The concept of character in psychology. typology of character. accented character types.

Human character has been discussed for several millennia. Even the ancient Greek writer and scientist Theophrastus in his work “Characters” described 31 of their types, each of which was determined on the basis of the dominance of a particular trait. After him, Lev Vygotsky, Carl Jung, Mark Burno and other famous scientists studied this topic. Their developments became the basis of characterology.

Characterology is a branch of psychology whose task is to describe character types, as well as study its essence, structure and development. Who might need knowledge about a person's character?

For company management – when hiring new employees.
Managers - in order to competently manage the team and resolve conflicts.
For profilers - in order to better understand people. So they are necessary for almost any person who wants to interact effectively with others.

Negative character traits and their manifestation

In relation to the behavior, actions and activities of other people, a person always forms traits of a certain character - positive and negative. This occurs on the principle of analogy (that is, identification occurs with what is acceptable) and opposition (with what is included in the list of unacceptable and incorrect). The attitude towards oneself can be positive or negative, which primarily depends on the level of development of the individual’s self-awareness and the ability to adequately evaluate oneself (that is, on the formed level of self-esteem). A high level of self-awareness is evidenced by the presence of the following positive traits: high demands on oneself, modesty and self-esteem, as well as responsibility. And, conversely, an insufficient level of development of self-awareness is indicated by such negative character traits as pride, self-confidence, selfishness, immodesty, etc.

Negative character traits (in principle, just like positive ones manifest themselves) in the four main systems of human relationships. For example, in the “attitude to work” system, among the negative traits are laziness, irresponsibility, carelessness and formality. And among the negative traits that manifest themselves in interpersonal communication, it is worth highlighting isolation, envy, stinginess, boastfulness and disrespect.

It should be noted that negative character traits, which find their manifestation in the system of a person’s relationships with other people, almost always contribute to the emergence of conflicts, misunderstandings and aggression, which subsequently leads to the emergence of destructive forms of communication. That is why every person who wants to live in harmony with others and with himself should think about cultivating positive traits in his character and getting rid of destructive, negative traits.

Using knowledge about character in the practice of professional communication among police officers

Employees of internal authorities in the practice of professional communication can use character typologies created by K. Leonhard and A. Lichko.

German psychiatrist K. Leongard and Russian psychiatrist A. Lichko in the middle of the 20th century. offered their typologies of people's characters. Leonhard extended the typology he created to adults, and Lichko addressed it to teenagers and young men. Both doctors based their typology on the idea of typical cases of manifestation of accentuated character traits in people, and the descriptions and terminological definitions of the corresponding character types by both authors are quite close.

K. Leonhard identified 12 types of accentuated characters, which are often found in people suffering from various neuroses. These are the following types:

1. Hyperthymic type. It is characterized by increased sociability, emotionality, violations of the logic of thinking (frequent deviations during the conversation from the initial topic of communication), frequent conflicts with

surrounding people due to a frivolous attitude towards their responsibilities. The most common negative character traits of this type of people are the following: frivolity, a tendency to immoral acts, increased irritability, projectism. At the same time, people of this type are characterized by the following positive character traits: energy, initiative, optimism.

2. Dysthymic type. He is characterized by unsociability, taciturnity, a prevailing bad mood, avoids noisy companies, prefers to be alone, to be at home, to lead a secluded lifestyle, rarely

comes into conflict with people around him. Along with this, he highly values friendship, is serious, fair and conscientious.

3. Cycloid type. Characterized by frequent, periodic changes in mood and manner of communicating with people. During periods of good mood, people of this type are sociable and kind, and during periods of bad mood they are withdrawn and angry.

4. Excitable type. He gets excited quickly, often loses his temper, is prone to rudeness, and in conflicts with people he is an active, provoking party. He is often irritable, gloomy, and unsociable. In a normal state, he has a number of positive character traits: conscientiousness, accuracy, loves animals and small children.

5. Stuck type. He is characterized by a penchant for moralizing, inflexibility of thinking and stubbornness. In conflicts he is often an active party, an initiator. Touchy, suspicious and vindictive.

Sometimes he is overly arrogant and makes exorbitant demands on people. May have the following positive traits: fairness, desire for good results at work.

6. Pedantic type. He behaves like a bureaucrat, making many purely formal demands on people. Sometimes he harasses his family with excessive claims to neatness. His attractive character traits: conscientiousness, accuracy, reliability and responsibility in business.

7. Anxious type. Unconfident, timid and uncommunicative, with a predominance of bad mood. Rarely conflicts with people around him, acting in conflicts mainly in a passive role. Often has the following positive character traits: friendliness, self-criticism, conscientiousness, diligence. Such people, due to their insecurity, are often targets for jokes, “scapegoats.”

8. Emotive type. Overly emotional, tearful. Has a fairly narrow, limited circle of contacts. However, such a person understands the people with whom he communicates closely. Rarely enters into conflicts with others, and carries grievances within himself. Positive character traits: kindness, compassion for people, sense of duty, diligence.

9. Demonstrative type. Self-confident, has inflated claims, provokes conflicts, but at the same time he defends himself more actively if he is attacked. Characterized by ease in establishing contacts, a desire for Leadership, a thirst for power and praise. He is often selfish, hypocritical, boastful, and shirks from work. He also has the following positive character traits: courtesy, the ability to captivate other people, artistry, originality of actions and thinking.

10. Exalted type. He is distinguished by high contact and sociability, talkativeness and amorousness. Attached and attentive to friends and loved ones. Often gets into arguments with people, but does not lead to conflict. Subject to momentary moods and panic. Other positive characteristics: has good taste, shows compassion for people, has sincere feelings.

11. Extroverted type. He is highly contactable and has a lot of acquaintances and friends. He is talkative and shows interest in everything. Rarely enters into conflicts with other people while playing them

usually a passive role. He does not claim leadership, conceding it to other people, prefers to obey others and be in the shadows. Unpleasant character traits: frivolity, thoughtlessness of actions, susceptibility to the influence of other people, passion for entertainment, participation in the spread of rumors and gossip. Has such positive character traits as attention to people, willingness to listen, help, and diligence.

12. Introverted type. Characterized by isolation, low contact, and a tendency to philosophize, divorced from reality. He loves loneliness, rarely comes into conflict with people around him, and only when someone tries to unceremoniously interfere in his life. Negative character traits: stubbornness, inflexibility of thinking, persistent defense of one’s own, not always correct, ideas. He also has such attractive character traits as restraint, strong convictions, and integrity.

In A. Lichko’s typology of characters, eleven types of accentuated characters of adolescents are presented:

1. Hyperthymic type. Characterized by sociability, mobility, and a penchant for mischief. He brings a lot of noise into the events happening around him and loves noisy companies of his peers. He is restless, not disciplined enough, studies unevenly, despite his generally good abilities. The mood is always high. With adults, with parents and teachers, it often provokes conflicts. With a wide variety of hobbies, such teenagers can be superficial and changeable. They often overestimate their capabilities, are self-confident, love to boast, and try to make a good impression on others.

2. Cycloid type. It is characterized by increased, periodically occurring irritability, a tendency to apathy, which also appears from time to time. Teenagers of this type prefer to stay at home instead of being in noisy companies among peers, on the street or outside the home. They react extremely irritably to comments addressed to them, and have a hard time experiencing the troubles that happen to them.

3. Labile type. He is extremely changeable and unpredictable in his mood, and the reasons for a change of mood may be the most insignificant. At the same time, teenagers of this type well understand and feel the attitude of the people around them.

4. Asthenoneurotic type. Characterized by increased moodiness and suspiciousness, fatigue and irritability, especially when performing complex mental work.

5. Sensitive type. This type of people is characterized by increased sensitivity to people and human relationships. They do not like large, noisy companies or gambling, they are usually timid and shy and often give the impression of being withdrawn. In reality, such teenagers are quite open and sociable, but only in a narrow circle of close, well-known people. They often prefer communication with adults and children to communicating with their peers. They are distinguished by obedience and affection for their parents. Quite early on, they exhibit a strong sense of duty, high moral demands on themselves and the people around them, and increased effort and diligence.

6. Psychasthenic type. Adolescents of this type are distinguished by early and accelerated psychological development, often surpassing their peers in development. They are prone to reflection and introspection. Their self-confidence is often combined with indecisiveness, and their categorical judgments are often combined with their lack of thought and a tendency to take premature actions.

7. Schizoid type. He is characterized by increased isolation, prefers to be alone or in the company of adults. He often shows indifference to the people around him, does not understand their condition well, and does not know how to empathize or sympathize. Often immersed in fantasies and dreams, divorced from reality.

8. Epileptoid type. Such teenagers often cry and harass the people around them. They love to torture animals, tease younger children, and mock the helpless. In companies of peers they lead

themselves as dictators. Typical traits: cruelty, power, selfishness. They try to please elders, stronger than them, and influential people.

9. Hysterical type. Has a tendency to become hysterical. He is distinguished by his egoism and desire to attract special attention to himself. Posing and theatrical behavior are often observed. It's hard to bear

when someone is praised in his presence, when someone is given more attention than him. Characterized by excessive claims to an exclusive position among peers.

10. Unstable type. This is a weak-willed person who shows a tendency to obey developing circumstances. Strives for entertainment, indiscriminately, as well as idleness and idleness.

There are no serious interests or hobbies; he practically does not think about his future, including his professional one.

11. Conformal type. Demonstrates a constant tendency and willingness to change his views and behavior for reasons of personal gain” to please those people on whom he depends. This is an opportunist, ready to betray other people for the sake of his own interests, to leave them in difficult times, and almost always such a person finds justification for his immoral actions.

It is interesting to compare these two character typologies in order to establish what they have in common and what is different. The general thing seems to indicate that character accentuations in children and adults are typical and quite stable. The differences in these two typologies make it possible to determine how the character accentuations of adolescents differ from the character accentuations of adults.

Based on such a comparison, law enforcement officers can draw a conclusion about which character accentuations are characteristic of adolescents and not characteristic of adults.

What these two typologies have in common, both in name and in content, are the following accentuated character types: hyperthymic, cycloid, schizoid (according to Lichko) and introverted (according to Leonhard), hysterical (according to Lichko) and demonstrative (according to Leonhard), asthenoneuro -tic type (according to Lichko) and dietetic type (according to Leonhard), epileptoid type (according to Lichko) and excitable type (according to Leonhard).

Note that these coincidences are generally consistent with the types of characters that E. Kretschmer identified. Consequently, it can be considered proven that those changes in character that occur in the most well-known types of mental illnesses: hysteria, schizophrenia and manic-depressive psychosis, as well as typical character accentuations that occur in both adolescents and adults, have a common and, apparently, a genetic basis.

At the same time, there are differences in the accentuations of characters characteristic of adults and adolescents. In adolescents, for example, there are character accentuations such as lability, sensitivity, psychasthenicity and instability, which, apparently, are not characteristic of adults. For their part, adults exhibit character accentuations such as pedantry, anxiety, and stuckness, which teenagers do not have. From this we can conclude that with age, a person’s character type generally remains stable, but in some respects it can change.

Capabilities

Important personality traits are considered to be abilities that determine the individual style of activity and are the basis for its success. There are also qualities that provide the ability to interact with other people and are necessary to gain respect and authority from others.

Abilities and inclinations

Abilities are a complex system of human qualities and properties. Their biological basis is inclinations, that is, innate physical and mental characteristics, including temperamental properties. But not only. Often, inclinations are associated with the psychophysiological characteristics of the body; they are given to a person from birth and are necessary for success in a particular activity. But they don't guarantee it.

For example, an ear for music is required by a musician, and a high sensitivity of the visual analyzer is required by an artist. But this alone is not enough to master an activity, much less to achieve success. To do this, you need to develop abilities, and this is only possible through activity and requires the investment of labor and willpower. Mastery is not a gift given by nature or God, but, above all, work and perseverance.

Is it possible to develop abilities in the absence of natural inclinations? This is a very difficult question; there is no clear answer to it. Undoubtedly, in the absence of the necessary qualities, it will be more difficult to master the activity, it will require more effort and, perhaps, the achievements will not be so impressive. But recently, more and more psychologists support the idea that a persistent and persistent person can learn anything. The main thing is to give him the right training techniques. That is, to teach any person to draw, you just need to know how to teach correctly.

Types of abilities

The whole variety of human abilities is usually divided into two types: general and special.

Special qualities include those qualities that are required to master a specific activity, such as, for example, an ear for music for playing musical instruments or a phonetic ear for learning foreign languages. Playing sports requires endurance and mobility, and working with children requires a sense of empathy.

General abilities are no less diverse, because they are needed in a wide variety of areas of activity. First of all, these include mental abilities or level of intelligence. Although intelligence is considered an innate characteristic of a person, mental abilities require their development, including the quality of memory, attention, thinking, as well as the volitional sphere and reflection.

Sometimes a high level of mental ability combined with learning ability is called giftedness. This quality of a person can compensate for his lack of some special abilities and allow him to achieve success in many types of activities.

No matter how valuable abilities are, they are only potential, an opportunity for further development and improvement of a person. The same can be said about other individual psychological characteristics. Each individual has the opportunity to become a unique, extraordinary, talented person, but for this you need to know your psychological characteristics, your strengths and weaknesses and actively engage in self-development.

Psychological character of a person

Character is one of the components of the psychological portrait of a person. But it alone is not enough to form a full-fledged opinion about a person, which is necessary, for example, for hiring a responsible job or making an informed choice in your personal life.

At the same time, you need to determine the person’s temperament.

There are four in total

sanguine
_ A person with a stable nervous system is quite mobile and balanced. The processes of excitation and inhibition of the nervous system quickly appear and also quickly decline. Optimistic, sociable. The downside is that they are capable of irresponsibility and frivolity.
choleric
_ A very mobile nervous system. It gets excited quickly, but cools down slowly. Extremely restless, always having to do something, energetic. Disadvantages: conflict-ridden, aggressive, hot-tempered.
phlegmatic
. The nervous system is very stable and balanced, but not dynamic. Cannot switch from one topic to another, does not work at “high speeds”. But the result will be impressive - everything is thought out to the smallest detail. Reliable, responsible. Disadvantages - clumsy, rather dry in communication.
melancholic
. The nervous system is very weak, vulnerable, impressionable. Soft, sensitive people. Cons: low performance, suspiciousness, isolation.

Individual abilities are considered as the third component within the psychological portrait

general, formed under the influence of intelligence. This is mental flexibility, hard work, and the ability to adapt.
special, appealing to a certain direction: to oneself personally, to communication, to completing a task.

To compile a psychological portrait, the following are also taken into account: intelligence, emotionality, feelings, communication skills, stress resistance, self-esteem.

HYPERTHYMIC (OR HYPERACTIVE) CHARACTER

Optimism sometimes leads such a person to the point that he begins to praise himself, setting out the “natural theory of generational change” and prophesying high positions for himself. A good mood helps him overcome difficulties, which he always views lightly as temporary and passing. Voluntarily engaged in social work, strives to confirm his high self-esteem in everything. This is the hyperthymic character. If in the team you lead there is a person with a hyperthymic character, then the worst thing you can do is to entrust him with painstaking, monotonous work that requires perseverance, limit contacts, and deprive him of the opportunity to take initiative. Such an employee is unlikely to be of any use. He will be violently indignant at the “boredom” of work and neglect his responsibilities. However, the discontent that arises in these cases is of a benign nature. Having escaped from conditions unacceptable to him, hyperthym, as a rule, does not hold a grudge against others. Create conditions for the manifestation of initiative - and you will see how brightly the personality will reveal itself, the work will begin to boil in his hands. It is better to place hypertims in production areas where contacts with people are required: they are indispensable in organizing work and in creating a climate of goodwill in the team.

Adaptation and health disorders in hyperthymic people are usually associated with the fact that they do not spare themselves. They take on a lot, try to get everything done, run, rush, are excited, often express a high level of demands, etc. It seems to them that all problems can be resolved by increasing the pace of activity.

The main recommendation for people with a hyperthymic type of character is not to hold back, as it might seem at first glance, but to try to create such living conditions that would allow them to express vigorous energy in work, sports, and communication. Try to avoid stimulating situations, extinguish excitement by listening to music, and so on, up to light calming psychopharmacological treatment and autogenic training.

Recommendations for Improving Character

Primary character traits in a child, primarily business ones, can be developed at a certain age if certain conditions are met.

The child, or the adult who will be primarily involved in this task (parent, educator, teacher) must have a strong desire to develop such qualities. Haste and promises to “make a man out of a child” are a waste of time.
It is necessary to develop a certain sequence of persistent and time-consuming actions aimed at demonstrating and consolidating the required character traits.
Direct you on the right path, and where necessary, suggest steps to create conditions for self-education.
Constantly emphasize and significantly reinforce positive dynamics in achieving the goal.
Involvement of sanctions mechanisms for the manifestation of opposite traits, such as irresponsibility, laziness, sloppiness.

It should not be forgotten that the development of one of the traits is impossible without affecting the others, since with age they develop into a fairly stable system of values.

Before qualitatively correcting any trait, it is important to identify the relationship with others and act in conjunction with all dependent character traits.

Character and its classification

Character consists of stable traits that explain the behavior and characteristics of a person’s activities. The typology of a person’s character is manifested in his work, communication with people, and handwriting.

Manifestation of character in communication

In psychology, there are several scientific approaches to understanding character:

Constitutional biological approach. The founder of this concept is E. Kretschmer. According to his views, character is a combined combination of a person’s physique and temperament.
Psychoanalytic approach. This characterological theory was developed by the masters of psychoanalysis Z. Freud, K.G. Jung and A. Adler. They explained manifestations of character by the presence of unconscious drives in a person.
Ideological approach. The author of this concept is Robeck, who believed that character is formed as a result of the fact that a person subordinates his desires to the established rules and norms of society. In addition, Robek believed that the social position of an individual largely determines his characterological traits.

While studying character structure, B.G. Ananyev identified in it such components as personality orientation, level of development of communication skills, habits, and features of the emotional-volitional sphere.

N.D. Levitov believed that character is formed on the basis of a person’s attitude to society and other people, to himself and his activities, things.

The similarity of different approaches is seen in the fact that all researchers confidently stated that character depends on a person’s living conditions and his temperament. The basis of character is made up of stable traits that a person can accept and be aware of, or may deny or not be aware of.

Attention! Unlike the type of temperament, character is not an innate property of a person; it is formed in the process of life

Features of human character formation

For a long time, philosophers believed that character is an innate human trait. That is, he is born with a certain set of qualities that do not change during the formation process. Today this view is not supported. It has been proven that character is formed throughout life and depends on upbringing, environment, entry into a certain social group, professional activity, etc.

For the first time, the idea of a significant influence on the character of external factors was expressed by the scientist D. Locke, who argued that psychophysical properties and upbringing influence the formation of character equally.

Modern science (last century) supports this hypothesis.

According to researchers, personality formation is influenced by

labor education;
personal example;
physical education;
self-development;
moral and ethical education;
correct formation of habits.

Regardless of age, the process of character formation is exposed to the influence of the information field, including the perception of the individual

cultural values, ideology cultivated in society;
personal example of people respected for a particular person;
public opinion and common judgments in society;
literature, television, cinema, theater.

A mature, thinking person can also correct his character. Thus, character formation occurs throughout life.

Three main factors influence its changes

physiological (gender, temperament);
social (education, culture, family, school, team);
personal (self-development, self-education).

The first stage of character development is early infancy. At this level, it is very important to give the child love, care, and a lot of attention, since it is here that the emotional component is formed for the rest of his life.

Further personality development occurs in early preschool age. The child studies and copies the behavior patterns of adults nearby. Direct teaching with appropriate emotional reinforcement (praise) is important. It is at this age that such traits as kindness, responsiveness, and hard work are formed.

At primary school age, the main role is played by the assessment of the child’s actions and actions by adults, the concepts of “good” and “bad” are instilled. Character traits related to work appear: responsibility, punctuality.

Adolescents are actively developing moral and ethical standards and their volitional sphere. By the end of school, the character, as a rule, has already been formed; then it is only corrected.

Kretschmer's theory

This German scientist divided the personality and character of a person into three main groups in psychology. To each of them he classified people with different physiological characteristics:

Asthenics. Such people have a thin physique, thin legs and arms, and rather weak muscles. In Kretschmerian psychology, such an individual corresponds to the personality and character of a person of the schizothymic type. These are people who are characterized by stubbornness and poor adaptation to a changing environment, as well as isolation.
Athletics. These people have a fairly strong muscular body and an ixothymic type of character. Such an individual stands out for his calmness, practicality, authority, and restraint.
Picnics. The figures of such people are quite dense and in most cases are overweight. Picnicians can be distinguished by their large head, short neck and small facial features. Their character is characterized by sociability, quick adaptation to changing conditions and emotionality.

Introduction

Each person differs from each other in his individual psychological characteristics. In this sense, in ordinary language we talk about qualities characteristic of a particular person.

Character - this concept initially contains a complex internal dialectic. We use it to define human individuality, what sets a particular person apart from everyone else, what makes him unique. At the same time, in this uniqueness we also assume similarities with other people. The word “character” is used by us constantly and everywhere; it is necessary and fulfills its purpose.

In psychology, the concept of character is understood as a set of individual and unique psychological qualities that manifest themselves in typical forms of personal activity, are found in typical circumstances and are determined by the individual’s attitude to these circumstances.

Character is not inherited and is not an innate quality of a person, nor is it a permanent and unchangeable quality. Character is formed and developed under the influence of the environment, life experience, and a person’s education. These influences are, firstly, social and historical (each person lives in a certain historical system, a certain social environment and is formed as a person under their influence), and secondly, individually distinctive (the living and working conditions of each person, his life the path is unique and inimitable). Therefore, the character of each person is determined by both his social and individual nature.

As a result, there is an endless variety of individual characters. However, in the life and activities of people living and developing in the same conditions, there is much in common, therefore their character will also contain some common aspects and features that reflect general, typical aspects of their life.

Character types, their expression, “weak points”

Currently, there are many classifications of character. Particularly interesting and meaningful are those that arose in the border area at the intersection of psychology and psychiatry. They contain the experience of talented clinical scientists who worked directly with people, observed their behavior, studied biographies, talked with their relatives, and helped in difficult life situations and problems. Here you can find such names as K. Jung, E. Kretschmer, P. B. Gannushkin, K. Leongard, A. E. Lichko, M. E. Burno, M. Z. Dukarevich and others. The first classifications contained only two types (K. Jung, E. Kretschmer), nowadays there are many more of them.

We will focus on eight main types, which, with some variations, are found among most authors. Specific examples and illustrations will be taken from the observations of the same authors, fiction, our own personal experience and the stories of other people.

People differ in the degree to which their character traits are expressed. In one they are very noticeable, in the other they seem to be smoothed out, softened. The best way to get to know characters is through examples of their expressed degrees (accentuations), which is what we will do in this book. By the way, such pronounced characters are observed in more than half of the population. This means that in every family there is likely to be a person with an accented character. If we talk about teenagers, then “sharp corners” of character are found in most of them, although they usually smooth out over the years.

In general there are no bad and good characters. Each character has its own strengths and weaknesses. Strong properties are usually visible, they speak for themselves, but weak ones often still need to be recognized.

Talking about character weaknesses brings us to the very important concept of character weaknesses. Such a “place” means a person’s increased sensitivity, or vulnerability, to certain conditions. Such conditions are different for different characters. One person finds it difficult to bear the loss of attention from loved ones, another finds it difficult to bear the restriction of his freedom, and a third cannot bear the burden of responsibility and high expectations. When there is a load on a weak point of character, a person gives a negative reaction. This can be expressed in different ways, from withdrawing into deep resentment to “breaking dishes” and hysterics. If stress on a weak point is repeated frequently and for a long time, then the experience of trouble intensifies, sometimes leading a person to a state of “impossibility”: a child runs away from home, a spouse gets divorced, an employee submits a letter of resignation.

Hence it is clear that knowledge of the “weak points” of each character is of invaluable practical importance. It helps to behave competently with a person, preventing unnecessary complications in the family and at work, and mistakes in raising a child. We will definitely dwell on the weak points of each character when getting to know individual types.

Typology of the sign

Attempts to create a typology of character have been made repeatedly in the history of psychology. One of the most famous and earliest was the proposal of the German psychiatrist and psychologist E. Krechmer at the beginning of our century. A little later, a similar attempt was made by his American colleague W. Sheldon, and today by I. Fromm, K. Leonhard, A. E. Lichko and a number of other scientists.

All typologies of human characters were based on a set of general ideas.

The most important of them are the following:

A person’s character is formed quite early in ontogenesis and remains more or less stable throughout life.
Combinations of personality traits that are part of a person’s character are not random. They form clearly distinguishable types that allow us to identify and build a typology of signs.
Most people can be divided into groups according to this typology.

E. Kretschmer identified and described the three most common types of structure or constitution of the human body: asthenic, athletic and picnic . He associated each of them with a certain type of sign (later it turned out that the author did not have an adequate scientific basis for this). Asthenic type , according to Krechmer, is characterized by a low body thickness of a flat profile at an average height or higher. An asthenic person is usually a thin and thin person; because of his thinness, he seems a little taller than he actually is. An asthenic person has thin skin of the face and body, narrow shoulders, thin arms, an elongated and flat chest with weak muscles and weak accumulation of fat. This is mainly characteristic of male asthenia. Women of this type are also often undersized.

The athletic type is characterized by a highly developed skeleton and muscles. This type of person is usually medium to large in size, with broad shoulders and a strong chest. He has a thick, big head.

The picnic type is characterized by highly developed internal body cavities (head, chest, abdomen), a tendency to obesity in underdeveloped muscles and the musculoskeletal system. This average man with a short neck sits between the shoulders.

The type of body structure shown by Krechmer and partly confirmed by recent research in the field of psychogenetics, correlates to some extent with a tendency towards mental illness. For example, manic-depressive psychosis most often occurs in people with extremely pronounced pyknic tendencies. Asthenic people and athletes are more prone to schizophrenic diseases. Although Kretschmer's typology was constructed in a speculative manner, it contained a number of important observations.

As a result, it was found that people with a certain type of body structure are prone to diseases that are associated with an emphasis on their respective traits. Later character qualifications were based on descriptions of these accentuations. One of them belongs to the famous home psychiatrist A.E. Lichko. This classification is based on observations of adolescents.

According to Lichko, character accentuation is an excessive amplification of individual character traits, in which deviations in human psychology and behavior are observed, bordering on pathology, which do not go beyond the norm. Such accentuations, as temporary mental states, are most often observed in adolescence and early adolescence. The author of the classification explains this factor as follows: “Under the influence of psychogenic factors aimed at the “place of least resistance,” temporary correctional disorders and behavioral deviations may occur.”

When a child grows up, character traits that manifest themselves in childhood remain quite pronounced and lose their severity, but with age they can reappear significantly (especially during illness).

Personality Traits

Based on the opinion of experts in the field of psychology, people’s characters are formed under the influence of the social group that includes a particular individual. This could be family, work team, friends, etc. The group that is dominant for a person will contribute to the formation of certain character traits. An important role in this will be played by the position of the individual, as well as the degree of his interaction with those people who, like him, are members of this collective.

When considering the characteristics of a person’s character in psychology, several groups of personality traits are identified, which represent a constant and stable stereotype of behavior. In a general sense, they can be classified into leading and secondary. The first of them reflect the essence of character. At the same time, they show its most important and basic manifestations. Secondary character traits are expressed only in certain conditions. However, they are not decisive.

The characters of people in psychology are divided into 4 groups. The first of these includes those personality traits that form its basis, or, as they say, the core. This includes, for example, insincerity and honesty, cowardice and integrity, cowardice, courage, etc.

The second group includes traits that appear in a person when he communicates with other people. This can be contempt and respect, anger, kindness, etc. This group also includes some personality traits that indicate a desire for active communication. This includes qualities such as collectivism, respect for others, kindness to others, and sensitivity. But opposite manifestations are also possible, indicating the individual’s desire for limited communication. This is associated with restraint and callousness, contempt for others, etc.

The third group includes those traits that characterize a person’s attitude towards himself. These are modesty and pride, vanity and arrogance, self-criticism, etc.

The fourth group is the attitude towards one’s achievements and one’s own work. It is known that people look at the process and results of their work with a variety of emotions. And this depends on a person’s hard work, his organization, responsibility and creativity. Such feelings manifest themselves in the case of a positive attitude towards their work. If an individual is lazy, then there is sloppiness, dishonesty, etc. This occurs with an indifferent (negative) attitude towards work.

Among the character traits of people in psychology, another group is additionally distinguished. It indicates the individual's attitude towards things. This could be, for example, neatness or, conversely, sloppiness.

The typological properties of various character traits are divided into abnormal and normal. The owners of the first of them are people who have certain mental illnesses. Normal character traits are inherent in someone who does not have any mental abnormalities. Sometimes personality traits from this classification can be both abnormal and normal at the same time. A specific conclusion can be drawn based on the degree of their severity. An example of this is healthy suspicion. But when it starts to go off scale, such a character trait is called paranoia.

Concept of character.

The place of character in the general structure of personality

Translated from Greek, the word “character” means “seal”, “imprint”, and in its semantic meaning - a clearly expressed certainty, typical behavior of each person.

Character is a system of stable motives and modes of behavior that form a behavioral type of personality.

Formed in social conditions and influenced by the demands of the social environment, character in its dynamic manifestations is associated with the genetic characteristics of the individual and the type of his higher nervous activity. However, from the genetic arsenal the individual draws those capabilities that are necessary to solve the system of life problems.

The core basis of character is the value orientation of the individual, the internalization (appropriation) of socially adapted modes of behavior by the individual.

Character is destiny. Character is not only stable behavioral characteristics, but an individual’s satisfaction with his line of behavior, personal sanctioning of his behavior. Hence the irresistible desire of people to “show” their character.

The problem of character is the problem of holistic coverage of the mental characteristics of an individual.

The physiological sphere of an individual’s behavior is covered by the concept of “temperament,” while the socially determined sphere of his behavior is covered by the concept of “character.” Temperament is correlated with the natural-unconscious sphere, with the sphere of emotions, character - with the volitional sphere. However, these are interconnected spheres of the human psyche. The natural peculiarity of an individual leaves an imprint on his character, i.e. and on socially formed ways of his behavior.

When analyzing a person’s character, it is necessary to distinguish between endogenous (internally determined) and exogenous (externally determined) characteristics. But these groups of characterological features are interconnected. Social inheritance correlates with biological inheritance.

The socially typical originality of a person, the peculiarities of his socialization and upbringing are fixed in character.

Some character traits act as leading ones, determining the characterological appearance of a person. Others may be secondary.

Many character traits are formed in a person very early. The sensitive (most sensitive) period for the formation of basic character qualities is the age from 2 to 10 years. This period in a person’s life is associated with an intensive process of socialization based on imitation of socially approved standards of behavior. A positive example is the most important means of character formation here. This age period is also characterized by high behavioral activity. Children strive to actively develop their behavioral capabilities. In this regard, the management method acquires significant educational significance.

Environmental conditions, approval and censure of various forms of behavior by the microenvironment form the main channel of character formation. But character is also an individual’s ability to defend his lifestyle and his position in life. The nature of each individual enters into its own “connections” with reality. In this interaction of internal and external, various contradictions and intrapersonal conflicts are possible. Only by taking into account the specifics of the interaction between the internal and external of a given individual can it be possible to organize effective environmental conditions aimed at mobilizing the positive qualities of the individual and suppressing his negative qualities.

Sometimes seemingly insignificant interference in an individual’s life leads to dramatic changes in his behavior - here the impact turned out to be aimed at articulating the “base plates” of his soul. “There can be no direct intervention in the formation of character... The direct influence of an educator on the formation of character would be as absurd and ridiculous as if a gardener decided to promote the growth of a tree by mechanically dragging it up from the ground. But the gardener influences the germination of the plant not directly, by pulling it out of the ground by the top, but indirectly, through appropriate changes in the environment.”

People are such as are the sustainable demands of the environment.

When correcting negative character traits, the educator encounters resistance not only from nature, but also from the hardened layer of behavioral reactions acquired by the individual in previous experience, from the sphere of his subconscious. Breaking existing stereotypes is hard neuropsychic work. In this case, emotional breakdowns and conflicts are possible. Only deep life crises, intimate processes of repentance and internal self-building lead to fundamental changes in a person’s character.

There is no average standard for individual behavior. The behavior of each person in one or another of its manifestations deviates significantly from the average norm. People strive for self-realization in the most suitable areas of communication and activity for their character.

Character cannot be considered only as a system of performing methods of behavior fixed in the individual’s experience. Character integrates all the mental characteristics of an individual. What forms of behavior are selected by the individual? This depends not only on the environment, but also on his emotional and intellectual organization. Those behavioral manifestations that fall into the sphere of individual self-condemnation are inhibited and fade away. Techniques that promote the individual’s self-expression are “affirmed.”

Character formation is associated with an individual's ability to learn. Character reveals the patterns of functioning of skills and habits. At the same time, the mechanism of transferring skills and strengthening them as a result of systematic functioning acquires significant importance.

In the behavioral experience of an individual, both adaptive and maladaptive forms of behavior (for example, acquired helplessness) can accumulate. And under the cultural layers in the human psyche, an undying volcano of ancient natural formations is always “breathing”. And the more difficult the behavioral situation is for a given individual, the higher the likelihood of this volcano erupting. Often the mental state of an individual so modifies the manifestations of his character that sometimes the person does not recognize himself.

A person is able to regulate his character, arbitrarily bringing himself into mental states that are adequate to the current behavioral situation.

Personality types

Psychologists from different times have tried to identify personality types to identify specific groups of people. E. Kretschmer identified 3 groups of people according to their body type:

People are picnics, prone to gaining excess weight, short in stature, with a large face, neck, and overweight. They are easily adaptable to the conditions of the world, sociable and emotional.
Athletic people are characterized by well-developed muscles, tall and broad-shouldered, hardy and with a large chest. They are not impressionable, domineering, calm and practical, restrained in gestures and facial expressions, and do not adapt well.
Asthenic people are characterized by thinness and undeveloped muscles, a narrow face, long arms and legs, and a flat chest. They are stubborn and serious, withdrawn and poorly adaptable to change.

K. Jung proposed another typology that divides people by type of thinking:

Extroverts. Very sociable and active people who tend to make a lot of acquaintances. They are direct and open. They love to travel, have parties, and be the life of the party. They focus on objective circumstances, and not on the subjective opinions of people.
Introverts. Very closed and isolated people from the world. They have few friends because they find it difficult to make contacts. They constantly analyze everything that is happening. They are very anxious and prefer to be alone.

Another classification divides people into 4 psychotypes depending on their combination of character and temperament:

Cholerics are unbalanced, fast, impetuous, passionate people. They quickly become exhausted due to the senseless expenditure of energy. Prone to emotional outbursts and mood swings.
Phlegmatic people are stable in their manifestations, emotions and views, unhurried, unperturbed people. They tend to be calm and balanced, and persistent in their work. Outwardly they do not show emotions.
Melancholic people are vulnerable people prone to constantly experiencing emotions. Very impressionable, react sharply to external manifestations.
Sanguine people are lively, mobile and active people. They react quickly to external circumstances and tend to receive many impressions. They are productive at work. They easily endure failures and troubles.

Social character of personality

The social character of a person is understood as those qualities that should be characteristic of absolutely all people of a particular society. When going out into society, a person must show not only individual traits, but also those qualities that are considered acceptable, approved, and normal. This set is formed by society, the media, culture, education, educational institutions, religion, etc. It should be noted that parents also raise their children depending on the framework and norms that are accepted in society.

According to E. Fromm, the social character of a person is a person’s way of adapting to the society in which he is located. This is an unpunished and free way of existing in a particular society. He believed that no society allows a person to fully realize himself, since he always dictates its own rules and norms, which should be above individual characteristics and desires. This is why a person is always in conflict with society, when he must obey in order to be accepted, or tries to protest, which can be punishable.

Society will never allow a person to express himself in full force, which prevents him from realizing his inclinations and harms the individual himself. A distortion of character must occur when everyone fits themselves into certain frameworks and norms accepted in society. Only through the development of social character in a person does society make him safe for itself. What is important here is not the personality, but its safe manifestations that will be acceptable in society. Otherwise, there will be punishment for any individual self-expression that does not fit into the framework.

Physiological foundations of character

The physiological basis of character is a fusion of features such as higher nervous activity and complex stable systems of temporary connections that have developed as a result of individual life experience. In this fusion, systems of temporary connections play a more important role, since the type of nervous system can form all socially significant characteristics of a person. But, firstly, connective systems are formed differently by representatives of different types of nervous systems, and secondly, depending on the type, these connective systems manifest themselves differently. For example, a characteristic can be put forward as a representative of a strong, excitable type of nervous system and a representative of a weak type. But it will be addressed differently and manifest differently depending on the type.