Definition of the word individuality. What is personality. Elementary and complex abilities

Knowledge of the basic foundations of psychology can play an important role in the life of any person. In order for us to be able to most productively fulfill our goals and effectively interact with the people around us, we need to have at least an idea of what personality psychology is, how personality develops and what are the features of this process. It is important to know what constituent elements and personality types exist. By understanding these issues, we get the opportunity to make our life more productive, comfortable and harmonious.

The personal psychology lesson below is designed specifically to help you internalize these important fundamentals and learn as effectively as possible. Here you will get acquainted with how a person and the problem of personality is considered in psychology: you will learn its foundations and structure. Plus, get an insight into personality research and many other interesting topics.

What is personality?

In the modern world there is no unambiguous definition of the concept of "personality" and this is due to the complexity of the very phenomenon of personality. Any definition available at the moment deserves to be taken into account when drawing up the most objective and complete one.

If we talk about the most common definition, then we can say that:

Personality- this is a person who has a certain set of psychological properties on which his actions are based, which are important for society; internal difference of one person from the rest.

There are several other definitions:

Personality it is a social subject and the totality of his personal and social roles, his preferences and habits, his knowledge and experience.
Personality is a person who independently builds and controls his life and bears full responsibility for it.

Together with the concept of "personality" in psychology, concepts such as "individual" and "individuality" are used.

Individual- This is an individual person, considered as a unique combination of his innate and acquired qualities.

Individuality- it is a set of unique traits and characteristics that distinguish one individual from all others; the originality of the personality and psyche of a person.

In order for everyone who shows interest in the human personality as a psychological phenomenon to have the most objective idea about him, it is necessary to highlight the key elements that make up the personality, in other words, talk about its structure.

Personality structure

The structure of personality is the connection and interaction of its various components: abilities, volitional qualities, character, emotions, etc. These components are its properties and differences and are called "traits". There are quite a few of these features, and in order to structure them, there is a division into levels:

The lowest level of personality these are the sexual properties of the psyche, age-related, innate.
The second level of personality these are individual manifestations of thinking, memory, abilities, sensations, perception, which depend both on innate factors and on their development.
The third level of personality it is an individual experience that contains the acquired knowledge, habits, abilities, and skills. This level is formed in the process of life and is of a social nature.
The highest level of personality- this is its focus, which includes interests, desires, drives, inclinations, beliefs, views, ideals, worldviews, self-esteem, character traits. This level is the most socially conditioned and formed under the influence of upbringing, as well as more fully reflecting the ideology of the society in which the person is.

Why are these levels important and necessary to distinguish among themselves? At least in order to be able to objectively characterize any person (including yourself) as a person, to understand what level you are considering.

The difference between people is very multifaceted, because at each level there are differences of interests and beliefs, knowledge and experience, abilities and skills, character and temperament. It is for these reasons that it is quite difficult to understand another person, to avoid contradictions and even conflicts. In order to understand yourself and those around you, you need to have a certain baggage of psychological knowledge, and combine it with awareness and observation. And in this very specific issue, knowledge of the key personality traits and their differences plays an important role.

Key personality traits

In psychology, it is customary to understand personality traits as stable mental phenomena that have a significant impact on a person's activity and characterize him from the socio-psychological side. In other words, this is how a person manifests itself in his activities and in relationships with others. The structure of these phenomena includes abilities, temperament, character, will, emotions, motivation. Below we will consider each of them separately.

Capabilities

Understanding why different people who are in the same living conditions have different outcomes, we are often guided by the concept of "abilities", assuming that it is they that affect what a person is trying to achieve. We use the same term to find out why some people learn something faster than others, etc.

The concept " capabilities»Can be interpreted in different ways. First, it is a set of mental processes and states, often called the properties of the soul. Secondly, it is a high level of development of general and special skills, abilities and knowledge that ensure the effective performance of various functions by a person. And, thirdly, abilities are everything that cannot be reduced to knowledge, skills and abilities, but with which one can explain their acquisition, use and consolidation.

A person has a huge number of different abilities, which can be divided into several categories.

Elementary and complex abilities

Elementary (simplest) abilities- these are the abilities associated with the functions of the sense organs and the simplest movements (the ability to distinguish smells, sounds, colors). They are present in a person from birth and during life they can be improved.
Complex abilities- these are abilities in various activities related to human culture. For example, musical (composing music), artistic (drawing skills), math (the ability to easily solve complex math problems). Such abilities are called socially conditioned, tk. they are not congenital.

General and special abilities

General abilities- these are the abilities that all people have, but developed in all to varying degrees (general motor, mental). It is they who determine the successes and achievements in many types of activities (sports, training, teaching).
Special Abilities- these are abilities that are not found in everyone and for which, in most cases, certain inclinations are required (artistic, visual, literary, acting, musical). Thanks to them, people achieve success in specific activities.

It should be noted that the presence of a person's special abilities can be harmoniously combined with the development of general ones, and vice versa.

Theoretical and practical

Theoretical ability- these are the abilities that determine the tendency of the individual to abstract logical thinking, as well as the ability to clearly formulate and successfully perform theoretical tasks.
Practical ability- these are abilities that are manifested in the ability to set and perform practical tasks associated with specific actions in certain life situations.

Educational and creative

Learning ability- these are abilities that determine the success of training, assimilation of knowledge, skills and abilities.
Creative skills- these are abilities that determine the ability of a person to create objects of spiritual and material culture, as well as influencing the production of new ideas, making discoveries, etc.

Communicative and subject-activity

Communication skills- these are abilities that include knowledge, skills and abilities related to communication and interaction with people around, interpersonal assessment and perception, establishing contacts, making connections, finding a common language, affection for oneself and influencing people.
Subject-activity abilities- these are abilities that determine the interaction of people with inanimate objects.

All types of abilities are complementary, and it is their combination that gives a person the opportunity to develop most fully and harmoniously. Abilities affect both each other and the success of a person in life, work and communication.

In addition to the fact that the concept of "ability" is used to characterize a person in psychology, terms such as "genius", "talent", "giftedness" are also used, indicating more subtle nuances of personality.

Giftedness- this is the presence of a person from birth for a better development of abilities.
Talent- these are abilities that are revealed to the fullest through the acquisition of skills and experience.
Genius- this is an unusually high level of development of any abilities.

As we mentioned above, a person's life result is very often associated with his abilities and their application. And the results of the overwhelming majority of people, unfortunately, leave much to be desired. Many people start looking for a solution to their problems somewhere outside, when the right solution is always inside a person. And you should just look into yourself. If a person in his daily activities does not do what he has inclinations and predispositions for, then the effect of this will be, to put it mildly, unsatisfactory. As one of the options in order to make a difference, you can use the precise definition of your abilities.

If, for example, you have an innate ability to lead and manage people, and you work as a receiver of goods in a warehouse, then, of course, this occupation will not bring either moral, emotional or financial satisfaction, because you are doing something completely different from yours. business. In this situation, some kind of management position is more suitable for you. You can start at least as a middle-level manager. Inborn leadership abilities, when used and developed systematically, will take you to a completely different level. Take time in your schedule to identify your inclinations and abilities, study yourself, try to understand what you really want to do and what will bring you pleasure. Based on the results obtained, it will already be possible to draw a conclusion on the topic in which direction you need to move on.

To determine the abilities and inclinations, there are now a huge number of tests and methods. You can read more about abilities.

An aptitude test will appear here soon.

Along with abilities, as one of the main personality traits, temperament can be distinguished.

Temperament

Temperament they call a set of properties that characterize the dynamic characteristics of mental processes and states of a person (their occurrence, change, strength, speed, cessation), as well as his behavior.

The idea of temperament goes back to the work of Hippocrates, an ancient Greek philosopher who lived in the 5th century. BC. It was he who defined the various types of temperaments that people still use today: melancholic, choleric, phlegmatic, sanguine.

Melancholic temperament- this type is characteristic of people with a gloomy mood, with a tense and complex inner life. Such people are distinguished by vulnerability, anxiety, restraint, and also by the fact that they attach great importance to everything that concerns them personally. With minor difficulties, melancholic people give up. They have little energy potential and tire quickly.

Choleric temperament- most of all typical for hot-tempered people. People with this type of temperament are not restrained, impatient, hot and impulsive. But they quickly cool down and calm down if they are met. Choleric people are characterized by persistence and stability of interests and aspirations.

Phlegmatic temperament are cold-blooded people who are more prone to being in a state of inactivity than in a state of active work. Slowly excitable, but cool down for a long time. Phlegmatic people are not resourceful, it is difficult for them to adapt to a new environment, to rebuild in a new way, to get rid of old habits. But at the same time they are efficient and energetic, patient, possess self-control and endurance.

Sanguine temperament such people are merry people, optimists, humorists and jokers. They are full of hopes, sociable, easily meet new people. Sanguine people are distinguished by a quick reaction to external stimuli: they can be easily cheered or plunged into anger. They actively take on new beginnings, they can work for a long time. They are disciplined, if necessary, they can control their reactions and quickly adapt to new conditions.

These are far from complete descriptions of types of temperament, but they contain the most characteristic features for them. Each of them is neither good nor bad in and of itself, unless they are linked to requirements and expectations. Any type of temperament can have both its drawbacks and its advantages. You can learn more about a person's temperament.

Having a good understanding of the influence of the type of temperament on the speed of occurrence of mental processes (perception, thinking, attention) and their intensity, on the pace and rhythm of activity, as well as on its direction, one can easily and effectively use this knowledge in everyday life.

To determine the type of temperament, it is best to use specialized tests compiled by specialists in the field of personality studies.

A temperament test will appear here soon.

Another fundamental property of a person's personality is his character.

Character

The character the methods of human interaction with the surrounding world and other people, acquired in certain social conditions, are called, which constitute the type of his life activity.

In the process of communication between people, character is manifested in the manner of behavior, ways of reacting to the actions and actions of others. Manners can be delicate and tactful, or rude and unceremonious. This is due to the difference in the characters of people. People with the strongest or, conversely, the weakest character always stand out from the rest. People with a strong character, as a rule, are distinguished by perseverance, perseverance, purposefulness. And weak-willed people are distinguished by weak-willedness, unpredictability, randomness of actions. The character includes many traits that modern specialists divide into three groups: communicative, business, strong-willed.

Communicative traits are manifested in a person's communication with others (isolation, sociability, responsiveness, anger, benevolence).

Business traits are manifested in daily work activities (accuracy, conscientiousness, hard work, responsibility, laziness).

Volitional traits are directly related to the will of a person (determination, perseverance, perseverance, lack of will, compliance).

There are also motivational and instrumental character traits.

Motivational traits - motivating a person to action, directing and supporting his activity.

Instrumental traits - give the behavior a certain style.

If you are able to form a clear idea of the traits and characteristics of your character, this will allow you to understand the motivating force that guides your development and self-realization in life. This knowledge will allow you to determine which of your features are most developed, and which should be improved, as well as to understand through which of your features you interact more with the world and others. An in-depth understanding of yourself gives you a unique opportunity to see how and why you react to life situations and events, and what you need to cultivate in yourself so that your lifestyle becomes as productive and useful as possible and you can fully realize yourself. If you know the features of your character, its pros and cons, and begin to improve yourself, you will be able to respond in the best way in a given situation, you will know how to respond to harmful or beneficial influences, what to say to another person, responding to his actions and words ...

Soon there will be a test to determine character traits.

One of the most important personality traits that have the most serious impact on the process of human life and its result is will.

Will

Will- this is the property of a person to make conscious control of his psyche and actions.

Thanks to the will, a person is able to consciously control his own behavior and his mental states and processes. With the help of will, a person exerts a conscious influence on the world around him, introducing the necessary (in his opinion) changes into it.

The main sign of will is associated with the fact that, in most cases, it is associated with a person making reasonable decisions, overcoming obstacles and making efforts to implement the plan. A volitional decision is made by an individual in conditions of opposed to each other multidirectional needs, drives and motives that have approximately the same incentive force, due to which a person always needs to choose one of two / several.

Will always implies self-restraint: acting in one way or another to achieve certain goals and results, realizing certain needs, a person acting of his own free will always have to deprive himself of something else, which, perhaps, he sees as more attractive and desirable. Another sign of the participation of will in human behavior is the presence of a specific plan of action.

An important feature of volitional effort is the lack of emotional satisfaction, but the presence of moral satisfaction arising from the implementation of the plan (but not in the process of implementation). Very often volitional efforts are directed not at overcoming circumstances, but at “conquering” oneself, in spite of one's natural desires.

Mainly, will is what helps a person to overcome life's difficulties and obstacles on the way; something that helps to achieve new results and develop. As one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, Carlos Castaneda, said: "Will is what makes you win when your mind tells you that you are defeated." We can say that the stronger the willpower of a person, the stronger the person himself (this means, of course, not physical, but inner strength). The main practice for developing willpower is to train and harden it. You can start developing your willpower with quite simple things.

For example, make it a rule to notice those things, postponing the implementation of which devastates you, "sucks energy" and the implementation of which, on the contrary, invigorates, energizes and has a positive impact. These are the things that you are lazy to do, for example, cleaning up when you don't feel like doing at all, doing exercises in the morning, getting up half an hour earlier. An inner voice will tell you that it can be postponed or not necessary at all. Don't listen to him. This is the voice of your laziness. Do as you planned - after that you will notice that you feel more energetic and vigorous, stronger. Or another example: identify your weaknesses (it can be aimlessly spending time on the Internet, watching TV, lying on the couch, sweets, etc.). Take not the strongest of them and give it up for a week, two, a month. Promise yourself that after the appointed time, you will return to your habit again (if you want, of course). And then - the most important thing: take the symbol of this weakness and keep it with you at all times. But do not fall for the provocations of the "old self" and remember the promise. This is training your willpower. Over time, you will see that you have become stronger and can move on to giving up stronger weaknesses.

But nothing can be compared in terms of the power of influence on the human psyche, as another property of his personality - emotions.

Emotions

Emotions can be characterized as special individual experiences that have a pleasant or unpleasant mental coloration, and associated with the satisfaction of vital needs.

Among the main types of emotions are:

Mood - it reflects the general state of a person at a certain moment

The simplest emotions are experiences that are associated with the satisfaction of organic needs.

Affects are violent short-lived emotions that are especially apparent externally (gestures, facial expressions)

Feelings are a spectrum of experiences associated with certain objects.

Passion is a pronounced feeling that is not amenable (in most cases) to control

Stress is a combination of emotions and physical condition of the body.

Emotions, especially feelings, affects and passions, are an invariable part of a person's personality. All people (personalities) are very different emotionally. For example, in terms of emotional excitability, the duration of emotional experiences, the predominance of negative or positive emotions. But the main feature of the difference is the intensity of the experienced emotions and their direction.

Emotions have the characteristic trait of having a serious impact on a person's life. Under the influence of certain emotions at certain moments, a person can make decisions, say something, and perform actions. As a rule, emotions are short-lived. But what sometimes a person does under the influence of emotions does not always give good results. And since our lesson is devoted to how to improve our life, then we should speak precisely about the ways to have a beneficial effect on it.

It is important to learn to control your emotions and not succumb to them. First of all, you need to remember that an emotion, whatever it may be (positive or negative), is just an emotion, and it will soon pass. Therefore, if in any negative situation you feel that negative emotions begin to prevail in you, remember this and restrain them - this will allow you not to do or say something that you may regret later on. If, thanks to some outstanding positive events in your life, you experience a surge of joyful emotions, then also remember this, this practice will help you avoid unnecessary energy expenditures.

Surely, you are familiar with the situation when, some time after a moment of stormy joy or delight, you feel a kind of inner emptiness. Emotions are always an expenditure of personal energy. It is not for nothing that the ancient Jewish king Solomon had a ring on his finger with the inscription: "This too will pass." Always in moments of joy or sadness, he turned his ring and read this inscription to himself in order to remember the short duration of emotional experiences.

Knowledge of what emotions are and the ability to manage them are very important aspects in the development of an individual and life in general. Learn to manage your emotions and you will know yourself to the fullest. Such things as self-observation and self-control, as well as various spiritual practices (meditation, yoga, etc.) allow you to master this skill. You can find information about them on the Internet. And you can learn more about what emotions are in our acting training.

But, despite the importance of all the personality traits discussed above, perhaps the leading role is occupied by another of its properties - motivation, since it affects the desire to learn more about oneself and immerse oneself in the psychology of the personality, on interest in something new, hitherto unknown. even that you are reading this lesson.

Motivation

In general, there are two complementary sides in human behavior - incentive and regulatory. The incentive side ensures the activation of behavior and its direction, and the regulatory side is responsible for how the behavior develops in specific conditions.

Motivation is closely related to such phenomena as motives, intentions, motives, needs, etc. In the narrowest sense, motivation can be defined as a set of reasons that explain human behavior. This concept is based on the term "motive".

Motive is any internal physiological or psychological urge that is responsible for the activity and purposefulness of behavior. Motives are conscious and unconscious, imaginary and really acting, meaning-forming and motivating.

The following phenomena have an effect on a person's motivation:

Need is the state of a person's need for anything necessary for normal existence, as well as mental and physical development.

A stimulus is any internal or external factor, coupled with a motive, that controls behavior and directs it towards achieving a certain goal.

Intention is a deliberate and deliberate decision that is consistent with a desire to do something.

Motivation is an incompletely conscious and indefinite (possibly) human desire for something.

It is motivation that is the "fuel" of a person. Just as a car needs gasoline so that it can go further, so a person needs motivation in order to strive for something, to develop, to reach new heights. For example, you wanted to learn more about human psychology and personality traits, and this was the motivation to turn to this lesson. But what is great motivation for one, it may be absolute zero for another.

The knowledge of motivation, first of all, can be successfully used for yourself: think about what you want to achieve in life, make a list of your life goals. Not just what you would like to have, but what makes your heart beat faster and gets you emotionally excited. Imagine what you want as if you already have it. If you feel that it "turns you on", then this is your motivation for action. We all have periods of ups and downs in activity. And it is in moments of recession that you need to remember why you should move forward. Set a global goal, divide its achievement into intermediate stages and start acting. Only the person who knows where he is going and takes steps towards this will come to his goal.

Also, knowledge about motivation can be used in communicating with people.

The situation when you ask a person to fulfill some request (for friendship, for work, etc.) can serve as an excellent example. Naturally, in return for a service, a person wants to get something for himself (sadly, but most of people are characterized by selfish interest, even if it manifests itself in someone to a greater extent, and to someone to a lesser extent). Determine what a person needs and this will be a kind of hook that can hook him, his motivation. Show the person their benefits. If he sees that by going to meet you, he will be able to satisfy some essential need for him, then this will be almost a 100% guarantee that your interaction will be successful and effective.

In addition to the above material, it is worth mentioning the process of personality development. After all, everything that we have considered before is closely interconnected with this process, depends on it and at the same time influences it. The topic of personality development is very peculiar and voluminous to describe it as a small part of one lesson, but it is impossible not to mention it. And therefore we will only touch on it in general terms.

Personal development

Personal development is part of the overall development of a person. It is one of the main topics of practical psychology, but it is understood far from unambiguously. Scientists use the phrase "personal development" to refer to at least four different topics.

What are the mechanisms and dynamics of personality development (the process itself is being investigated)
What does the personality achieve in the process of its development (the results are being investigated)
By what methods and means parents and society can form a personality out of a child (the actions of "educators" are being investigated)
How a person can develop himself as a person (the actions of the person himself are investigated)

The topic of personality development has always attracted many researchers and was considered from different angles. For some researchers, the greatest interest in personality development is the influence of socio-cultural characteristics, the ways of this influence and the model of upbringing. For others, the subject of close study is a person's independent development of himself as a person.

Personality development can be either a natural process that does not require outside participation, or a deliberate, purposeful one. And the results will differ materially.

Besides the fact that a person is able to develop himself, he can develop others. For practical psychology, the most characteristic is assistance in the development of personality, the development of new methods and innovations in this matter, various trainings, seminars and educational programs.

Basic theories of personality research

The main directions in personality research can be distinguished starting from about the middle of the 20th century. Below we will consider some of them, and for the most popular (Freud, Jung) we will give examples.

This is a psychodynamic approach to the study of personality. Personality development was considered by Freud in a psychosexual sense, and he proposed a three-component personality structure:

Id - "it" in it contains everything inherited and laid down in the human constitution. Each individual has basic instincts: life, death and sex, the most important of which is the third.
Ego - "I" is a part of the mental apparatus that is in contact with the surrounding reality. The main task at this level is self-preservation and protection.
The super ego - "over me" is the so-called judge of the activities and thoughts of the ego. Three functions are performed here: conscience, self-observation and the formation of ideals.

Freud's theory is perhaps the most popular of all theories in psychology. It is widely known because it reveals the deep characteristics and stimuli of human behavior, in particular the strong influence of sexual attraction on a person. The basic proposition of psychoanalysis is that human behavior, experience and cognition are largely determined by internal and irrational drives, and these drives are predominantly unconscious.

One of the methods of Freud's psychological theory, when studied in detail, says that you need to learn to use your excess energy and sublimate it, i.e. redirect to achieve specific goals. For example, if you notice that your child is overly active, then this activity can be directed in the right direction - send the child to the sports section. As another example of sublimation, you can cite the following situation: you were standing in the line of the tax office and faced with an arrogant, rude and negative person. In the process, he yelled at you, insulted you, thereby causing a storm of negative emotions - an excess of energy that needs to be thrown out somewhere. To do this, you can go to the gym or the pool. You yourself will not notice how all the anger will go away, and you will again be in a cheerful mood. This, of course, is a completely trivial example of sublimation, but the essence of the method can be captured in it.

To learn more about the sublimation method, visit this page.

Knowledge about Freud's theory can be used in another aspect - the interpretation of dreams. According to Freud, a dream is a reflection of something that is in a person's soul, which he himself may not even guess about. Think about what reasons could lead to the fact that you had this or that dream. What comes to your mind first as an answer and will make the most sense. And already, proceeding from this, you should interpret your dream as a reaction of your unconscious to external circumstances. You can familiarize yourself with the work of Sigmund Freud "The Interpretation of Dreams".

Apply Freud's knowledge in your personal life: in the study of your relationship with your loved one, you can put into practice the concepts of "transfer" and "counter-transfer". Transfer is the transfer of feelings and affections of two people to each other. Counter-transfer is the reverse process. If you look into this topic in more detail, you can find out why certain problems arise in the relationship, which makes it possible to resolve them as soon as possible. It has been written in great detail about this.

Read more about Sigmund Freud's theory on Wikipedia.

Jung introduced the concept of "I" as the individual's desire for unity and integrity. And in the classification of personality types he put the focus of a person on himself and the object - he divided people into extroverts and introverts. In Jung's analytical psychology, personality is described as the result of the interaction of striving for the future and individually innate predisposition. Also, particular importance is attached to the movement of the personality along the path of self-realization through balancing and integrating various elements of the personality.

Jung believed that every person is born with a set of certain personal characteristics and that the external environment does not allow a person to become a person, but reveals the characteristics already inherent in it. He also identified several levels of the unconscious: individual, family, group, national, racial and collective.

According to Jung, there is a certain system of the psyche that a person inherits at birth. It has evolved for hundreds of millennia and makes people experience and implement all life experience in a very specific way. And this concreteness is expressed in what Jung called archetypes that affect the thoughts, feelings and actions of people.

Jung's typology can be applied in practice to determine one's own type of attitude or the types of attitudes of others. If, for example, you notice indecision, isolation, sharpness of reactions, a predominant state of protection from the outside, distrustfulness behind yourself / others, this indicates that your attitude / attitude of others is of the introverted type. If you / others are open, easily make contact, are gullible, engage in unfamiliar situations, neglect caution, etc., then the attitude is of the extroverted type. Knowing your type of attitude (according to Jung) makes it possible to better understand yourself and others, the motives of actions and reactions, and this, in turn, will allow you to increase your efficiency in life and build relationships with people in the most productive way.

Jung's analytical method can also be used to analyze your own behavior and the behavior of others. Based on the classification of the conscious and the unconscious, you can learn to identify the motives that guide you and the people around you in your behavior.

Another example: if you notice that, upon reaching a certain age, your child begins to behave hostilely towards you and tries to abstract from people and the world around him, then you can say with a high degree of confidence that the process of individuation has begun - the formation of an individuality. This usually occurs during adolescence. According to Jung, there is a second part of the formation of individuality - when a person "returns" to the world and becomes an integral part of it, not trying to separate himself from the world. The observation method is perfect for detecting such processes.

Wikipedia.

William James personality theory

It divides personality analysis into 3 parts:

The constituent elements of personality (which are grouped into three levels)
Feelings and emotions evoked by building blocks (self-esteem)
Actions caused by the constituent elements (self-preservation and self-care).

Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.

Individual psychology of Alfred Adler

Adler introduced the concept of "lifestyle", it manifests itself in the attitudes and behavior of a particular person and is formed under the influence of society. According to Adler, the structure of the personality is one, and the main thing in its development is the striving for superiority. Adler distinguished 4 types of attitudes that accompany a lifestyle:

Control type
Receive type
Avoidance type
Socially useful type

He also proposed a theory whose purpose is to help people understand themselves and those around them. Adler's ideas were the forerunners of phenomenological and humanistic psychology.

Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.

Psychosynthesis Roberto Assagioli

Assagioli identified 8 zones (substructures) in the basic structure of the mental:

Lower unconscious
Secondary unconscious
Higher unconscious
The field of consciousness
Personal "I"
Higher self
Collective unconscious
Subpersonality (identity)

The meaning of mental development, according to Assagioli, was to increase the unity of the psyche, i.e. in the synthesis of everything in man: body, psyche, conscious and unconscious.

Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.

Physiological (biological) approach (type theory)

This approach focused on body composition and structure. There are two main works in this direction:

Ernst Kretschmer's typology

According to her, people with a certain body type have certain mental characteristics. Kretschmer identified 4 constitutional types: leptosomatics, picnic, athletic, dysplastic. Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.

The work of William Herbert Sheldon

Sheldon suggested that the shape of the body affects the personality and reflects its characteristics. He distinguished 3 classes of physique: endomorph, ectomorph, mesomorph. Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.

Eduard Spranger's personality concept

Spranger described 6 psychological types of a person, depending on the forms of knowledge of the world: Theoretical person, Economic person, Aesthetic person, Social person, Political person, Religious person. In accordance with the spiritual values of a person, the individuality of his personality is determined. Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.

The dispositional direction of Gordon Allport

Allport put forward 2 general ideas: the theory of traits and the uniqueness of each person. According to Allport, each personality is unique and its uniqueness can be understood by identifying specific personality traits. This scientist introduced the concept of "proprium" that is recognized as its own in the inner world and is a distinctive feature. Proprium directs human life in a positive, creative, growth-seeking and developing direction in accordance with human nature. Identity here acts as an internal constancy. Allport also emphasized the indivisibility and integrity of the entire personality structure. Read more.

Intrapsychological approach. Kurt Lewin's theory

Levin suggested that the driving forces of personality development are within the personality itself. The subject of his research was the need and motives of human behavior. He tried to approach the study of personality as a whole and advocated Gestalt psychology. Levin proposed his own approach to understanding personality: in it, the source of the driving forces of human behavior is in the interaction of a person and a situation and is determined by his attitude towards it. This theory is called dynamic or typological. Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.

Phenomenological and humanistic theories

The main causal means of personality here are belief in a positive beginning in every person, his subjective experiences and the desire to realize his potential. The main proponents of these theories were:

Abraham Harold Maslow: his key idea was the human need for self-actualization.

The existentialist direction of Viktor Frankl

Frankl was convinced that the key moments in the development of personality are freedom, responsibility and the meaning of life. Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.

Each of the theories existing today has its own uniqueness, significance and value. And each of the researchers identified and clarified the most important aspects of a person's personality and each of them is right in its own field.

For the most complete acquaintance with the issues and theories of personality psychology, you can use the following books and textbooks.

Abulkhanova-Slavskaya K.A. Personal development in the process of life // Psychology of personality formation and development. Moscow: Nauka, 1981.
Abulkhanova K.A., Berezina T.N. Personality time and life time. SPb .: Aleteya, 2001.
Ananiev B.G. Man as a subject of knowledge // Selected psychological works. In 2 volumes. M., 1980.
Wittels F.Z. Freud. His personality, teaching and school. L., 1991.
Gippenreiter Yu.B. An introduction to general psychology. M., 1996.
Enikeev M.I. Foundations of General and Legal Psychology. - M., 1997.
Crane W. Secrets of personality formation. SPb .: Prime-Evroznak, 2002.
Leontiev A.N. Activity. Consciousness. Personality. M., 1975.
Leontiev A.N. Problems of the development of the psyche. M., 1980.
Maslow A. Self-actualization // Personality Psychology. Texts. Moscow: Moscow State University, 1982.
R.S. Nemov General psychology. ed. Peter, 2007.
Pervin L., John O. Psychology of personality. Theory and research. M., 2000.
Petrovsky A.V., Yaroshevsky M.G. Psychology. - M., 2000.
Rusalov V.M. Biological bases of individual psychological differences. M., 1979.
Rusalov V.M. Natural prerequisites and individual psychophysiological personality traits // Personality psychology in the works of Russian psychologists. SPb., Peter, 2000.
Rubinstein S.L. Fundamentals of General Psychology. 2nd ed. M., 1946.
Rubinstein S.L. Being and consciousness. M., 1957.
Rubinstein S.L. Man and the world. Moscow: Nauka, 1997.
Rubinstein S.L. Principles and ways of development of psychology. Moscow, Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1959.
Rubinstein S.L. Fundamentals of General Psychology. M., 1946.
Sokolova E.E. Thirteen dialogues about psychology. M .: Smysl, 1995.
Stolyarenko L.D. Psychology. - Rostov-on-Don, 2004.
Tome H. Kehele H. Modern psychoanalysis. In 2 volumes. Moscow: Progress, 1996.
Tyson F., Tyson R. Psychoanalytic theories of development. Yekaterinburg: Business Book, 1998.
Freud Z. Introduction to Psychoanalysis: Lectures. Moscow: Nauka, 1989.
Kjell L., Ziegler D. Theories of personality. SPb., Peter, 1997.
Hall K., Lindsay G. Theories of personality. M., 1997.
Kjell L., Ziegler D. Theories of personality. SPb .: Peter, 1997.
Experimental psychology. / Ed. P. Fress, J. Piaget. Issue 5.M .: Progress, 1975.
Jung K. Soul and myth. Six archetypes. M .; Kiev: ZAO Perfection "Port-Royal", 1997.
Jung K. Psychology of the unconscious. M .: Canon, 1994.
Jung K. Tavistock Lectures. M., 1998.
Yaroshevsky M.G. Psychology in the XX century. M., 1974.

Test your knowledge

If you want to test your knowledge of the topic of this lesson, you can take a short test consisting of several questions. In each question, only 1 option can be correct. After you have selected one of the options, the system automatically proceeds to the next question. The points you receive are influenced by the correctness of your answers and the time spent on passing. Please note that the questions are different each time, and the options are mixed.

Professor of the Kuban State University
Vera Bederkhanova

Comprehending

What is human personality?

Radical transformations in psychology, the expansion and deepening of personality-oriented and developmental paradigms of psychology affect the development of pedagogical theories and create the foundation for a completely new pedagogical practice.

The humanization of the pedagogical reality of the school presupposes the affirmation of the subject position of students and teachers in the educational process, the development of their individuality. As before, as in the nineties, when we implemented the Summer House project (one of the tasks of which was the development of a child's individuality), I believe that the measure of a person's development, a measure of a child's development, should become a measure of the quality of the teacher's work and the entire educational system as a whole. Helping a growing person find his personal meaning in life, create favorable conditions so that from childhood his life and communication with other people, interaction with the world around him are worthy of a person - this means fulfilling the main purpose of a teacher.
It seems to me that the development of the problem requires an understanding of the concept of "individuality of a person" and an understanding of the psychological formation of this phenomenon. In this case, we can talk about the pedagogical support of the processes of individualization in education.

Individuality is a meeting with oneself
“The concept of individuality (like the concept of personality) refers to the spiritual dimensions of human reality. At the same time, personality and individuality are two ways of being a person, two of its different definitions. The discrepancy between these concepts is manifested, in particular, in the fact that there are two different processes of the formation of personality and individuality. "
If the formation of a person is a process of socialization of a person, which consists in his mastering his generic, social essence, and this development always takes place in the specific historical circumstances of a person's life and is associated with the acceptance by an individual of social functions and roles, social norms and rules of behavior developed in society, the formation of skills to build relationships with others, then the formation of individuality is a process of individualization of subjective reality. "Individualization is the self-determination and isolation of the individual, its isolation from the community, the formalization of its separateness, uniqueness and originality." A formed personality is a subject of free, independent and responsible behavior in social communities. The individuality that has become is a distinctive personality that actively and creatively manifests itself in life. Individuality is a breakthrough beyond the boundaries of selfhood, reaching the boundaries of the eternal, universal, universal. "
In our opinion, V. Slobodchikov and E. Isaev rightly emphasize that "individuality is not only and not so much the inclusion of an individual in the system of social relations, their integration as personally significant, as his isolation from these relations." “If personality is the determination of a person's position in relations with others, then individuality is the determination of his own position in life, the very determination within his very life. If personality arises in a person's meeting with other people, then individuality is a meeting with oneself, with oneself as with the Other, which now does not coincide either with itself or with others in the basic content of the past life. Therefore, individuality presupposes a total reflection of his whole life, turning, inversion deep into himself, the development of a critical attitude to the way of his life. Therefore, individuality is always an internal dialogue with oneself, an exit into the unique authenticity of oneself. "

Individuality is uniqueness
A. Asmolov, in the key of the historical-evolutionary approach to personality, under the individuality understands “the totality of semantic relations and attitudes of a person in the world, which are generated in the course of a person's life in society in the presence of the necessary anthropogenetic prerequisites, provide orientation in the hierarchy of values and mastery of behavior in a situation of struggle of motives and are embodied through activity and communication in the products of culture, other people, and for oneself for the sake of continuing the way of life that is a value for a given person. " “They are born as individuals. They become a person. Individuality is upheld. "
B.G. Ananyev, whose point of view is especially close to me, believed that in the set of characteristics that characterize a person, four subsets can be distinguished, corresponding to individual, personal, subjective and individual properties. Based on the analysis of a large array of data obtained in various research methods and directions, and tracing the correlations between them, he grouped the corresponding features in the model, which makes it possible to distinguish homogeneous (one subset) and heterogeneous (different subsets) features.
If the first three groups of signs (individual, personal, subjective) characterize a person from the point of view of belonging to a certain type, then individuality focuses on the uniqueness, uniqueness of each person.
The common is inseparable from the individual, and individuality can be described only by relying on common features that form a unique combination in each individual case. From the point of view of B.G. Ananyeva, if "personality is the pinnacle of a person, then individuality is his depth." The uniqueness of the individuality of a particular person is not in the fact that he is (can be described as) a unique combination of a certain set of attributes, but in the fact that he, as an individual, is a product and a measure of the realization of freedom, the choice of his life path in certain natural and socio-cultural conditions.

Individuality is freedom
The differentiation of the system of individual, personal, subjective, individual properties makes it possible in a slightly different plane and more meaningfully to consider the traditional problem of the relationship between freedom and predetermination in human life. Natural and social conditions determine specific forms and levels of realization of human freedom, but at the same time they outline the range within which a free individuality can be formed on the basis of various means and methods.
Highlighted by B.G. Ananiev signs of individuality can be the basis for determining the content of a teacher's activities aimed at developing a person's individuality, and pedagogical activity can be described as a system of tasks aimed at creating conditions for the development of a person's self-awareness, self-determination, self-identification, the formation of adequate self-esteem, self-regulation, self-realization, well-being.
The true perspective and a worthy human goal of education is the development of him as a free individuality, understood not as self-sufficiency, independence of everyone from any others, but, on the contrary, how such freedom, which is realized through responsible service to others, is found in connections with other people and social communities. and only in this way is it formed and receives an adequate form of its existence.
Ensuring the child's right to development seems to me like creating opportunities for a child, adolescent, young man, a person to search for their questions to the world and their own answers.
Setting the task (as a priority) of the child's development, one cannot bypass such a category as freedom. The need for freedom is deeply embedded in a person, connected with the innermost essence of his nature. The human in a person is formed in the process of gaining more and more spiritual freedom and in connection with the ability to independently make a choice of life goals and projects.
Freedom is felt by the individual primarily as a personal feeling, as a subjective phenomenon, which consists in the ability to independently make a choice and be responsible for it. Freedom of choice - freedom of decision - freedom of action - freedom of creativity and self-expression. Maybe this is not the whole chain, but the sequence, apparently, is as follows.
Internal freedom is a specifically human selective creative activity of consciousness, intuition, unconsciousness, will and moral forces, which, as a result of the internal struggle of motives, are mobilized for the independent implementation of a choice, decision-making and its implementation.
Thus, individualization is the activity of an adult (teacher) and the student himself to support and develop that singular, special, peculiar that is inherent in a given individual by nature or that he has acquired in individual experience.

Individuality is self-determination
O.S. Gazman believed that individualization presupposes: first, individually oriented assistance to children in the realization of primary basic needs - without which it is impossible to feel a natural “self” and human dignity; secondly, the creation of conditions for the most free realization of the (hereditary) physical, intellectual, emotional abilities and capabilities specified by nature, which are characteristic of this particular individual. And, finally, the third - the pivotal feature of individualization - the support of a person in autonomous spiritual self-construction, in creative self-incarnation ("non-adaptive activity", according to V.P. Petrovsky), in the development of the ability for life self-determination (existential choice).
In his opinion, the individualization of the individual, the development of his “selfhood”, is, in a broad sense, the content of the “pedagogy of freedom”. The purpose of this pedagogy can be defined as helping children in the construction of their autonomous inner world (“subjective reality”, according to VI Slobodchikov); the subject of this pedagogical branch is the means that help a person in self-development - self-determination and self-realization. The result is “the freedom of personality”. The problem of personality education appears in the pedagogy of freedom as a problem of individual self-development, and the pedagogical process as a subject-subject relationship, cooperation, co-creation between an adult and a child, in which an equal, mutually beneficial exchange of personal meanings and experience dominates.
Education in the humanistic paradigm is adequate to the expanding concept of a person and fits into a continuously changing society in which a person, while maintaining his "self", lives and realizes. The process of personality development requires specific conditions and pedagogical means. That is why it became necessary to develop the theory and practice of pedagogical support for children.

Pedagogical support and individual approach
Under the "pedagogical support" of O.S. Gazman, who practically introduced this concept into scientific use in domestic pedagogy, understood “the process of jointly determining with the child his own interests, goals, opportunities and ways of overcoming obstacles (problems) that prevent him from preserving his human dignity and independently achieving the desired results in learning, self-education, communication, lifestyle ”.
It is essential to distinguish between the concepts of "pedagogical support" and "individual approach". "Individual approach", "differentiated approach" presuppose taking into account the individual differences of students. Pedagogical support, in contrast to the named approaches, aims to develop the uniqueness of the individual, while an individual approach involves bringing it into line with certain requirements.
My pedagogical experience convinces me that, when solving the problem of individualization in the development of a child and an adult, it is necessary to have a "space of different meanings and activities." The peculiarity of this space is that there must always be niches in it to fill in a situation of uncertainty ("empty space"). In addition, the frame for limiting this space must be movable. It is set by the common development goal of each participant, but this development should not come at the expense of others. Then the vital activity is provided by the research process of comprehending and posing problematic questions, determined by a group that is able to “hear everyone”. The main thing for the teacher is interaction based on openness and sincerity, strong initiative, careful work with information, an effective flow of individual and common goals, open expression of views, a constructive approach to conflict resolution, rational work on oneself.

Slobodchikov V.I., Isaev E.I. Human's psychology. M, 1995.S. 353.
Slobodchikov V.I., Isaev E.I. Human's psychology. M., 1995. S. 354–355.
A.G. Asmolov Cultural-historical psychology and the construction of worlds. M .; Voronezh, 1996.S. 437, 439.
Ananiev B.G. Selected psychological works: In 2 volumes. T. 1. M, 1980. S. 124–178.
Ginetsinsky V.I. Foundations of theoretical pedagogy. SPb, 1992.
Caring - Support - Consulting // New values of education (ed. By NB Krylov), Moscow, 1996. No. 6. P. 14–15.
In the same place. P.15.
Gazman O.S. Losses and gains in education after 10 years of perestroika // September 1. 1995.21 November.

Hello dear readers of the blog site. Not like everyone else, special, unique, different from others. This list can be continued for a long time.

These words are synonyms (?) Of the concept of individuality. What does it mean if we consider it?

Definition - what is personality

The term individuality is translated from the Latin individuum and means individual.

Each individual person is endowed with his own specific habits, appearance, manners, experiences, views, in one word - psychological and physiological properties that make him unique or individual.

It is impossible to find two absolutely identical people on the entire planet. Even twins have multiple differences from each other, both external and internal.

Individuality is manifested in the fact how do you behave in a given situation, is determined by your reactions and actions, as well as the way of thinking.

Some of these features are embedded in us at the genetic level, while the other is acquired in the process of education and socialization.

In the days of the Soviet Union, it was at least uncivilized and indecent to stand out from the crowd. The central ideology of that period was the slogan of equality. People who dared to somehow express themselves were condemned and criticized.

In modern society, a completely different mindset operates: more flexible and liberated, devoid of shame. Most are trying to stand out from the "gray mass", sometimes reaching in such attempts to.

On the Internet, you can find a lot of psychological literature, trainings and webinars calling "not to be like everyone else!" Unfortunately, many, especially young people with a fragile psyche, take this call literally, demonstrating to everyone ugly parody individuality (, etc.).

Individual, personality, individuality

This triad is closely related to each other, but at the same time, these terms are completely different concepts.

The conclusion to this chapter can be formalized in the form of a quote by A.G. Asmolov:

"They are born as an individual, become a person, defend individuality."

Individuality in psychology

Psychologists mean by this concept a set of personality characteristics such as:

temperament;
perception processes;
intelligence;
character;
interests.

There are also two types of personality:

Expressed- an open demonstration of their abilities.
Hidden- potential human features that have not found the conditions for their manifestation. In this case, they need to be identified and developed.

Why is she needed

What is personality and why is it needed? Why take it into account and know about it in general? In order to avoid lengthy explanations, I will give a simple example that will answer all these questions.

Imagine that you are a participant in a competition, for example, readers. One of the participants is mute, the second is the author of poems, which he has been reading for many years, and you know only one and that from the school literature curriculum. How can you be judged equally?

Another example. Often, young mothers are upset when they hear that someone's baby spoke earlier or went, began to draw, count, and everything like that. And only a few people know that all children are different: which of them and when will start doing something for the first time depends on individual characteristics.

With the same height, people have different weights, physiques, foot sizes, etc. We are all somehow different from each other, so you cannot row one size fits all.

Initially, a small child imitates adults in order to "join" the general mass of people - to socialize. At the same time, he can do this not only by his parents, but also by his own, peculiar ways. Becoming a person, the individual acquires his own individuality.

The first half of our lives we try to be like others, the second - to find our difference from them, to understand our personal purpose. We want to show ourselves in a special way, to make our unique contribution, to leave a mark on history.

From a psychological point of view, this is a very important point: an individual lifestyle gives a person a feeling having a personal meaning of one's existence.

How to develop your uniqueness

Do you want to be known as a bright personality? Well, then you need to know a thing or two. But at the same time, prepare for what will have to defend personal identity in front of people. Even though we all want to be different, we really don't like it when someone else is different and not us.

After all, if we are all different, then we are the same. Who, then, will be an ordinary person? (). Essentially, a demonstration of its feature - it's a challenge thrown to society. Echoes of the old "identical" times are still present in the heads of the older generation, and among young people there are especially "correct" ones.

Also, there are individuals who do not have enough spirit for their manifestations, so they in every possible way criticize this craving in others (neither themselves nor people). In general, no one canceled the public pressure.

If the first step is successfully completed and the decision to cultivate your self is made, then start work on yourself... And you thought everything would work out by itself somehow? No, you will have to deal with the definition of personality (if you suddenly do not know how it "looks").

How to do it? Here's how to develop your personality:

Listen to your inner voice, not the opinions of others... Act as you want, and not as "it is arranged, it should be, it should";
Develop your, which is in accordance with your inner world and external manifestations. Don't pretend - live what is inside. Are you angry? Tell. Do you wanna cry? Cry. Don't talk about what's not there - fake compliments, surprise, interest. Only broadcast to the world how you really feel. Or just keep quiet and do nothing. It is better than fictions to please others;
Be honest... This point, of course, can be combined with the previous one, and yet it deserves separate lines. Honesty with people, and most importantly, honesty with oneself are important phenomena. Sincerity and openness deprive a person of tension, fears. Gives liveliness, spontaneity and interest from the outside. Such people are admired, since not everyone dares to be himself;
Improve your personality... Everyone has drawbacks - this is a fact. But you can and should fight with them. The first step towards this is to discover your "roughness", to recognize them and accept them. Positive changes will begin only after that (as a psychologist, this is what I am telling you);
Train your inner firmness... Said no, it means no. Defend your opinion, views, decisions. Remove from the lexicon "uncertain" words such as "I think", "maybe", "probably", etc. Be direct about your desires and intentions. Instead of "I probably won't go to the store with you," say "I won't go to the store with you." It seems that the meaning is the same, but it sounds different;
Practice variable thinking, individuality does not think in a formulaic way. To do this, brainstorm yourself every time a situation happens: come up with 7-10 options for its development. This practice helps to expand consciousness, be more flexible and adaptive.

Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the blog site

See what "individuality" is in other dictionaries:

INDIVIDUALITY- the unique originality of K.L. phenomena, dep. a creature, a person. In the most general terms, I. as special, characterizing a given singularity in its qualities. differences, contrasted with the typical (see Type) as common, inherent in all ... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

INDIVIDUALITY- (from Lat. individuum an indivisible whole). Distinctive features of an individual creature that distinguish it from other individuals of its species. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov AN, 1910. INDIVIDUALITY is the whole sum of qualities and ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

individuality- See personal ... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and expressions similar in meaning. under. ed. N. Abramova, M .: Russian dictionaries, 1999. individuality person, personal, non-standard, uniqueness, originality, personality, individuality, non-traditionalness ... Synonym dictionary

individuality- and, w. individualité f. 1. Features, distinctive features inherent in an individual person. ALS 1. He Levkoev could talk about everything coherently and thoroughly, but as soon as the speech, even slightly and in passing, touched philosophy, as his head rose up ... ... Historical Dictionary of Russian Gallicisms

INDIVIDUALITY- INDIVIDUALITY, individuality, wives. (book). 1.units only. distract. noun to individual. Individuality of qualities. 2. A set of characteristic individual characteristics and properties that distinguish one individual from another. He is a man at all ... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

INDIVIDUALITY- INDIVIDUALITY, unique originality of any phenomenon, person; the opposite of the general, the typical, in the social psychology of the collective (group) ... Modern encyclopedia

INDIVIDUALITY- the unique originality of any phenomenon, individual being, person; the opposite of the general, the typical, in the social psychology of the collective (group). As a philosophical concept was developed in the teachings of the atom (individual), monad ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Individuality- (from Latin indiduum, indivisible, individual) a concept denoting in experimental psychology a unique set of more or less standard psychological qualities inherent in an individual ... Psychological Dictionary

Sometimes they say about a person: "He (she) is a big individual." Usually, these words mean that such a person is somehow different from the rest. But is it good or bad? And is it so nice to be this very “big personality”? But this concept is not only everyday. Individuality is also a psychological term. At the same time, its interpretation is quite interesting.

How we understand individuality in everyday life

In the broadest sense of the word, individuality is what distinguishes a phenomenon or creature from others like it. Of course, it is possible, and moreover - it is necessary, to use this term in relation to a person.

We use the concept of "individuality" when we want to say that each person is a unique person. No two people are alike, and each of us thinks, feels and lives in his own way. And this is completely normal.

And what do Western psychologists say about this?

In Western classical psychology, the concept of "individuality" is inextricably linked with the name of Alfred Adler. By the way, his teaching is called that - individual psychology. The theory is based on the idea of the so-called "inferiority complex", which all people try to overcome. And they do it in different ways, using individual styles of activity.

It was the work of Alfred Adler that became the starting point from which the study of the phenomenon of individuality by psychologists began. Interestingly, this term is not always used. Sometimes they talk about cognitive styles or personality constructs, but they still mean the term "personality".

This phenomenon has been studied not only in the West; eminent Russian researchers have also made a great contribution to psychological science.

The concept of human individuality in Russian psychology

The famous Soviet psychologist Boris Gerasimovich Ananiev was probably the most thoroughly studied individuality. In his works, the personality of a person was considered not as any of its characteristic features, and not even as a combination of these features. Man, according to B.G. Ananyev, is an integral structure.

Accordingly, personality is not a simple accumulation of character traits or other properties. Everything is much more complicated. Individuality is a person, this is the very holistic and organic structure, what we call a personality.

B.G. Ananyev considered the individuality of a person through the prism of several groups of important qualities. These are his physical properties, for example, height and weight, and psychological (the same character and temperament), and activity, that is, the characteristics of his performance of various kinds of work.

However, personality is not so simple. In fact, it is of great practical importance for psychology, and therefore its research has been carried out for more than one decade. In Russian psychology, the problem of human individuality is even singled out, the study of which continues to this day.

On the problem of individuality in psychology

Why is it so important to study this psychological phenomenon? It would seem that everything is clear and clear: people are different, each of them is a person. Then what's the problem?

The fact is that not only psychology, but also any science about a person, analyzing any experimental data, for example, reading speed, collides with individual expressions of a trait in a person. The same height and weight are different, but their fluctuation is within a certain border of the norm, unless, of course, we take into account the cases of gigantism and dwarfism.

This means that any scientist who undertakes an experiment must take into account the individuality of each of his subjects. And in a study, the results will be the sum of the distinguishing characteristics of different people.

But individuality is not a static concept. With age, one subject may change certain indicators identified in the tests. For example, a fifth grader always reads faster than a second grader. It turns out that human abilities do not remain static, unchanged, they develop. And in the same way, individuality itself develops.

A few words about personality development

If a person has individuality, then he is a person. The personality develops in virtually the same way as its distinctive features: the intellect, the motivational sphere, the preferred style of activity are formed. And this process is consistent.

The development of individuality begins in early childhood, when the child interacts with his parents, learns the world around him. Then the child begins to communicate more with his peers in the children's team, and even later - goes to school and interacts with educators and teachers. And all these social relations contribute to the fact that the child becomes a person, and at the same time acquires a difference from other people.

It turns out that the concept of individuality is inseparable from the concept of personality. But these words are not synonymous. In Russian psychology, special attention is paid to the correct interpretation of such words as "personality", "individual" and "individuality".

Psychological triad: "personality - individual - individuality"

How do these concepts differ?

Let's start with the definition of the word "individual". The individual is a separate member of the human race. This concept is used not only in psychology, but also in biology and many other sciences. When the word "individual" is used, most often it means the biological characteristics of a person, such as height, weight, eye color, and his psychological qualities.

Personality is a rather ambiguous concept. When in everyday life we say about a person that he is an interesting person, we most likely mean the totality of his inner qualities and the peculiarities of his worldview. Psychologists, on the other hand, define personality as a system of internal qualities through which a person perceives reality, or as a kind of connecting link for all mental processes, or as a set of social roles.

In addition, sometimes a person is understood as some lofty moral qualities of a person, his nobility. In this case, in writing, the sublime meaning is conveyed through the use of the capital letter - Personality.

Individuality, as we already know, is a set of unique human properties. This is what distinguishes one person from another.

Thus, in the triad "personality - individual - individuality" there is an interconnection of all concepts. But they are not equal to each other.

Still, it's good to be an individual

From a psychological point of view, this is undoubtedly true. A person with a pronounced individuality is independent. He does not depend on the opinion of the majority, has his own view of the world, his own attitude to reality. In addition, he has a developed motivational sphere. That is, such a person always knows what he wants to achieve in life, and, moreover, he does everything to achieve his goal.

Thus, we can conclude that a person with individuality is a mature person.

However, the everyday understanding of a scientific term sometimes plays a special role, and then a different meaning is attributed to this concept. For example, they talk about individuality, referring to any media personality. However, on TV screens, as a rule, we see an image carefully thought out by professional image makers. Can we say, for example, about a child who has become a “star”, that he is an individual? After all, he actually cannot be considered a mature person.

They also talk about individuality in those cases when a person tries to stand out from the crowd and does everything in order to have a bright appearance. But such a person will not always be a mature person, because the reasons that made him become noticeable are not always obvious or are announced honestly. Sometimes such a "bright personality" has a heavy burden of psychological problems.

In conclusion

Human individuality is a multifaceted concept. It is used both in everyday life and in psychology; it is of great theoretical and practical importance for science. And yet the word "individuality" carries a positive emotional charge. And, probably, each of us strives to find it - individuality.

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