The first description of temperament types was proposed. Types of human temperament
The set of spiritual, mental properties of a person, characterizing the degree of his excitability and manifested in his attitude to the surrounding reality, in behavior.
Each person differs not only in his external features, but also in the nature of his behavior. This is due to his temperament, which reflects a person’s tendency to express a certain reaction to various influences:
- in the degree of emotionality of behavior;
- impulsiveness or restraint;
- sociability or isolation;
- ease of adaptation in society.
Properties of temperaments
Speaking about such a concept as temperament, they mean a certain pace of human behavior, the energy of expressing one’s feelings and the actions caused by them. This is determined by the specifics of its device nervous system, which is laid down at birth. People's behavior is largely related to the properties of their temperament.
The main ones include:
- sensitivity, reflecting the strength of external factors necessary for the appearance of a person’s mental response, as well as the speed of its manifestation;
- reactivity, which characterizes a reaction to external or internal influences of the same intensity, for example, a sharply spoken word, an unfair remark, etc.;
- activity, indicating the vigor of a person’s influence on the external environment and overcoming emerging difficulties in achieving assigned tasks;
- the ratio of reactivity and activity, which determines the predominance of a person’s behavior: from random internal or external circumstances (poor health, mood, etc.) or from his beliefs, general worldview, his goals, etc.;
- plasticity, reflecting the ease of adaptation to ongoing external changes;
- rate of reactions reflecting flow speed mental processes;
- introversion and extraversion, which determines the connection of the reaction with internally created images and ideas based on past experience or the expected future, or with thoughts directed at external present events;
- emotional excitability, reflecting the minimum necessary impact to obtain a response in the form of emotion and the speed of its occurrence.
What types of temperaments are there?
Considering the properties of temperament, it is divided into four different types: choleric, sanguine, melancholic and phlegmatic.
A choleric person is a person who experiences vividly and emotionally different states, but also quickly forgets them. This is a quick-tempered and easy-going person. He is active and energetic, and his experiences are particularly deep; feelings can change instantly.
A sanguine person is reminiscent of a choleric person in his sensuality, but unlike him, he is not so harsh in his movements. Such people are sometimes called superficial because emotional experiences in him change quickly, leaving no trace in consciousness. Therefore, they are able to quickly forget both grievances and attachments. He gives the overall impression of a cheerful, impressionable person, always reacting to surrounding stimuli.
Melancholic is a person with a slow course of mental internal processes and slow movements. He, most often, has a gloomy or sad mood, is indecisive in actions and withdrawn in communication. Such a person endures failures hard, worrying inside, he always hesitates in his actions.
A phlegmatic person, like a melancholic person, is slow in actions, distinguished by measured speech and an imperturbable character, thanks to which he cannot be thrown out of balance. He thinks about every action for a long time before taking it. Such people are inveterate conservatives who are not used to changing their work and usual living conditions.
Physiological basis of different characters
The scientist physiologist Pavlov explained the manifestation of a certain temperament by the specificity of the ongoing nervous processes. He identified several varieties of the nervous system, dividing them into types, which were based on the properties of the processes occurring within the nervous system.
They appear:
- in the ability of brain cells to withstand exposure to stimuli of varying strengths and their overall performance;
- in the balance of irritative and inhibitory processes;
- in the ability to quickly change excitation to inhibition and vice versa.
The complex structure of the nervous system gives it the ability to combine properties, combining them in a certain order. Depending on the combination of properties, the nervous system can be classified as:
- to the weak type;
- strong balanced, as well as mobile or inert type;
People who have a weak type of system are not able to withstand strong stimuli. Under the influence of strong irritating factors, the appearance of conditioned reflex reactions is delayed.
People with a strong balanced type have mainly excitation reactions and a small amount of inhibitory manifestations.
The mobile, balanced type is characterized by a rapid succession of reactions of inhibition and irritation, which creates some instability of nerve connections.
The inert, balanced type is also strong, but the ongoing nervous processes are slowed down. Such people are distinguished by external calm and are not subject to excitement.
The type of activity of the nervous system is given to each person from birth. It is the basis of conditionally occurring reactions, which are expressed differently in all people. Temperament is precisely a manifestation of the type of human nervous system through the prism of ongoing connections.
Can a person change his temperament?
Psychological well-being, determined by life circumstances, is mainly associated with the type of personality temperament. But the external manifestation of a person’s condition largely depends on his upbringing, beliefs, attitude towards other people or current events. By mobilizing his energy, he is able to withstand prolonged mental stress, influence the speed of reactions and the overall pace of work.
For example, upbringing and will help a choleric person to be restrained and to switch thoughts to other events and tasks.
Replacing weak sides their temperament through a system of volitional training, education and influence environment, a person can radically change its external manifestation. Under certain living conditions in which a person finds himself long time, a choleric person can become inert and slow, while a melancholic person can become energetic and decisive. The true natural properties of temperament can only manifest themselves under unexpected strong influence or a dangerous life situation, when external factors, with the help of which he changed earlier, loses its meaning.
Temperament(Latin temperamentum - proper relationship of parts) - a stable combination of individual personality characteristics associated with dynamic, rather than meaningful aspects of activity. Temperament is the basis of character development; In general, from a physiological point of view, temperament is a type of higher nervous activity in a person.
Story
Four temperaments in the form of visual emoticons (names from left to right and top to bottom: phlegmatic, choleric, sanguine, melancholic)
The magic of numbers in the Mediterranean civilization led to the doctrine of the four temperaments, while in the East a five-component “world system” developed.
The word “temperament” (from the Latin temperans, “moderate”) translated from Latin means “the proper ratio of parts”, the Greek word “krasis” (ancient Greek κράσις, “merging, mixing”), equal to it in meaning, was introduced by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. By temperament he understood both the anatomical, physiological, and individual psychological characteristics of a person. Hippocrates explained temperament as behavioral characteristics, the predominance in the body of one of the “vital juices” (four elements):
The predominance of yellow bile (ancient Greek χολή, chole, “bile, poison”) makes a person impulsive, “hot” - choleric.
The predominance of lymph (ancient Greek φλέγμα, phlegm, “phlegm”) makes a person calm and slow - a phlegmatic person.
The predominance of blood (Latin sanguis, sanguis, sangua, “blood”) makes a person active and cheerful - a sanguine person.
The predominance of black bile (ancient Greek μέλαινα χολή, melena chole, “black bile”) makes a person sad and fearful - melancholic.
This concept still has a profound influence on literature, art and science.
A turning point in the history of the natural science study of temperaments was the teaching of Ivan Petrovich Pavlov about the types of the nervous system (types of higher nervous activity) common to humans and higher mammals. He proved that the physiological basis of temperament is the type of higher nervous activity, determined by the relationship between the basic properties of the nervous system: strength, balance and mobility of the processes of excitation and inhibition occurring in the nervous system. The type of nervous system is determined by the genotype, that is, the hereditary type.
Pavlov identified 4 clearly defined types of the nervous system, that is, certain complexes of the basic properties of nervous processes.
The weak type is characterized by weakness of both excitatory and inhibitory processes - corresponds to the Hippocratic melancholic.
The strong unbalanced type is characterized by a strong irritability process and a relatively strong inhibition process - corresponds to the choleric, “uncontrollable” type.
A strong, balanced, mobile type - corresponds to a sanguine person, a “living” type.
Strong, balanced, but with inert nervous processes - corresponds to the phlegmatic, “calm” type.
Temperament types
Describing the characteristics of different temperaments can help to understand the traits of a person’s temperament if they are clearly expressed, but people with clearly expressed traits of a certain temperament are not very common; most often people have mixed temperament in various combinations. But the predominance of traits of any type of temperament makes it possible to classify a person’s temperament as one or another type.
Phlegmatic - n hasty, imperturbable, has stable aspirations and mood, outwardly stingy in the manifestation of emotions and feelings. He shows perseverance and perseverance in his work, remaining calm and balanced. He is productive at work, compensating for his slowness with diligence.
Choleric - fast, impetuous, but completely unbalanced, with sharply changing moods with emotional outbursts, quickly exhausted. He does not have a balance of nervous processes, this sharply distinguishes him from a sanguine person. A choleric person, getting carried away, carelessly wastes his strength and quickly becomes exhausted.
Sanguine - a lively, hot, active person, with frequent changes of mood and impressions, with a quick reaction to all the events happening around him, quite easily coming to terms with his failures and troubles. Usually a sanguine person has expressive facial expressions. He is very productive at work when he is interested, becoming very excited about it; if the work is not interesting, he is indifferent to it, he becomes bored.
Melancholic - easily vulnerable, prone to constantly experiencing various events, he reacts sharply to external factors. He often cannot restrain his asthenic experiences by force of will; he is highly impressionable and easily emotionally vulnerable.
Properties of temperament
Each temperament can have both positive and negative properties. Good upbringing, control and self-control makes it possible to manifest: a melancholic person, as an impressionable person with deep experiences and emotions; phlegmatic, as a self-possessed person without hasty decisions; a sanguine person, as a highly responsive person for any work; choleric, as a passionate, frantic and active person in work.
Negative properties of temperament can manifest themselves: in a melancholic person - isolation and shyness; a phlegmatic person has excessive slowness; in a sanguine person - superficiality, scatteredness, inconstancy; A choleric person has hasty decisions.
A person of any type of temperament may or may not be capable; The type of temperament does not affect a person’s abilities, it’s just that some life tasks are easier to solve by a person of one type of temperament, others - by another.
Influence of temperament
The following depend on a person’s temperament:
the speed of occurrence of mental processes (for example, speed of perception, speed of thinking, duration of concentration, etc.);
plasticity and stability of mental phenomena, ease of their change and switching;
pace and rhythm of activity;
the intensity of mental processes (for example, the strength of emotions, the activity of the will);
the focus of mental activity on certain objects (extraversion or introversion).
Psychology
From the point of view of psychologists, the four temperaments are just one of the possible systems for assessing psychological characteristics(there are others, for example, “introversion - extraversion”). Descriptions of temperaments vary quite a bit among different psychologists and seem to include a fairly large number of factors. Attempts have been made to provide a scientific and experimental basis for the theory of temperaments (I. P. Pavlov, G. Yu. Eysenck, B. M. Teplov and others), however, the results obtained by these researchers are only partially compatible with each other. Of interest is the study by T. A. Blyumina (1996), in which she attempted to compare the theory of temperaments with all psychological typologies known at that time (more than 100), including from the point of view of methods for determining these types. In general, the classification by temperament does not meet modern requirements for factor analysis personality and at the moment is interesting rather from a historical point of view.
Modern approach
Modern science sees in the doctrine of temperaments an echo of the ancient classification of four types of mental response in combination with intuitively noticed types of physiological and biochemical reactions of the individual.
Currently, the concept of four temperaments is supported by the concepts of “inhibition” and “excitation” of the nervous system. The ratio of “high” and “low” levels, for each of these two independent parameters, gives a certain individual characteristic of a person, and, as a result, a formal definition of each of the four temperaments. On emoticons (see picture above) you can interpret a smile as the ease of inhibition processes, and frowning eyebrows as a manifestation of ease of excitement.
Within the framework of socionics, they also distinguish the so-called. socionic temperament, where the concepts of excitation and inhibition are replaced by the associated versatility (introversion - extraversion), which determines the general activity of a person, and rationality (rationality - irrationality), which determines the pace of this activity.
The development of the Human Genome program creates conditions for revealing the functions of human genes that determine temperament through hormones (serotonin, melatonin, dopamine) and other biochemical mediators. Biochemistry and genetics make it possible to establish and formalize the psychological phenotypes of people, noticed by ancient doctors.
Types of temperament played an important role in the psychology of modern times, in the philosophy of Immanuel Kant and Rudolf Hermann Lotze.
What is temperament?
History says that the concept of temperament was introduced into scientific circulation by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who lived in the 4th – 5th centuries. BC. He also proposed names for the types of human constitution (physique), which later began to be used as modern names for temperament types: sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic. Further, the Roman physician Claudius Galen continued the Hippocratic teachings in the 2nd century. AD He believed that a person’s temperament is determined by the ratio or mixture of 4 “juices” in the body: blood, lymph, black bile or yellow bile. The names of temperament types that have survived to this day came from the ancient names of these “juices.” “Sangva” is blood, “hole” is ordinary bile, “melan hole” is dark bile and “phlegm” is lymph. It was believed that the type of human temperament is determined by the type of fluid that predominates in the body. Thanks to the scientific research of I.P. Pavlov is associated with the discovery of the following basic properties of the nervous system: strength - weakness, excitability - inertia, balance - imbalance. But later it turned out that 3 properties of the nervous system are not enough to characterize all the features of temperament. Psychophysiologists B.M. Teplov, V.D. Nebylitsyn, V.M. Rusalov proved that the nervous system has other properties. And they added another pair of properties: lability - rigidity. Lability is a rapid response to stimuli, and rigidity is a slow response to stimuli. As a result, other facts of the same order stood out: it was pointed out that the width of the lumen and the thickness of the walls of blood vessels have for temperament different people. But all these views had a common belief that the sources of temperamental characteristics should be sought in individual characteristics of the structure of the body.
Temperament is a set of stable, individual, psychophysiological properties of a person that determine the dynamic features of his mental processes, mental states and behavior. In other words, we are talking about individual characteristics of a person, which are more likely to be congenital rather than acquired. This is actually true: temperament is the only, purely natural personal characteristic of a person, and the reason to consider it a personal characteristic is the fact that the actions and deeds that a person performs depend on temperament. It is also necessary to explain what dynamic features are. Dynamic features of behavior are those characteristics that are described in purely physical terms and are not subject to moral evaluation (for example, the energy with which a person’s performance is associated, the speed and tempo of movements performed, etc.). It should be noted that in human behavior, in addition to dynamic aspects, there are also aspects that need and can be assessed in value terms such as “good-bad”, “moral-immoral”. Such assessments are not suitable for characterizing temperament; they relate to other aspects of a person's personality, for example, his abilities, values, needs and character. The only case when temperament can be assessed as good or bad is when it comes to the correspondence of a person’s temperament type to the dynamic requirements of a particular activity.
According to I.P. Pavlov, temperaments are the “main features” of a person’s individual characteristics. They are usually distinguished as follows: sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric and melancholic. A relationship has been established between the type of higher nervous activity and temperament.
Sanguine type of temperament. A sanguine person quickly gets along with people, is cheerful, easily switches from one type of activity to another, but does not like monotonous work. He easily controls his emotions, quickly gets used to a new environment, and actively comes into contact with people. His speech is loud, fast, distinct and is accompanied by expressive facial expressions and gestures. But this temperament is characterized by some duality. If stimuli change quickly, novelty and interest of impressions are maintained all the time, a state of active excitement is created in a sanguine person and he manifests himself as an active, active, energetic person. If the influences are long-lasting and monotonous, then they do not maintain a state of activity, excitement, and the sanguine person loses interest in the matter, he develops indifference, boredom, and lethargy. A sanguine person quickly develops feelings of joy, grief, affection and hostility, but all these manifestations of his feelings are unstable, do not differ in duration and depth. They arise quickly and can disappear just as quickly or even be replaced by the opposite. The mood of a sanguine person changes quickly, but, as a rule, a good mood prevails. A child of this type: he is thin, slender, graceful. In his movements he is too fast and agile, even fussy. He eagerly seizes on any new undertaking, but lacking the perseverance to see it through to completion, he quickly loses interest in it. His mind is lively and sharp, but not deep and thoughtful enough. He is cheerful, loves pleasure and strives for it.
Phlegmatic person- a person of this temperament is slow, calm, unhurried, and balanced. In his activities he demonstrates thoroughness, thoughtfulness, and perseverance. As a rule, he finishes what he starts. All mental processes in a phlegmatic person seem to proceed slowly. The feelings of a phlegmatic person are poorly expressed outwardly; they are usually inexpressive. The reason for this is the balance and weak mobility of nervous processes. In relationships with people, a phlegmatic person is always even-tempered, calm, moderately sociable, and has a stable mood. The calmness of a person with a phlegmatic temperament also manifests itself in his attitude towards the events and phenomena of life; a phlegmatic person is not easily enraged and emotionally hurt. A child of this type is physically well-fed, he is slow in his movements, inert and lazy. His mind is consistent, thoughtful and observant, sparkling with awareness. His feelings are not hot, but constant. In general, he is a good-natured, balanced child.
Choleric type of temperament. People of this temperament are fast, excessively mobile, unbalanced, excitable, all mental processes occur quickly and intensely in them. The predominance of excitation over inhibition, characteristic of this type of nervous activity, is clearly manifested in the incontinence, impetuosity, hot temper, and irritability of the choleric person. Hence the expressive facial expressions, hasty speech, sharp gestures, unrestrained movements. The feelings of a person with choleric temperament are strong, usually clearly manifested, and arise quickly. The imbalance characteristic of a choleric person is clearly associated with his activities: he gets down to business with increasing intensity and even passion, showing impetuosity and speed of movements, working with enthusiasm, overcoming difficulties. But in a person with a choleric temperament, the supply of nervous energy can quickly be depleted in the process of work, and then a sharp decline in activity may occur: elation and inspiration disappear, and the mood drops sharply. In communicating with people, a choleric person admits harshness, irritability, and emotional incontinence, which often does not give him the opportunity to objectively evaluate people’s actions, and on this basis he creates conflict situations in the team. Excessive straightforwardness, hot temper, harshness, and intolerance sometimes make it difficult and unpleasant to be in a group of such people. A child of the choleric type is thin and slender, he is too decisive and fast. He is bold, persistent and sharp in the implementation of his plans. He has a sharp, insightful and mocking mind. His feelings are passionate and harsh in expressing his likes and dislikes. He is power-hungry, vengeful and prone to all kinds of struggle. The child is the most restless and least balanced.
Melancholic type temperament similar to phlegmatic, but there is one significant difference from it. A melancholic person is an unbalanced person with a weak nervous system and in him the processes of inhibition clearly prevail over the processes of excitation. Melancholic people have slow mental processes, they have difficulty reacting to strong stimuli; Prolonged and strong stress causes people of this temperament to slow down their activity and then stop it. Melancholic people are usually passive in their work, often with little interest (after all, interest is always associated with strong nervous tension). Feelings and emotional states in people of melancholic temperament arise slowly, but are distinguished by depth, great strength and duration; melancholic people are easily vulnerable, they have a hard time withstanding insults and grief, although outwardly all these experiences are poorly expressed in them. Representatives of a melancholic temperament are prone to isolation and loneliness, avoid communicating with unfamiliar, new people, are often embarrassed, and show great awkwardness in a new environment. Everything new and unusual causes melancholics to become inhibited. But in a familiar and calm environment, people with this temperament feel calm and work very productively. A child of melancholic temperament: gloomy and serious beyond his years, he is slow and thorough in the manifestations of his will. With a strong, deep and thoughtful mind. Extremely impressionable, gloomy and withdrawn, he rarely shows his feelings.
Research has established that weakness of the nervous system is not a negative property. A strong nervous system copes more successfully with some life tasks, and a weak one with others. A weak nervous system (in melancholic people) is a highly sensitive nervous system, and this is its well-known advantage. It should be remembered that the division of people into four types of temperament is very arbitrary. There are transitional, mixed, intermediate types of temperament; Often a person's temperament combines traits of different temperaments. “Pure” temperaments are relatively rare.
Temperament is the natural basis for the manifestation of psychological qualities of an individual. However, with any temperament, it is possible to develop in a person qualities that are unusual for a given temperament. Psychological research and pedagogical practice show that temperament changes somewhat under the influence of living conditions and upbringing. Temperament can also change as a result of self-education. Even an adult can change his temperament in a certain direction. It is known, for example, that A.P. Chekhov was a very balanced, modest and delicate person. But here interesting fact from his life. In one of his letters to his wife O. L. Knipper-Chekhova, Anton Pavlovich makes the following valuable confession: “You write that you envy my character. I must tell you that by nature I am harsh, I am quick-tempered, etc. But I am used to restraining myself ", for it is not proper for a decent person to let himself go. In the past, I did the devil knows what."
The content of the article:
Human temperament is a set of psycho-emotional characteristics of a person, a kind of litmus test with the help of which the character of any individual is determined. It should be remembered that strong-willed qualities people have not only an innate factor, they are also influenced by acquired reactions to external stimuli. In most cases, when determining temperament, it is necessary to understand the manifestations of acquired reactions.
What is human temperament
Temperament is, first of all, a certain trait of a person’s personality. During the formation of personality, specific processes occur that are reflected in the behavior of people in society.
The main criteria of temperament are the general activity of the person, who at the same time shows social mobility and formats his feelings and emotionality. This is a reaction to any circumstances, a manifestation of feelings or an expression of emotions.
general characteristics a person is easily identified only if he has a stable psychomotor system. However, in most situations, everyone can have several types of temperament, which characterize him as an extraordinary person.
Sometimes a critical set of circumstances or force majeure can turn a calm individual into a rather aggressive person. It is also worth remembering that powerful people can become flexible members of society if the appropriate approach is found to them.
Features of determining temperament according to different theories
Many specialists in the study of human souls created their own system of distinguishing people according to their personal qualities. In some aspects these theories are similar, but in certain details they are sometimes radically different from each other.
Definition of temperament according to Hippocrates and Galen
Physicians of Antiquity long observed the fact that many people could be classified into four types. Hippocrates made some assumptions on this issue, and Galen improved them:
- Sangwa. The doctors said that the saturation of the body with blood was good sign for people's communication skills. In their opinion, a person of this type is always active and has a cheerful disposition.
- Reflux. The predominance of lymph in the form of sputum in the human body was considered a manifestation of calmness and slowness. In this case, Hippocrates and Galen based their conclusions on the fact that a person's blood does not boil, which usually leads to a surge of energy towards the people around him.
- Hole. Yellow bile has always and at all times been characterized as a poison that poisons human body. In this case, the predominance of it in the blood characterized people as individuals who do not know how to control their emotions.
- Melanchole. The presence of black bile in a person’s body radically changed his behavior compared to a “chole” person. Hippocrates and Galen considered such people to be fearful individuals who often indulge in sad memories.
Jung's definition of temperament
The famous psychotherapist and student of Freud decided to improve the system that was offered to humanity by the great figures of ancient times. In his interpretation, the types of temperament became more specific and began to look like this:
- Extrovert. This type personal characteristics of a person implies the focus of all his attention directly on objects. For such individuals, the priority is the opinion of the public, which determines their pattern of behavior. To some extent this is in a great way adapt to society, but excessive manifestation of extraventiveness often leads to the subordination of personal interests in the name of others and nervous exhaustion.
- Introvert. A subjective starting point when planning your life is a distinctive feature of a person with a similar temperament. Such people give preference to personal experiences rather than the suffering of those closest to them. External reality is not an argument for introverts, because in all life situations they rely exclusively on their own opinion.
Designation of temperament according to Kant
The German philosopher also became interested in the theory developed by Hippocrates and Galen. As his contribution to this development, after a detailed study of the issue described, he proposed the following amendments:
- Das Leichtblutigen (cheerful disposition). Faith in a bright future, wit, simplicity and kindness - positive traits a person with such a temperament. However, at the same time, Kant emphasized that merry people often easily make promises that they are then unable to fulfill. In addition, they do not possess such qualities as patience and endurance.
- Das Schwerblutigen (dark disposition). Such people do not dream of new beginnings, because they are constantly subject to self-analysis in a rather negative way. Asking such a person for help can sometimes be very difficult, because he does not promise to take part in someone else's fate without good reasons for this.
- Das Warmblutigen (hot temper). You should not test the patience of such a person, because he instantly lights up like a match. However, with a competent approach to the problem that has arisen on the part of the instigator of the conflict, he quickly cools down and may even apologize. However, Kant argues that it is this type of temperament that is most predisposed to the perception of flattering speeches and compliments.
- Das Kaltbluti (cold-blooded man). Not a single muscle moves on the face of such a person, because she masterfully controls her emotions. However, people with a similar temperament are quite passive and do not want to challenge fate for their own realization.
Types of the nervous system according to I. P. Pavlov
The Russian scientist is known to a large group of people for his developments in the study of the reflex capabilities of dogs. At the same time, he devoted his time to the concept of differentiation of temperament, which is close to the theory of Hippocrates:
- Strong type (sanguine). According to the system of the scientist, the basis of the temperamental traits of such a person is the desire to resist life’s difficulties. Such people easily adapt to any changes, both physically and emotionally.
- Inert type (phlegmatic). The low mobility of a person with a similar character can be considered a positive factor, because he will never enter into conflict. Even an experienced provocateur will not be able to call negative emotions in a phlegmatic person.
- Unbalanced type (choleric). In this case, it is necessary to emphasize that such people are not able to control the balance of excitation and inhibition in their nervous system. Consequently, one cannot expect restraint and composure from such persons.
- Weak type (melancholic). Weakness in external manifestations of life and excessive susceptibility to everything external stimuli- the basis of the behavior of a person with such a character. Pavlov argues that strong negative emotions can completely destroy the integrity of a melancholic person’s vision of reality.
Calculation of temperament according to E. Kretschmer
This scientist’s theory is based on the fact that a person is controlled by hormones, adjusting the behavior pattern of each individual:
- Picnic type. The definition of temperament in this case is based on the appearance of the person being analyzed. Such people have a stocky figure and excellent health. By nature, they are subject to a riot of passions and exceptional spontaneity. However, E. Kretschmer divides this subspecies into people with hyperactivity and calmer individuals.
- Asthenic type. With rather poorly developed muscles, such a person is quite attractive. appearance. In terms of his character, he resembles a contradictory nature, which can be accompanied by a rich collection of complexes. However, among such people there are often excellent friends who are ready to help their neighbor at any moment.
- Athletic type. It is such people who sometimes decide the destinies of entire nations. They do not focus on their own experiences, because they stubbornly pursue their goals in the most effective ways.
Classification of temperament according to A. E. Lichko
Famous psychiatrist for a long time studied character accentuation in humans. After some research, he proposed his differentiation of people by temperament:
- Hyperthymic type. With increased mental activity and optimism in all factors, such individuals have every chance of a successful life in the future. They usually realize their strength in politics or in big business.
- Cycloid type . A person with such a behavior pattern agrees with everything that happens in his life. He resembles the well-known pony from the cartoon film, who performed the same actions every day.
- Labile type. Typically, this pattern of behavior is characteristic of teenagers who are looking for their place in this life. An adult at labile type becomes some kind of experimenter, but within a rather limited framework.
- Hysterical type. Some people only want to express their opinion through hysterics. The process of hand-wringing is important to them, and not its result. This is how melancholic people behave, who have manifestations of choleric temperament.
Classification of temperament from astrologers
Many people, if they want to determine the type of their temperament, turn to all kinds of horoscopes. Ultimately, after studying such sources, they receive the following data:
- Aries. Strong will, friendly character, internal energy- a distinctive character trait of people who were born under this zodiac sign. However, with all these advantages, Aries are always avid debaters on any issue. Such behavior can be characterized by a predisposition to such a type of temperament as sanguine people.
- Taurus. Such people are rather silent, but have their own firm life position. They speak slowly and measuredly, but at the same time they evaluate every word spoken. By their type they are closest to phlegmatic people.
- Cancer. Pictures from a kaleidoscope make up the vision of the world of a person who was born in the summer. At the same time, Cancers love to joke both at others and at themselves. Remaining excellent family men, they can get carried away, but they will never betray their relatives. This type of character is most suitable for sanguine people.
- a lion. Such people love to rule in any society. There are no authorities for them, because their personality is inviolable. At their core, they are closest to sanguine people, but if you awaken the beast in them, you will have to watch the riot of the choleric person.
- Virgo. At first glance, this sign promises only peace and tranquility. However, in reality, these people often cannot be devoted to their significant other. They are thrifty and know how to make friends, which characterizes them as sanguine people. Although it is often among them that one comes across bright choleric people with hysterical habits.
- Scales. People born under this constellation are excellent listeners. They are energetic without ostentatious fussiness and are constantly in search of harmony. In all respects, their characteristics can be safely classified as sanguine. Melancholic people are also often found among those born in the second decade.
- Scorpion. People of this type should not be exposed to negative emotions. They have self-control, but not everyone dares to test their patience. All this indicates that when meeting a Scorpio, you can get acquainted with a choleric person with his insatiable thirst for justice.
- Sagittarius. Friendly and sociable people of this constellation can sometimes be quite tactless in their reasoning. At the same time, they are rarely traitors and slanderers, which characterizes them as sanguine people. However, among Sagittarius there are many phlegmatic and melancholic people, especially among those who were born almost at the intersection of dates with previous and subsequent astrological types.
- Capricorn. The so-called gray cardinals have great internal abilities. They usually act as advisers to their friends in their own analysis of problems, which in some way classifies them as melancholic.
- Aquarius. The most cheerful horoscope sign can be a friend to almost anyone. He is free, like air, from any circumstances, but if there is in him star map of two patron planets, he can be sanguine, melancholic and choleric in certain situations.
- Fish. Such a zodiac sign suggests regularity in actions and thinking. However, Pisces will find mutual language with any representative of the horoscope, which equates them in some way to phlegmatic people.
- Twins. Many people have heard about the hypocritical behavior of such persons. At the same time, Geminis, if they dislike routine work, are capable of becoming polyglots. In their temperament, they resemble sanguine people who are always ready to admit their mistakes. But since there are two personalities fighting within them, depending on the reactions acquired through life, they can also be creative melancholics or cholerics.
If you want to reveal the secret of how to determine a person’s temperament, you should review each section in detail. After all, every person has his own unique personality characteristics. And in some cases it is worth taking a closer look at the developments of famous specialists in order to create a description of the psychotype as completely as possible.
Each of us has great amount acquaintances Some people like to complain about life, others serve as role models. They are all completely different, individual personalities. But they also have similar traits and characteristics, which are called temperament. Do you know what type of temperament you have and what kind of people you get along with most easily? If not, then we will reveal to you all the details of this issue.
Temperament - its properties and types
Surely many have heard about a person that he is a very temperamental person. But what is behind these words and what characteristics allowed him to be given such an assessment? The study of temperament types helped psychologists conclude that human mental processes proceed in a certain rhythm, feelings can be expressed to varying degrees, and the energy of actions also varies. Temperament is closely related to the innate characteristics of human higher nervous activity. It is characterized by differences between people in the degree of emotionality, impressionability, behavior and any activity. In other words, this is the dynamics of personality, which is innate, manifests itself in childhood and cannot be educated. However, it is worth remembering that beliefs life principles and worldview have nothing to do with temperament.
Psychologists have divided the types of temperament into 4 parts, each of which is a characteristic of a holistic personality, but is very rare in its pure form. So, the types of human temperament today are divided into choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and melancholic.
- Choleric. A person with a similar temperament tends to vividly experience various states and also quickly forget them. Usually this is expressed in hot temper and immediately following it with quick release. Choleric temperament characterizes its owner as a very active and energetic person. In life, choleric people are very passionate people, whose experiences are always deep, feelings instantly replace each other, and their movements are sharp and swift.
- Sanguine. It is similar to a choleric person, but if the first movements are sharp, then sanguine people make them easily and smoothly. People with a similar temperament can be called superficial. Emotional states, so quickly replacing each other, do not linger in the consciousness of a sanguine person. Therefore, he quickly forgets grievances and attachments. In general, he is a cheerful person with very active facial expressions, who is very impressionable and easily distracted by external stimuli.
- Melancholic. This temperament can be found in people with slow movement of mental processes. Typically, a melancholic person can be called a person who most often has a sad or gloomy mood, his movements are slow and awkward, he himself is indecisive, withdrawn and not sociable. These people have a very hard time life difficulties, keep their feelings deep in their souls and often hesitate in making decisions.
- Phlegmatic person. Like a melancholic person, such a person is primarily characterized by slowness in business and in his own speech. It is almost impossible to piss him off thanks to his even and calm character. Before taking any action, a phlegmatic person will think about it long and carefully. Therefore, such people hold tightly to their workplace and are strongly called to their work, having difficulty switching to another.
How to find out your temperament type?
Today, determining the type of temperament is a task that even a schoolchild can cope with. For some individuals, it is enough just to read the description of each type to understand which one to classify themselves as. However, professional diagnosis of temperament type consists of a combination of various techniques and techniques that are aimed at obtaining a holistic picture of the psychological characteristics of the individual.
One of the simplest is the method for determining the type of temperament N.N. Obozova. The subject is asked to choose one of 15 line by line characteristic features one temperament or another.
| № | Characteristic sign | Sanguine | Phlegmatic person | Choleric | Melancholic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Balanced behavior | Well balanced | Perfectly balanced | Unbalanced | Very unbalanced |
| 2 | Emotional experiences | Superficial, short-term | Weak | Strong, short-term | Deep and long lasting |
| 3 | Mood | Steady, cheerful | Sustainable, without great joys and sorrows | Unstable with a predominance of cheerful | Unstable with a predominance of pessimism |
| 4 | Speech | Loud, lively, smooth | Monotonous, joyful | Loud, harsh, uneven | Quiet with a gasp |
| 5 | Patience | Moderate | Very big | Weak | Very weak |
| 6 | Adaptation | Excellent | Slow | good | Difficult (closedness) |
| 7 | Sociability | Moderate | Low | High | Low (closedness) |
| 8 | Aggressive behavior | Peaceful behavior | Restraint in behavior | Aggressive | Hysterical behavior, indignation and avoidance of difficulties |
| 9 | Attitude towards criticism | Calm | Indifferent | Excited | Touchy |
| 10 | Activity in activity | Energetic (business) | Behavior of a tireless worker | Passionate, enthusiastic | Uneven, reactive behavior(as a response to the activity of others) |
| 11 | Attitude to the new | Indifferent | Negative | Positive | An optimistic attitude is replaced by a pessimistic one and vice versa |
| 12 | Attitude to danger | Prudent, without much risk | Cool, unflappable | Combat, risky, without much calculation | Anxious, confused, depressed |
| 13 | Striving for the goal | Fast, avoiding obstacles | Slow, steady | Strong, with full dedication | Sometimes strong, sometimes weak, avoiding obstacles |
| 14 | Self-esteem | Some overestimation of one's abilities | Real assessment of your abilities | Significant overestimation of one's abilities | Most often – underestimation of one’s abilities |
| 15 | Suggestibility and suspiciousness | Small | Stable | Moderate | Big |
| Sum of points |
Suppose that in the question “Balance of behavior” the answer “excellently balanced” is closer to you and the answer “well balanced” is slightly untrue. 
In this case, the most successful answer is given a score of 2 points, less than 1 point, and the remaining values are equal to zero.
The personality type that ultimately outperforms the others in terms of scores is the predominant one.
Having independently diagnosed yourself or one of the individuals of interest, do not forget that knowing how to determine the type of temperament does not guarantee a 100% hit. In nature, temperaments are found in a mixed form, in which one predominates. Thus, even if you are sure that you know a person well, do not forget about the pitfalls of his personality.
Temperament- these are those innate characteristics of a person that determine the dynamic characteristics of the intensity and speed of reaction, the degree of emotional excitability and balance, and the characteristics of adaptation to the environment.
Temperament is basis for character development; in general, from a physiological point of view, temperament - type of higher nervous activity in humans.
Humanity has long tried to identify the typical features of the mental make-up of various people, to reduce them to a small number of generalized portraits - types of temperament. Typologies of this kind were practically useful, since with their help it was possible predict the behavior of people with a certain temperament in specific life situations.
Temperament translated from Latin - "proportionality". The oldest description temperaments belongs to the “father” of medicine Hippocrates. He believed that a person's temperament is determined by which of the four body fluids predominates: if it predominates blood(“sangvis” in Latin), then the temperament will be sanguine , i.e. energetic, fast, cheerful, sociable, easily endures life’s difficulties and failures. If prevails bile(“hole”), then the person will choleric - bilious, irritable, excitable, unrestrained, very active person, with quick mood changes.
If prevails slime (“phlegm”), then temperament phlegmatic - a calm, slow, balanced person, slowly, with difficulty switching from one type of activity to another, poorly adapting to new conditions. If prevails black bile (“melanachole”), then it turns out melancholic - a somewhat painfully shy and impressionable person, prone to sadness, timidity, withdrawal, he gets tired quickly, and is overly sensitive to adversity.
Academician I. P. Pavlov studied the physiological foundations of temperament, paying attention to dependence of temperament on the type of nervous system. He showed that two basic neural processes are excitation and inhibition - reflect the activity of the brain. From birth, they are all different in strength, mutual balance, and mobility.
Depending on the relationship between these properties of the nervous system, Pavlov identified four main types of higher nervous activity:
1) " rampant"(strong, agile, unbalanced type of nervous system (n/s) - corresponds to temperament choleric);
2) " alive"(strong, agile, balanced type n/s corresponds to temperament sanguine);
3) " calm"(strong, balanced, inert type n/s corresponds to temperament phlegmatic);
4) " weak"(weak, unbalanced, sedentary type n/s determines temperament melancholic).
Let's look at the characteristics of the four types of temperament.
A choleric person is a person whose nervous system is determined by the predominance of excitation over inhibition, as a result of which he reacts very quickly, often thoughtlessly, does not have time to slow down, restrain himself, shows impatience, impetuosity, abruptness of movements, hot temper, unbridledness, incontinence. The imbalance of his nervous system predetermines the cyclical change in his activity and vigor: having become carried away by some task, he works passionately, with full dedication, but he does not have enough strength for long, and as soon as they are depleted, he works to the point that He can't bear it all.
An irritated state appears, Bad mood, loss of strength and lethargy (“everything falls out of hand”). The alternation of positive cycles of uplifting mood and energy with negative cycles of decline and depression causes uneven behavior and well-being, and an increased susceptibility to neurotic breakdowns and conflicts with people.
A sanguine person is a person with a strong, balanced, agile personality, has a quick reaction speed, his actions are thoughtful, cheerful, thanks to which he is characterized by high resistance to the difficulties of life. The mobility of his nervous system determines the variability of feelings, attachments, interests, views, and high adaptability to new conditions.
This is a sociable person. He easily meets new people and therefore has a wide circle of acquaintances, although he is not distinguished by constancy in communication and affection. He is a productive worker, but only when there are a lot of interesting things to do, that is, with constant excitement, otherwise he becomes boring, lethargic, and distracted. In a stressful situation, he exhibits a “lion reaction”, that is, he actively, deliberately defends himself, fights for the normalization of the situation.
Phlegmatic - a person with a strong, balanced, but inert n/s, as a result of which he reacts slowly, is taciturn, emotions appear slowly (it is difficult to anger or cheer); has a high performance capacity, resists strong and prolonged stimuli and difficulties well, but is not able to react quickly in unexpected new situations.
He firmly remembers everything he has learned, is not able to give up acquired skills and stereotypes, does not like to change habits, routines, work, new friends, and adapts to new conditions with difficulty and slowly. The mood is stable and even. And in the event of serious troubles, the phlegmatic remains outwardly calm.
Melancholic - a person with weak n/s, who has increased sensitivity even to weak stimuli, and a strong stimulus can already cause a “breakdown”, a “stopper”, confusion, “rabbit stress”, therefore in stressful situations(exam, competition, danger, etc.) the results of a melancholic person’s activity may worsen compared to a calm, familiar situation. Increased sensitivity leads to rapid fatigue and decreased performance (longer rest is required).
A minor reason can cause resentment and tears. The mood is very changeable, but usually a melancholic person tries to hide, not show his feelings outwardly, does not talk about his experiences, although he is very inclined to give himself up to emotions, is often sad, depressed, unsure of himself, anxious, and may experience neurotic disorders. However, having high sensitivity n/s, melancholic people often have pronounced artistic and intellectual abilities.
Within the framework of socionics, they also distinguish the so-called. socionic temperament , where the concepts of excitation and inhibition are replaced by the associated vertility (introversion - extraversion), which determines the general activity of a person, and rationality (rationality - irrationality), which determines the pace of this activity.
Introverted (schizoid, autistic) - low sociability, closed, aloof from everyone, communication is necessary, self-absorbed, does not say anything about himself, does not reveal his experiences, although he is characterized by increased vulnerability. Treats other people with reserved coldness, even close ones.
Extroverted (conformal) - highly sociable, talkative to the point of talkativeness, does not have his own opinion, is not very independent, strives to be like everyone else, disorganized, prefers to obey.
Program development "Human Genome" creates conditions for revealing the functions of human genes that determine temperament through hormones (serotonin, melatonin, dopamine) and other biochemical mediators. Biochemistry and genetics make it possible to establish and formalize the psychological phenotypes of people, noticed by ancient doctors.
It should be remembered that dividing people into four types of temperament very conditional . Studying temperament types large quantity modern people showed that the so-called pure types of temperament corresponding to traditional descriptions are quite rare in life. Such cases account for 25% - 30% of all cases. The remaining 70% - 75% of people have mixed types of temperament, in which the same person exhibits properties inherent different types temperament.
In addition, the same person in different situations and in relation to different areas life and activity can detect traits of different temperaments .
It should be noted that temperament does not determine a person’s abilities and talent. Great abilities can be found equally often in any temperament.
It is impossible to raise the question of which temperament is better. Each of them has its positive and negative sides. The passion, activity, energy of a choleric person, the mobility, liveliness and responsiveness of a sanguine person, the depth and stability of the feelings of a melancholic person, the calmness and lack of haste of a phlegmatic person - these are examples of those valuable personality traits, the possession of which is associated with individual temperaments. At the same time, with any of the temperaments there may be a danger of developing undesirable personality traits.
For example, a choleric temperament can make a person unrestrained, abrupt, and prone to constant “explosions.” Sanguine temperament can lead to frivolity, a tendency to scatter, insufficient depth and stability of feelings. With a melancholic temperament, a person may develop excessive isolation, a tendency to become completely immersed in his own experiences, and excessive shyness. A phlegmatic temperament can make a person lethargic, inert, and indifferent to all the impressions of life.