We spend a lot of time in the workplace, side by side with other people. We are friends with someone or have friendly relations, with someone we communicate only on business matters. It’s good if relations with colleagues are friendly, but disagreements also happen. Often the cause of problems is the incompatibility of characters and temperaments: if a colleague is too emotional, and you are used to resolving everything quietly and peacefully, it is unlikely that there will be conflicts. However, there are several tricks to avoid such clashes: for example, determine the employee’s temperament type and build communication based on their characteristic characteristics.
How to recognize?
Character is personality traits that are manifested in a person’s actions and determine his hobbies, principles and worldview. It is quite possible to get along with him - to close your eyes to some shortcomings or to join other people's beliefs, views, interests. And temperament is the innate personality traits that form the basis for character development. You can't change temperament, you can't change it.
The term “temperament” was introduced by the ancient physician Claudius Galen in the 2nd century AD. However, even earlier, in the 5th-4th centuries BC, Hippocrates spoke about the same thing. He believed that the anatomical, physiological and psychological traits of a person depend on which of the four elements predominates in him: yellow bile - choleric, blood - sanguine, lymph - phlegmatic person, black bile - melancholic. Modern science connects the types of temperament with the concepts of “inhibition” and “excitation” of the nervous system, that is, it evaluates a person’s nervous activity.
A person has traits of each of the temperaments, but one of them always dominates. People with different temperaments are either completely opposite, like elements, or complement each other perfectly. In any team, you can create an atmosphere in which each employee will feel in their place and at ease. The main thing is that the temperaments of employees are compatible. If the personnel issue has long been decided for you, then following our advice will help you avoid conflicts.
Who is who?
a brief description of each temperament, based on the nervous activity of its owner:
Sanguine- strong, balanced, agile;
Choleric- strong, unbalanced, agile;
Phlegmatic person- strong, balanced, inert;
Melancholic- weak, unbalanced, inactive.
A person’s belonging to one of the four temperaments can be determined situationally - by his reaction to an obstacle that arises in his path: a choleric person sweeps him away; the sanguine person bypasses; a phlegmatic person often doesn’t even notice; the melancholic person stops before an obstacle.
How to cooperate?
Sanguine colleague
At first glance, a sanguine person is easy to recognize in a team - he is the life of the party. Employees with this temperament are pleasant to talk to and non-conflicting. A sanguine person is an emotional person, a strong and energetic optimist who loves to communicate with interesting and, most importantly, the right people. He often proposes new projects and gives presentations. He is disciplined, comes to work on time, and leaves it not too late. Works with dedication, but without unnecessary nervousness and fussiness.
Sanguine is attracted by opportunity career growth. And there is no need to interfere with this - he will make a good leader at any level. It is on this basis that dissatisfaction with colleagues may arise, because a sanguine person competes with everyone and in everything. Also, you should not expect special support from him, since he himself does not need it.
Advice to colleagues: Establishing a relationship with a sanguine person is not difficult: demonstrate your undisguised interest in him, laugh at his jokes and talk about his positive qualities. Do this and you will have a friend for the rest of your days. Treat sanguine people well, and they will inspire, motivate, and entertain those around them—just don't force them to follow directions or be meticulous about details.
Note to the manager
Knowing the essence of the matter at least general outline, a sanguine person can have a brilliant conversation with anyone. As you know, sanguine people are good speakers. Therefore, they should be given the floor more often at various meetings and conferences. However, technical issues in work often cause difficulties for sanguine people. You shouldn’t trust them with monotonous, conveyor-type work that requires constant attention.
Phlegmatic colleague
The phlegmatic person is unhurried and thorough, possesses enviable equanimity and composure. This is a peace-loving and restrained person who is difficult to anger. He does not like innovation and is generally quite conservative.
A phlegmatic person is not inclined to be a leader: he can work both in a team and independently. He has smooth and friendly relationships with colleagues and easily adapts to the mood and atmosphere of the team. It is calm and pleasant to communicate with phlegmatic people, because it is known in advance that the interlocutor will not flare up without a good reason, and will not start shouting if he does not like something in the statements. The dialogue will always be constructive, objections will be logical and reasoned.
Communicating with phlegmatic people can be difficult because it is difficult to recognize their emotional reaction to everything that others do and say. One can only guess how this person perceived something, and whether he was offended. Also, phlegmatic people can easily gain fame as bores - they like to tell something in detail and in too much detail, so sometimes it becomes boring in their company.
Advice to colleagues: To achieve his respect, you need to share his values - work conscientiously, not commit rash actions, and especially not force him to participate in them! A phlegmatic person will like it if you come to him for advice, and then listen with interest and without objections.
Note to the manager
A phlegmatic person works well in conditions of monotony and monotony, where endurance, patience and perseverance are needed. Usually he switches slowly from one job to another, so if he has already taken on one task, he will see it through to the end. He needs to give instructions precisely and concisely, preferably in writing, so that he can think about and analyze new information. Under no circumstances should you entrust a person of this type of temperament with a job that requires initiative or prolonged communication with people! Working with clients is simply contraindicated for them.
Choleric colleague
A choleric person is a very impulsive and lively person who reacts emotionally to everything that happens. He is passionate about his work, can overcome significant difficulties and never gives up. If something fails to be done the first time, the choleric person will solve the problem again and again until he brings the matter to a victorious end. He must always win - this is his main rule.
Choleric loves various changes, and, oddly enough, both positive and not so positive. The increased emotionality of choleric people leads to the fact that all their thoughts are literally “written on their faces” - you can easily determine when a choleric person is interested, when he is bored or irritated.
By nature, choleric people are sociable and easily make contact. They like to subjugate and control those around them; they see everyone as rivals. Excessive straightforwardness, hot temper, harshness and intolerance sometimes make it difficult for a choleric person to stay in a team: he cannot always stop in time, which offends others, without meaning to. The choleric person actively gets down to work, plans a lot, but quickly burns out and becomes not only useless, but also negatively inclined towards the task, which can cause bewilderment and dissatisfaction among colleagues.
Advice to colleagues: If you are working with a choleric person, do not react to his outbursts and do not try to shout down, do not argue. Put an interested smile on your face, speak in a friendly tone, you can even make an inoffensive joke. Show confidence. This will puzzle the choleric and at the same time calm him down.Note to the manager
Entrusting a choleric person with systematic, scrupulous work means immediately dooming the business to complete failure. He is attracted to creative work in which he needs to make non-standard decisions. Showing initiative is a mandatory factor in the existence of a choleric person. Therefore, it is better to entrust him with a task in which he is a master: going somewhere, negotiating with someone, resolving issues over the phone. Only he needs to be given clear, concise instructions.
Melancholic colleague
This is a sensitive, touchy and vulnerable person. Easily gets upset even with minor failures. He is usually self-absorbed and has a hard time dealing with conflicts. The slightest stress can greatly damage his performance.
Melancholic people are not interested in other people; they are more concerned about their own inner world. In a group they are unsociable, keep aloof, and are socially passive. In communication, they easily obey the leader and do not compete with anyone. They love to be looked after and prefer to remain in the shadows.
The melancholic person’s social circle is narrow, but his relationships with people are strong and deep. A melancholic person is a wonderful and reliable comrade, he will never leave you in trouble, he knows how to very subtly feel a person’s mood, you can always find sympathy from him. He quickly gets tired of communicating with unfamiliar people, but he calmly endures loneliness. As a rule, a melancholic person avoids tension in relationships with colleagues by all means and has absolutely no conflict.
Advice to colleagues: When communicating with him, you must be sensitive: always speak calmly and softly, avoiding raised voices and harsh expressions, and praise as often as possible.Note to the manager
A melancholic person is recommended, first of all, to engage in the intellectual sphere of activity, where he feels most confident. He is very efficient and conscientious. If you organize a melancholic employee a calm workplace, then its performance may surprise you.
Two of a Kind?
Interaction between colleagues and their labor Relations directly depend on their temperament.
Choleric-phlegmatic
The perfect couple. Each of them has qualities that the other does not have, they complement each other and this is why they like each other. The phlegmatic person patiently endures the emotional outbursts of the choleric person, who likes him for his thoroughness, reliability and responsibility. The choleric person in phlegmatic finds a quiet haven, stability and peace, at the same time does not allow him to get stuck in passivity, constantly spurs him on and activates him, periodically even tries to control him.
Sanguine-choleric
A very active, life-oriented union. They have something to talk about, something to help each other with. At the same time, mutual assistance, although not complete, is very significant: for a choleric person - on the organizational side, for a sanguine person - in putting plans into practice. The choleric person thinks, the sanguine person carries out. However, sometimes an exchange of opinions can develop into arguments and quarrels, insistence on one’s point of view and rivalry. To maintain balance, it is necessary to adapt to each other, and this should be done by both parties and equally.
Melancholic-sanguine
A promising alliance with mutual respect and tact. Mutual assistance can be very effective: on the part of the melancholic person - in the spiritual, internally, and from the sanguine side - in social terms. A melancholic person feels best with a sanguine person: the irrational switches of the first not only do not irritate him, but, on the contrary, provide him with new interesting impressions and distract him from sad thoughts. A sanguine person gets along well with a melancholic person due to his balance and sociability.
Melancholic-phlegmatic
The relationship in this couple is relatively calm. They pay little attention to each other, since both are immersed in their inner world. A melancholic person may not like the apparent slowness and passivity of a phlegmatic person, and a phlegmatic person may not like the increased anxiety and excessive restlessness of a melancholic person. However, there is no tangible discomfort in the relationship. They are also not particularly interested in rivalry and disputes. In such a union, there will inevitably be sympathy and respect for the inner world of the other person, but at the same time, alienation will increase due to a lack of initiative.
Sanguine-phlegmatic
Quite an interesting form of union. There is little mutual understanding, but mutual assistance is significant and active. Especially when there are common interests and practical issues in the business sphere. Good cooperation is ensured by the social activity of a sanguine person and the hard work of a phlegmatic person. However, a sanguine person cannot be denied practicality and thoroughness. Conflicts in such a couple are insignificant, since both feel a practical need for each other, which they value much higher than defending their opinion. Usually in this pair the sanguine person is the leader, and the phlegmatic person, having easily ceded his authority, turns out to be a follower.
Melancholic-choleric
The cooperation of these two types is highly undesirable, because the domineering choleric person will quickly and peremptorily “enslave” the timid and quiet melancholic person. The straightforwardness often unconscious to a choleric person, despite all his caution, will hurt a very sensitive melancholic person. As a result, tension, discomfort, and mutual accusations will arise between them. They have mutual understanding, but within narrow limits. There is little mutual assistance in this couple, although it can be significant: in some situations, the choleric person can look after or take the melancholic person under his protection.
Temperament squared
If people have the same type of temperament, then the most favorable combination will be two phlegmatic or melancholic people, somewhat worse - two sanguine people, and very bad - two choleric people.
This situation is easily explained: phlegmatic people are the most balanced people, they are difficult to anger. Melancholic people are impressionable, very vulnerable and touchy, but they are quite compliant and prone to compromise in order to achieve peace of mind. Sanguine people are independent and emotional, but easy-going. Noticing that the brewing conflict could take a serious turn, they easily compromise to restore balance in their relations with each other. It is most difficult for two straightforward, excitable and uncontrollable choleric people to maintain balance in a relationship.
Compatibility rules
Any group of people works more effectively if it contains representatives of all temperaments. Melancholic people are the first to sense in which direction the search should begin. Cholerics play the role of fearless scouts. Sanguine people are a source of positive emotions and constantly generate unexpected ideas. Phlegmatic people analyze information and offer an informed decision.
It is quite possible for everyone to get along under one roof, because the type of temperament does not affect a person’s abilities and interests. A person with any temperament can be smart or stupid, honest or deceitful, talented or untalented. A polite and friendly attitude towards colleagues does not depend on their temperament, but on a person’s desire to achieve mutual understanding at work.
When giving psychological characteristics to the types of temperament, it should be remembered that this division is conditional. Typical for each type are its extreme poles and the relationship between various features. At the same time, “pure” temperaments almost never happen in life. Most people combine traits of different temperaments, especially clearly after the child masters oral speech, that is, after 2-2.5 years. Also, one should not talk about “good” or “bad” temperaments: each type has both strengths and weaknesses.
Sanguines
Sanguine people are people who have a strong, balanced and mobile nervous system. They are active, sociable, and easily adapt to new conditions. They are sociable, quickly understand people, and easily establish good relationships with them. Among friends they are cheerful, cheerful, optimistic. By orientation - extroverts.
Sanguine people are emotional, with expressive facial expressions and pantomime that is easy to control. They speak loudly, clearly, quickly, with the correct intonations. During the conversation they actively gesticulate and laugh loudly. Feelings arise very easily, change just as easily and are, as a rule, shallow. Today they are joyful, carefree and passionately in love, tomorrow they are sad, worried and may forget about their passionate love. However, in general, successes and troubles are easily experienced and therefore sanguine people have a good mood and a well-developed sense of humor.
Sanguine people willingly take on new business, but their activities are productive only when the work captivates them. If the work is not interesting, the work is monotonous, they abandon the task without finishing it. During work, they easily switch their attention, but devote little time to preliminary and control actions (for example, preparation for work, corrections, additions, etc.). They rarely plan their work, and if there is a plan, they do not strictly follow it, and are often distracted by trifles. Sanguine people easily grasp everything new, but their interests are weak, changeable and constantly require new impressions.
When communicating with sanguine people, we can recommend the following. The requirements for them should be maximum, but fair. You should show trust in them and give an outlet to their internal energy, directing it to useful things. It is inappropriate to assign monotonous work, because sanguine people get tired of it, but the work started must be taught to be completed to the end. You can use additional motivation for this. It is advisable to cultivate patience and determination, to teach to value friendship.
Cholerics
Cholerics are strong, active and unbalanced people with a predominance of excitation over inhibition. They are characterized by a high level of activity, energy and persistence. By orientation - extroverts. They love to be the center of attention. Conflict and unyielding in communication. They can be impatient, unrestrained, and quick-tempered. In relationships with others they can be harsh and overly straightforward; they lack endurance. However, there is no hatred in their anger, and they love others the more the faster they give in to them.
These are emotionally unstable people. Emotions and feelings arise quickly, but they can disappear just as quickly. The expression is pronounced. Speech is hasty, intermittent, tense. Lively facial expressions, expressive gestures, sharp and energetic movements. They experience their joys, pains, and sorrows deeply. They are often influenced by strong passions and affects. In such a state, they may act rashly, which they will regret later.
Cholerics are characterized by cyclical behavior: they can work hard, overcoming difficulties, and suddenly give up everything. This is facilitated by a rapid change of interests. If the interests are serious, they can be energetic, proactive, principled, capable of high concentration of attention. If there is no interest, they demonstrate affective feelings, irritability and lack of restraint. Just like sanguine people, they devote little time to preliminary and control actions and rarely plan their work.
In conditions of competition and competition, they improve their results. They have organizational skills. They have the ability to easily form skills and habits. Weak side is their tendency to violate discipline and conflict, as well as lack of restraint, harshness, affectivity, and weakness of self-control in emotional situations. Due to the speed of actions, mistakes can be made.
When working with choleric patients, it is recommended to capture them interesting thing and give instructions; teach to be restrained; accustom to more calm and uniform work; guide their activities in the right direction. When communicating with choleric people, you should use their energy rationally, not inhibit their activity in the form of direct prohibitions, and communicate calmly and confidently. If this is a child, do not punish under any circumstances by prohibiting her activity (for example, wait, sit). Due to the tendency of choleric people to aggression, cultivate empathy.
Phlegmatic people
Phlegmatic people are strong, balanced and inert. Low activity level of behavior, slow, assiduous, calm, reserved, persistent, soft. Remain calm even in difficult times life situations. React adequately to impact external environment However, they cannot quickly respond to changes in the environment; they are characterized by the same attitude towards others, sociability, but low sociability. By orientation - introverts.
Feelings arise slowly, but are distinguished by strength, depth, constancy, duration and restraint in external manifestations. They are patient and rarely complain. Not affected by emotions. Taciturn, speech is slow, calm, with pauses. The voice is quiet, expressionless. Gesticulation and facial expressions are very poor. They know how to control their emotions. Therefore, it is difficult to anger them and they rarely lose their temper.
Phlegmatic people are not inclined to change their environment or to frequently move from one job to another. They show seriousness, thoughtfulness, and perseverance in their activities. They work with concentration and always get things done. Tasks are completed evenly and accurately, new information is learned slowly, but thoroughly and for a long time.
Characterized by sustainable interests. The work is planned and strictly adhered to. Before making a decision, he will think about it for a long time. They have stable attention, but its switching is somewhat slow.
Phlegmatic people are recommended to be given more time to complete certain tasks, and they should switch from one habitual action to another gradually. You can give additional instructions about the work they perform, avoiding assignments associated with a high pace of activity. Under no circumstances should you complain about slowness and incompetence. Welcome every manifestation of initiative and independence. It is advisable to stimulate the manifestation of sincere feelings.
Melancholic people
Melancholic people are characterized by a weak, unstable and inert nervous system. Low level of activity, reserved, experiencing fear of a new situation. When they find themselves in new conditions, they become lost. Therefore, it is difficult to tolerate a change of environment. They are closed, shy, indecisive, timid, and avoid communicating with unfamiliar people. They don't like new acquaintances and noisy companies. They are introverts by orientation.
Melancholic people are very impressionable people, they often get offended; their feelings are characterized by the slowness of their flow. They deeply experience any event in life, especially images and failures, however, unlike choleric people, they carry their grief within themselves, without outwardly showing their experiences. The movements of melancholic people are restrained, speech is slowed down, quiet, sometimes turns into a whisper. Constant in their affections. If they love someone, then the breakup is a great tragedy for them. They will suffer, but they will not decide to take this or that action. Prolonged and strong stress, as well as everything new and unusual, causes a slow reaction, and then its cessation. However, in a familiar and calm environment they feel good and work productively. They are planning their work. At the same time, decisions are made carefully. A lot of time is spent on preliminary and control actions (for example, preparation for work, corrections, additions, etc.). While working, their attention is easily distracted and focuses only for a short time. They have stable, strongly expressed interests that change slowly.
When working with melancholic people, it is recommended to follow the principle of gradualism. Show empathy and understanding of the person's condition. Moral support when the environment changes. Approve the slightest manifestation of activity. Cultivate a sense of self-worth. Learn to plan your activities, wisely distributing time between work and rest.
Does a person's temperament affect his success in life?
When communicating with people, you should remember that temperament is a stable individual psychological feature of a person and therefore it is almost impossible to change it. Under the influence of the environment, individual features are generally only strengthened or weakened
temperament without changing its type. Therefore, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your temperament, you can learn not to show its individual manifestations, for example, excessive facial expressions and gestures, shyness, touchiness, etc. A person with any temperament can learn this. To a large extent, this depends on the moral and volitional qualities of character.
Only in isolated cases, mainly in early childhood, under the influence of severe physical and mental trauma, severe infectious diseases and other factors as a result of changes in higher nervous activity, changes in the type of temperament are observed.
For people with different types of temperament, accordingly, it is necessary and different attitude. So, punishment, a reprimand, a bad assessment can have a positive effect on choleric people who have a strong nervous system. In this case, negative reinforcement can encourage them to improve.
However, this can have the opposite effect on melancholic people: they become depressed, their performance decreases, and depression may occur. The above type of response to negative reinforcement is the most likely, but not necessary. Whether a person will act one way or another will ultimately depend on his character.
So, differences in temperament are, first of all, differences in the uniqueness of the dynamic manifestations of the psyche, and not in the level of its capabilities. Characteristics of temperament determine the ways and means of work, and not the level of achievement. Therefore, temperament does not determine the social value and moral and volitional qualities of a person. They will depend on the character.
Sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic and melancholic
Types of temperament
Temperament is an individual property of a person, which to the greatest extent depends on his innate, natural psychophysiological qualities. Temperament is an individual characteristic of a person in terms of the characteristics of his mental activity, such as intensity, speed, tempo mental processes.
Typically, three areas of manifestation of temperament are distinguished: the level of general activity, characteristics of the motor sphere and the level of emotionality.
General activity is determined by the degree of intensity of human interaction with environment- natural and social. There are two extremes here. One type of people is distinguished by its clearly expressed lethargy and passivity, and the other by its high activity and speed in action. Representatives of other temperaments are located between these two poles.
Motor or motor activity is expressed in the speed and sharpness of movements, in the rate of speech, as well as in external mobility or, conversely, slowness, talkativeness or silence.
Emotionality - is expressed in the speed of change of emotional states, sensitivity to emotional influences, sensitivity.
Since antiquity, temperament has always been associated with physiological characteristics human body. Hippocrates (5th century BC) described four types of temperament, determined by the fluid that supposedly predominates in the body: sanguine (from the Latin sanguis - blood), choleric (from the Greek chole - bile), phlegmatic (from the Greek phlegma - mucus) and melancholic (from the Greek melaina chole - black bile). Hippocrates understood temperaments in a purely physiological sense.
In the 18th century Four psychological types were compared with the Hippocratic types of temperament, which marked the beginning of a psychological line in the study of temperaments. Common everyday ideas about temperaments at present are not much different from the ideas of the 18th century: choleric temperament is associated with irritability, sanguine with cheerfulness, phlegmatic with calmness, and melancholic with sadness and vulnerability.
In modern psychology, temperament is defined as constant and stable natural properties individuals who determine the dynamics of mental activity regardless of its content.
The properties of temperament include extraversion and introversion, the pace of reactions, plasticity and rigidity.
Extraversion-introversion - characteristics of temperament introduced by K. Jung - determine the dependence of a person’s reaction and activity on external impressions arising in this moment(extrovert), or from the internal mental processes and states of a person (introvert). Extroverts include sanguine and choleric, and introverts include phlegmatic and melancholic.
The pace of reactions characterizes the speed of mental processes and reactions (speed of mind, rate of speech, dynamics of gestures). The rate of reactions is increased in choleric people, sanguine people and well-rested melancholic people and decreased in phlegmatic people and tired melancholic people. People with a fast pace of reactions and low sensitivity (sanguine and choleric) do not notice. that others (phlegmatic and melancholic) do not have time to follow the course of their thoughts, and on the basis of this they make completely unfounded conclusions about their mental abilities, which can cause direct damage to relationships between people, in particular business relationships.
Inactivity is the degree of involuntary reactions to external and internal influences and irritations (critical remark, offensive word, harsh tone, external influence). These are automated defense and orientation reactions. High reactivity in choleric and sanguine people, low in phlegmatic people.
Activity - characterizes the expression of a person’s energy potential, with which a person overcomes obstacles and achieves goals. Activity is expressed in perseverance, focus, concentration and is the main quality of temperament that contributes to achieving the goal. A phlegmatic person is most active, although due to low reactivity he gets involved in work more slowly. The phlegmatic person is highly active and is not in danger of overwork. In a choleric person, high activity is combined with reactivity. Sanguine people are quite active, but if the activity is monotonous, they may lose interest in it. Melancholic people are characterized by low activity.
The ratio of reactivity and activity determines what a person’s activity depends on to a greater extent: random external or internal circumstances - mood, 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 his behavior is (rigidity). The highest plasticity is in sanguine people; rigidity characterizes phlegmatic people, choleric people and melancholic people.
Emotional excitability reflects the threshold of the minimum impact required for the occurrence of an emotional reaction and the speed of its development. Emotional excitability is increased in sanguine, choleric and melancholic people, and decreased in phlegmatic people.
A peculiar combination of activity, determined by the intensity and volume of human interaction with the environment - physical and social, and the degree of severity of emotional reactions, determines individual characteristics of temperament, i.e. "dynamic aspects" of behavior. Researchers remain confident that the dynamic properties of behavior have a certain physiological basis, i.e. are determined by certain features of the functioning of physiological structures, but what these structures and features are is currently unknown. One thing is clear that temperament, being innate, is the basis of most personality properties, including its character. Temperament is the sensual basis of character. Transforming in the process of character formation, the properties of temperament turn into character traits, the content of which is associated with the orientation of the individual’s psyche.
Temperaments and their characteristics
The phlegmatic person is unhurried, unperturbed, has stable aspirations and mood, and is outwardly stingy in the manifestation of emotions and feelings. He shows perseverance and perseverance in his work, remaining calm and balanced. He is productive at work, compensating for his slowness with diligence.
Choleric is fast, passionate, impetuous, but completely unbalanced, with sharply changing moods with emotional outbursts, quickly exhausted. He does not have a balance of nervous processes, this sharply distinguishes him from a sanguine person. A choleric person, getting carried away, carelessly wastes his strength and quickly becomes exhausted.
A sanguine person is a lively, hot-tempered, active person, with frequent changes of mood and impressions, with a quick reaction to all the events happening around him, who quite easily comes to terms with his failures and troubles. Sanguine people usually have expressive facial expressions. He is very productive at work when he is interested, becoming very excited about it; if the work is not interesting, he is indifferent to it, he becomes bored.
Melancholic - a person who is easily vulnerable, prone to constant experience various events, it reacts little to external factors. He cannot restrain his asthenic experiences by force of will; he is overly impressionable and easily emotionally vulnerable.
Each temperament can have both positive and negative properties. Good upbringing, control and self-control makes it possible to manifest: a melancholic person, as an impressionable person with deep experiences and emotions; a phlegmatic person, as a self-possessed person without hasty decisions; a sanguine person, as a highly responsive person for any work; a choleric person, as a passionate, frantic and active person in work.
Negative properties of temperament can manifest themselves as follows: in a melancholic person - isolation and shyness; a phlegmatic person has indifference to people, dryness; in a sanguine person - superficiality, scatteredness. impermanence; A choleric person has hasty decisions.
As already noted, there are four main types of temperament: sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic (Fig. 1, Table 1).
Sanguine temperament
I. P. Pavlov gives the following description of the characteristics of the sanguine temperament: “A sanguine person is an ardent, very productive figure, but only when he has a lot of interesting things to do, that is, constant excitement. When there is no such thing, he becomes bored and lethargic.”
A sanguine person is distinguished by easy adaptability to changing living conditions, increased contact with people around him, and sociability. The feelings of a sanguine person arise easily and quickly change, his stereotypes are quite flexible, conditioned reflexes are quickly consolidated. In a new environment, he does not feel constrained, is capable of quickly switching attention and changing types of activities, and is emotionally stable. People with a sanguine temperament are most suited to activities that require quick reactions, significant effort, and distributed attention.
Choleric temperament
“The choleric type,” notes I. P. Pavlov, “is clearly a fighting type, perky, easily and quickly irritated.” “Being carried away by some task, he puts too much pressure on his resources and strength and in the end he breaks down, becomes more exhausted than he should, he works himself to the point that everything is unbearable for him.”
A choleric person is characterized by increased emotional reactivity, fast pace and abruptness in movements. The increased excitability of a choleric person under unfavorable conditions can become the basis for hot temper and even aggressiveness.
Rice. 1. Reactions of people with different temperaments in the same situation (drawing by X. Bidstrup)
Table 1. Types of temperament and the corresponding mental properties of a person
The pitchforks of temperament and the corresponding properties of higher nervous activity
With appropriate motivation, a choleric person is able to overcome significant difficulties, devoting himself to work with great passion. It is characterized by sudden changes in mood. A person with a choleric temperament achieves the greatest effectiveness in activities that require increased reactivity and significant simultaneous effort.
Phlegmatic temperament
“A phlegmatic person is a calm, always even, persistent and persistent worker of life.”
The reactions of a phlegmatic person are somewhat slow, the mood is stable. The emotional sphere is outwardly little expressed. In difficult life situations, a phlegmatic person remains quite calm and self-possessed; he does not allow impulsive, impetuous movements, since his processes of inhibition always balance the processes of excitation. Correctly calculating his strength, a phlegmatic person shows great persistence in seeing things through to the end. His switching of attention and activity is somewhat slow. His stereotypes are inactive, and his behavior in some cases is not flexible enough. A phlegmatic person achieves the greatest success in those activities that require uniform effort, perseverance, stability of attention and great patience.
Melancholic temperament
“The melancholic temperament is clearly an inhibitory type of nervous system. For a melancholic person, obviously, every phenomenon of life becomes an agent inhibiting him, since he does not believe in anything, does not hope for anything, sees and expects only the bad and dangerous in everything.”
A melancholic person is characterized by increased vulnerability and a tendency to experience deep emotions (sometimes even for minor reasons). His feelings arise easily, are poorly contained, and are outwardly clearly expressed. Strong external influences complicate its activities. He is introverted - busy with his own experiences, withdrawn, refrains from contact with strangers, and avoids new surroundings. Under certain living conditions, he easily develops shyness, timidity, indecisiveness and even cowardice. In a favorable, stable environment, a melancholic person can achieve significant success in activities that require increased sensitivity, reactivity, quick learning, and observation.
Sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic and melancholic: characteristics of temperament
Phlegmatic person. Choleric. Sanguine. Melancholic
Stable, influential
They tend to always be right. They like to do one thing and do it right the first time. Their stability and constancy towards the work they do makes them sensitive. They tend to be reserved and prudent. They are constant, cautious, but very rarely dare to risk trying something new. They don't like to talk in front of an audience, but behind the scenes they will do everything in their power to help the group move in the right direction. They are driven by the opportunity to serve others and do the right thing.
Encouraging, leading, humble
They attract attention, powerful and stabilizing at the same time. They are not as prudent as Ants and those who have predominant Ant-type tendencies. They are more active than passive. But they also have sensitivity and stability, balance. Appear to be more people and relationship oriented, but can be domineering, authoritative and decisive when it comes to achieving goals. They need to be more reflective and conservative. The details turn out to be not so important compared to the ability to lead and work with people.
Leading influencers
They impress and dominate. They are pleased with the opportunity to complete the task and at the same time look in a good light. Powerful and captivating, they are the best influencers on large groups of people. They can be very strong and care about what others think. With good communication skills, they are interested in people. They need to be more sensitive and tolerant towards others. If they learn to slow down and think carefully about their work, it can make all the difference for them. But they are also driven by the ability to control and impress.
Authoritative, encouraging, painstaking
They are powerful, impressive, and competent. Tend to be more goal-oriented, but in a situation where they are in front of people (audience), they can be focused on people and relationships. They need to be more sensitive and soft. They don't mind change. Active and goal-oriented, they are also compliant and cautious. They like to do things right, enticing others to follow them. They combine the ability to express themselves out loud with determination and competence in achieving their goals. Safety is not as important as completion of work and the ability to look good from the outside.
They are strong and capable students, as well as harsh critics. They love to be in charge, collecting information to successfully complete the job and achieve their goals. They are more concerned with getting things done and getting things done right than with what others think and feel about it. They are leaders in relation to themselves and others. They dominate and are ironically sarcastic. They need to improve in the field of human relations. They need to be more sensitive and understanding. They are driven by the ability to make choices and the ability to successfully complete a difficult job.
They influence others and are stable. They love people and people love them back. They like to please people and serve them. They do not like time constraints and do not like difficult tasks. They love to look good, they love to encourage others, but they often lack organization. They go in the direction they are shown. They need to care more about what they do than who they do it with. They are driven by a sincere desire to help others when given the opportunity. Whether they are in front or behind the scenes, they will influence and support others. They - Good friends and obedient, efficient workers.
They bring the matter to an end. They prefer stable situations. Persistent in achieving goals. Essentially unassuming leaders, they function best in small groups. They do not like to speak in front of a large audience, but they like to have it under their control. They are satisfied when relationships are defined and stable, but often try to dominate these relationships. They can be soft and hard at the same time. They are driven to action by truly difficult circumstances, which allow them to systematically demonstrate themselves in solving difficult problems. They prefer to be confident in someone or something, not being content with superficial impressions. On their way to achieving their goals, they are able to form strong friendships.
They inspire, but they are also prudent and cautious. They assess the situation and then adjust it to fit existing rules to look good in the eyes of others. They succeed in finding ways to improve things, while involving many others in the work. Sometimes they can be too persuasive and too concerned with gaining the upper hand. They are often impatient and critical. They need to be more sensitive to individuals. They are often more concerned about what others think. They do not like to break established rules and do not like to take risks. They need to dare to try new things and sometimes go against the crowd. In relationships, they act carefully and thoughtfully.
They are stable and reflective. They love to explore everything and find various facts. They like to weigh evidence in order to slowly come to a certain logical conclusion. They like to be in small groups. They don't like speaking in front of an audience. They are sensitive to the needs of others and consistent in helping them, but can be critical and sarcastic. They are loyal friends, but can be too picky. They need to be more enthusiastic and optimistic. What motivates them to action is the ability to do things slowly and surely.
Competent, influential specialists
They like to do everything right, impressing others and stabilizing the situation. They are not aggressive and do not put pressure on others. They do well in both large and small groups. They are kind to people and prefer quality. They are sensitive to what others think about them and their work. They need to be more direct and demanding. They can do everything well, but their disadvantage is their inability to make quick decisions. Capable of accomplishing great things using other people, but needs self-direction and greater persistence. They are stimulated by sincere approval and logical explanations.
Competent, stable, leading (active)
This is a combination of caution, stability and authority. They are more goal oriented than relationship oriented, but they care about specific people on a case by case basis. They don't like public speaking. They prefer to see things through to the end. They work best in small groups. Tend to be serious. People often misperceive them, accusing them of being insensitive, but they are very caring towards others. They just don't show it explicitly. They need to be more positive, show more enthusiasm. Achieving goals is their natural character trait, but they need to be more friendly and less critical.
Mixed temperament type sanguine choleric
Each of us has a certain concept of temperament. We know, but usually how? We seem to know something, but more often at the level of anecdotes that can attract attention. Our professor told the “green” students about this side of the innate component of human nature, which contributes to adequate adaptation, the following story.
A story about manifestations of temperament
“Temperament manifests itself most clearly in critical situations. For example, in one village a house caught fire. Who will come running first? Of course, sanguine. He will grab a bucket and help the owners pour the fire. And for this he will be given a medal.
Who do you think will come next?
That's right, choleric. It will not pour water on the fire. But! The choleric organizes the delivery of water, the collection of buckets, hooks and axes, and places people in a chain so that they do not interfere with each other. In a word, he will lead this entire campaign against the fiery element. And for this the choleric person will be given an order.
The phlegmatic person will be the last to arrive. Most likely, in place of the house there will already be only firebrands. But a phlegmatic person is the person who will take an ax and will slowly and methodically chop together with the owner. new house, when everyone else forgets about the fire victim.
Question from students: what will people of melancholic temperament do?
Professor's answer: there is no melancholic temperament. He did not survive the process of natural selection. A melancholic person is usually considered to be a phlegmatic person driven to extremes, neuroticized.”
Usually in psychology they refer to 4 temperaments. But not all researchers agree with this. For example, V.I. Garbuzov (1977) identifies only three, explaining this position by the fact that a melancholic person could not survive the process of evolution and died out at its earliest stages.
School and mixed temperaments
Another point to keep in mind is when we're talking about about types of temperament. They are rarely found in life in their complete and pure form. In most people, there seems to be a mixture of 2-3 or even all 4 temperaments, even with a predominance of one.
And there is nothing to regret about it. When the traits of different temperaments are happily combined, this seems most desirable for education good character. A person not only lives better, but it is also easier to be useful to society if, depending on the circumstances, he displays, depending on the circumstances, either the cheerful enthusiasm and vigor of a sanguine person, or the stubborn persistence of a choleric person, or the dry and restrained caution of a melancholic person, or the cold-blooded calm of a phlegmatic person.
Usually, mixed temperaments are noticed in people already in childhood; the traits of two or three of them appear. Life, with its random influences, comes to the aid of nature, as well as education, as a system of purposeful impressions and influences that favor the strengthening and development of some, the elimination or softening of other traits, instincts and inclinations.
School, its life and learning is the most favorable environment for the formation of desirable mixed temperaments. IN primary school children feel and should feel so free that the innate traits of their temperaments, with all the influences of home life, all their individual characteristics are revealed with sufficient clarity to the observant teacher.
Therefore, such a teacher has a more or less clear idea of each of his students, and this is very important for establishing the right relationships, for choosing appropriate influences in each individual case. But in addition to the active direct influence of the teacher, the school itself contains influences favorable to
- soften harsh, angular and undesirable manifestations of a particular temperament,
- to form mixed temperaments corresponding to the conditions and needs of social life.
After all, the school (and even earlier the kindergarten) itself represents a community of adults and children gathered for a certain purpose common to all.
The ability to adapt to external conditions is highly characteristic of human nature in general, and children's nature especially. Working in a society of their own kind, schoolchildren of their own accord, without any violence, early begin to feel that everyone cannot do everything they want. They easily notice that some of their inclinations are unpleasant for their peers, others make them a laughing stock in the eyes of the whole class, and in general they are not very comfortable for living among other people.
Children, first instinctively, then consciously, and then directly by force of habit, gradually acquire inclinations that are more convenient both for themselves and for the class as a whole. They internalize the general mood of the class coming from
- from the personality of the teacher, with his living examples,
- from the general rules established at school.
At the same time, the sharp features of temperaments are blurred or replaced by others, so that the desired emergence of mixed temperaments occurs without violence, so to speak, by itself.
School (and kindergarten) as a community, in addition to literacy, mathematics and other academic subjects, from childhood teaches one very important science, which is difficult to learn outside of it, namely, to live with people, subordinating your personal interests to common ones. Everything in it contributes to the understanding and assimilation of this science:
- and general education, in which the teacher deals not with individual students, but with the class, in which everyone must study in such a way as not to disturb others and not to lag behind others,
- and school routines, which establish certain relationships between teacher and students, students among themselves, each individual student to the class,
- and general games that children play during breaks between lessons,
- and general reading, which produces different impressions on individual children, who can neither hide nor restrain their impressions.
In this case, the extremes are noticeably balanced:
- the contagious laughter of a sanguine person brings some clarity and a lighter shade to the gloomy mood of a melancholic person,
- the deep and vivid impressionability of the choleric captivates the apathetic phlegmatic person.
- And, on the contrary, the seriousness and isolation of a melancholic tempers the noisy gaiety and laughter of a sanguine person,
- The calmness and composure of a phlegmatic person restrains the energetic and sharp impulses of the choleric temperament.
The social character of school and schooling is a great educational force, and it must be used in the interests of the desired direction of the volitional phenomena of young students, preparing them for this life when they become full members of society.
The school, no matter how much we criticize it, prepares children not for a solitary life on a desert island, but for a social life.
Who is Choleric?! Who is Sanguine?! Who is Phlegmatic?! Who is Melancholic?!
Or more about temperaments
General concepts about temperament
Each person (individual) has his own characteristics of mental activity.
Temperament is a characteristic of a person, namely:
Temperament determines and ensures the speed, strength and balance of our reactions. It manifests itself in thinking, speech, and manner of communication.
At the same time, temperament does not affect interests, success, intelligence, business qualities - here we are able to independently develop our inclinations, turn them into abilities or forget about them.
The ability to make choices and take responsibility for them are indicators of a developed personality, and not manifestations of temperamental characteristics. Knowing your own type of temperament greatly simplifies the process of knowing yourself, accepting your manifestations and, as a result, choosing your own lifestyle.
Temperament human - a biological quality, innate, not acquired. Only 25% of 100% of temperament can be corrected. And this correction is our adjustment to the requirements of society (the world around us, society...). For what? For the purpose of a more efficient and successful existence.
Temperaments in their pure form are rare. Every person has something of choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and melancholic. The question of who is better to be does not make sense, just like the question of what time of year is better. Each has its pros and cons. You need to know them and act, choosing an effective model of behavior depending on the situation. That is, do not follow the lead of natural qualities, but develop them.
Features of temperament must be taken into account when choosing a profession, but temperament should not be confused with character.
All these are character traits that are not inherent in nature, but are formed throughout life.
Can be a person with any temperament. A person’s success does not depend on his temperament, but on the abilities, knowledge, skills and orientation of the individual.
Basic components of temperament
Analysis internal structure temperament lead to the identification of three main, leading components. Each of these components has a complex multidimensional structure and different forms of psychological manifestations.
- The sphere of general mental activity of a person.
- the individual’s desire for self-expression, effective mastery and transformation of external reality;
- intellectual and characterological characteristics, a complex of relationships and motives
- In the motor (motor) component, the leading role is played by qualities associated with the function of the motor (and special speech-motor apparatus). Among the dynamic qualities of the motor component are:
- rapidity,
- force,
- sharpness,
- rhythm,
- amplitude and
- a number of other signs of muscle movement.
- This is a large complex of properties and qualities that characterize the peculiarities of the emergence, course and cessation of various feelings, affects and moods.
- Impressionability- a person’s susceptibility, his sensitivity to emotional influences, his ability to find the basis for an emotional reaction where such soil does not exist for others.
- Impulsiveness- the speed with which emotion becomes the motivating force of actions and actions without prior thought and a conscious decision to carry them out.
- Emotional lability- the speed with which a given emotional state ceases or one experience changes to another.
This component is the most difficult. It has a branched structure of its own:
From the history of teachings about types of temperament
Observing how the teachings about temperament developed, one can understand what tools the researchers had.
Hippocrates (5th century BC) first spoke about temperaments. He argued that people differ in the ratio of the 4 main “juices” of life that make up it:
Claudius Galen (2nd century BC) continued. He developed the first typology of temperaments (treatise “De temperamentum”) 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 widely known today:
Let us dwell in more detail on the teachings of I.P. Pavlova.
I.P. Pavlov hypothesized that differences in behavior were based on some fundamental properties of nervous processes - excitation and inhibition. These properties include
reflects the performance of the nerve cell. It manifests itself in functional endurance, i.e. in the ability to withstand long-term or short-term, but strong excitation, without passing into the opposite state of inhibition
is understood as the functional performance of the nervous system during the implementation of inhibition. Manifests itself in the ability to form various inhibitory conditioned reactions, such as extinction and differentiation
balance of excitation and inhibition processes. The ratio of the strength of both processes decides whether a given individual is balanced or unbalanced, when the strength of one process exceeds the strength of the other
manifests itself in the speed of transition from one nervous process to another. The mobility of nervous processes is manifested in the ability to change behavior in accordance with changing living conditions. A measure of this property of the nervous system is the speed of transition from one action to another, from a passive state to an active one, and vice versa. Nervous system the more inert the more time or effort required to move from one process to another. I.P. Pavlov distinguished between the strength of excitation and the force of inhibition, considering them two independent properties of the nervous system.
The 4 types of nervous system identified by I.P. Pavlov correspond according to their main characteristics to the 4 classical types of temperament:
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 Ivan Petrovich, the properties of the nervous system form the physiological basis of temperament, which is a mental manifestation of the type of nervous system
Two things to note:
A strong nervous system copes more successfully with some life tasks (for example, in work associated with large and unexpected loads).
A weak nervous system copes more successfully with others (for example, in monotonous work conditions). A weak nervous system is a highly sensitive nervous system, and this is its advantage over a strong one.
Hans Eysenck studied the works of C. Jung, R. Woodworth, I.P. Pavlov, E. Kretschmer and other famous psychologists, psychiatrists and physiologists. He proposed three basic dimensions of personality:
characterizes emotional stability/instability (stability/instability).
High scores on neuroticism are expressed in nervousness, instability, poor adaptation, a tendency to quickly change moods, strong reactions in relation to stimuli that cause them
Low scores on neuroticism are expressed in the preservation of organized behavior and situational focus in ordinary and stressful situations. Characterized by maturity, excellent adaptation, lack of great tension and anxiety.
an indicator of a tendency towards antisocial behavior, pretentiousness, inappropriate emotional reactions, high levels of conflict, and self-centeredness.
People with a high degree of psychoticism are self-centered, impulsive, indifferent to others, and tend to resist social principles. They are often restless, have difficulty communicating with people and do not receive their understanding, and deliberately cause trouble to others.
The result of a combination of high and low levels of introversion and extraversion with high or low levels of stability and neuroticism became the four categories of people described by Eysenck.
If the resulting table is superimposed on I.P. Pavlov’s typology, then we will get the already well-known quadrant of temperaments.
Characteristics of temperament types according to G. Eysenck
G. Eysenck gave characteristics of “pure” types of temperament (that is, in the extreme angular positions of the quadrant). And we already realized that such types are extremely rare. Make adjustments accordingly when you receive test results. Moreover, the closer one type of temperament is to another, the more features echoes.
For example, if you got the result: neuroticism 13, extraversion 17, then you are a sanguine choleric. Then you have the characteristics of both choleric and sanguine people, but not as pronounced as pure Cholerics and Sanguines. In different conditions, in different situations, you can exhibit both characteristics.
I emphasize this because sometimes the respondent does not accept the result - “this is not about me.” Remember that the literature often provides characteristics of “pure” types of temperaments. 
Description of temperament types. Types of temperament according to G. Eysenck
Interesting results
A review of studies (Wilson, 1978) based on test performance predictions within Eysenck's theory provides an impressive amount of evidence. For example, extroverts are much more tolerant of pain than introverts; they pause more during work to chat and drink coffee than introverts; excitement increases the effectiveness of their actions and actions, while for introverts it only interferes.
Some other empirically established differences between extroverts and introverts are listed below.
And this is forever?!.. or a little neurobiology
Temperament a person is a biological, innate quality... Somehow I want to understand why? So let’s dive a little into neurobiology.Individual nerve cells, or neurons, do not perform their functions as isolated units, like liver or kidney cells. The job of the 50 billion or so neurons in our brain is that they receive signals from some other nerve cells and transmit them to others.
Transmitting And hosts cells are combined into nerve circuits or networks. The actual junctions - specific points on the surface of nerve cells where their contact occurs - are called synapses(synapsis; Greek “contact”, “connection”), and the process of transmitting information in these places is synoptic transmission.
Unlike most other cells in the body, mature neurons cannot divide, and genetically the conditioned products of any neuron must ensure the preservation and change of its functions throughout its life.
The ability of the nervous system and muscles to generate electrical potentials has been known for a long time - since the work of Galvani at the end XVIII century.
We will not delve into the mechanism of signal transmission. To put it very simply, the signal transmission goes like this:
Please note that there are 2 types of synapses: excitatory and inhibitory (remember the teachings of I.P. Pavlov).
It is now clear that the strength of excitation/inhibition of nervous processes, their balance, mobility (that is, the type of temperament) depend on the genetic makeup of a person. And that this is given to a person for life.
Hippocrates identified 4 types of temperament - sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric and melancholic. However, in their pure form they are rare; each person only gravitates towards one of them. Over the course of life, under the influence of social influence, upbringing, lifestyle, and health, manifestations of temperament can be smoothed out. In children, the signs of temperament are more distinct; they are easy to see if you observe the child’s behavior for some time.
Let's talk in detail about each type of temperament. Let's talk about activities that are comfortable for children, taking into account their temperament.
Sanguine
Proper upbringing will form in a child an active attitude to learning and determination.
Moving, active activities are suitable for such a child. You can choose sports, dancing. Classes can be either individual or in a group or team. Perhaps, due to his activity, the child will be interested in many types of activities, he will want to study in several clubs and studios at once. Allow him this, allow him to move from one section to another. The more skills he masters, the more incentives for development he will receive. A deeper immersion in the chosen activity can occur in subsequent years - in adolescence, adolescence.
Phlegmatic person
This is a calm and leisurely baby. He thoroughly thinks through his actions and shows persistence in achieving his goals. It is difficult for him to quickly navigate a situation, he does not like change, prefers stability, and remembers acquired knowledge and skills for a long time. His mood is stable, he rarely loses his temper, and enjoys communicating with the adults and peers around him.
Upbringing can develop in a phlegmatic child such qualities as perseverance and perseverance. Activities that require painstaking and patience are suitable for him. If your child has a good ear for music, you can offer him music lessons. If he has an interest in drawing, sculpting, appliqué, engage in artistic creativity with him.
Such a child may not like activities that require speed, instant reaction, or quick adaptation. Therefore, from all types of sports activities, choose calm ones. These are swimming, ballroom and sports dancing. There, the skill is formed through repeated repetition and individual work with a coach.
Team games - football, handball, basketball, contact sports - boxing, fencing will not bring phlegmatic people satisfaction, since they require quick reaction, the ability to understand a partner and opponent and make an instant decision.
Choleric
A choleric child is characterized by imbalance, excitability, speed of actions and movements. It lights up quickly and cools down just as quickly. Painstaking, monotonous, and time-consuming activities will be especially uncomfortable for him. In communication with peers, he strives to be a leader and is often a source of conflict.
With proper upbringing, very important qualities are formed in a choleric child: activity, initiative, passion, organizational and communication skills.
For a child with a choleric temperament, intensive but not very long classes are suitable, where there is the opportunity to communicate with peers or compete with an opponent. A passionate, risk-taking nature will feel at ease on a football field, volleyball or basketball court, or on a bicycle path. A choleric child will also “light up” on the dance floor, in a musical group - where a powerful and short-term release of energy is required.
Activities that require painstaking attention, such as drawing, modeling, embroidery, beadwork, can quickly get boring for such a child. An ordeal for a choleric child there will be loneliness and lack of communication with peers.
Melancholic
In children with a melancholic type of temperament, activity proceeds slowly, and they quickly get tired. If you push the child, the actions slow down even more. Slowly, but for a long time, the child is immersed in one or another emotional experience. Bad mood will not be fleeting, the resulting sadness surprises adults with its depth, strength, and duration. The child is anxious in unfamiliar surroundings, shy of unfamiliar people, and avoids numerous contacts with peers.
In the process of upbringing, melancholic children develop gentleness, responsiveness, and sincerity.
For such a child, quiet activities in comfortable conditions are suitable. Melancholic children enjoy reading books, watching educational programs, films, and love to observe and explore the nature around them.
Their deep feelings and experiences can be revealed in artistic and literary work.
To determine your child’s temperament, use the questions presented in the “Diagnostics of abilities and interests” section. They will help you see signs of a type of temperament in your child’s behavior.
Let's sum it up
- Temperament is an innate quality, don’t try to fight it. Try to understand it and take it into account when choosing activities for your child.
- There are no “bad” temperaments. Rudeness, aggressiveness, selfishness, low level of culture are the result of poor upbringing.
- Choose activities according to your child’s inclinations and behavior. Consider the strength and speed of the child’s reactions, stability and change of emotions, activity and fatigue, and the need for communication.
- Parents should not only broaden the child’s horizons, but also develop his abilities, expanding his understanding of various types activities. It is important to offer your child activities that suit his temperament and capabilities. Such activities will shape his interests, inclinations, and help him overcome uncertainty and fear.
The basis of temperament
Each person is unique, has different ways of expressing emotions, feelings and reacts differently to what is happening in the surrounding reality. If one individual remains calm in any situation, then even the slightest trouble can lead another to despair. These features of human behavior largely depend on differences in the activity of the nervous system.
Temperament as a psychobiological basis of personality
Human mental activity, which is characterized by its dynamic features (tempo, speed and intensity), is temperament. It characterizes not a person’s beliefs, views or interests, but its dynamism, and therefore is not an indicator of value.
The following components can be distinguished that determine the basis of temperament:
- The general activity of a person’s mental activity, which is expressed in the degree of desire to act, to express oneself in various activities, and to transform the surrounding reality. There are two extremes of general activity: on the one hand, passivity, inertia, lethargy, and on the other, impetuosity. Between these two extremes are representatives of different temperaments;
- Motor or motor activity is expressed in the speed, intensity, sharpness, strength of muscle movements and speech of the individual, his mobility, talkativeness;
- Emotional activity expresses the sensitive basis of temperament, that is, the receptivity and sensitivity of the individual to emotional influences, its impulsiveness.
Also, a person’s temperament has an external expression and is manifested in activities, behavior and actions. By these signs one can judge some of its properties. When they talk about temperament, they mainly mean mental differences in people associated with the intensity, depth and stability of emotions, impressionability, and energetic actions.
There are several theories that define the basics of temperament. But with all the variety of approaches to this issue, most scientists recognize that this is a kind of biological foundation on which the individual is formed as a social being.
Physiological basis of temperament
This term was first introduced by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who laid the foundation for the humoral theory. He explained the peculiarities of people's temperaments by different ratios of liquid substances in the body: blood, bile and lymph. If yellow bile predominates, it makes a person hot-tempered, impulsive or choleric. In active, cheerful people (sanguine people), blood predominates, while in calm and slow people (phlegmatic people), lymph predominates. Melancholic people are distinguished by a sad and fearful character, and as Hippocrates argued, black bile predominates in them.
According to the constitutional theory, which was developed by Kretschmer and Zigo, the natural basis of temperament is determined by the characteristics of the general structure of the human body, as well as its individual organs. In turn, an individual’s physique depends on the course of endocrine processes in his body.
But the neurological theory proposed by Ivan Petrovich Pavlov was recognized as the most substantiated. In his opinion, the physiological basis of temperament is a set of acquired characteristics and innate properties of the nervous system.
Individual differences in nervous activity are manifested by the relationship between two main processes - excitation and inhibition, which have three important properties:
- The strength of processes, which is expressed in the ability of nerve cells to withstand prolonged or concentrated exposure to stimuli. This determines the endurance of the cell. The weakness of nervous processes is indicated by high sensitivity or the transition of cells into a state of inhibition instead of excitation when exposed to strong stimuli. This feature often forms the basis of temperament;
- The balance of nervous processes is characterized by an equal ratio of excitation and inhibition. In some people these two processes manifest themselves equally, in others one of them predominates;
- The mobility of nervous processes is a rapid or slow change of excitation to inhibition and back, when life conditions require it. Thus, in case of unexpected and drastic changes, mobility ensures the individual’s adaptation to the new environment.
Combinations of these properties, according to Pavlov, determine the type of nervous system and are the natural basis of temperament:
- Weak type, in which a person is not able to withstand strong, prolonged and concentrated excitation and inhibition. In a weak nervous system, cells have low efficiency. Although, when exposed to strong irritants, high sensitivity is noted;
- The strong balanced type is characterized by an imbalance in the basic nervous processes and is distinguished by the predominance of excitation over inhibition;
- Strong balanced mobile type - nervous processes are strong and balanced, however, their speed and mobility often lead to instability of connections;
- Strong balanced inert type, in which the processes of excitation and inhibition are strong and balanced, but are characterized by low mobility. Representatives of this type are always calm and difficult to anger.
Thus, the basis of temperament is the individual properties of the psyche, which reflect the dynamics of a person’s mental activity. They manifest themselves regardless of his goals, motives, desires and remain practically unchanged throughout his life.
Doctrine of Temperament
When talking about temperament, we usually mean the dynamic side of personality, expressed in impulsiveness and the pace of mental activity. It is in this sense that we usually say that such and such a person has a large or small temperament, taking into account his impulsiveness, the swiftness with which his inclinations manifest themselves, etc. Temperament is a dynamic characteristic of the mental activity of an individual.
For temperament, firstly, the strength of mental processes is indicative. In this case, not only their absolute strength at one moment or another is significant, but also how constant it remains, i.e., the degree of dynamic stability. With significant stability, the strength of reactions in each individual case depends on the changing conditions in which a person finds himself, and is adequate to them: stronger external irritation causes a stronger reaction, weaker irritation causes a weaker reaction. In individuals with greater instability, on the contrary, strong irritation can - depending on the very changeable state of the personality - cause either a very strong or a very weak reaction; in the same way, the weakest irritation can sometimes cause a very strong reaction; a very significant event, fraught with the most serious consequences, can leave a person indifferent, and in another case, an insignificant reason will give a violent outbreak: the “reaction” in this sense is not at all adequate to the “stimulant”.
Mental activity of the same force may differ in varying degrees of intensity, depending on the relationship between the strength of a given process and the dynamic capabilities of a given individual. Mental processes of a certain intensity can be carried out easily, without any tension in one person at one moment and with great tension in another person or the same person at another moment. These differences in tension will affect the nature of either the smooth and smooth flow of activity or the jerky flow of activity.
An essential expression of temperament is, further, the speed of mental processes. It is also necessary to distinguish from the speed or speed of the flow of mental processes their tempo (the number of acts in a certain period of time, depending not only on the speed of each act, but also on the size of the intervals between them) and rhythm (which can be not only temporary, but also forceful). ). When characterizing temperament, we must again keep in mind not only average speed the course of mental processes. The amplitude of fluctuations characteristic of a given individual from the slowest to the most accelerated rates is also indicative of temperament. Along with this, it is also significant how the transition occurs from slower to faster rates and vice versa - from faster to slower ones: for some it occurs, more or less evenly and smoothly increasing or decreasing, for others - as if in jerks , unevenly and jerkily. These differences can overlap: significant transitions in speed can be made by a smooth and uniform increase, and on the other hand, relatively less significant changes in absolute speed can be made by gusty shocks. These features of temperament affect all the activities of the individual, in the course of all mental processes.
The main manifestation of temperament is very often sought in the dynamic characteristics of a person’s “reactions” - in the strength and speed with which he effectively reacts to irritations. Indeed, the central links in the diverse manifestations of temperament are those that express the dynamic features not of individual mental processes, but of specific activity in the diverse interrelations of various aspects of its mental content. However, the sensorimotor reaction cannot serve as either a comprehensive or adequate expression of human temperament. A person’s impressionability and impulsiveness are especially important for temperament.
A person’s temperament is manifested primarily in his impressionability, characterized by the strength and stability of the impact that impressions have on a person. Depending on the characteristics of temperament, impressionability in some people is more, in others less significant; For some, it’s as if someone, in the words of A. M. Gorky, “torn off all the skin from their hearts,” they are so sensitive to every impression; others - “insensitive”, “thick-skinned” - react very poorly to their surroundings. For some, the influence - strong or weak - that makes an impression on them spreads with great speed, and for others with very low speed, into the deeper layers of the psyche. Finally, depending on the characteristics of their temperament, the stability of the impression varies among different people: for some, the impression - even a strong one - turns out to be very unstable, while others cannot get rid of it for a long time. Impressiveness is always an individually different affective sensitivity among people of different temperaments. It is significantly connected with the emotional sphere and is expressed in the strength, speed and stability of the emotional reaction to impressions.
Temperament is reflected in emotional excitability - the strength of emotional arousal, the speed with which it covers the personality - and the stability with which it is maintained. It depends on a person’s temperament how quickly and strongly he lights up and how quickly he then fades away. Emotional excitability manifests itself, in particular, in a mood that is elevated to the point of exaltation or decreased to the point of depression, and especially in more or less rapid changes in mood, directly related to impressionability.
Another central expression of temperament is impulsiveness, which is characterized by the strength of impulses, the speed with which they master the motor sphere and turn into action, and the stability with which they retain their effective force. Impulsivity includes the impressionability and emotional excitability that determines it in relation to the dynamic characteristics of those intellectual processes that mediate and control them. Impulsivity is that side of temperament by which it is connected with desire, with the origins of will, with the dynamic power of needs as incentives for activity, with the speed of transition of impulses into action.
Temperament is manifested especially clearly in the strength, as well as the speed, rhythm and tempo of a person’s psychomotor skills - in his practical actions, speech, expressive movements. A person’s gait, his facial expressions and pantomime, his movements, fast or slow, smooth or impetuous, sometimes an unexpected turn or movement of the head, the manner of raising his eyes or looking down, viscous lethargy or slow smoothness, nervous haste or powerful swiftness of speech reveal to us some kind of aspect of personality, that dynamic aspect of it that makes up its temperament. At the very first meeting, with short-term, sometimes even fleeting contact with a person, we often immediately get more or less information from these external manifestations. vivid impression about his temperament.
Since ancient times, it has been customary to distinguish four main types of temperaments: choleric, sanguine, melancholic and phlegmatic. Each of these temperaments can be determined by the ratio of impressionability and impulsiveness as the main psychological properties of temperament. Choleric temperament is characterized by strong impressionability and great impulsiveness; sanguine - weak impressionability and great impulsiveness; melancholic - strong impressionability and low impulsiveness; phlegmatic - weak impressionability and low impulsiveness. Thus, this classical traditional scheme naturally follows from the relationship of the basic characteristics with which we endow temperament, while acquiring the corresponding psychological content. The differentiation of both impressionability and impulsiveness in terms of strength, speed and stability, which we outlined above, opens up opportunities for further differentiation of temperaments.
The physiological basis of temperament is the neurodynamics of the brain, i.e., the neurodynamic relationship of the cortex and subcortex. The neurodynamics of the brain is in internal interaction with the system of humoral and endocrine factors. A number of researchers (Pende, Belov, partly E. Kretschmer, etc.) were inclined to make both temperament and even character dependent primarily on these latter. There is no doubt that the system of endocrine glands is included among the conditions affecting temperament.
It would be wrong, however, to isolate the endocrine system from the nervous system and turn it into an independent basis of temperament, since the most humoral activity of the endocrine glands is subject to central innervation. There is an internal interaction between the endocrine system and the nervous system, in which the leading role belongs to the nervous system.
For temperament, the excitability of the subcortical centers, with which the characteristics of motor skills, statics and autonomics are associated, is undoubtedly of significant importance. The tone of the subcortical centers and their dynamics influence both the tone of the cortex and its readiness for action. Due to the role they play in the neurodynamics of the brain, subcortical centers undoubtedly influence temperament. But again, it would be completely wrong, by emancipating the subcortex from the cortex, to turn the former into a self-sufficient factor, into the decisive basis of temperament, as is sought to be done in modern foreign neurology by currents that recognize the decisive importance for temperament of the gray matter of the ventricle and localize the “core” of personality in the subcortex, in the stem apparatus, in the subcortical ganglia. The subcortex and cortex are inextricably linked with each other. Therefore, it is impossible to separate the first from the second. What is ultimately decisive is not the dynamics of the subcortex itself, but the dynamic relationship between the subcortex and the cortex, as I. P. Pavlov emphasizes in his doctrine of the types of the nervous system.
I. P. Pavlov based his classification of types of nervous system on three main criteria, namely strength, balance and lability of the cortex.
Based on these basic features, as a result of his research using the method of conditioned reflexes, he came to the definition of four main types of the nervous system:
- Strong, balanced and agile - a lively type.
- Strong, balanced and inert - a calm, slow type.
- Strong, unbalanced with a predominance of excitation over inhibition - excitable, unrestrained type.
- Weak type.
The division of the types of the nervous system into strong and weak does not lead to a further symmetrical division of the weak type, as well as the strong, according to the remaining two signs of balance and mobility (lability), because these differences, which give significant differentiation in the case of the strong type, turn out to be practically insignificant and do not provide really significant differentiation.
I. P. Pavlov connects the types of nervous systems he outlined with temperaments, comparing the four groups of nervous systems that he came to in the laboratory with the ancient classification of temperaments dating back to Hippocrates. He is inclined to identify his excitable type with choleric, melancholic with inhibitory, two forms of the central type - calm and lively - with phlegmatic and sanguine.
Pavlov considers the main evidence in favor of the differentiation of types of nervous system that he establishes various reactions with strong counteractions from irritative and inhibitory processes.
Pavlov's teaching about the types of nervous activity is essential for understanding the physiological basis of temperament. Its correct use involves taking into account the fact that the type of nervous system is a strictly physiological concept, and temperament is a psychophysiological concept and it is expressed not only in motor skills, in the nature of reactions, their strength, speed, etc., but also in impressionability, in emotional excitability, etc.
The mental properties of temperament are undoubtedly closely related to the bodily properties of the body - both the innate structural features of the nervous system (neuroconstitution) and the functional characteristics of the (muscular, vascular) tone of organic life activity. However, the dynamic properties of human activity are not reducible to the dynamic features of organic life activity; With all the importance of the innate characteristics of the body, in particular its nervous system, for temperament they are only the starting point of its development, which is not separate from the development of the personality as a whole.
Temperament is not a property of the nervous system or neuroconstitution as such; it is a dynamic aspect of personality, characterizing the dynamics of its mental activity. This dynamic side of temperament is interconnected with other aspects of a person’s life and is mediated by the specific content of her life and activities; Therefore, the dynamics of a person’s activity cannot be reduced to the dynamic features of his life, since that itself is determined by the relationship of the individual with the environment. This is clearly revealed when analyzing any side, any manifestation of temperament.
Thus, no matter how significant the role the organic foundations of sensitivity and the properties of the peripheral receptor and central apparatus play in human impressionability, impressionability cannot be reduced to them. The impressions that are perceived by a person are usually caused not by isolated sensory stimuli, but by phenomena, objects, persons that have a certain objective meaning and evoke on the part of a person one or another attitude towards himself, determined by his tastes, attachments, beliefs, character, worldview. Because of this, sensitivity or impressionability itself turns out to be indirect and selective.
Impressionability is mediated and transformed by needs, interests, tastes, inclinations, etc. - the whole person’s attitude towards the environment and depends on life path personality.
In the same way, changes in emotions and moods, states of emotional upsurge or decline in a person depend not only on the tone of the body’s vital functions. Changes in tone, undoubtedly, also affect the emotional state, but the tone of life is mediated and determined by the relationship of the individual with the environment and, therefore, the entire content of his conscious life. Everything that has been said about the mediation of impressionability and emotionality by the conscious life of the individual applies even more to impulsiveness, since impulsiveness includes both impressionability and emotional excitability and is determined by their relationship with the power and complexity of the intellectual processes that mediate and control them.
Human actions are also irreducible to organic life activity, since they are not just motor reactions of the body, but acts that are aimed at certain objects and pursue certain goals. They are therefore mediated and conditioned in all their mental properties, including dynamic ones that characterize temperament, by a person’s attitude towards the environment, the goals that he sets for himself, the needs, tastes, inclinations, and beliefs that determine these goals. Therefore, it is in no way possible to reduce the dynamic features of a person’s actions to the dynamic features of his organic life activity, taken in itself; the very tone of his organic life activity may be determined by the course of his activity and the turnover that it receives for him. The dynamic features of activity inevitably depend on the specific relationship of the individual with his environment; they will be some in conditions that are adequate for him and others in conditions that are inadequate. Therefore, attempts to give a doctrine of temperaments based only on a physiological analysis of nervous mechanisms without correlation in animals with the biological conditions of their existence, and in humans with the historically developing conditions of their social existence and practical activity, are fundamentally illegitimate.
The dynamic characteristics of mental activity do not have a self-sufficient, formal character; it depends on the content and specific conditions of the activity, on the individual’s attitude to what he does and to the conditions in which he finds himself. The pace of my activity will obviously be different in the case when its direction is forced to run counter to my inclinations, interests, skills and abilities, with the peculiarities of my character, when I feel myself in an environment alien to me, and in the case when I am captured and am passionate about the content of my work and am in an environment that is consonant with me.
Liveliness, turning into playful playfulness or swagger, and regularity, even slowness of movements, taking on the character of sedateness or majesty in facial expressions, pantomime, posture, gait, and behavior of a person, are determined by a variety of reasons, including the mores of the social environment in which a person lives , and the social position he occupies. The style of an era, the way of life of certain social strata determines to a certain extent the pace and, in general, the dynamic characteristics of the behavior of representatives of this era and the corresponding social strata.
The dynamic features of behavior that come from the era, from social conditions, do not, of course, eliminate individual differences in the temperament of different people and do not abolish the significance of their organic characteristics. But, reflected in the psyche, in the consciousness of people, social moments themselves are included in their internal individual characteristics and enter into an internal relationship with all their other individual characteristics, including organic and functional. In the real way of life of a particular person, in the dynamic features of his individual behavior, the tone of his life activity and the regulation of these features, which comes from social conditions (the pace of social and industrial life, morals, everyday life, decency, etc.), form an indivisible unity of sometimes opposite , but always interconnected moments. Regulation of the dynamics of behavior, based on the social conditions of human life and activity, can, of course, sometimes only affect external behavior without affecting the personality itself, its temperament; wherein internal features a person's temperament may also be in conflict with the dynamic characteristics of the behavior that he outwardly adheres to. But, ultimately, the characteristics of behavior that a person adheres to for a long time cannot help but sooner or later leave their mark - although not mechanical, not mirror, and sometimes even compensatory-antagonistic - on the internal structure of the personality, on its temperament.
Thus, in all its manifestations, temperament is mediated and conditioned by the real conditions and specific content of a person’s life. Speaking about the conditions under which an actor’s temperament can be convincing, E. B. Vakhtangov wrote: “For this, the actor at rehearsals needs to mainly work so that everything that surrounds him in the play becomes his atmosphere, so that the tasks the roles have become his tasks - then the temperament will speak “from the essence.” This temperament is essentially the most valuable, because it is the only convincing and foolproof one.” Temperament “from the essence” is the only convincing one on stage because this is what temperament is in reality: the dynamics of mental processes is not something self-sufficient; it depends on the specific content of the personality, on the tasks that a person sets for himself, on his needs, interests, inclinations, character, on his “essence”, which is revealed in the variety of the most important relationships for him with others. Temperament is an empty abstraction outside the personality, which is formed while making its way in life.
Being a dynamic characteristic of all manifestations of personality, temperament in its qualitative properties of impressionability, emotional excitability and impulsiveness is at the same time the sensory basis of character.
Forming the basis of character properties, temperament properties, however, do not predetermine them. When involved in the development of character, the properties of temperament undergo changes, due to which the same initial properties can lead to different properties of character depending on what they are subordinated to - the behavior, beliefs, volitional and intellectual qualities of a person. Thus, on the basis of impulsiveness as a property of temperament, depending on the conditions of upbringing and the entire path of life, various volitional qualities can be developed in a person who has not learned to control his actions by thinking about their consequences; rashness, unrestraint, the habit of cutting from the shoulder can easily develop. act under the influence of passion; in other cases, on the basis of the same impulsiveness, determination will develop, the ability to move towards the goal without unnecessary delay or hesitation. Depending on a person’s life path, on the entire course of his socio-moral, intellectual and aesthetic development, impressionability as a property of temperament can in one case lead to significant vulnerability, painful vulnerability, hence to timidity and shyness; in another, on the basis of the same impressionability, greater spiritual sensitivity, responsiveness and aesthetic sensitivity can develop; in the third - sensitivity in the sense of sentimentality. The formation of character on the basis of temperamental properties is significantly related to the orientation of the individual.
So, temperament is a dynamic characteristic of personality in all its effective manifestations and the sensory basis of character. Transforming in the process of character formation, the properties of temperament turn into character traits, the content of which is inextricably linked with the orientation of the individual.
Influence of temperament
The dynamic characteristics of a person’s character—the style of his behavior—depend on temperament. Temperament is the “natural soil” on which the process of formation of individual character traits and the development of individual human abilities takes place.
People achieve the same success in different ways, replacing their “weaknesses” with a system of mental compensation.
Under the influence of life conditions, a choleric person may develop inertia, slowness, and lack of initiative, while a melancholic person may develop energy and determination. A person’s life experience and upbringing mask the manifestations of his temperament. But under unusual super-strong influences, in dangerous situations previously formed inhibitory reactions can be disinhibited. Choleric and melancholic people are more prone to a neuropsychic breakdown. Along with this, the scientific approach to understanding individual behavior is incompatible with strictly tying people’s actions to their natural characteristics.
Depending on the living conditions and activities of a person, certain properties of his temperament can be strengthened or weakened. Temperament, despite its natural conditioning, can be classified as a personality trait, since it combines the natural and socially acquired qualities of a person.
Foreign psychologists divide temperamental characteristics mainly into two groups - extraversion and introversion. These concepts, introduced by the Swiss psychologist C. G. Jung, mean that individuals are predominantly focused on the external (extrovert) or internal (introvert) world. Extroverts are distinguished by their predominant focus on the outside world, increased social adaptation, they are more conformist and suggestive (subject to suggestion). Introverts highest value give to the phenomena of the inner world, they are uncommunicative, prone to increased introspection, have difficulty entering a new social environment, are non-conforming and suggestive.
Among the qualities of temperament, rigidity and plasticity also stand out. Rigidity - inertia, conservatism, difficulty switching mental activity. There are several types of rigidity: sensory - prolongation of sensation after the cessation of the stimulus; motor - difficulty in restructuring habitual movements; emotional - continuation of an emotional state after the cessation of emotional influence; memory - overservation, obsession with memory images; thinking - inertia of judgments, attitudes, methods of solving problems. The opposite quality to rigidity is plasticity, flexibility, mobility, adequacy.
The characteristics of temperament also include such a mental phenomenon as anxiety - tension, increased emotional excitability in situations interpreted by the individual as threatening. Individuals with a high level of anxiety are prone to behavior that is inappropriate to the degree of threat. An increased level of anxiety causes a desire to escape from the perception of threatening events, involuntarily narrowing the field of perception in a stressful situation.
So, a person’s temperament determines the dynamics of his behavior, the uniqueness of the course of his mental processes. Temperament determines a person’s way of seeing, experiencing events and relaying them verbally. When analyzing human behavior, one cannot help but take into account the “biological background” of human behavior, which affects the degree of intensity of individual personality traits.
A person’s temperamental characteristics act as psychophysiological capabilities of his behavior. For example, the mobility of nervous processes determines the dynamic qualities of intelligence, the flexibility of associative processes; excitability - the ease of occurrence and intensity of sensations, stability of attention, the power of imprinting memory images.
However, temperament is not a value criterion of an individual; it does not determine the needs, interests, and views of an individual. In the same type of activity, people with different temperaments can achieve outstanding success due to their compensatory capabilities.
It is not temperament, but the orientation of the individual, the predominance of higher motives over lower ones, self-control and self-control, suppression of lower-level impulses to achieve socially significant goals that determine the quality of human behavior.
Temperament structure
Temperament is a term derived from the Latin temperamentum (proper proportion of traits) and tempero (mix in proper proportion). To date, the problem of temperament has been studied in sufficient detail, and therefore there is a wide variety of definitions in science. of this property personality.
B.M. Teplov gave the following definition: “Temperament is a characteristic set of mental characteristics for a given person associated with emotional excitability, that is, the speed of the emergence of feelings, on the one hand, and their strength, on the other.”
Thus, it can be argued that temperament is a set of psychodynamic properties of the nervous system, the biological foundation on which personality is formed.
Since the psyche is a property of the nervous system, the individual properties of the psyche, including the properties of temperament, are determined by the individual properties of the nervous system. Therefore, the first main sign of the properties of temperament is their conditioning by the properties of the nervous system, which constitute the physiological basis of temperament. Moreover, only one type of temperament depends on each type of nervous system (with its specific properties).
The same dynamic features of mental activity depend on the relationship between emotional and volitional features. This ratio is the one characteristic feature, which has been the basis of the concept of temperament since the time of Hippocrates. Consequently, there are objective reasons to believe that the individual characteristics of the emotional-volitional sphere are properties of temperament. This, however, does not mean that all individual characteristics of the emotional-volitional sphere, and only them, are associated with temperament.
As a result of attempts at such an analysis, three main, leading, components of temperament were identified, relating to the areas of the individual’s general activity, his motor skills and his emotionality. Each of these components, in turn, has a very complex multidimensional structure and in different forms psychological manifestations.
The greatest importance in the structure of temperament is the general mental activity of the individual. The essence of this component lies in the individual’s tendency to self-expression, effective mastery and transformation of external reality.
In terms of content, the second component is especially closely related to the first component of temperament - motor, or motor, in which the leading role is played by qualities associated with the function of the motor (and especially the speech-motor) apparatus. Among the dynamic qualities of the motor component, one should highlight such as speed, strength, sharpness, rhythm, amplitude and a number of other signs of muscle movement (some of them characterize speech motor skills).
The third main component of temperament is emotionality, which is a broad complex of properties that characterize the peculiarities of the emergence, course and cessation of various feelings, affects and moods. Compared to other components of temperament, this component is the most complex and has a branched structure of its own. The main characteristics of emotionality are impressionability, impulsiveness and emotional stability.
Impressiveness expresses the subject’s sensitivity to emotionally significant influences.
Impulsivity refers to the speed with which an emotion prompts action without prior thought or conscious planning. Emotional lability usually refers to the speed at which one experience changes to another.
The main components of temperament form a single structure in human behavior, which makes it possible to limit temperament from other mental formations of the personality - its orientation, character, abilities, etc.
Manifestation of temperament
The differences between people in temperament are manifested in their activities. To achieve success in it, it is important that a person controls his temperament, knows how to adapt it to the conditions and requirements of his activity, relying on his strong properties and compensating for his weak ones. This adaptation is expressed in an individual style of activity.
An individual style of activity is an expedient system of ways and techniques for performing activities that corresponds to the characteristics of temperament, ensuring the best results.
The formation of an individual style of activity is carried out in the process of training and education. In this case, the subject’s own interest is necessary.
Conditions for the formation of an individual style of activity:
- determination of temperament with assessment of the severity of its psychological properties;
- finding a set of strengths and weaknesses;
- creating a positive attitude towards mastering your temperament;
- an exercise in improving strong properties and possibly compensating for weak ones.
Temperament also matters for the choice of activity. Cholerics prefer emotional types (sports games, discussions, public performance) and are reluctant to do monotonous work. Melancholic people willingly engage individual species activities.
It is known that during training sessions, sanguine people, when studying new material, quickly grasp the basics, perform new actions, although with errors, and do not like long and careful work when mastering and improving skills. Phlegmatic people will not perform new actions or exercises if something is unclear in the content or technique; they are prone to painstaking, lengthy work when mastering it.
For example, for athletes there are differences depending on temperament in pre-race conditions. Sanguine and phlegmatic people are predominantly in a state of combat readiness before the start, choleric people are in a state of starting fever, and melancholic people are in a state of starting apathy. At competitions, sanguine and phlegmatic people show stable results and even better results than in training; for choleric and melancholic people they are not stable enough.
In the same differentiated manner, in particular taking into account the strength and balance of the students’ nervous system, it is necessary to approach the use of various forms of pedagogical influences - praise, blame. Praise has a positive impact on the process of skill formation in all students, but the greatest impact on the “weak” and “unbalanced” ones. Blame is most effective on the “strong” and “balanced”, least effective on the “weak” and “unbalanced”. The expectation of being graded for completing tasks has a positive effect on the “weak” and “balanced”, but is less significant for the “strong” and “unbalanced”.
Thus, temperament, being dependent on the innate properties of the nervous system, manifests itself in a person’s individual style of activity, so it is important to take into account its characteristics when training and upbringing.
Taking into account the characteristics of temperament is necessary when solving mainly two important pedagogical problems: when choosing methodological teaching tactics and the style of communication with students. In the first case, you need to help a sanguine person to see sources of diversity and creative elements in monotonous work, a choleric person to instill the skills of special careful self-control, a phlegmatic person to purposefully develop the skills of quickly switching attention, a melancholic person to overcome fear and self-doubt. Taking into account temperament is necessary when choosing a style of communication with students. Thus, with choleric and melancholic people, such methods of influence as individual conversation and indirect types of demands (advice, hint, etc.) are preferable. Reproach in front of the class will cause a conflict explosion in a choleric person, and a reaction of resentment, depression, and self-doubt in a melancholic person. When dealing with a phlegmatic person, it is inappropriate to insist on immediate fulfillment of the requirement; it is necessary to give time to mature own decision student. A sanguine person will easily and gladly accept a remark in the form of a joke.
Temperament is the natural basis for the manifestation of psychological qualities of an individual. However, with any temperament, it is possible to develop in a person qualities that are not characteristic of this temperament. Self-education is of particular importance here. In a letter to O. L. Knipper-Chekhova, A. P. Chekhov wrote: “You... envy my character. I must say that by nature I have a harsh character, I’m quick-tempered, etc., etc., but I’m used to controlling myself, because it’s not appropriate for a decent person to let himself go.”
Hello friends. How often are you called a hysteric, a whiner, a nerd, or a pancake? Are you angry about this? That's what you need. Being offended by others is stupid, especially since it is not their fault that you have such a temperament. Which? But today we will find out.
A little theory
This concept entered psychology a very long time ago, back in the time of Hippocrates, and this was already in the 5th century BC. Therefore, so many smart books have been written on this topic that it’s time to bury your head in them. Even the French writer Alexandre Dumas used a description of psychotypes in his book about the Three Musketeers and D’Artagnan.
Since each of the main characters is a representative of one of the types of temperament, it is already clear that there are only four of them.
Psychologists complicated words explain why temperament differs from character and in what way, but I’ll simplify it a little. It is almost impossible to control temperament, since it is tied to nervous reactions and brain reactions. But character, although largely formed under the influence of temperament, is also the result of upbringing and habits, which means it can be adjusted.
So, what is temperament responsible for? His areas of control include, first of all, emotions and reactions to what is happening:
- speed;
- intensity;
- sharpness;
- rate of change.
So we can conclude that temperament is responsible for the impressionability of the individual. If an apple falls on one, he will scratch the hit area and move on. The other one will cry. The third one will get angry. The fourth will be a revelation. At the end of the article, you will be able to say for sure which of the four unfortunate people who hit the head with an apple belongs to what type.
In addition, with the help of numerous observations, it was revealed that temperament is often inherited, since it is largely determined by the structure of the nervous system, common between parents and child. It also depends on the geographical component, as residents of northern countries are generally much calmer than residents of southern latitudes.
Strong and weak, active and passive
Now that we have talked about the characteristic as a whole, let's take a closer look at what kind of temperament this is and how it manifests itself in different people.
Main characteristics: active or passive, balanced or unbalanced personality.
Just as among the active there is one who shows strength of character, so among the passive. And vice versa: an unbalanced person can be active in character or passive, like a balanced one.
What refers to balanced behavior: a certain autonomy, independence, self-control. An unbalanced person is more influenced by other people or circumstances. Only the passive one will fall under the influence without resistance, and the active one will noisily, with hysterics, breaking dishes and announcing that he himself decided this way.
Modern psychologists characterize each temperament by style of behavior:
sanguine - strong;
choleric - unrestrained;
phlegmatic - calm;
melancholic - weak.
Both characteristics have a certain meaning; each of them describes the characteristics of a particular psychotype.
Four psychotypes
Finally, we get to the most important thing: what relates to the immediate characteristics of each of the four temperaments.
Well, where are our incomparable musketeers Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D’Artagnan? Very soon you will be able to determine for yourself what temperament each of them is endowed with. Although the use of representatives of different psychotypes as characters in books and films is a favorite technique of almost all authors. This is completely natural: they strive to depict real life, and in life it is unlikely to find a group of people with only one temperament.
So let's get started!
Sanguine
A cheerful, sociable, energetic and active person. If we are talking about born optimists, then these are, as a rule, sanguine people. The nervous system, although balanced, easily adapts to new situations without losing control of itself. Although they keep their fears under control, they need other people to maintain inner balance.
Psychologists believe that almost half of humanity belongs to the sanguine type - 44%, and this is good - it means that optimists predominate.
It is difficult to find a vivid image of a sanguine person in literature: he is too much of a problem-free type, while the author needs drama and depth of experience. So sanguine people most often perform as “back-up dancers” - they are minor characters. These include Olga Larina from Pushkin's Eugene Onegin and Phileas Vogt's servant Passepartout from Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days.
Choleric
He also belongs to the active type, but choleric people are not nearly as pleasant to communicate with as sanguine people, as they are prone to emotional outbursts if something goes wrong. He is agile and sharp, overcomes difficulties with pressure - more precisely, with a cavalry charge. The choleric often strives to be a leader, but achieves this by force and demands unconditional obedience. He always goes ahead and to the end; he is not characterized by flexibility and diplomacy in communication. The weak point of choleric people is the feeling of anxiety that haunts them, often based on fictitious fear.
This psychotype is characteristic of 14% of all inhabitants of the Earth.
I would say that the best description of this psychotype, with all its inherent manifestations, was achieved by the American writer Margaret Mitchell. The main character of her novel Gone with the Wind, Scarlett O'Hara, is a striking example of a choleric person.
Phlegmatic person
The cold-blooded and stubborn temperament of such a person belongs to the balanced type. But if a sanguine person expresses himself brightly, then a phlegmatic person behaves calmly in almost all cases. He is thorough by nature, loves to see things through to the end and fulfill his obligations. The phlegmatic person is rather slow and needs a period of adaptation to new conditions. Change, and even more so the unknown, are not attractive to a representative of this psychotype, although fears are not his weak side.
The phlegmatic person, due to his calmness, does not strive to be a leader. Therefore, it is easier for him to do what someone else determines. However, if he already has a goal, then it will be quite difficult to turn him off the path: without conflicts and protests, the phlegmatic person will do what he considers right. However, he can succumb to exhortations and persuasion.
Phlegmatic people are rare “animals”; their number is only 9% of the population of our planet.
The owner of the already mentioned Passepartout from the work of Jules Verne, Phileas Vogt, is precisely an example of a phlegmatic person who, without unnecessary noise and dust, goes to his intended goal.
Melancholic
A favorite character of many writers, poets and directors. Why? Yes, because it is so convenient to develop dramas and tragedies on the suffering of a melancholic person. Not only do they suffer, they are also prone to soul-searching and verbose outpourings about the causes and characteristics of their suffering.
Most often, a melancholic person is an introvert with a rich inner world. Although his outward manifestation of emotions is rather weak, he endures any failure for a long time and stubbornly, no matter what it is about. Representatives of this psychotype are most prone to depression. However, worries and fears do not bypass them either.
If we talk about the reasons for their fears, then one thing will be common: they are afraid of life itself and the need to do something. Physical pain and public misunderstanding, conflicts and confrontation, wars, natural disasters - all this leads melancholic people into blues and depression. The greatest pessimists and idealists, whose illusions are shattered by the slightest discrepancy with the ideal, are precisely the melancholics.
To come to any kind of agreement with the world, a melancholic person needs to understand how everything works, so he is quite inquisitive. And also persistent and stubborn... in his pessimistic outlook on life.
The melancholic group is the second largest, but fearful whiners make up only a third of humanity - 29% of the world's population.
I think that after such a description you can easily give several examples of melancholic people from literary works. In my opinion, the coolest melancholy is Eeyore from the story about Winnie the Pooh. And even more so in a cartoon.
How confusing everything is!
Although one of the temperaments predominates in every person, we do not always react to external stimuli only according to the template. A tired and angry sanguine person is quite capable of exploding like a choleric person, and a phlegmatic person can fall into depression like a melancholic person. Therefore, in most cases, psychologists talk about transitional types of temperament.
Want to know what type you are? Then come through test– and perhaps you will learn something new about yourself.
By the way, here good news for those who are closest to the pronounced representatives of the main psychotype: psychologists say that it is precisely such people who most often achieve outstanding results.
But representatives of mixed types also have nothing to grieve, since a wider field for activity opens up before them: if they want, they have fun, if they want, they scream, if they want, they grieve.
In general, you don’t need to strive to become someone else, even if for some reason you don’t like your temperament. If you know your strengths and weaknesses, value yourself and your efforts, then you can achieve, if not fame and universal recognition, then at least the realization of your desires. And this is, by and large, the most important thing.
If you have any questions, watch this smiile film about temperaments, and everything will fall into place. See you in touch!