Properties of temperament: sensitivity, reactivity, activity, plasticity, rigidity, extraversion, introversion, rate of reactions, emotional excitability.

Temperament as perceived by philosophers and scientists of antiquity

Even ancient philosophers argued that a person has a number of characteristics given to him at birth, which are subsequently formed into a set of traits or so-called character. It is impossible to significantly change these features; they can only be easily adjusted under the influence of society and education.

Scientists of that time could not imagine what temperament or character depended on, but they made attempts to substantiate their numerous theories in proportion to knowledge in medicine and psychology. The founder was Hippocrates, who was the first to define each of the types that are still used today. But the famous doctor explained temperament by the predominance of one or another liquid in the human body.

Years later, European scientists tried to put forward their own typology based on the physical characteristics of people. This version was subject to much criticism in the scientific world and is now practically not used.

Melancholic

In the case of melancholic people, temperament is individuality in perceiving the world through a negative prism. This is exactly how the great Kant characterized representatives of this type. He said that these are people with a gloomy character who focus exclusively on the difficulties of life. Melancholic people have a weak, unstable psyche and a susceptible nervous system. They constantly doubt, are afraid of change, rarely and only when necessary communicate with people and live in their closed world of illusions. They are touchy, have a hard time dealing with life’s difficulties, never talk about their feelings or doubts, and often become depressed. People of this type especially need constant moral support and recognition.

In a work environment, they show themselves to be responsible workers and good professionals. But at the same time, they react too painfully to failures or comments from their superiors. Melancholic people will never dare to leave their unloved place of work; they will continue to endure and suffer. Colleagues of people of this type are advised not to rush them in terms of completing assigned tasks, not to allow criticism of them, and to try to treat their vulnerable soul as correctly as possible. In this case, you can easily get a valuable employee who will help increase productivity and improve quality of work.

Parents of melancholic children should understand that the nature of such a child is too sensitive. It is necessary to treat him with special tact, bestow love and care, and encourage any manifestations of independence and initiative. It is recommended to pay special attention to nurturing the child’s own value, as well as building his sense of self-worth.

Temperament through the eyes of Hippocrates and Claudius Galen

Hippocrates defined personality temperaments, and his student and follower Claudius Galen wrote a large scientific treatise, where he described each type in detail and detail, specifying the liquid that is contained in the maximum quantity in human organs.

Based on Galen's theory, there were the following types of human temperament:

• sanguine - this person had a large amount of blood, which influenced his actions and emotions;
• phlegmatic - he was the result of the predominance of phlegm;
• choleric - had increased bile content;
• melancholic - suffered from an abundance of black bile in the body, corroding his internal organs.

Almost until the eighteenth century, this theory was perceived as the only correct one. And only the hard work of modern scientists dispelled the fantastic assumptions of Hippocrates, although the names and characteristics of temperaments have remained unchanged and are actively used.

Functions and role

Temperament is (in personality psychology the concept of temperament is interpreted as a hereditary character trait that develops outside the comfort zone (the womb)) the main problem that still remains not fully studied. There are several systems of organization, each with overlapping dimensions.

T. Chess's original work at the New York Laboratory postulated 9 continuous dimensions of temperament in addition to 3 trait categories: difficult, easy, and slow. At about the same time, a cross-sectional assessment of personality structure testing was conducted.

Based on Eysenck's testing, the following assumption was made:

• In contrast to measures that refer to emotional reactivity or general hedonic valence, many theories of temperament include a measure of emotional regulation that includes the ability to persist, pay attention, delay gratification, plan, and modulate emotional responses.
• This trait can serve to change or redefine the external expression of the first two dimensions. Some of these “executive” functions have been variously referred to as increased control or constancy.
• This dimension is also sometimes rated as the inverse of novelty seeking or extraversion.
• General activity level is also included in some temperament scales, as was the case in the original formulations of Thomas and Hippocrates.

Most classification structures are organized quantitatively, so that an individual is given a “score” for a particular dimension (which can vary), and a profile of the individual is then created for a number of studies.

Division into temperaments in modern psychology

He made a great contribution to the development of psychology. As a result of research, he found out that a person from birth has his own, which determines his behavior. Moreover, this theory is equally effective for animals and people. Subsequently, Pavlov’s research became the basis for the work of Soviet and European psychologists. As a result, a scientifically based typology of human temperaments emerged:

1. Sanguine. People of this temperament easily adapt to new conditions, are active and efficient. For the most part, they are friendly and tall. They are sensitive to the mood of others and are extroverts.
2. Choleric. This temperament characterizes irritable and hot-tempered people. They get distracted from their work very quickly and find it difficult to concentrate. The expression of emotions in choleric people is violent and short-lived; they can also be considered extroverts.
3. Phlegmatic person. Such people are very efficient, but it is difficult to switch from one thing to another. They are little emotional and are able to remain calm in any situation. All their movements are slightly slowed down, the same goes for facial expressions. Phlegmatic people are classified as introverts.
4. Melancholic. Melancholic people are very sensitive, but not too active. They are touchy, but timid and inhibited. Such people have low productivity and have difficulty meeting new people. The slightest trouble causes violent emotions in them, paralyzing any activity.

To determine a person's temperament, it is necessary to consider him in relation to a number of properties. Psychology has a productive system that allows you to analyze the type of nervous system and classify it.

Types of human temperament

Female archetypes - what are they, descriptions of girls’ personalities

Each personality is a complex structure that consists of several main parts. Temperament, character, behavior - all this affects the functioning of the psyche. Knowing one’s characteristics will allow a person to reach different heights and make life effective.

Sometimes temperament is confused with character, but these are two different concepts. Character is more a product of social life, while temperament is an innate characteristic.

Character can be changed, sometimes it happens unnoticed

Sometimes it is easy to determine a simple type of temperament, but in some people the traits appear implicitly and are difficult to identify. Each temperament type is unique. A sanguine person is distinguished by mobility, strength and rapid change of processes. He is distinguished by his love of life, optimism, activity, and responsiveness. The sanguine type is successful in all areas of life.

A phlegmatic person is often a bore, he is inert and balanced. All this allows him to approach life cautiously and judiciously. Its most striking feature is slowness, but it does not in any way affect the quality of life. He is able to approach the matter thoroughly, which leads to a positive result.

The choleric type is distinguished by the predominance of excitation processes over inhibition. Such people are unrestrained, have sudden mood swings, and can be rude.

Important! In severe cases, choleric people are characterized by a high degree of aggression.

Excitable individuals have a low level of self-control. Therefore, it can be difficult for them to control themselves. They rarely achieve serious success at work.

Melancholic people are weak and unbalanced people. Their main feature is anxiety. They experience anxiety, pessimism, everything appears to them in black. They are more prone to mental illness. Imbalance prevents them from achieving success in life.

Temperament is rare in its pure form; most often it is a combination of 2 or even 4 types. The choleric-melancholic person is distinguished by strength and the ability to learn quickly, but at the same time loves harsh criticism and wants to be a leader.

The choleric-phlegmatic person is a fairly balanced type. Emotional outbursts are quickly extinguished; a large supply of internal strength has a stimulating effect.

Melancholic-sanguine is a strange combination that gives a person a small amount of inconsistency. Love of life comes into conflict with pessimism, and disaster occurs. A simple example is that any failure is perceived as a failure and leads to depression.

Basic properties of temperament

Defining temperament is impossible without eight aspects that characterize it:

• sensitivity;
• activity;
• ratio of reactivity and activity;
• plasticity and rigidity;
• reaction rate;
• extroversion or introversion.

An experienced psychologist assesses the personality for each aspect and determines the type of temperament. The most important parameters are considered to be reactivity and activity. It’s worth talking about them in more detail.

Kinds

Regarding differentiation (extinction) and performance (excitation) of a nerve cell, Pavlov identified the main types of reactions:

Following Pavlov, B. M. Teplov and V. D. Nebylitsyn contributed to the development of theories.

They identified two additional characteristics that influenced the formation of the term:

• Dynamism is the speed and ease with which the nervous system generates the process of excitation or extinction. The dynamic nature forces the body to develop a conditioned reflex.
• Lability is the rate of occurrence and cessation of the excitation or inhibitory process.

Lability made it possible to identify the advantage of the “weak” type of temperament - high sensitivity, sensitive character. And it is determined by the level of reaction and its influence on a person’s individuality.

Reactivity in psychology: definition

It is difficult to say when psychology became a serious science and began to consider a person’s personality taking into account all aspects of temperament. But the scientific community believes that Wolf Solomonovich Merlin was the first to introduce such a concept as reactivity in psychology. This gave impetus to further research into the psycho-emotional differences of individuals, which eventually resulted in a fundamental scientific theory.

At the moment, it can be argued that reactivity in psychology is the uncontrolled reactions of an individual to any stimuli of an external and internal nature. The intensity and duration of these reactions largely determine. Subsequently, psychologists came to the conclusion that it is emotional reactivity that is responsible for performance and productivity. In psychology, this has acquired particular importance; many large corporations in the West use the concept of reactivity when selecting new personnel.

Characteristics and properties

The concept of temperament dates back to ancient Greek philosophers, including Hippocrates and Galen, who postulated that the cause of habitual human behavior lies in varying concentrations of humor.

The word itself suggests a connection between behavioral predispositions and underlying biological substrates. However, despite a long history of research, the precise definition of temperament continues to be the subject of much controversy and debate.

There is general agreement regarding several key components of temperamental traits, including their early manifestation, genetic influence, and moderate stability over time.

However, there is also disagreement regarding the boundaries between temperament and personality. Indeed, some prominent researchers argue that both temperament and personality refer to endogenous underlying tendencies of thoughts, emotions, and behavior. The distinction between these constructs is largely artificial.

Indeed, finding separate dimensions between temperament and personality has been difficult, at least in cross-sectional studies of predecessors and successors (Darwin, Jung, Pavlov).

Another study made it possible to test the degree of association between the Big Five personality factors:

• neuroticism;
• extroversion;
• openness;
• pleasantness;
• conscientiousness.

Four dimensions of temperament were taken for comparison:

• negative affectivity;
• extraversion;
• energetic attention;
• orienting sensitivity.

The expected strong associations were found between the 2 extraversion scales, and neuroticism and negative affectivity.

Reactivity and speed of decision making: is there a relationship?

Based on the results of numerous studies and tests, psychologists have found that the speed of decision-making and reactions to various life situations depends on reactivity.

People with high reactivity often make decisions under the influence of emotions and the moment; many of their conclusions and reactions are incorrect. But in a critical situation, they can save the life of not only one person, but also many others. The same cannot be said about individuals with low reactivity. They think about every decision for a long time and are not able to make it at a specific moment under the influence of stimuli from the outside world.

Features of a child's temperament

Every baby is different from the moment it is born. Some are quiet, others are restless, often cry and sleep little. Already in the first months of life, a child can be characterized as calm or restless.

Important! Some health problems will cause a negative reaction.

Active children are immediately visible. They do not lie in one place, they actively explore the world, study everything, and climb everywhere. For children, the same classification applies as for adults.

Already in the first year of life, a child can acquire certain traits. For example, a choleric person will be a leader, a melancholic person will be quiet, and a phlegmatic person will be good-natured. An attentive parent will always notice the peculiarities of their baby.

In this case, there is a possibility of obtaining incorrect judgments. Mom or dad may be biased towards the child, i.e. see only what they consider necessary. Therefore, it is better to consult a specialist for diagnosis.

Knowledge of the child’s psychological characteristics will make learning effective

For example, phlegmatic children feel better with the same teacher. While a choleric teacher will be annoyed by such slowness. Information about temperament will allow parents to know their children's weaknesses in advance.

Each type of temperament can be characterized by certain traits. There is no need to divide them into good or bad, since together they are an integral part of the personality. With their help, everyone can achieve some success in life.

Sometimes a temperamental person is considered to be one who lives brightly and shows emotions. But these are just manifestations of a certain type of temperament. The rest behave differently, but this does not make their lives any worse.

Formula for Reaction Intensity in Emotional Reactivity

Since reactivity in psychology is a reaction to an external stimulus, it would be natural to assume that it has a certain strength. In the modern world, there is even a formula according to which you can determine the degree and intensity of the reaction.

In people with low reactivity, intensity is in direct interaction with the strength of the impact. The more pressure you put on such a person, the more intense his reaction.

Otherwise, everything happens to people who are easily excitable. The intensity of their reaction is absolutely independent of the strength of the impact. Even slight pressure triggers an intense reaction in the individual. This makes highly reactive people unpredictable and difficult to manage.

Extroverts and introverts

The concepts of extraversion and introversion were founded by the scientist psychologist Carl Gustav Jung. According to his theory, a person whose activity depends on external impressions is called an extrovert. He is sociable and emotional, constantly strives to be in society and does not tolerate loneliness. Extroverts include choleric and sanguine people. A person who depends on his internal mental processes is called an introvert. This is a closed person who prefers to communicate little with others and is happy to be alone. Introverts include phlegmatic and melancholic.

Reactivity in psychology: examples of manifestation in everyday life

In order to have a complete understanding of reactivity, let's give a simple real-life example. Let's say you're dreaming of a vacation after a hard year of work. Your friends are also going to relax, but one goes to the mountains, and the other dreams of a lazy beach holiday in a warm country. Both of them invite you to come with them, but after much deliberation you decide to go on a trip to the sea and the sun. At that moment, when you are ready to voice your decision to a friend, he begins to argue that you must go with him and have no right to do otherwise. This is where your reactivity matters a lot. What will you do? Will you begin to resist the pressure and abandon your already planned and much-desired vacation on the beach, going to the mountains as a protest? Or stick to the original plan, no matter the pressure put on you?

People who are capable of doing harm to themselves are characterized by increased reactivity and often draw the wrong conclusions from the situation. Moreover, the opponent’s personality does not play a role in making a decision; it can be a close friend or a stranger. A tendency to make hasty and incorrect decisions is revealed in those people who have increased reactivity. In psychology, this is considered to be a constant, which is used as a starting point in determining a person’s temperament.