Demonstrativeness: causes/risk factors, diagnosis, features of manifestation, consequences, correction, recommendations for parents.

What is a demonstrative personality type?

This is a psychotype whose owner is characterized by artistry, emotional liveliness, and mobility. Such a person constantly strives to be the center of attention. It is very important for him that others notice him and admire him. To attract attention, an individual often fantasizes and embellishes the events of his life.

People with a demonstrative personality type are prone to lying. At the same time, they themselves can believe in what they say. If a person is aware of his lie, then he does not take it seriously and does not consider it something bad.

Demonstrative individuals love to be the center of attention and are very offended when others do not notice them. To show their importance and exclusivity, they often perform extravagant acts. Distinctive features of their character are egocentrism, expression, increased emotionality, theatrical behavior, and superficiality of feelings.

Almost every person in a certain situation behaves demonstratively, and this is normal. However, if such behavior becomes a distinctive feature and calling card of a person, then we are talking about accentuation of character.

Accentuation in psychology is the excessive development of a certain character trait (or set of traits). Accentuation is considered an intermediate link between normality and pathology. Accented people are not considered mentally abnormal, but they have disharmonious personality development.

Demonstrative character

A short essay describes the hysterical and demonstrative personality - its traits and behavior. It is typical that the first signs of this type of personality appear in children and subsequently persist. Whether this personality type is good or needs to be rebuilt in childhood is a controversial issue that every parent must decide for themselves.

Source: Magazine “Your Health” (issue XII). – M.: Knowledge, 1991. – 32 p. – (National University Faculty “Your Health”; No. 12). ISBN 5-07-002218-0. Author of the text: Professor Karl Leonhard (03/21/1904-04/23/1988), an outstanding German psychiatrist.

Demonstrative character.

As a rule, a person will not praise himself, even if he really wants to, he will be prevented by the fear of judgment from others, who are accustomed to believing that the question of whether a person deserves praise should not be decided by him himself.

A demonstrative personality is able to push such obstacles out of consciousness and freely enjoy the praise that it creates for itself, or the proud position that it occupies. Next to your words of self-praise, actions usually arise due to vanity, i.e. the desire to evoke attention from others, imbued with respect.

These traits can be seen already in childhood, observing children who love to read aloud or recite poetry, while observing the exact intonation suggested by the historical ability to get used to someone else's image.

About the same thing can be seen in children's performances. Usually a person is ashamed to stand out noticeably among others and become the center of everyone's attention: even if this happens as a result of merit, he is ashamed.

The demonstrative personality represses such restraining considerations from his consciousness and has the ability to come to the fore without any doubt and enjoy his position. Even if this attention is not entirely positive, but partly tinged with disdain, a hysteric can neglect this as easily as anyone else.

The concept of vanity , which we introduce to denote this inclination, evokes in us particularly strong ideas about the desire to be the center of everyone's attention. It is necessary, of course, to confirm that this is very typical for hysterics...

The same can be said about the self-mourning of demonstrative individuals... Doctors are well aware of the typical behavior of patients mourning themselves. Every day they have to observe it in patients who constantly say that they are experiencing unbearable pain, that they were or are currently in a state of complete prostration, although the patient can sit opposite the doctor in full health, showing all the signs of good health. The severity of suffering is emphasized not only by words, but also by gestures and facial expressions.

Self-mourning is usually combined with self-praise. The patient claims that, although he tried with all his might, straining his will to survive, he still had to break under the weight of his imaginary illness. Great adaptability to others is one of the important traits of demonstrative personalities. In professions that require the ability to get used to the psyche of another person, people with a hysterical character trait can work especially successfully.

Working, for example, as salespeople in a store, they, as a rule, are excellent at approaching customers in different ways, taking into account the characters of the latter. This ability is probably based on the fact that they are very good at denying themselves and their own character. They can be completely distracted from whether the person with whom they are dealing is pleasant or unpleasant, whether he has views similar to their own, whether he stands in the same position in life as them, or is a person of a different type.

Usually a person reacts to his surroundings in the spirit of his own character, which is not always consistent with the characters of other people. Demonstrative individuals, on the contrary, can completely renounce themselves, can easily enter into the position of another person, showing towards him a willingness to do everything that can be pleasing to him. This explains the ability of demonstrative individuals to win the affection of others.

Children who have a hysterical trait in their character very often become “good boys” who are forgiven for their rare offenses. In fact, these offenses are not so rare, they just happen where and when the teacher cannot notice them. In relation to him, such a child shows only friendliness and obedience.

In relation to his peers and other adults, the “good boy” very often turns out to be a little selfish. Hysterical children quarrel with their rivals at school, often in dishonest ways. The teacher, from whom such a child enjoys love, and therefore trust, willingly listens to his complaints if he reports something bad about the other children.

Secret fiscals among children, as a rule, are people of a demonstrative nature. This behavior continues into adulthood. Good adaptability to others helps them quickly make friends, towards whom they show their friendliness, hiding other traits of their character. In difficult situations and when dealing with difficult people, this ability often helps smooth out conflict. So, for example, a marriage can turn out favorably precisely because one of the partners is characterized by a demonstrative ability to adapt.

It should be especially emphasized that the hysterical character has a beneficial effect on abilities in the field of art. I mean, first of all, the profession of an actor.

Pathological liars and swindlers are actors, only they play their roles not in order to bring people joy, but in order to deceive them. It is clear that a person who plays his role so well that he manages to mislead those around him could act on stage.

True, hysterical actors, despite their abilities, often have cases of leaving the stage due to the fact that the actor, if he wants to be successful, must work hard...

It is less clear why a hysterical character trait benefits not only actors, but also people in other fields of art. But on the one hand, for all artists, to whom I include writers in the broadest sense of the word, the ability to get used to what they depict is extremely useful if, for example, a poet lives in the same image that he creates.

On the other hand, a demonstrative character benefits fantasy, which arises from a free way of thinking.

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Demonstrative behavior in children

In the process of growing up, a child develops one or another type of personality and behavior. Personal development is determined by upbringing and the example set by the people around you. Lack or excess of love, care and attention from parents have a significant impact on the mental development of the baby. High or low self-esteem affects his behavior.

Demonstrative behavior is most often observed in spoiled, capricious children who strive to achieve what they want at any cost. Very often, the source of demonstrativeness in a child’s behavior is:

• desire to attract attention;
• need for self-affirmation;
• reaction to psychological trauma;
• protest against something.

A demonstrative type of behavior is typical for children whose parents put too much pressure on them and at the same time do not pay enough attention and do not show proper care. Thus, the baby strives to receive the attention that he lacks in the family.

By the age of five, children's need for respect and recognition increases significantly. Kids begin to actively compare themselves with other children. However, due to their age, they cannot adequately evaluate themselves and those around them, so their opinion about themselves often does not coincide with the opinion of other children. They have a desire to prove their importance by any means. And often the most effective way is demonstrative behavior.

Children with a demonstrative personality type are very sociable and easily make friends. At the same time, the child is not particularly interested in the interlocutor himself. For him, he acts only as an object to which he demonstrates himself. Such a child does not need close communication, but admiration. If the baby does not find proper attention from others, he begins to behave aggressively.

Aggression is not necessarily physical; it is often expressed verbally. A demonstrative child notices and remembers the mistakes of other people and, on occasion, reminds them of them, trying to present himself in the best light. He often compares himself with other people, trying to show that he is better, smarter, more beautiful, etc. Sometimes children outgrow this behavior on their own, and sometimes they need psychological correction.

Children's demonstrativeness

In addition to children's aggression, touchiness and shyness, another problem that many do not consider to be any problem is children's demonstrativeness, the desire to be the best.*

It would seem that this is a very good positive trait, and many adults see this as a guarantee of competitiveness, energy and career growth in adulthood.

But what motivates the child, how does this demonstrativeness manifest itself? It appears quite openly and is easy to see. When you come to a children's group, one or two or three children come up and say:

“Look at my boots! And look what they brought me! Do you know what toy I have? Do you know how I can jump? And I’m the best here!”

The child simply bombards the adult with his merits and achievements. And it is clear that these achievements are always compared with someone, with something.

And this exaltation of oneself is associated with denial and leveling of the people around. Because you can show “how good I am” only by showing how insignificant everyone is, that no one can do anything, and I am omnipotent.

This can also be some kind of positive self-affirmation, when a child tries to show his advantages, including moral ones, when he shares something with another child, but at the same time looks at an adult so that he can see “how good I am.” entered". In this case, the child can even tell another child or teacher about his good deed. The act is moral, but it is completely demonstrative. It is made to be noticed and praised. Action is positive, and motivation is egoistic.

If this does not work, then negative aspects . To be noticed, you need to somehow distinguish yourself, stand out. A child may whistle, pester others, or destroy or break something. The main thing is to demonstrate yourself.

Demonstration of oneself is the main motive for the behavior of these children. This shows complete disregard for the other. The child does not notice his peers, he does not care about them. In others, the only thing that matters to him is whether they noticed him, paid attention to him, or admired him.

In children this manifests itself very clearly. At the same time, it doesn’t matter what I demonstrate, it’s important to show that it’s mine. This could be a fancy toy brought to kindergarten - not because they want to play, but because they want to show that “I have this.” It could be dad’s car or a computer - everything can serve as a means of demonstrating one’s “I”, demonstrating one’s merits.

What's bad about it?

And the fact that this own “I” and “my achievements” become the main meaning of life closes all other spheres of human coexistence. The child sees nothing except how they treat him, whether he was noticed.

In addition, the feeling of superiority cannot last forever; someone will definitely surpass this child, someone will be better. And this experience - “someone is better than me” gives rise to very acute negative experiences - resentment, envy, anger, aggression and other “malignant” experiences.

* This is a thematic fragment from a series of lectures by Doctor of Psychology Elena Olegovna Smirnova “Children with communication difficulties.”

Part 1. Development of relationships with peers in preschool age

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1. Relationships with peers form the foundation of personality. 2. Communication and interpersonal relationships. 3. Inner self in interpersonal relationships of people. 4. Awareness of the sense of 'I' in infants and young children. 5. Features of relationships between children 2-4 years old. 6. Relationships with peers in children 4-6 years old.

Part 2. Children with difficulties communicating with peers

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1. Children's aggressiveness. 2. Children's touchiness. 3. Childhood shyness. 4. Children's demonstrativeness.

Part 3. Psychological nature of problems in interpersonal relationships

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1. General causes of children's aggressiveness, touchiness, shyness and demonstrativeness.

Note. The breakdown into paragraphs is ours (doshkolniki.org).

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• demonstrativeness
• showcasing yourself
• ignoring the other

Demonstrative behavior in adolescents

Adolescence is a difficult period in the development of personality. By this time, the individual has already formed the basic character traits, but he is not yet a mature personality. Teenagers, just like children, need attention from others. Moreover, for demonstrative individuals it does not matter what this attention will be - positive or negative. They do not tolerate indifference, so even negative emotions from other people cause them satisfaction.

Reasons for demonstrativeness in adolescents:

• growing up in a dysfunctional family;
• lack of attention from parents;
• desire to stand out among peers;
• need for respect and acceptance;
• desire to protest.

Teenagers often strive to stand out among their peers in order to earn their authority, respect and admiration. The ways in which a teenager does this largely depends on the environment in which he finds himself. In a favorable environment, an individual tries to demonstrate his best qualities - academic or sports performance, active participation in school life. In an unfavorable environment, a teenager may begin to show the negative sides of his personality - be rude, be rude, humiliate those who are weaker than him, violate discipline, receiving negative characteristics from teachers.

Some individuals seek to attract attention to themselves by taking the position of a victim. They constantly talk about the misfortunes that happen to them, about their difficult lives. By doing this, they evoke sympathy and compassion from others, thereby satisfying their need for attention.

Some teenagers are characterized by demonstrative blackmailing suicidal behavior, in which they threaten suicide in order to achieve what they want or simply to get attention from adults. The source of this behavior is the unfavorable situation in the family, the lack of emotional contact with parents. Prevention of suicidal behavior is very important for healthy personality development.

Demonstrativeness Demonstrative

Demonstrativeness as a personality quality is a tendency to show an obsessive desire to attract attention to oneself through exaggerated, external manifestations of emotionality, actions put on public display, or to cause them to resonate with public opinion.

Demonstration is a race for total attention. Demonstration is self-promotion, the desire to achieve what you want through “showing off.” The demonstrator subordinates every movement of his hair to the desire to attract attention. As a rule, demonstrators love only positive, interested attention to their person. Demonstration is cheap acting for the sake of one’s vanity. The idea of ​​“being visible” becomes dominant for the demonstrator. To be in the center of attention, he is ready to engage in self-deception, lies and inventions.

Demonstration, as long as it is within reasonable limits, is an effective way to solve many problems. It is common to most women and charismatic leaders. There is nothing wrong with this - any woman, according to her nature, strives to attract attention. Therefore, female demonstrativeness, in harmony with common sense and prudence, can be considered the norm.

Demonstrativeness is the need for specific approval. Demonstrator Herostratus, a young resident of Ephesus, burned the Temple of Artemis in his hometown on July 21, 356 BC. so that, as he confessed during torture, his descendants would remember his name. For such people, life truly, as Shakespeare wrote, turns into theater. Modern politics and show business have turned into a huge field for the deployment of demonstrativeness. Pop stars deliberately organize scandals, go to great lengths to be admired and envied. Look at the red carpet of any film festival - sheer ostentation and rampant vanity.

An example of demonstrativeness was undoubtedly the Chairman of the Provisional Government of Russia, Kerensky, who in troubled times managed to jump from simple lawyers to the crest of the political power of revolutionary Russia. As his contemporaries noted, the mystery of this rapid ascent to the political Olympus is largely explained by the mastery of demonstrativeness, when it looked like courage, determination and self-confidence.

Shulgin, a State Duma deputy who accepted the abdication of the last Russian emperor, recalls: “Kerensky had some small clues... They were not suitable for anything major. But they gave some kind of illusion of power. This was enough for Kerensky’s actorly, easily flammable, self-impressing nature... some groups of armed people made their way to him through the human mess that had flooded the Duma, looked for him, asked what to do, how to “defend freedom,” who to capture... Kerensky suddenly felt like “the one who orders”... His whole appearance changed... His tone became abrupt and commanding... “Movements are fast”... I don’t know whether it was on his orders or on the principle of “spontaneous generation,” but volunteer gendarmes ran throughout the capital to “arrest” ... Led by some student, instead of an officer, and a group of “rifle men” - soldiers or workers, more often than not... They burst into apartments, grabbed “servants of the old regime” and dragged them to the Duma. One of the first to be brought in was Shcheglovitov, Chairman of the State Council and former Minister of Justice. Here, for the first time, Kerensky “turned around”... The group dragging the tall, gray-haired Shcheglovitov made its way through the mess of people, and they gave way to them, because they realized that they had captured someone important... Kerensky, notified of this, cut the crowd from the other side... They converged ... Kerensky stopped in front of the “former dignitary” with an inspired look: “Ivan Grigorievich Shcheglovitov - you are under arrest!” Powerful, menacing words... “His face is terrible.” – Ivan Grigorievich Shcheglovitov... your life is safe... Know: the State Duma does not shed blood. What generosity!.. “He is wonderful”... - This showed all of Kerensky: an actor to the core. He was dancing in the revolutionary quagmire... ...Suddenly I felt a special excitement running from “Volkonsky’s office”, the reason for which was immediately whispered to me: “Protopopov has been arrested!”.. And at the same moment I saw in the mirror how the door to “ Volkonsky’s office” and Kerensky burst in. He was pale, his eyes were burning, his hand was raised... With this outstretched hand he seemed to be cutting into the crowd... Everyone recognized him and parted on both sides, simply frightened by his appearance... - Don’t you dare touch this man!.. It was Kerensky shouting, rapidly approaching, pale, with incredible eyes, with one raised hand cutting through the crowd, and with the other, tragically lowered, pointing at “this man”... - Don’t dare touch this man!.. Struck by this strange sight - the pale Kerensky dragging his victim - the crowd burst out In front of them. – Don’t dare touch this man!.. They brought Sukhomlinov. Then Kerensky, with all the acting he was capable of, grew up in front of them: “You will step over my corpse!!!” And they retreated... When the comedy, which required great tension, ended, Kerensky sank powerlessly into a chair.”

From Sukhanov’s memoirs: “Suddenly shots rang out. There is confusion among the people in the Tauride Palace. Kerensky rushed to the window and, sticking his head out the window, shouted in a hoarse, intermittent voice: “Everyone in their places! Protect the State Duma! Do you hear? I'm telling you this, Kerensky! Kerensky is telling you! Defend your freedom, revolution! Everything is in place! - “Why are you yelling?” - came from the yard calmly, clearly. - “Don’t you see, or what? We’re trying a machine gun.” It was funny and a little awkward."

Petr Kovalev Other articles by the author: https://www.podskazki.info/karta-statej/

Demonstrative behavior in adults

Adults who behave in this way seek to show their importance, visual attractiveness, or high social status. Their demonstrative behavior can manifest itself in showing off their knowledge, skills, or in buying expensive things (clothing, jewelry, gadgets, cars).

Such people behave unnaturally, they play like actors, trying with all their might to attract the attention of others. You can recognize a person with a demonstrative personality type by the following signs and behavioral characteristics:

• a tendency to lie and fantasize, embellishment of one’s achievements and events in one’s life;
• keeping silent about negative aspects of life;
• the desire to constantly be in the center of attention;
• the desire to constantly receive praise and admiration from others;
• emotional lability, frequent mood swings;
• conflict, the desire to defend one’s rightness by any means;
• self-confidence, vanity, the desire to be the first and the best in everything;
• increased emotionality, decision-making based on emotions rather than logical analysis;
• extravagant behavior in public;
• the ability to adapt to any situation;
• high self-esteem, lack of self-criticism;
• infantilism;
• the desire to manipulate other people for personal gain;
• the ability to protect yourself in any situation;
• lack of feelings of guilt for one’s actions;
• superficiality of feelings, reluctance to engage in introspection and self-knowledge.

How to Deal with Demonstrative Personalities

You need to be able to communicate correctly with people of this psychotype. The advice of psychologists will help with this.

1. Develop a neutral attitude towards your opponent’s desire to show off and demonstrate himself. Don’t show emotions about this, don’t focus on his behavior, don’t look for ways to overcome this behavior in a person.
2. Even if you know that a person is lying and embellishing his achievements, do not expose him publicly. By doing this you will only offend your interlocutor by portraying him as a liar and a dreamer.
3. Since demonstrative people like to fantasize and exaggerate, you should not trust them. Do not take everything they say seriously, try to check the information received.

In moderation, this accentuation of character does not harm either the person himself or the people around him. When communicating with a demonstrative person, you just need to take into account the characteristics of her character so as not to experience disappointment or negative emotions.