated in his own world.

It is important for parents to understand that psychological pressure exerted on a child can only lead to a worsening of the situation. Threats and physical punishment will force the child to withdraw into his own world. Experts recommend using a soft impact technique that is based on compromises. Parents should try to initiate conflicts with their children as little as possible.

The main goal of therapy is to teach the child to interact correctly with the world around him by instilling positive behavior patterns. Achieving results in changing your own behavioral model should be accompanied by praise and understanding. Positive reinforcement plays an important role for an incompletely formed psyche.

Negativism can be expressed both in the refusal to fulfill the requirements, and in the performance of actions opposite to the required

Tips for cultivating a positive outlook

The first and most important step is to admit that you have negativism. There is nothing shameful or unnatural about this. It’s difficult to get rid of it, but you can get rid of it, you just need to sincerely want it, then all the necessary efforts will definitely be found.

Remember and write down one fresh and vivid situation where you showed signs of negativism. Describe:

What was this emotion?
How did you show it?
What was the need behind this?
What other ways do you know how you can get this need?
Choose the appropriate option for yourself and do it!

The right to make mistakes is natural

Remember that an error helps you see one version of the situation and come to the desired and new version. A mistake is often a search and an action. Those who achieve the greatest success in life are not afraid to make mistakes.

Right to help and support

If the situation is difficult, and you feel that it is dragging you down emotionally, seek help from a specialist, where in a trusting and caring atmosphere together you can pay attention to the issue that has arisen.

Photo by Mikhail Nilov: Pexels

Focus on the good

The world around you is colored, where black is only one of the colors... Tell me right now what is good in your life. And this is good for you. If you want and can, thank fate for this. It is gratitude that helps you appreciate your life and everything that happens in it more. Thanks to you too.

Do what you love

Finding something you love is a great success. Then you can do this as much as you want. With joy, bestowal, abundance. You can also sublimate your negative emotions - this is some kind of energy.

Adults or option for advanced

A more advanced option for working on yourself is to grow up. Psychological maturity is a state and worldview when a person wants to manifest himself and realize himself. A realized person has a stable connection with the world. Because a person matures and matures only in a social environment - among others.

The main thing is that by interacting with others, you understand yourself better. And with every person in contact, something new happens in you and in your life. Only when you understand this does the quality of the relationship become truly important.

Specific behavior and the main reasons for its manifestation

Negativism as a form of human behavioral activity can be a character trait or a situational quality. It can manifest itself in the form of demonstrably expressed dissatisfaction, in a tendency to negative thinking and statements, in seeing only their shortcomings in those around them, in an unfriendly attitude.

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If we assume that a person is a programmable being, then it becomes clear what is the factor that provokes negativism. From the moment of birth and throughout childhood, an individual receives many different attitudes from the outside. In this way, his consciousness is formed and certain reactions are developed.

Diagnostics

When diagnosing catatonic states, it is important to correctly assess the patient’s clinical condition. When collecting anamnesis and examination, it often turns out that the person used psychoactive substances, which most likely contributed to the development of catatonic syndrome. It is worth considering the likelihood of developing symptoms of catatonia during treatment with psychotropic drugs for concomitant diseases.

Psychometric scales are used to diagnose the disorder. The most commonly used is the Bush-Francis Catatonic Disorder Scale. It allows you to determine the presence and severity of catatonic symptoms over a certain period of time. Other rating scales are also used.

Electroencephalography (EEG), CT, MRI and neuropsychological examinations allow us to suggest the localization of disorders in the brain and diagnose the functional state of higher mental functions.

Differential diagnosis is carried out with other mental and somatic disorders accompanied by motor disorders. The most clinically similar to the catatonic syndrome is Parkinson's disease, but the disease is accompanied by a number of specific symptoms that make it possible to differentiate it from catatonia (tremor, apraxia of walking).

Catatonia is differentiated from schizophrenic catatonia, acute psychoses with motor agitation, conversion disorders and other conditions with severe motor retardation or agitation, and neurological symptoms.

Cause and effect

Such situations in psychology are considered difficult, but not critical. Timely professional techniques will help identify, eliminate and prevent negative trends in the subject’s behavior.

At the same time, you should not think that negativism is a trait characteristic only of children. Negativism often manifests itself in adolescents, adults and even older people. The reasons for the manifestation of negative attitudes in response to external stimuli can be changes in the social life of an individual, psychological trauma, stressful situations and periods of crisis.

To identify formed negative attitudes and prevent their development in the future, a psychological diagnosis of a potential patient should be carried out. Next comes work to eliminate or mitigate the subject’s negative manifestations. First, the original problem that provoked the development of a negative attitude is eradicated.

In addition, pressure on the individual is eliminated so that he can “unblock” and assess the real situation. Adults will be helped by the technique of self-knowledge, when, while working with a psychologist, a person is immersed in his own memories and can find the reason for his dissatisfaction in order to eliminate the consequences.

The concept of negativism and its relationship with age

A negative attitude towards the surrounding reality manifests itself in three main features:

stubbornness;
isolation;
coarseness.

The passive type is characterized by ignoring, non-participation, inactivity, in other words, a person simply does not respond to the requests and comments of other people.

Active negativism manifests itself in verbal and physical aggression, defiance, demonstrative behavior, antisocial acts and deviant behavior. This type of negative response is often observed during adolescence.

Children's negativism is a kind of rebellion, a protest against parents, peers, and teachers. This phenomenon is often observed during age-related crises, and, as is known, childhood is rich in them like no other stage. In general, from birth to adolescence, there are 5 ages in which the crisis manifests itself:

newborn period;
one year old;
3 years of age - “I myself” crisis;
7 years of age;
adolescence (from 11-15 years).

The age crisis is understood as the transition from one age to another, which is characterized by changes in the cognitive sphere, sudden changes in mood, aggressiveness, a tendency to conflict, decreased ability to work and decline in intellectual activity. Negativism is not present in all age periods of child development; it is more often observed at the age of three years and in adolescents. Thus, we can distinguish 2 phases of children's negativism:

Phase 1 – period of 3 years;
Phase 2 – adolescence.

With prolonged dissatisfaction of life's needs, frustration develops, which causes psychological discomfort of the individual. To compensate for this condition, a person resorts to negative emotional manifestations, physical and verbal aggression, especially in adolescence.

The very first age period in which a negative attitude towards others arises is the age of 3 years, junior preschool age. The crisis of this age has another name - “I myself,” which implies the child’s desire to act independently and choose what he wants. At the age of three, a new cognitive process begins to form - will.

Psychological correction of children's negativism

The most effective in the psychotherapy of children's negativism is play, since this type of activity is the main one at this age. In adolescence, cognitive behavioral therapy can be used, since it is rich in a variety of trainings and, in addition to eliminating negativism itself as a phenomenon, explains the reasons for its occurrence.

For young children and preschoolers, the following types of psychotherapy are quite effective: fairy tale therapy, art therapy, sand therapy, play therapy.

Psychologists have outlined several techniques that parents can use. Let's consider the basic rules for correcting negativism in children:

condemn not the child himself, but his bad behavior, explain why this should not be done;
invite the child to take the place of another person;
tell your child what to do in a conflict or unpleasant situation, what to say and how to behave;
Teach your child to ask for forgiveness to those he has offended.

What to do if this affects your family?

If it seems to you that one of your loved ones has signs of negativism in behavior, then, first of all, you should contact a psychologist or psychotherapist to resolve the internal problems that caused this condition, since such pathological stubbornness in itself is only a consequence , therefore, in order to overcome it, it is necessary to work with the root cause.

Among the methods of psychotherapy, play therapy, art therapy, fairy tale therapy, etc. are most suitable for preschoolers and primary schoolchildren.

For negative adolescents and adults, cognitive behavioral therapy has proven itself to be the best treatment. It is also important not to forget about your own attitude towards your loved ones. Psychotherapy will be most successful only if you work on this problem as a team.

In order to correct negativistic behavior and, if possible, avoid any conflicts, it is necessary to be creative. This is especially true for children.

It is necessary to exclude any psychological pressure on the child; in no case should there be threats or physical punishment - this will only aggravate the situation. You will have to use so-called “soft power” - negotiate, adapt, make compromises.

It is advisable to generally avoid situations in which conflict may arise.

Your main goal is to ensure that your child begins to follow positive patterns of communication and interaction with others. Don't forget to praise him every time he does something good, makes concessions, helps you, or communicates calmly with other people. In overcoming negativism, the mechanism of positive reinforcement plays a crucial role.