The problem that will be discussed in this lecture has occupied humanity for more than 25 centuries. Interest in it is associated with the evidence of individual differences between people. The psyche of each person is unique. Its uniqueness is associated both with the peculiarities of the biological and physiological structure and development of the body, and with a one-of-a-kind composition social connections and contacts. The biologically determined substructures of personality include, first of all, temperament. When they talk about temperament, they mean many mental differences between people - differences in depth, intensity, stability of emotions, emotional sensitivity, pace, energy of actions and other dynamic, individually stable features of mental life, behavior and activity. However, temperament today remains a largely controversial and unresolved problem. However, with all the diversity of approaches to the problem, scientists and practitioners admit that temperament- the biological foundation on which the personality is formed as a social being. Temperament reflects the dynamic aspects of behavior, predominantly of an innate nature, therefore the properties of temperament are the most stable and constant compared to others mental characteristics person. Most specific feature temperament is that the various properties of temperament this person not accidentally combined with each other, but naturally connected with each other, forming certain organization, characterizing 3 temperaments.
So, under temperament one should understand the individually unique properties of the psyche that determine the dynamics of a person’s mental activity, which, equally manifested in a variety of activities regardless of its content, goals, motives, remain constant in adulthood and in interconnection characterize the type of temperament.
Before we look at various types and characteristics of temperament, it should immediately be noted that there are no better or worse temperaments - each of them has its own positive sides, and therefore the main efforts should not be aimed at correcting it, but at the reasonable use of its advantages in specific activities. Man has long made attempts to identify and understand the typical features of mental makeup different people, trying to reduce all their diversity to a small number of generalized portraits. Since ancient times, such generalized portraits have been called types of temperaments. Typologies of this kind were practically useful, since with their help it was possible to predict the behavior of people with a certain temperament in specific life situations.
Typologies of temperament
The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (VXVIII century BC) is considered the creator of the doctrine of temperaments. He argued that people differ in the ratio of the 4 main “body juices” - blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile - that make up its composition. Based on his teachings, the most famous physician of antiquity after Hippocrates, Claudius Galen (II century BC), developed the first typology of temperaments, which he outlined in the famous treatise “De temperamentum” (Latin “proportionality”, “correct measure”) . According to his teaching the type of temperament depends on the predominance of one of the juices in the body. They identified temperaments that are still widely known today: sanguine(from Latin sanguis - blood), phlegmatic(from Greek phlegma - phlegm), choleric(from Greek chole - bile), melancholic(from the Greek melas chole - black bile). This fantastic concept has had a huge influence on scientists for many centuries.
A variety of typologies of temperaments emerged. Of greatest interest are those in which the properties of temperament, understood as hereditary or innate, were associated with individual differences in physique characteristics. These typologies are called constitutional typologies. Among them are the typologies of E. Kretschmer, W. Sheldon and others.
In psychological science, most constitutional concepts have become the object of sharp criticism. The main disadvantage of such theories is that they underestimate, and sometimes simply openly ignore, the role of the environment and social conditions in the formation of the psychological properties of an individual.
In fact, the dependence of the course of mental processes and human behavior on the functioning of nervous system, performing a dominant and controlling role in the body. Theory of connection of some general properties nervous processes with types of temperament was proposed by I.P. Pavlov and was developed in the works of his followers.
I. P. Pavlov understood the type of nervous system as innate, relatively weakly susceptible to changes under the influence of environment and upbringing. According to I.P. Pavlov, the properties of the nervous system form the physiological basis of temperament, which is a mental manifestation general type nervous system. I. P. Pavlov proposed to extend the types of nervous system established in animal studies to humans.
Each person has a very specific type of nervous system, the manifestations of which, i.e. characteristics of temperament make up important aspect individual psychological differences. Specific manifestations of the type of temperament are diverse. They are not only noticeable in the external behavior, but seem to permeate all aspects of the psyche, significantly manifesting themselves in cognitive activity, the sphere of feelings, motives and actions of a person, as well as in the nature of mental work, characteristics of speech, etc.
To compile the psychological characteristics of the traditional 4 types, the following basic properties of temperament are usually distinguished:Sensitivity is determined by the minimum force of external influences necessary for the occurrence of any psychological reaction.
Reactivity characterized by the degree of involuntary reactions to external or internal influences of equal strength (a critical remark, an offensive word, a harsh tone - even sound).
Activity indicates how intensely (energetically) a person influences the outside world and overcomes obstacles in achieving goals (perseverance, focus, concentration).
Relationship between reactivity and activity determines on what a person’s activity depends to a greater extent: on random external or internal circumstances (moods, random events) or on goals, intentions, beliefs.
Plasticity and rigidity indicate how easily and flexibly a person adapts to external influences (plasticity) or how inert and skeletal his behavior is.
Rate of reactions characterizes the speed of various mental reactions and processes, the pace of speech, the dynamics of gestures, and the speed of the mind.
Extroversion, introversion determines on what a person’s reactions and activities primarily depend - on external impressions arising at the moment (extrovert), or on images, ideas and thoughts associated with the past and future (introvert).
Emotional excitability characterized by how weak an impact is necessary for the occurrence of an emotional reaction and with what speed it occurs.
Taking into account all the listed properties, Ya. Strelyau gives the following psychological characteristics main classical types of temperament:
Sanguine
A person with increased reactivity, but at the same time his activity and reactivity are balanced. He responds vividly, excitedly to everything that attracts his attention, has lively facial expressions and expressive movements. He laughs loudly for a minor reason, but an insignificant fact can make him very angry. From his face it is easy to guess his mood, attitude towards an object or person. He has a high sensitivity threshold, so he does not notice very weak sounds and light stimuli. Having increased activity, and being very energetic and efficient, he actively takes on new work and can work for a long time without getting tired. He is able to concentrate quickly, is disciplined, and, if desired, can restrain the manifestation of his feelings and involuntary reactions. He is characterized by quick movements, mental flexibility, resourcefulness, a fast pace of speech, and quick integration into new work. High plasticity is manifested in the variability of feelings, moods, interests, and aspirations. A sanguine person easily gets along with new people and quickly gets used to new requirements and surroundings. Without effort, he not only switches from one job to another, but also responds to a greater extent to external impressions than to subjective images and ideas about the past and future, an extrovert.
Choleric
Like a sanguine person, he is characterized by low sensitivity, high reactivity and activity. But in a choleric person, reactivity clearly prevails over activity, so he is unbridled, unrestrained, impatient, and quick-tempered. He is less plastic and more inert than a sanguine person. Hence - greater stability of aspirations and interests, greater perseverance, difficulties in switching attention are possible, he is more of an extrovert.
Phlegmatic person
The phlegmatic person has high activity, which significantly prevails over low reactivity, low sensitivity and emotionality. It is difficult to make him laugh and sadden - when people laugh loudly around him, he can remain calm. In big troubles he remains calm. Usually he has poor facial expressions, his movements are not expressive and are slow, as is his speech. He is not resourceful, has difficulty switching attention and adapting to a new environment, and slowly rebuilds skills and habits. At the same time, he is energetic and efficient. Characterized by patience, endurance, self-control. As a rule, he has difficulty meeting new people, responds poorly to external impressions, and is an introvert.
Melancholic
A person with high sensitivity and low reactivity. Increased sensitivity with great inertia leads to the fact that an insignificant reason can cause him to cry, he is overly touchy, painfully sensitive. His facial expressions and movements are inexpressive, his voice is quiet, his movements are poor. Usually he is unsure of himself, timid, the slightest difficulty makes him give up. A melancholic person is unenergetic and unstable, gets tired easily and has little capacity for work. It is characterized by easily distracted and unstable attention, and a slow pace of all mental processes. Most melancholic people are introverts.
Temperament and activity
A person’s work productivity is closely related to the characteristics of his temperament. Thus, the special mobility (reactivity) of a sanguine person can bring an additional effect if the work requires a change in objects of communication or occupation. A false impression may be created that inert people do not have advantages in any type of activity, but this is not true: it is they who carry out slow and smooth movements especially easily. For psychological and pedagogical influence, it is necessary to take into account the possible type of human temperament. Advice from R. M. Granovskaya: it is useful to monitor the activities of a choleric person as often as possible; when working with him, harshness and lack of restraint are unacceptable, as they can cause a negative response. At the same time, any of his actions must be strictly and fairly assessed. At the same time, negative assessments are necessary only in a very vigorous form and as often as required to improve the results of his work or study. A sanguine person should be constantly given new, if possible interesting, tasks that require concentration and tension from him.
Phlegmatic need to be involved in active activities and interested. It requires systematic attention. It cannot be quickly switched from one task to another. In relation to a melancholic person, not only harshness and rudeness are unacceptable, but also simply a raised tone and irony. It is better to talk to him alone about the action committed by a melancholic person. He requires special attention; he should be praised in time for his demonstrated success, determination and will. Negative evaluation should be used as carefully as possible, mitigating its negative impact in every possible way. Melancholic- the most sensitive and vulnerable type. You have to be extremely soft and friendly with him.
It can be considered already firmly established that a person’s type of temperament is innate; what specific properties of his innate organization it depends on has not yet been fully clarified. Innate characteristics of temperament are manifested in a person in such mental processes that depend on upbringing, social environment and the ability to control one’s reactions. Therefore, a specific reaction to a situation can be determined by both the influence characteristic differences nervous system and as a result of training and professional experience. However, the limits of possible development are determined by the innate properties of the nervous system. Professional selection helps to identify applicants with the most suitable for a given specialty.
Four types of temperament
Temperament (lat. Temperamentum- proper correlation of parts) is a stable combination of individual personality characteristics associated with dynamic rather than substantive aspects of activity. Temperament is the basis of character development; in general, from a physiological point of view temperament - type of higher nervous activity person.
Temperament is an individually unique property of the psyche that reflects the dynamics of a person’s mental activity and manifests itself regardless of its goals, motives and content. Temperament changes little throughout life, and, in fact, it is not even the temperament that changes, but the psyche, and the temperament is always stable.
Four temperaments in the form of visual emoticons (phlegmatic, choleric, sanguine, melancholic) are shown in Fig. 7.
The magic of numbers in the Mediterranean civilization led to the doctrine of four temperaments, while in the East a five-component “world system” developed. The word “temperament” and the Greek word “krasis” (Greek hraots; “merging, mixing”), which is equal in meaning, were introduced by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. By temperament he understood both the anatomical, physiological, and individual psychological characteristics of a person. Hippocrates, and then Galen, explained temperament, as behavioral characteristics, by the predominance in the body of one of the “vital juices” (four elements):
- the predominance of yellow bile (“bile, poison”) makes a person impulsive, “hot” - choleric;
- the predominance of lymph (“phlegm”) makes a person calm and slow - phlegmatic;
- the predominance of blood (“blood”) makes a person active and cheerful - sanguine;
- the predominance of black bile (“black bile”) makes a person sad and fearful - melancholic.
Rice. 7. Four temperaments
This system still has a profound influence on literature, art and science.
A truly turning point in the history of the natural scientific study of temperaments was the teaching of I.P. Pavlova about the types of the nervous system (types of higher nervous activity) common to humans and higher mammals. I.P. Pavlov proved that the physiological basis of temperament is the type of higher nervous activity, determined by the relationship between the basic properties of the nervous system: strength, balance and mobility of the processes of excitation and inhibition occurring in the nervous system. The type of nervous system is determined by the genotype, i.e. hereditary type. I.P. Pavlov identified four clearly defined types of the nervous system, i.e. certain complexes of basic properties of nervous processes.
The weak type is characterized by weakness of both excitatory and inhibitory processes - melancholic.
The strong unbalanced type is characterized by a strong irritability process and a relatively strong inhibition process - choleric, “uncontrollable” type.
A strong, balanced, mobile type is a sanguine person, a “living” type.
Strong, balanced, but with inert nervous processes - phlegmatic, “calm” type.
Strength is the ability of nerve cells to maintain normal performance under significant stress in the processes of excitation and inhibition, the ability of the central nervous system to perform certain work without the need to restore its resources. A strong nervous system is able to withstand a heavy load for a long time and, conversely, a weak nervous system cannot withstand a large and long-term load. It is believed that people with a stronger nervous system are more resilient and more resistant to stress. The power of the nervous system to excite is manifested in the fact that it is relatively easy for a person to work in unfavorable conditions, a short rest is enough for him to recuperate after tiring work, he is able to work intensively, does not get lost in an unusual environment, and is persistent. The power of the nervous system to inhibit is manifested in a person’s ability to restrain his activity, for example, not to talk, to show calmness, self-control, to be restrained and patient.
The balance of nervous processes reflects the ratio, balance of excitation and inhibition. In this case, balance means the same expression of nervous processes.
The mobility of the nervous system is expressed in the ability to quickly move from one process to another, from one activity to another. Persons with a more mobile nervous system are characterized by flexible behavior and adapt more quickly to new conditions.
Describing the characteristics of different temperaments can help to understand the traits of a person’s temperament if they are clearly expressed, but people with clearly expressed traits of a certain temperament are not very common; most often people have mixed temperament in various combinations. Although, of course, the predominance of traits of a particular type of temperament makes it possible to classify a person’s temperament as one or another type.
Temperament and human abilities
A person with any type of temperament can be capable or incapable - the type of temperament does not affect a person’s abilities, it’s just that some life tasks are easier to solve by a person of one type of temperament, others - by another. The following depend on a person’s temperament:
- the speed of occurrence of mental processes (for example, speed of perception, speed of thinking, duration of concentration, etc.);
- plasticity and stability of mental phenomena, ease of their change and switching;
- pace and rhythm of activity;
- intensity of mental processes (for example, strength of emotions, activity of will):
- the focus of mental activity on certain objects(extroversion or introversion).
From the point of view of psychologists, four temperaments - just one of the possible systems for assessing psychological characteristics(there are others, for example, “introversion - extraversion”). Descriptions of temperaments vary quite widely among different psychologists and appear to include a fairly large number of factors.
Attempts have been made to provide a scientific and experimental basis for the theory of temperaments (I.P. Pavlov, G.Yu. Eysenck, B.M. Teplov, etc.), however, the results obtained by these researchers are only partially compatible with each other. Of interest is the study by T.A. Blyumina (1996), in which she attempted to compare the theory of temperaments with all psychological typologies known at that time (more than 100), including from the point of view of methods for determining these types.
In general, the classification by temperament does not meet modern requirements for factor analysis personality and at the moment is interesting rather from a historical point of view.
Modern science sees in the doctrine of temperaments an echo of the ancient classification of four types of mental response in combination with intuitively noticed types of physiological and biochemical reactions of the individual.
Currently, the concept of four temperaments is supported by the concepts of “inhibition” and “excitation” of the nervous system. The ratio of “high” and “low” levels for each of these two independent parameters gives a certain individual characteristic of a person, and, as a result. - a formal definition of each of the four temperaments. On emoticons (see Fig. 7) you can interpret a smile; as the ease of inhibition processes, and frowning eyebrows - as a manifestation of the ease of excitation.
The work of scientists on the human genome creates conditions for revealing the functions of human genes that determine temperament through hormones (serotonin, melatonin, dopamine) and other biochemical mediators. Biochemistry and genetics make it possible to establish and formalize the psychological phenotypes of people, noticed even by doctors of antiquity.
The original concept of temperament is presented in the books by Y. Feldman “The Theory of Levels and the Model of Man” (2005) and “The Philosopher on the Beach” (2009). They consider the situation of “a person in a stream of similar tasks.” It turns out that a person is involved in the solution gradually, the number of errors and the time to solve one problem gradually decreases. Then they say that “performance is increasing” or “heating is increasing.” Then a maximum occurs (plateau), then the warming up drops to zero (refusal of the decision, rest). It is believed that for each person such a curve is repeated periodically; this is his individual characteristic. If randomly selected people are placed in the same task flow, their warm-up curves will fall into four groups. These four types of warm-up curves correspond exactly to the four temperaments:
- rapid rise - high and short plateau - rapid decline (choleric);
- moderately fast rise - moderately high and short plateau - moderately fast decline (sanguine);
- slow rise - low and long plateau - slow decline (phlegmatic);
- a very slow rise - a high surge in the middle and a return to a low point - and then a slow decline to zero (melancholic).
So, temperament is the most general formal-dynamic characteristic of individual human behavior.
Temperament is individual characteristics the personality of each person. The behavior of each of us from birth and our attitude towards the world around us depends on it. To ensure success in any activity and reduce the likelihood of conflict situations, you need to take into account the peculiarities of the temperaments of the people around you and your own.
What is temperament?
Each person has individual psychophysiological properties. They are there from birth and are very stable. The combination of these properties is called temperament, and it is on them that the dynamic characteristics of mental processes and human states depend.
Features of temperament do not in any way affect a person’s cognitive abilities or his moral qualities. But they must be taken into account when choosing an activity - for example, people with slow reactions will not find it easy to operate mechanisms at high speed, but they will ideally cope with work that requires concentration and perseverance.
It is worth noting once again that these properties are precisely psychophysical. This is part of human physiology. Not only a person’s behavior and character, but also his energy, performance, pace and speed of completing tasks, ease of changing forms of activity and general emotional background depend on temperament. These differences can be noticed even in newborns: some children are more active, scream more often, sleep less, while others, even during periods of wakefulness, can lie quietly, looking at toys.
Differences between temperament and character
| Temperament | Character |
| Genetically primary | Lifetime education |
| Manifests itself in all areas of life | Associated with certain situations |
| Appears early | Formed later under the influence of upbringing |
| Associated with the characteristics of the nervous system | Associated with social situations |
| Amotivated (does not determine attitude towards the world) | Expresses attitude towards the world |
| Affects the formation of character, since character traits arise when temperament is sufficiently developed | Affects temperament |
| Shows up more clearly in difficult situations | Appears in typical situations |
What types are there?
Scientists distinguish four main types of temperament. When determining them, the dynamic characteristics of mental activity are taken into account: for example, its pace and rhythm, sharpness, intensity and amplitude. No less important are indicators of a person’s emotionality - impressionability or sensitivity to various kinds of influences, the speed with which emotions cause actions and end, the pace of their change, strength and depth. This allows all people to be divided into four groups according to their temperament type:
- sanguine people,
- phlegmatic,
- choleric people,
- melancholic people.
Usually, special tests are carried out to determine the type of temperament. But sometimes, knowing a person well, this can be determined “by eye”, taking into account only the main characteristics of different types.
Sanguine
Owners of this type of temperament have a strong and dynamic, and at the same time very balanced nervous system, characterized by high degree extraversion. Most sanguine people are energetic, active and sociable people. They quickly react to external stimuli, but their experiences are not very deep. They easily cope with losses and failures, simply without dwelling on them.
Most of all, sanguine people are afraid of going crazy and losing their normal, measured and stable mental existence.
Such people love new experiences, sometimes even to the point of reason. They are very resistant to the emotion of fear, but at the same time they often suffer from banal phobias - for example, acrophobia or claustrophobia. People with this type of temperament love to be around people. They are depressed by loneliness, but in company they often joke and laugh and are the center of attention. They are excellent organizers and leaders, but sometimes they can be superficial.
Phlegmatic person
Phlegmatic temperament is characterized by the balance of all nervous processes and introversion. Its owners usually have a strong nervous system, are characterized by composure and some inertia. Such people can be slow, but at the same time they are thorough and calm. Phlegmatic people are not prone to violent reactions and strong emotional experiences. They are rarely afraid of anything, but at the same time they have difficulty adapting to a new environment, so they may feel anxious and depressed.
A phlegmatic temperament often makes its owner subordinate. Such people do not like conflicts; it is easier for them to agree with their interlocutor, so they are easily persuaded and more often become followers than leaders. Phlegmatic people are usually sensitive and understand others well, so they are careful about their feelings. They are indecisive, yet sweet and charming. With the correct and clear formulation of the task, they can become ideal performers, but not leaders. In the absence of stimulus, phlegmatic people can be passive, boring, lazy and weak-willed.
Choleric
People with this type of temperament have a stable nervous system. In them, the processes of excitation greatly predominate over inhibition, so their movements are sharp and impetuous, all their thoughts flow quickly, and their feelings are completely captivating. Cholerics are extroverts, very sociable, open to emotions, but their mood can change too quickly. Usually their experiences are not too deep, so the owners of this temperament cope with difficulties easily. Their main problem is the inability to restrain themselves.
Choleric people are born leaders. They easily captivate people and enjoy it. They love to argue, but not to find the truth, but simply to prove that they are right and again find themselves above everyone else. People with this temperament are quick-tempered and often suffer from bouts of rage, but at the same time they quickly move away and forget the insults. In order to save face, they are able to blame others for their mistakes.
With the right motivation, a choleric person can be very proactive, inventive, energetic and principled. The lack of upbringing and positive goals in life makes him irritable, prone to affect and loss of self-control.
Melancholic
People with a melancholic temperament have a weak nervous system. Most of them are emotionally unstable introverts. This is often accompanied by autonomic disorders and panic attacks. Inhibition processes prevail over excitation in them.
Melancholic people usually look calm and outwardly react sluggishly to stimuli, but at the same time they react very sharply to any shades of feelings. The emotional experiences of such a person are always very deep and last for a long time. People with this type of temperament often suffer from depression and invent frightening situations for themselves, which leads to depression and blues.
Melancholic people are prone to creative activities and often engage in science. Their constant desire for improvement and perseverance in achieving goals, calm nature and non-conflict nature make them excellent employees. But only in small companies, where you don’t have to constantly be in sight and communicate with someone. Conditions that require quick decisions and activity can cause prolonged inhibitory reactions in them. Simply put, such a person will give up and stop any activity.
What does temperament depend on?
As we have already said, temperament is an innate characteristic of a person. It is believed that it is genetically determined, but there is no strong evidence of this today. In addition, it was noted that some factors may influence it.
- Climatic conditions. Probably everyone has noticed that southerners more often have an explosive choleric temperament than residents of northern countries.
- Lifestyle. Lack of sleep and poor diet, night work and alcohol abuse can make noticeable adjustments.
- Age. Gradually, a person's hormonal levels change. For example, a decrease in testosterone levels, which occurs over the years, leads to a decrease in energy, aggressiveness, and weakening leadership qualities.
In addition, there is a theory that temperament may depend on the time of year when a person was born. Researchers have noticed that those born in the summer are more likely to experience rapid mood swings, those born in the spring are more positive, and “winter people” are less irritable, but are prone to depression. Unfortunately, there is no scientific confirmation of this fact, as well as an explanation.
Is there a dependence on blood type?
The idea of linking temperament with blood type is not new and has been haunting scientists for a long time. There is a lot of research on this topic. The most popular theory is based on the assertion that all blood groups have different origins and did not appear on Earth at the same time. That is why their owners have different temperaments, must eat certain foods and choose the appropriate type of activity.
- The most ancient, according to this theory, is the first blood group. It belonged to ancient hunters who constantly fought for survival. According to researchers, these people are born leaders and optimists, have a strong will and always try to manage all processes.
- The second blood group appeared when people united into tribes and began farming. At this stage, connections between people became closer, and norms of behavior became stricter. People with the second group inherited a more stable nervous system from their ancestors. They are calm, patient and diligent. These are extroverts who make contact easily. At the same time, they can be stubborn and conservative, sometimes they do not tolerate stress well and do not know how to relax.
- The third group was formed among the nomads. They needed to constantly adapt to new conditions, so the descendants of these people also have high stress resistance and sensitivity. These are creative and inventive individualists who often hide a tremulous soul behind external calm.
- The fourth group is the youngest. It was formed in the process of mixing the second and third. Its owners are kind and calm people, pleasant and sociable. But at the same time, they often live for today and do not think about the consequences.
The creators of this theory were unable to somehow correlate blood groups with specific types of temperament. It also turned out to be impossible to prove, so for scientific world this is nothing more than an interesting fairy tale.
Is it possible to change temperament?
You can often hear from people that they don’t like their temperament and would like to change it for the better. But this innate quality, which is not so easy to change. You need to understand that temperament cannot be good or bad, each of them has its own strengths and weak sides, and they need to be identified and used correctly.
Those who want to change their temperament should think about why they should do it. For example, a melancholic person envies his choleric director and wants to become just as successful and active. He can overcome himself and begin to move, talk and act more energetically. He might even be able to convince everyone that he is a strong leader and become a director. But will this make him happier? Hardly. From such stress and constant communication, a concentrated melancholic introvert, who is used to achieving the ideal result in everything, will simply burn out emotionally.
You need to understand that it is possible to learn to act like someone with a different temperament, but changing your essence is not. It would be much more correct to study your characteristics and strengths and try to organize your life so that you don’t want to change anything.
Temperament is an important innate psychophysiological characteristic of a person. In many ways, the character and behavior of a person depends on it. It is impossible to change it or somehow program it before birth. But it is very important to consider temperament when choosing an activity.
How can we explain that one person is more active, another is inert, one has a higher performance capacity - especially in extreme cases, and another has fear and uncertainty under such conditions? This depends on the dynamic characteristics of the psyche. An individually unique, naturally determined set of dynamic manifestations of the psyche is called human temperament. Since the time of Hippocrates, scientists have divided people into four types by temperament: choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and melancholic, since these natural characteristics of a person were manifested in thinking, in emotional sphere and, most importantly, in behavior. Depending on how long a person is able to be in an active state, how quickly he can switch from one activity to another, whether he easily moves from wakefulness to sleep and vice versa, one or another type of his nervous system is distinguished. IN scientific publications they have the corresponding names "strength - weakness of the nervous system", "mobility - inertia", "balance - imbalance". In the middle of the 20th century, the interest of scientists and practitioners in the types of temperament awakened with renewed vigor, which made it possible to clarify and expand ideas about the basic properties of the nervous system. systems. Thus, scientists from the school of B. M. Teplov - V. D. Nebylitsin discovered that the strength of the human nervous system as its performance has not only positive, but also negative aspects. Therefore, in those with a weak type of nervous system, low performance is compensated by an increase in sensitivity, which allows them to more sensitively perceive changes in the surrounding reality. This once again testifies to the wisdom of nature, where everything is balanced. Therefore, one cannot talk about “bad and good” temperaments; we can only talk about the existence different ways behavior and activity. Science has established that each of the four types of temperament is based on special combinations of properties of the nervous system: a choleric person has a strong nervous system, he easily switches from one to another, but his unrestrained behavior, that is, the imbalance of the nervous system, reduces his livability (in other words, compatibility) with other people; A sanguine person also has a strong nervous system, and therefore good performance, he easily moves on to other activities, to communicating with other people, and in addition to all this, he has balance in behavior, which, it would seem, makes him an ideal type of person. But unlike choleric and phlegmatic people, he is not sensitive enough to all external changes in circumstances, to other people; A phlegmatic person, like a choleric person and a sanguine person, has a strong, efficient nervous system, but it is extremely difficult for him to get involved in other work, it is difficult to lead him astray from the intended path; a melancholic person from the point of view of strength - the efficiency of the nervous system - is the most “unwinning” type of temperament, but he easily switches from one thing to another; unlike all “strong types”, he has hypersensitivity to everything that happens around him. Sensitivity to others makes melancholic people universally agreeable (compatible) with other people. And now about the temperament and properties of the human nervous system in more detail. Temperament is based on various types of higher nervous activity. They were identified by I.P. Pavlov. He discovered three properties of the processes of excitation and inhibition: the strength of the processes, their balance and mobility. Various combinations of these properties give a certain type of nervous system. I. P. Pavlov’s subsequent correlation of the identified types of the nervous system with the well-known Hippocratic classification of temperaments showed the following: strong, balanced, mobile type - sanguine temperament (from the Latin “sanguis” - blood); strong, balanced, inert - phlegmatic temperament (from the Greek “phlegm” - mucus); strong, unbalanced, with a predominance of excitement - choleric temperament (from the Greek “chole” - red-yellow bile); weak type - melancholic temperament (from the Greek “melas chole” - black bile). Thus, temperament is a type of nervous system, manifested in human activity and behavior. The type of nervous system is its innate property, which, however, can change somewhat under the influence of living conditions. To classify a person as a certain temperament, one must be convinced of one or another expression of his traits, such as activity, emotionality, and determine the characteristics of his motor skills. Let us consider in more detail the descriptions of various types of temperaments. A sanguine person is emotional and has a good working capacity, but his motives are unstable, attention is unstable. He quickly navigates an unfamiliar environment, is proactive, joins a team in a short time, adapts well, and experiences failures relatively easily. At the same time, he tends to “skim the surface,” avoid difficulties, and rush to make decisions. It is necessary to include him in active work - both in production and in public, to set new tasks for him, while paying special attention to monitoring the quality of work. A phlegmatic person is calm even in the most difficult situations, unperturbed, stable in his aspirations and moods. Adheres to the established routine, strives for a system, is unhurried, thorough. At the same time, he is inert, slowly switches from one job to another. Choleric is characterized by quick actions and decisions, rapid mood changes, emotional temper, and increased irritability. In relationships he is often too harsh and straightforward in his assessments. He is often quarrelsome and does not know how to restrain himself. However, he takes initiative, has influence on others, and quickly moves from one thing to another. He likes to be the center of attention. A melancholic person gets tired quickly, is not confident in himself, is anxious, but he is a sensitive, cautious, prudent person. Characterized, as a rule, by isolation, unsociability, and slow reaction. He is prone to strong feelings about minor matters and is shy. In conditions of intensive production processes, his ability to work decreases. The formation of various production skills also has its own specifics depending on the type of nervous system. Thus, in sanguine people, motor skills are formed very quickly, although at first chaotic activity is observed through trial and error. The developed skills are durable and noise-resistant. In choleric people, the movements are sharp, tense, impetuous, and not always, especially at first, coordinated. Motor skills are more difficult to develop than in sanguine people. Extraneous interference significantly affects their activity, sometimes disrupting it completely. However, after training they approach the level of sanguine people. The movements of phlegmatic people are slow, but highly coordinated. Thanks to their accuracy and consistency, and in some cases, greater persistence, they largely compensate for their inertia, showing high labor productivity. Melancholic people are characterized by constrained, uncertain, chaotic movements. Their skills are difficult to develop and are easily inhibited. After exercise, they can reach a satisfactory level, but only in a familiar environment. Therefore, the work of a dispatcher, control panel operator, etc., full of surprises and complications, is contraindicated for them. The described features are largely manifested not only in motor, but also in other types of activities.
Every person is unique. Our psyche is multifaceted; we perceive the world around us in different ways. The perception of what is happening around depends on many factors, for example, upbringing, type of temperament, social experience. Let's look at what temperament is and its 4 main types.
Temperament: 4 types of human temperament
A person’s temperament can be called a kind of biological foundation on the basis of which the personality itself is formed. These are social properties of the psyche that determine the dynamics of mental activity, behavior and social adaptation of people.
Hippocrates is considered to be the founder of the doctrine of types of temperament. He argued that people are divided depending on the ratio of the four main substances of the body: black bile, yellow bile, phlegm and blood. Claudius Galen supported the idea of Hippocrates and wrote an entire scientific treatise called “Right Measure”. Claudius Galen identified four main types of human temperament. These are sanguine (blood), choleric (bile), phlegmatic (phlegm), melancholic (black bile).
Properties of temperament in psychology
Human temperament is based on a number of specific properties, such as:
Sensitivity. This is the degree of force of external influence necessary for a reaction to occur on the part of the psyche. Some people react calmly to external stimuli, others react violently;
Reactivity. The property of reactivity is determined by the level of involuntary reaction to internal or external influence (sharp sound, tone of voice);
Activity, relationship between activity and reactivity. These properties indicate how a person reacts to life difficulties. Is he ready to overcome various obstacles in life, to be focused, persistent, attentive;
Rigidity and plasticity. These properties of temperament can indicate how skillfully a person can adapt to external influences of the social environment;
Reactive Activity Rate. They characterize the speed of mental processes and reactions to external stimuli;
Introversion and extroversion. These properties depend on the speed of human reactions and the speed of solutions applied;
Emotional excitability. Characterizes the degree of external influence on a person in the form of manifestations of signs of emotional arousal;
Choleric - characteristics of temperament: pros and cons
Cholerics have a strong-willed character.
Type of nervous system: unbalanced, unrestrained, overly mobile.
A choleric person takes on any difficult task, no matter how difficult it is. Such people are excellent speakers, they are eloquent and convincing in almost any dispute.
Choleric people are not vindictive, they quickly forget grievances and cannot hold within themselves for a long time a feeling of anger towards the offender.
Cholerics are excellent leaders; they can organize people and make difficult decisions for them. In a critical situation, a choleric person is able to group, repel the enemy, and protect a weak person.
The choleric person is not restrained in his statements in relation to current events, and can sometimes become rude.
Cholerics have a certain tendency to dominate other people. Often people with such temperaments are prone to rapid mood changes and excessive gesticulation.
In the love sphere, the choleric person is quite jealous, and for him the loved one becomes a kind of property. People with this type of temperament quickly fall in love and become attached to another person. Sometimes choleric people in relationships are prone to anger and scandals.
Choleric children are quite capricious and are often the center of attention in the family. A child can use his emotions to achieve the desired result. Such children are often capricious, adolescence They are hyperactive and may be interested in sports or music, but they quickly become bored with their hobbies.
Disadvantages of a choleric person
The main disadvantages of a choleric person include:
- Excessive haste in your actions and actions;
- Cholerics are not patient;
- Excessive impulsiveness and imbalance;
- Excessive straightforwardness and harshness when communicating with other people;
- Aggression that occurs periodically;
Psychologists recommend that choleric people learn to work on themselves. This work should include the ability to control oneself in any conflict situations. Often choleric people make rash decisions and literally throw themselves into the pool headlong. The ten second tactic suits them, which means that before accepting important decision or expressing an opinion must be mentally counted to ten.
Sanguine person - characteristics: pros and cons of sanguine person
Sanguine people are cheerful and incorrigible optimists. These people cannot sit still, they need constant movement.
Sanguine people are very active, and this activity manifests itself in literally all areas of a sanguine person’s life. They love to be the center of attention, but unlike choleric people, they do not have the habits of dictators.
The peculiarity of the psychological behavior of sanguine people is characterized by a high degree of excitability.
Sanguine people know how to get along with people and find a compromise in any difficult life situations. They are resourceful and enterprising. A sanguine person can literally lead a crowd, because these people are excellent speakers who know how to convince others that they are right.
Hyperactivity does not give a sanguine person the right to sit still. He tries to make his life brighter and more interesting. Such people love to travel, discovering more and more new facets of the world around them. Many artists, musicians, and actors are sanguine.
Psychological feature of a sanguine person
If we talk about the psychological component of sanguine people, then in these people the degree of excitement in the central nervous system is quite high. On the contrary, the inhibition threshold is low, and therefore sanguine people perceive the world in a somewhat illusory way. But at the same time, memory functions are remarkably developed. Often sanguine people focus their memory only on what arouses their interest. They can remember funny incidents, but at the same time forget the birthdays of their friends. Sanguine people pay attention to noticeable details, such as bright clothes or the unusual hairstyle of their interlocutor.
The emotional background of sanguine people is quite diverse. These people are emotional and are not afraid to show their experiences to others. They often gesture when talking, and may hug or kiss when meeting. These emotions are completely sincere; a sanguine person wants to please people and receive the same reaction from them in return. Sanguine people are distinguished by unconventional thinking; they are constantly trying to learn something new, change their image or type of activity. Monotonous work and loneliness lead them to severe depression.
People with this type of temperament have a lot of friends. A sanguine person knows how to be friends, and always comes to a person’s aid in difficult situation. In personal relationships, sanguine people are sometimes flighty. An excessive thirst for communication prevents them from building a strong family.
The main disadvantages of sanguine people:
- Inconsistency in actions and deeds. A sanguine person often gets down to business, but rarely completes it; such people cannot work in monotonous work;
- Sanguine people often overestimate themselves and their capabilities;
- People with a similar temperament have mood swings, it is difficult for them to develop strong-willed qualities;
Phlegmatic - characteristics: pros and cons
A phlegmatic person is a balanced person who carefully thinks through his every step. Usually such people have an analytical mind and look at life around them soberly.
Phlegmatic people are quite lazy, often prefer not to be active and go with the flow. They are always calm and unperturbed. Even if they have experienced stress or an unpleasant life situation, they do not always show their temper.
It is difficult to anger a phlegmatic person; his nervous system is like a scale keeping balance. If it is difficult to bring him to simple emotions, then making him show activity or joy is even more difficult.
In other words, the phlegmatic type of human temperament is recognized as the most balanced and emotionally stable.
Phlegmatic people do not immediately make contact with people; they need time to assess the situation. Abrupt change the environment is like a tragedy for them and it is very difficult to bear. These people do not like active entertainment, they like cozy home furnishings, they often prefer to spend time alone with themselves.
In their work, phlegmatic people are painstaking and assiduous, they have good memory and they can remember large amounts of information.
Phlegmatic people are rather closed and hidden; they are reluctant to show sympathy for another person. But if a phlegmatic person likes a representative of the opposite sex, then he will do everything to achieve his favor.
It is quite difficult to find friends with a phlegmatic person; he does not make contact well. But if a person with this type of temperament finds a friend, then this friendship can last a lifetime. For phlegmatic people, family is a kind of fortress in which they feel comfortable. Such people get married late and may spend a long time searching for a partner.
The main disadvantages of phlegmatic people:
- They are often not receptive, do not take initiatives, and react poorly to external stimuli;
- They may be stingy with emotions, slow to get involved in work, and have poor contact with people around them;
- Difficulty adapting when changing living conditions;
Melancholic - characteristics: pros and cons of melancholic
Melancholic people are prone to attacks of despair and depression. The temperament of such people is sluggish and pessimistic. Any event, even a minor one, makes a melancholic person worry. He does not know how to enjoy life, and sees it exclusively in a negative tone. Sadness and melancholy can cover such a person for no reason; melancholic people often experience a feeling of self-pity.
People with this type of temperament have to resort to secrecy and suppression of emotions. They experience everything within themselves, which is why depressive mental states appear. Psychologists note that a huge number of people who commit suicide are melancholic.
A melancholic person reacts slowly to external stimuli, does not remember information well, and often suffers from a lot of complexes and an excessively low level of personal self-esteem. Motor activity is sluggish and inexpressive.
Melancholic people cannot work intensively and monotonously, as they necessarily need rest or short breaks to stabilize their psychological state. In a social environment, such people are lethargic, uncommunicative, it is difficult for them to find a soul mate or close friend. It is difficult for them to be active and cheerful. They choose sanguine or choleric people as people, since this choice is explained by the melancholic’s subconscious desire to be taken care of.
It can be difficult for melancholic people to arrange their personal life. Often a big role in the fiasco love relationship plays their indecision and cowardice. They choose to be their life partner strong man. There are also advantages to this type of temperament.
Melancholic people are kind, vulnerable, and will always share the last thing they have. They subconsciously want to help a person in need.
Disadvantages of melancholic people:
- Emotional instability, indecisiveness, lack of self-confidence and strength;
- Difficulty with the perception of the surrounding world, vulnerability, pessimism;
- Tendency to depressive mental states;
Psychologists strongly recommend that melancholic people not close themselves off. Try to explore the world, travel, communicate with new people. You can try mentoring to improve your personal self-esteem. Engage in active sports, dancing, any creativity. A melancholic person needs to be close to loved ones and friends, and not withdraw into himself and his feelings.
The set of spiritual, mental properties of a person, characterizing the degree of his excitability and manifested in his attitude to the surrounding reality, in behavior.
Each person is different not only in their external features, but also by the nature of their behavior. This is due to his temperament, which reflects a person’s tendency to express a certain reaction to various influences:
- in the degree of emotionality of behavior;
- impulsiveness or restraint;
- sociability or isolation;
- ease of adaptation in society.
Properties of temperaments
Speaking about such a concept as temperament, they mean a certain pace of human behavior, the energy of expressing one’s feelings and the actions caused by them. This is determined by the specific structure of his nervous system, which is laid down at birth. People's behavior is largely related to the properties of their temperament.
The main ones include:
- sensitivity, reflecting the strength of external factors necessary for the appearance of a person’s mental response, as well as the speed of its manifestation;
- reactivity, which characterizes a reaction to external or internal influences of the same intensity, for example, a sharply spoken word, an unfair remark, etc.;
- activity, indicating the vigor of a person’s influence on the external environment and overcoming emerging difficulties in achieving assigned tasks;
- the ratio of reactivity and activity, which determines the predominance of human behavior: from random internal or external circumstances ( feeling unwell, mood and others) or from his beliefs, general worldview, his goals, etc.;
- plasticity, reflecting the ease of adaptation to ongoing external changes;
- rate of reactions, reflecting the speed of mental processes;
- introversion and extraversion, which determines the connection of the reaction with internally created images and ideas based on past experience or the expected future, or with thoughts directed at external present events;
- emotional excitability, reflecting the minimum necessary impact to obtain a response in the form of emotion and the speed of its occurrence.
What types of temperaments are there?
Considering the properties of temperament, it is divided into four different types: choleric, sanguine, melancholic and phlegmatic.
A choleric person is a person who vividly and emotionally experiences different states, but also quickly forgets them. This is a quick-tempered and easy-going person. He is active and energetic, and his experiences are particularly deep; feelings can change instantly.
A sanguine person is reminiscent of a choleric person in his sensuality, but unlike him, he is not so harsh in his movements. Such people are sometimes called superficial because emotional experiences in him change quickly, leaving no trace in consciousness. Therefore, they are able to quickly forget both grievances and attachments. He gives an overall impression of being cheerful impressionable person, always reacting to surrounding stimuli.
Melancholic is a person with a slow course of mental internal processes and slow movements. He, most often, has a gloomy or sad mood, is indecisive in actions and withdrawn in communication. Such a person endures failures hard, worrying inside, he always hesitates in his actions.
A phlegmatic person, like a melancholic person, is slow in actions, distinguished by measured speech and an imperturbable character, thanks to which he cannot be thrown out of balance. He thinks about every action for a long time before taking it. Such people are inveterate conservatives who are not used to changing their work and usual living conditions.
Physiological basis of different characters
The scientist physiologist Pavlov explained the manifestation of a certain temperament by the specificity of the ongoing nervous processes. He identified several varieties of the nervous system, dividing them into types, which were based on the properties of the processes occurring within the nervous system.
They appear:
- in the ability of brain cells to withstand stimuli different strengths and their overall performance;
- in the balance of irritative and inhibitory processes;
- in the ability to quickly change excitation to inhibition and vice versa.
The complex structure of the nervous system gives it the ability to combine properties, combining them in a certain order. Depending on the combination of properties, the nervous system can be classified as:
- to the weak type;
- strong balanced, as well as mobile or inert type;
People who have a weak type of system are not able to withstand strong stimuli. Under the influence of strong irritating factors, the appearance of conditioned reflex reactions is delayed.
People with a strong balanced type have mainly excitation reactions and a small amount of inhibitory manifestations.
The mobile, balanced type is characterized by a rapid succession of reactions of inhibition and irritation, which creates some instability of nerve connections.
The inert, balanced type is also strong, but the ongoing nervous processes are slowed down. Such people are distinguished by external calm and are not subject to excitement.
The type of activity of the nervous system is given to each person from birth. It is the basis of conditionally occurring reactions, which are expressed differently in all people. Temperament is precisely a manifestation of the type of human nervous system through the prism of ongoing connections.
Can a person change his temperament?
Psychological well-being, determined by life circumstances, is mainly associated with the type of personality temperament. But the external manifestation of a person’s condition largely depends on his upbringing, beliefs, attitude towards other people or current events. By mobilizing his energy, he is able to withstand prolonged mental stress, influence the speed of reactions and the overall pace of work.
For example, upbringing and will help a choleric person to be restrained and to switch thoughts to other events and tasks.
By replacing the weak sides of his temperament with a system of volitional training, education and environmental influences, a person can radically change its external manifestation. Under certain living conditions in which a person spends a long time, a choleric person can become inert and slow, while a melancholic person can become energetic and decisive. The true natural properties of temperament can only appear under unexpected strong influence or dangerous life situation, when the external factors with the help of which it changed earlier loses its meaning.
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