Character formation occurs under the influence of various social groups: family, school, group of friends, college, work team. The very first influence on a child is made by parents and family, and therefore it is very important what foundations are laid for a small child. Over the course of life, character changes. The development of character is influenced by life circumstances, lifestyle, and the development of a person’s views and values. Character traits are the mental properties of a person that determine his behavior in typical circumstances. There are various classifications of character traits. In one of the classifications, character traits are associated with mental processes and highlight volitional, emotional and intellectual traits. – Strong-willed character traits: determination, persistence, self-control, independence, activity, organization, etc. – Emotional character traits: impetuosity, impressionability, ardor, inertia, indifference, responsiveness, etc. – Intellectual traits: thoughtfulness, quick wit, resourcefulness, curiosity, etc. etc. In another classification, character traits are distinguished by the nature of a person’s relationship to activity, other people, to oneself and to things. –In a person’s attitude towards other people: sociability, goodwill, responsiveness, respect, etc. –In a person’s attitude towards work: hard work, responsibility, initiative, perseverance, etc. –In a person’s attitude towards himself: self-respect, self-criticism, conceit, egocentrism etc. – In relation to a person’s attitude towards things: neatness, frugality, sloppiness, etc.
Character and temperament
Temperament and character are interconnected in the structure of personality, but they also have a number of fundamental differences:
-character has a social nature (formed throughout life), temperament has a biological nature (laid at birth). – character changes, temperament remains stable. Temperament influences the development of individual character traits. Some properties of temperament contribute to the formation of certain character traits, while others counteract them. For example, a phlegmatic temperament does not contribute to the formation of hot temper and irritability. The dynamic features of character manifestation also depend on temperament. For example, temper will be more pronounced in a choleric person than in a sanguine person. And in turn, depending on a number of character traits, a person can restrain manifestations of temperament that are undesirable under given circumstances. For example, restraint and tact will be able to restrain manifestations of choleric temperament.
Structural properties of character
Character traits as motivations Read more: Heredity and character
2.2. Structural properties of character
The central, core relationships of the individual, since they are determined by social relations, are always socially typical. Thus, the central, core relationships of the individual are relationships with people and the collective. Since the mutual connection of character properties is determined by the mutual connection of personality relationships, then, despite the individual originality and uniqueness of the properties of each individual character, the basis of the character structure is always the socially typical core relationships of the personality.
Important pedagogical consequences follow from the laws of character structure. It is completely impossible to implement such plans and programs of educational work that set the task of overcoming individual character defects, for example, rudeness, deceit, and cultivating individual positive qualities, for example, politeness or truthfulness. We cannot fight rudeness and cultivate politeness if we do not simultaneously cultivate the right attitude towards people. You can only cultivate a whole system of interconnected properties. At the same time, one of the most important conditions for the development of such a system of properties is the formation of a central, core attitude of the individual.
Integrity of character, however, is not absolute. Absolute integrity of character would be possible only if one central, core relationship of the personality completely and completely determined all other relationships. This, however, is impossible, since there are contradictions in objective reality itself. There are contradictions between the various demands that work places on a person; so-called role conflicts arise. And since the relationships of the individual are a reflection of social relations, there are contradictions between the relationships of the individual between the character properties determined by them.
The degree of integrity of character is individually unique. There are people with more integral and less integral, contradictory characters. Since character properties are manifested in individually unique ways of action, as a result of contradictions in character, contradictions in actions and deeds, perversity of behavior, and violations of social and moral norms inevitably arise. Thus, in one study it was shown that the source of incontinence, unbridledness, and antisocial actions is often the contradiction between the desire to get closer to the children's team, the child's desire for a positive assessment of teachers and friends, and an excessively high opinion of himself, increased self-esteem. Naturally, in such cases, the main way to combat behavioral deficiencies is to overcome contradictions in the student’s character.
The structure of character is determined not only by the interrelation of individual properties, but also by those properties that are inherent in the character as a whole. Among the structural properties of character, firstly, is the degree of their depth. We call deeper character properties those that are determined by the central, core relationships of the personality and therefore are associated with a very wide system of other properties. Due to differences in the degree of depth of character traits, a person’s characteristics cannot be reduced to a list of all symptom complexes, i.e. systems of mutually related character properties, as some foreign psychologists present it in a simplified manner. Characterizing a person requires locating these symptom complexes in depth and identifying more superficial systems.
Secondly, the structural properties of character include activity, or strength, of character. The activity of character is determined by the degree of resistance to external circumstances. In this regard, we distinguish between people with strong and weak characters.
Thirdly, the structural property of character includes the degree of its stability or variability. Both stability and variability of character are necessary conditions for adaptive activity. If every time the external situation changed, the character also became different, then behavior would turn into a purely passive response, a reaction to the external situation, behavior would be entirely passive-adaptive. The behavior of animals is therefore more passive than human behavior, because the needs of animals easily change depending on the state of the body and external conditions. Human activity is active because character traits continue to guide behavior in a wide variety of life circumstances, despite opposing conditions. An animal, having had enough, stops looking for food, and when it encounters danger, it runs away from it. Meanwhile, hard work, if this is a stable character trait, manifests itself even when the work is monotonous, when the work is not appreciated. That is why a person is not a slave to external circumstances. He not only depends on them, but also creates them himself.
At the same time, a necessary condition for the existence of a personality is a certain degree of plasticity of character. Plasticity (variability) of character has a double meaning. Firstly, it is exactly the same as sustainability, a condition for active influence on the environment. In order for actions and actions to be appropriate and useful, it is necessary that they correspond to changing external conditions. But this is possible only when the character properties that determine individually unique modes of action themselves change to some extent under the influence of external conditions. If a person who became a teacher was not able to get rid of his inherent compliance, complaisance, and timidity, then, due to his character, he would be a bad teacher. In reality, such doomed character does not exist. Secondly, the plasticity of character is a necessary condition for its development and education. Only because it is somewhat plastic. The degree of stability and plasticity is also individually unique and represents a property of the character structure as a whole.
The structural properties of character are interrelated. Deeper properties are at the same time more active and more stable. On the contrary, more superficial properties are less active and more plastic.
Since the strength and stability of character traits depend on whether they are core, central, they are to a certain extent determined by the content of personality relationships. However, the activity and stability of character traits are relatively independent of the content of personality relationships and are of a formal nature. Stability of character depends on temperament and is therefore relatively independent of the content of an individual’s life. The phlegmatic temperament is characterized by the greatest stability of character traits. Therefore, the strength and stability of character traits, taken by themselves, do not indicate whether the development of character is in a bad or good direction.
Chapter 3. Character Formation
Character traits as motivations Read more: Heredity and character
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Character types
There are a number of theories that offer descriptions of character types. E. Kretschmer described 3 types of character depending on a person’s body type. Character types according to Kretschmer: schizothymic (asthenic), ixothymic (athletic), cyclothymic (picnic) German psychologist Karl Leonhard described 12 character types of accentuated personalities. Accentuation is a sharpened character trait that lies between normality and pathology (psychopathy). Later, his ideas were developed by A.E. Lichko , but his typology of characters refers more and more to the pathology of characters. Erich Fromm , a well-known representative of neo-Freudianism, deduced the following main types of social characters: “masochist-sadist”, “destroyer”, “conformist-automatic”. Carl Jung , a Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist, proposed his theory of personality types depending on a person’s dominant mental function (thinking/feeling, intuition/sensation) and focus on the external or internal world (extroverted and introverted types). Subsequently, the ideas of Carl Jung were developed by Isabel Myers Briggs . She proposed a theory of types, in which she described 16 personality types - 16 types of human characters.
You can learn to apply the MBTI character typology by completing the training “Personality Types (MBTI Personality Typology)” on our website.
Definition of character. Character structure. Typology of characters. The concept of character accentuation.
⇐ PreviousPage 12 of 14Next ⇒Character Definition
Character is a set of stable personality traits that determine a person’s attitude towards people and the work they do. Character is manifested in activity and communication (like temperament) and includes what gives a person’s behavior a specific, characteristic shade (hence the name “character”).
Character can be found in the characteristics of the activities that a person prefers to engage in. Some people prefer the most complex and difficult activities; for them it is a pleasure to seek and overcome obstacles; others choose the simplest, hassle-free paths. For some, it is important with what results they completed this or that work, whether they managed to surpass other people. For others, this may not matter, and they are content with the fact that they did the job no worse than others, achieving mediocre quality.
When communicating with people, a person’s character is manifested in his behavior, in the way he responds to people’s actions and actions. The manner of communication can be more or less delicate, tactful or unceremonious, polite or rude. Character, unlike temperament, is determined not so much by the properties of the nervous system as by a person’s culture and upbringing.
A person’s character is what determines his significant actions, and not random reactions to certain stimuli or prevailing circumstances. The action of a person with character is almost always conscious and deliberate, and can be explained and justified, at least from the position of the actor. When talking about character, we usually put into our idea of it a person’s ability to behave independently, consistently, regardless of circumstances, showing his will and perseverance, determination and perseverance. A characterless person in this sense is one who does not show such qualities either in activity or in communication with people, goes with the flow, is dependent on circumstances, and is controlled by them.
In its formation, development and functioning, a person’s character is closely related to temperament. The latter represents the dynamic side of the character. Character, like temperament, is quite stable and little changeable.
There is a division of human personality traits into motivational and instrumental. Motivational
encourage, direct activity, support it, and
instrumental ones
give it a certain style. Character can be considered one of the instrumental personal properties. It is not the content that depends on it, but the manner in which the activity is performed. True, as was said, character can also be manifested in the choice of the goal of action. However, when the goal is defined, the character acts more in its instrumental role, i.e. as a means to achieve a goal.
Let us list the main personality traits that make up a person’s character. Firstly, these are those personality properties that determine a person’s actions in choosing goals (more or less difficult). Here, rationality, prudence, or the qualities opposite to them can appear as certain characterological traits. Secondly, the character structure includes traits that relate to actions aimed at achieving set goals: perseverance, determination, consistency and others, as well as alternatives to them (as evidence of a lack of character). In this regard, character comes closer not only to temperament, but also to the will of a person. Thirdly, the composition of character includes purely instrumental traits directly related to temperament: extraversion-introversion, calm-anxiety, restraint-impulsiveness, switchability-rigidity, etc. The peculiar combination of all these character traits in one person allows us to classify him as a certain type. In the next section of the chapter we will look at the typology of characters.
Typology of characters
Attempts to construct a typology of characters have been made repeatedly throughout the history of psychology. One of the most famous and early of them was the one that was proposed by the German psychiatrist and psychologist E. Kretschmer at the beginning of our century. Somewhat later, a similar attempt was made by his American colleague W. Sheddon, and today by E. Fromm, KLeongard, A. Elichko and a number of other scientists.
All typologies of human characters were based on a number of general ideas. The main ones are the following:
1. A person’s character is formed quite early in ontogenesis and throughout the rest of his life it manifests itself as more or less stable.
2. Those combinations of personality traits that make up a person’s character are not random. They form clearly distinguishable types that make it possible to identify and build a typology of characters.
3. Most people, in accordance with this typology, can be divided into groups.
E. Kretschmer identified and described the three most common types of human body structure or constitution: asthenic, athletic and picnic. He associated each of them with a special type of character (later it turned out that the author did not have the proper scientific basis for this).
1. Asthenic
the type, according to Kretschmer, is characterized by a small thickness of the body in profile with average or above average height. An asthenic person is usually a thin and thin person, who, because of his thinness, seems somewhat taller than he actually is. An asthenic person has thin skin of the face and body, narrow shoulders, thin arms, an elongated and flat chest with underdeveloped muscles and weak fat accumulations. This is basically the characteristic of asthenic men. Women of this type, in addition, are often short.
2. Athletic
The type is characterized by a highly developed skeleton and muscles. Such a person is usually of medium or tall height, with broad shoulders and a powerful chest. He has a dense, high head.
3. Picnic
the type is distinguished by highly developed internal body cavities (head, chest, abdomen), a tendency to obesity with underdeveloped muscles and the musculoskeletal system. Such a person is of average height with a short neck sitting between the shoulders.
The type of body structure, as was shown by Kretschmer and partly confirmed by the latest research in the field of psychogenetics, in a certain way correlates with a tendency to mental illness. For example, manic-depressive psychosis most often affects people with extremely pronounced picnic features. Asthenics and athletes are more prone to schizophrenic diseases.
Diseases, according to Kretschmer, are “caricatures of certain normal personality types” 1 . That type of normal people, which in its psychological characteristics resembles schizophrenics, Kretschmer called “schizo-thymic”; those who resemble patients with manic-depressive psychosis are called “cyclothymics.” “Schizothymics” are characterized by such character traits as aristocracy and subtlety of feelings, a tendency to abstract thinking and aloofness, coldness, selfishness and authority, dryness and lack of emotions. “Cyclothymics” are described by him as people with cheerfulness, talkativeness, carelessness, sincerity, energy, a penchant for humor and an easy perception of life.
Although Kretschmer's typology was constructed speculatively, it contained a number of vitally true observations. Subsequently, it was indeed discovered that people with a certain type of body structure have a tendency to diseases that are accompanied by accentuations of the corresponding character traits. Later character classifications were based mainly on descriptions of these accentuations. One of them belongs to the famous domestic psychiatrist A. Elichko. This classification is based on observations of adolescents.
Character accentuation,
according to Lichko, this is an excessive strengthening of individual character traits, in which deviations in human psychology and behavior that do not go beyond the norm are observed, bordering on pathology. Such accentuations as temporary mental states are most often observed in adolescence and early adolescence. The author of the classification explains this fact as follows: “Under the influence of psychogenic factors that address the “place of least resistance,” temporary adaptation disorders and deviations in behavior may occur” 1 . As a child grows up, the characteristics of his character that appeared in childhood remain quite pronounced and lose their sharpness, but with age they can clearly appear again (especially if a disease occurs).
The classification of character accentuations in adolescents, which was proposed by A. Elichko, is as follows:
1. Hyperthymic type.
Teenagers of this type are distinguished by their mobility, sociability, and a penchant for mischief. They always make a lot of noise into the events happening around them, and they love the restless company of their peers. Despite good general abilities, they show restlessness, lack of discipline, and study unevenly. Their mood is always good and upbeat. They often have conflicts with adults - parents and teachers. Such teenagers have many different hobbies, but these hobbies, as a rule, are superficial and quickly pass. Teenagers of the hyperthymic type often overestimate their abilities, are too self-confident, strive to show off, boast, and impress others.
2. Cycloid type.
Characterized by increased irritability and a tendency to apathy. Teenagers of this type prefer to be at home alone instead of going somewhere with their peers. They have a hard time with even minor troubles and react extremely irritably to comments. Their mood periodically changes from elated to depressed (hence the name of this type) with periods of approximately two to three weeks.
3. Labile type.
This type is extremely changeable in mood, and it is often unpredictable. The reasons for an unexpected change in mood may turn out to be the most insignificant, for example, someone accidentally dropped a word, someone’s unfriendly glance. All of them “are capable of sinking into despondency and a gloomy mood in the absence of any serious troubles or failures” 1. The behavior of these teenagers largely depends on their momentary mood. The present and future, depending on the mood, can be colored either with rainbow or gloomy colors. Such teenagers, being in a depressed mood, are in dire need of help and support from those who can improve their mood, who can distract, cheer up and entertain. They understand and feel the attitude of the people around them well.
4. Asthenoneurotic type.
This type is characterized by increased suspiciousness and capriciousness, fatigue and irritability. Fatigue is especially common when performing difficult mental work.
5. 5. Sensitive type.
He is characterized by increased sensitivity to everything: to what pleases and to what upsets or frightens. These teenagers do not like large companies, too gambling, active and mischievous games. They are usually shy and timid in front of strangers and therefore often give the impression of being withdrawn. They are open and sociable only with those whom they know well; they prefer communication with children and adults to communication with peers. They are obedient and show great affection for their parents. In adolescence, such adolescents may experience difficulties adapting to their peer circle, as well as an “inferiority complex.” At the same time, these same teenagers develop a sense of duty quite early and display high moral demands on themselves and the people around them. They often compensate for deficiencies in their abilities by choosing complex activities and increased diligence. These teenagers are picky about finding friends and acquaintances for themselves, show great affection in friendships, and adore friends who are older than them.
6. Psychasthenic type.
Such adolescents are characterized by accelerated and early intellectual development, a tendency to think and reason, to introspect and evaluate the behavior of other people. Such teenagers, however, are often more strong in words than in deeds. Their self-confidence is combined with indecision, and categorical judgments are combined with hasty actions taken precisely at those moments when caution and prudence are required.
7. Schizoid type.
The most significant feature of this type is isolation. These teenagers are not very drawn to their peers; they prefer to be alone, in the company of adults. They often demonstrate outward indifference to the people around them, lack of interest in them, poorly understand the conditions of other people, their experiences, and do not know how to sympathize. Their inner world is often filled with various fantasies and special hobbies. In the external manifestations of their feelings, they are quite restrained, not always understandable to others, especially to their peers, who, as a rule, do not like them very much.
8. Epileptoid type.
These teenagers often cry and harass others, especially in early childhood. Such children, writes A. Elichko, love to torture animals, tease younger ones, and mock the helpless. In children's companies they behave like dictators. Their typical traits are cruelty, power, and selfishness. In the group of children they control, such teenagers establish their own strict, almost terroristic orders, and their personal power in such groups rests mainly on the voluntary obedience of other children or on fear. Under conditions of a strict disciplinary regime, they often feel at their best, try to please their superiors, achieve certain advantages over their peers, gain power, and establish their dictatorship over others.
9. Hysterical type.
The main feature of this type is egocentrism, a thirst for constant attention to one’s own person. Adolescents of this type often have a tendency toward theatricality, posing, and panache. Such children have great difficulty in enduring when in their presence someone praises their friend, when others are given more attention than themselves. For them, an urgent need is the desire to attract the attention of others, to listen to admiration and praise addressed to them. These teenagers are characterized by claims to an exclusive position among their peers, and in order to influence others and attract their attention, they often act in groups as instigators and ringleaders. At the same time, being unable to become real leaders and organizers of the cause, or to gain informal authority, they often and quickly fail.
10. Unstable type.
He is sometimes mischaracterized as weak-willed and going with the flow. Adolescents of this type show an increased tendency and craving for entertainment, indiscriminately, as well as for idleness and idleness. They do not have any serious, including professional, interests; they almost never think about their future.
11. Conformal type.
This type demonstrates thoughtless, and often simply opportunistic, submission to any authority, to the majority in the group. Such teenagers are usually prone to moralizing and conservatism, and their main life credo is “to be like everyone else.” This is a type of opportunist who, for the sake of his own interests, is ready to betray a comrade, to leave him in difficult times, but no matter what he does, he will always find a “moral” justification for his action, and often more than one.
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Notes[ | ]
- S. Rubinstein.
The doctrine of character // Fundamentals of general psychology. - Peter, 2020. - P. 622. - Great Psychological Encyclopedia: the most complete modern edition: more than 5000 psychological terms and concepts / (A. B. Almukhanova and others). - Moscow: Eksmo, 2007. - 542 p. [1]
- Philosophical Encyclopedia / Chapter. ed. F.V. Konstantinov. - Moscow: Sov. encyclopedia, 1960. - 5 volumes [2]
- Legal psychology: a textbook for students of higher educational institutions / (I. B. Lebedev and others); edited by V. Ya. Kikotya. — 2nd ed., revised. and additional - Moscow: Unity: Law and Law, 2012. - 479 p. [3]
- Big psychological dictionary / ed. V. P. Zinchenko, B. G. V. Meshcheryakova, - Olma-press. 2004 [4]
- Dushkov B. A., Korolev A. V., Smirnov B. A. Encyclopedic dictionary: Psychology of work, management, engineering psychology and ergonomics / B. A. Dushkov, A. V. Korolev, B. A. Smirnov. — “Academic Project, Business Book,” 2005. — 848 p.
- Bleikher V.M., Kruk I.V.
// Explanatory dictionary of psychiatric terms. — Voronezh: MODEK, 1995. [5] - ↑ 12
Sobchik L. N. Standardized multifactorial method of personality research (SMIL) - M.: BORGES Company, 2009. - 256 p. - Great Medical Encyclopedia: (in 30 volumes) / ch. ed. acad. B.V. Petrovsky; (Academician of Medical Sciences of the USSR). — 3rd ed. - Moscow: Sov. encyclopedia, 1974-1989. T. 25: Tennis - Carbon dioxide. - 1985. - 544 p. [6]
- ↑ 123
Burno M. E. About the characters of people: (psychotherapeutic book / M. E. Burno; Professional Psychotherapeutic League. - 6th edition. - Moscow: Academic Project, 2014. [7] - Character. Golovin S. Yu. Dictionary of practical psychologist / Minsk: Harvest, 1998
- ↑ 12
PERSONALITY: CHARACTER. Golovin S. Yu. Dictionary of practical psychologist / Minsk: Harvest, 1998 - Why is character destiny? // Kazakevich A.V. Simple truths, or How to live for your own pleasure. / - Ed. 2nd, rev. - Moscow: Tsentrpoligraf, 2011. - 351 p.
- Psychology and psychoanalysis of character: a textbook on psychology and typology of characters / Raigorodsky D. Ya. (ed.-comp.). — Ed. 5th, additional. - Samara: Bakhrakh-M, 2009. - 703 pp.; 20 cm; ISBN 978-5-94648-079-6 [8]
- Ponomarenko V.V. Practical characterology: the method of 7 radicals / Victor Ponomarenko. — Moscow: AST, 2020. — 221 p.
Article on psychology “Individual character traits”
Individual character traits. Classification of character traits.
In the variety of definitions of character, two main groups can be distinguished:
1) emphasis on the external behavioral aspect: character is defined as a way of behavior
(A. Adler),
formal dynamic aspects of behavior (
Yu.B. Gippenreiter), method of response (A. Lowen), etc.
2) definition of character as a set of some internal characteristics
of a person: properties
(V.S. Merlin),
traits
(K.K. Platonov),
characteristics
(V.G. Nora-kidze, I.V. Strakhov, V.S. Filatov , A.V. Petrovsky, etc.),
orientation and will
(B.G. Ananyev, A.G. Kovalev, N.D. Levitov),
reactions
(W. Reich),
drives
(3. Freud),
functions
( O. Fenichel and others).
Common to all understandings of character is the identification
of its main features:
individual originality, the presence of a typical character, manifestation in activity and communication, social determination.
Character is a system of stable motives and modes of behavior that form a behavioral type of personality.
Formed in social conditions, influenced by the demands of the social environment, character in its dynamic manifestations is associated with the genetic characteristics of the individual, the type of his higher nervous activity
.
Character is a socially formed behavioral pattern of an individual, a system of behavioral stereotypes, a behavioral syndrome.
Unity of character does not exclude, however, the fact that in different life circumstances the same individual realizes different and sometimes even opposing qualities.
In the development of character and its various aspects, a significant role is played by the critical demands of the environment, the decisive circumstances that arise in a person’s life path, especially in childhood and adolescence. However, since character is associated with the worldview of the individual, its intensive, purposeful formation is carried out in adulthood.
Almost all scientists admit that character can be decomposed into certain elements (traits, properties, qualities, etc.).
N.D. Levitov proposed one of the most complete classifications of character traits.
By traits he understands complex individual characteristics that are indicative of a person.
The main thing when studying traits is to identify the leading ones among them
.
He divides all traits into two groups:
traits of orientation
and
volitional traits
.
Other scientists are making attempts to identify synthetic
for example, completeness, integrity, strength, originality, firmness.
It is also proposed to divide the traits into the following groups:
1) emotional
(temper, depression, optimism),
2) moral
(honesty, responsibility),
3) strong-willed
(decisiveness, purposefulness, self-control),
4) intelligent
(observation, curiosity, thoughtfulness, intelligence, ingenuity).
As a result of factor analysis, the most significant features can be identified to describe the character of a certain sample of individuals.
In foreign studies, character traits are listed as adjacent when describing character types. These are the so-called typical traits , common to a certain group of people, reflecting the general conditions of their life and manifesting themselves to a greater or lesser extent in each representative of this group.
Character type is a set of essential typical traits
. The study of character types leads to the construction of a certain classification (typology).
The most famous and popular are foreign psychoanalytic typologies.
Before Freud, character was presented as a stable pattern of behavior inherent in a given individual, as a volitional feature of behavior .
Freud developed the theory of character as a system of individual aspirations and substantiated the dynamic concept .
Freud argued that
the character of an individual is a certain direction of his vital energy (libido).
Depending on the fixation of the personality at one or another stage of psychosexual development
3. Freud identifies the following types of character:
1) oral
(A person with an oral character is extremely dependent on others to maintain self-respect.)
2)anal
(The main features of the anal character are stinginess, stubbornness, accuracy.)
3) urethral
(The urethral character is characterized by ambition and a tendency to compete.)
4) phallic
(People with a phallic character behave in a carefree, decisive, self-confident manner. A person with such a character is sensitive, lives in anticipation of attacks on himself and therefore attacks first.)
5) genius
(The genital character is the most mature; a person with such a character has the ability to sublimate sexual energy.).
In subsequent psychoanalytic typologies, the emphasis is placed on the options for the relationship between the individual and society.
K. Horney describes three types of character:
Compliant type (orientation “towards people”) - one’s own helplessness is recognized and, despite fears, an attempt is made to win the love of others.
The aggressive directed “against people”) assumes
The isolated type (orientation “from people”) suggests that
a person does not want to belong to a community or fight, he prefers isolation.
For E. Fromm, the essence of a person’s character is determined by his orientations
Personality is a combination of several orientations, one of which is dominant .
E. Fromm
distinguishes two main orientations:
fruitful
and
unfruitful,
within each of them character types are distinguished.
O. Rank's typology (average person, neurotic, creative person) examines the genesis of the development of will
;
and in A. Lowen’s (oral, masochistic, hysterical, phallic-narcissistic, schizoid character types) the features of the self-image are considered.
So, character is a system of stable, generalized modes of behavior determined by the life strategy of the individual. Character is the imprint of the orientational and operational characteristics of the individual’s psyche.
The physiological basis of an individual's behavior is covered by the concept
“
temperament ”, the socially conditioned sphere of his behavior is the concept of “
character ”.
Temperament is more correlated with the natural-unconscious sphere, with the sphere of emotions
, character -
with the volitional sphere.
However, these are interconnected spheres of the human psyche.
The distinctive features inherent in an individual by nature leave an imprint on his character, that is, on the socially formed ways of his behavior.
A person’s character is a generalized result of his life activity
The socially typical and individual in character .
Some character traits act as leading ones that determine the characterological appearance of a person. Others may be secondary. An essential quality of character is
poise.
The entire variety of character manifestations is divided into four groups on the following grounds:
1) the orientation of the individual, the system of his relations in society;
2) features of volitional regulation;
3) emotional characteristics;
4) intellectual characteristics.
In the system of human relations in the social environment, four varieties are distinguished: a person’s attitude to society, to himself, to work and the products of labor.
A person’s attitude towards society and other people determines the fundamental qualities of the individual and the character of a person, his morality.
adopted by an individual
towards other people can be reduced to four main schemes.
1. “I am good and all people are good” is a value-orientation scheme inherent in socially adapted individuals, distinguished by goodwill, high social communication, cheerfulness, an adequate level of aspirations, and mental stability in difficult situations.
This is a highly socialized, mentally stable personality type. The system-forming qualities of his character, and therefore his behavior, are social identification, altruism, and a heightened sense of social responsibility. The behavior of such a person is characterized by openness, honesty, and consistency.
2. “I am bad, and all people are good” - a life pattern
inherent in people with a low level of aspirations, indecisive people, constantly doubting their abilities, showing mental instability in difficult situations, and having difficulty establishing social contacts.
As a rule, these are people with a weak type of nervous activity.
3. “I am good, and all people are bad” - a scheme inherent
in people with an inflated level of aspirations. Arrogance, egoism
4. “I am bad and all people are bad” - this is the position of incorrigible .
Like the previous one, this type of social orientation gives rise to conflicts between the individual and the social environment.
But, unlike the third life scenario, this life scenario does not lead to self-affirmation, but to self-demobilization, withdrawal from the joys of life, and sometimes from life itself.
Without hoping for the best in real life, a person with such a life concept goes into the world of dreams, fruitless dreams and unrealistic hopes. Each person has an attitude towards himself - “I-concept”.
The self-image consists of a number of components:
1) cognitive - appearance, moral significance;
2)
emotional - self-esteem, complacency, self-abasement, etc.;
3)
demanding-volitional - the desire for self-affirmation, recognition of merits by other individuals.
Along with the real "I"
there is
an ideal “I”
and
a dynamic, self-developing “I”
.
The individual’s attitude towards work and other types of activity determines diligence, overcoming difficulties in work, conscientiousness, etc.
This group of relationships also includes inclinations, vocation and talent as characterological qualities of the individual.
The negative qualities of this group include parasitism, loafing, vagrancy
, etc.
The attitude towards things as products of human labor is expressed in accuracy, thrift, etc.
The value orientations of an individual to a certain extent determine the volitional regulation of his behavior.
Volitional character traits are stable individual
Strong-willed personality traits determine the basic qualities of character: integrity, strength, firmness
and
poise.
Integrity of character is the stability of positions and views
Strength of character is a person’s energy, the ability to endure prolonged
Strength of character is strength of character combined with personal integrity.
Balance of character evenness, restraint of behavior, emotional and volitional
The emotional characteristics of an individual’s character are the most visual, directly perceived indicator of his mental properties. In terms of the emotional characteristics of their character, individuals differ in a number of parameters : emotional reactivity
Natures differ in emotional qualities:
1) impressive
- emotionally impressionable (increased emotional reactivity),
2) sentimental
(increased passive-contemplative emotionality),
3) expressive
(increased emotionality associated with stormy, rapid activity)
4) unemotional
.
Intellectual character traits are stable individual typological characteristics of intelligence.
According to intellectual qualities, natures differ from theoretical ones
or
a practical
mindset, varying degrees of flexibility and depth of intelligence, the speed of thought processes.
Among the qualities that characterize the intellectual make-up of a person, productivity of the mind, its originality, mastery of generalized ways of thinking, stable intellectual orientation of the person (curiosity), prudence, thoughtfulness, etc. stand out.
So, in the variety of character traits, what stands out is that which noticeably comes to the fore in the regulation of an individual’s behavior,
-
the strong-willed side of his psyche , expressed in an increased ability to control himself in difficult life situations
.
In these cases , strength of character is manifested,
which, together with integrity stability constitutes the main dynamic qualities of character . Its value quality is determined by morality and cognitive orientation.
When determining the type of character, we highlight what is essential and similar in the characters of individual people, which determines the general style of their life.
On this basis, we distinguish the following types of characters :
1. Harmoniously integral type - characterized by stable
A person with this type of character has no internal conflicts; his desires coincide with what he does. He is a sociable, strong-willed, principled person. People with a harmoniously integral character retain their system of values in all difficult circumstances of life. This is a type of strong-willed fighter for his ideals and principles. Not opportunism, but changing reality in accordance with their ideals - this is the way these people adapt.
2. The type is internally conflicting, but externally harmoniously consistent with the environment - characterized by inconsistency
between internal motivations and external behavior, which
A person with this type of character is prone to impulsive actions, but they are constantly restrained by volitional efforts. The system of his relationships is stable, but his communicative properties are not sufficiently developed. People of this type have a complex system of correlating their value orientation with the conditions of reality.
These people overcome discord with the outside world through internal tactical adjustments, psychological defense, devaluing current events that do not fit into their value system, preserving the basic values of the individual, but not actively trying to change external circumstances. This is a type of wise contemplator detached from everyday struggle.
3. Conflict type with reduced adaptation - characterized by conflict between emotional impulses and social responsibilities, impulsiveness, a predominance of negative emotions, underdeveloped communicative properties, and insufficient structuring of self-awareness.
Individual connections with the world in people of this type are not included in any general behavioral system. The life of such people follows a simplified scheme: their changing needs should, in their own opinion, be immediately satisfied without much effort. The psyche of such individuals is not burdened with much experience; they are not concerned about the future. They are not seasoned in the struggle for existence. In childhood, they, as a rule, were subjected to overprotection and were surrounded by excessive care of the people around them. They are characterized by immaturity and inability to overcome life's difficulties. The main mechanism of their life is pleasure (hedonism). People of this type perceive all difficult situations as acute conflict situations and resort to unconscious psychological pseudo-defense - a distorted reflection of reality (whims, stubbornness, retreat into the world of dreams and fruitless dreams).
4. Variable type of character - externally adapting of principles; indicates a low level of personality development, the absence of a stable general way of behavior.
People of this type are characterized by a simplified inner world; their struggle for existence is straightforward. They do not show doubts or hesitations in achieving utilitarian goals and do not have any special internal restrictions. They know only one type of obstacle - external. Reality puzzles them only with questions of a “technical” nature - how to achieve, how to achieve the greatest possible number of immediate benefits. This is a type of “realist”: such people try to satisfy their needs as fully as possible within the limits of realistically existing possibilities. Adaptation, adjusting, adjusting the inner world to external circumstances - this is the general way of adaptation of these people.
E. Spranger (1882-1963) distinguishes the following personality types according to their leading orientation:
1. Scientific person. In its pure form, he knows only one passion, passion for a problem, for a question, which leads to explanation, establishment of connections, theorizing
.
His experiences are divorced from real life: he can despair from the impossibility of knowing, or rejoice because of a purely theoretical discovery. He exhausts himself as a psychological being in order to generate a purely ideal world of regular connections. For him, only the purity of methods of cognition is valuable - truth at any cost
. The world for him is an endless production of entities and a system of relationships of dependence.
2. Economic man . The main motive that determines the most diverse spheres of this personality and the nature of its existence is the motive of utility.
In the most general terms, an economic man is one who puts utility first in all life relations. Everything for him becomes a means of maintaining life, the struggle for existence and the best arrangement of his life. He saves material, effort, time - just to get the maximum benefit from it. The meaning of his actions is not in the activity itself, but in its beneficial effect.
3. Aesthetic person . Direct contact with the world is always painful, associated with the struggle for existence, but there is a second world - this is the world of fantasy with which people of this type surround themselves.
It is through such
When considering the aesthetic type, we mean not so much artists who create material works, but people who create themselves, possessing the internal structure of the aesthetic type.
4. Social person . A special life form, which is
5. Political person . The main thing for a person becomes power itself. Here we have the totality of the worldview: self-affirmation, achievement of success, vitality, energy of being. They strive for high social status and only then, as leaders, in the rays of glory, do they feel in their place.
6. Religious person. The spiritual structure is constantly and entirely aimed at achieving the highest meaning of life, postulated by religion.
The behavior of religious people is dominated by an altruistic
They see the highest meaning of their existence in noble, free service to people - in helping the injured, wounded, maimed, infirm, humiliated and lonely.
All the main religious confessions of the world affirm spirituality, morality, the highest ideals of human existence, mobilize a person to walk his earthly path with dignity, and postulate unshakable laws of human life among people.
Accentuation is an extreme variant of the norm, in which certain character traits are exaggerated and manifest themselves in the form of “weak points” in the individual’s psyche—its selective vulnerability to certain influences
with good and even increased resistance to other influences
Types of character accentuations:
1. Excitable. Increased verbal and motor activity. Desire for leadership. Inflated level of claims. Restlessness, lack of discipline, tendency towards delinquency (minor crimes), risky actions. Opposition from others causes a negative reaction. Indiscriminate choice of acquaintances; sloppiness; ease of joining an antisocial group. The desire for pleasure. Tendency to alcoholism at the level of group mental dependence. Low level of ability realization
2. Affective. Extreme emotional instability. Affective outbursts arise for a variety of, often insignificant reasons, but are quickly exhausted and, as a rule, do not manifest themselves in gross aggression. Sometimes self-aggression reactions occur. Increased mood swings, fussiness, extreme lack of composure, restlessness. Conflict, low self-criticism Tendency to delinquent behavior
3. Unstable. Instability of behavior: inconsistency of actions, frequent changes of mood, asthenicity. Anger, suspicion, suspiciousness, touchiness. The attitude towards people is unstable. Character traits are not masked. Sincere and straightforward. Increased sensitivity to signs of attention and sympathy. Troubles cause severe neurotic breakdowns. Self-esteem is insufficient. The “weak point” of this type of character is rejection by emotionally significant persons. In search of emotional contact, they may join antisocial groups. Emotional instability
4. Anxious. Increased demands, unfounded claims, emotional rejection. Increased anxiety, impressionability, fearfulness, sensitivity to negative influences, timidity, shyness. Tendency to depression as a result of inflated moral demands on oneself, “ethical scrupulousness.” Reduced level of aspirations, feelings of inferiority, isolation. Predisposition to phobias. The tendency to overcompensate is the use of exaggerated methods of self-affirmation in the “weakness zone.” The “weak point” of this character is the inability to endure ridicule, humiliation, and suspicion of unseemly acts. In such situations, inappropriate behavior is possible
Let's consider the national psychological characteristics of character.
A nation, people , ethnic group is a historically established stable collection of people in a certain territory, possessing common characteristics of culture and mental make-up, awareness of its unity and difference from other similar
Ethnopsychology studies the ethnic characteristics of the human psyche.
Within the framework of general psychology, national character traits are of significant importance.
National characteristics of a person are manifested in his psychophysiology, emotional-volitional, and behavioral characteristics.
Each people has its own name - its own name (ethnonym) and identity.
However, ethnic self-awareness is a secondary phenomenon; it is derived from the objective conditions of the life of an ethnic group.
Ethnic groups arise not by the will of people, but in the course of an objective historical process. Due to these objective circumstances,
The character of a person, as already noted, is not a simple sum of traits, but a structurally organized system of mental qualities. Uniqueness of national character
is not determined by a special organization of brain activity, but
is a consequence
Features of national character are features of national self-awareness, the historical memory of the people, reflection in the minds of people of the most important socio-national processes and, on this basis, separation of oneself from other peoples
. Both historical conflicts of the past and major national and cultural achievements leave a deep imprint in the memory of the people.
A person of any nationality, born in his cultural, historical and natural environment, is strongly influenced by it from an early age (the effect of dominance of the primary influence occurs). On this basis, national pride is formed, which can be accentuated.
Nationalism, the ideology of the exclusivity of one nation, its superiority over other nations, has no objective basis and is a distorted reflection of reality in the sphere of national identity.
Personality - character - temperament
How to distinguish character from personality and temperament? Analysis of everyday terminology shows us that these are three completely different things. For example, the adjectives used to describe personality and character are completely different. They say about character: heavy, light, soft, compliant, golden. About the personality - outstanding, creative, gray, criminal. Great people with bad character are well known in history: Dostoevsky had a difficult character, and the physiologist Pavlov had a tough temperament. But this did not stop them from becoming outstanding personalities. In other words, the difference between personality and character is that character is how a person acts, and personality is what he acts for.
Characters are distinguished by certainty and integrity. People with a certain character are dominated by one or more distinct traits. In people with an uncertain character they are very weakly expressed.
