What is personality in psychology, its structure and types?

Definition of the concept

Since the phenomenon of personality is a subject of study not only in psychology, but also in other humanities, the term does not have an unambiguous definition. For a better understanding of what a person is, three main definitions will be given below.

Personality is a set of individual qualities of a person (thinking, will, and so on) that determine his behavior in society, speak about his values, life experience, and aspirations.

In other words, the psychological difference between one individual and another characterizes his personality.

A person can be defined as a subject of society with a set of roles (social and personal), certain habits and experiences.

This term also refers to a person who is completely responsible for all aspects of his life.

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Personality structure

To better understand the term, it is worth considering its structure.

The structure of personality can be understood as the interaction of its component parts (character, aspirations, will, abilities, emotions). These parts (components) characterize a person; they can be called her traits. To structure these personality-defining traits, the following levels are distinguished:

• lower,
• second,
• third,
• higher.

The lowest level is the mental characteristics of a person determined by gender, age, and innate qualities.

The second level involves individual characteristics depending on innate qualities and their development (memory, thinking, abilities, perception of the surrounding world).

The third level is formed throughout life and is associated with socialization. It defines individual experience (knowledge acquired throughout life, habits, skills).

The highest level reflects the worldview, inclinations, beliefs, character traits, the so-called personality orientation. The highest level is most dependent on the social environment in which the formation of personality occurs. Education has a strong influence on the formation of this level. This structure gives a generalized idea of ​​personality. Each person is multifaceted and the differences between people at each level of the structure discussed above are determined by individual experience, beliefs, character, and knowledge. This versatility and individuality often becomes the reason why it is difficult to understand an opponent and avoid conflict situations.

To better understand others and yourself, you need to have an idea of ​​personality characteristics, be aware and observant.

Diagnostics

Psychodiagnostics deals with methods of studying the properties of the psyche and personality.

There are two main directions - test and projective.

The test consists of forming a scale that is formed when answering questions. This scale reflects certain character traits, personality orientation, and its volitional, emotional or behavioral characteristics.

These include the Binet-Stanford intelligence test, the Luscher color test (emotions), the extra- and introversion scale, the test of temperament types and many others. Some of them are processed on a computer to obtain results.

Projective techniques - drawings, role-playing games or stories. Their meaning lies in the projection of their mental traits and relationships onto the task. Their founder was K. Jung, who proposed psychodiagnostic conversations, then Rorschach created his “ink blot” test and Rosenzweig created his frustration test.

Later, many variations arose with the task of describing vague pictures, drawing a person, a tree, a family, etc.

Psychology has classified many different personality traits. Thanks to different approaches and methods, the very concept of personality has also been significantly enriched. The practical application of this knowledge is relevant for self-knowledge, in the work of psychologists, as well as in psychotherapy and psychiatry in order to clarify the diagnosis and treatment.

Author: Natalya Kalegova

Main characteristics

In psychology, personality characteristics are understood as those mental phenomena through which an individual manifests himself in communication with others and in everyday activities. The following main personality characteristics are distinguished:

• capabilities,
• will,
• temperament,
• character,
• emotions,
• motivation.

Capabilities

When it comes to a person’s successes and achievements (for example, studying at school), abilities are considered to be the criterion for assessing this success.

Abilities can be called properties of the soul, uniting all mental processes and states of a person. They also mean the totality of all the skills of an individual, thanks to which he successfully performs certain actions. Simply put, ability is both the ability to do something well, for example, to draw, and to experience strong feelings, for example, love or compassion.

Abilities are divided into:

• complex and simple
• practical and theoretical,
• educational and creative,
• general and special,
• communicative and subject-active.

Complex and simple abilities

The simplest include innate abilities based on the activity of the senses and elementary motor activity. For example, the ability to distinguish colors, sounds, walk, sit, and so on.

Complex abilities are understood as skills related to human culture (painting pictures, the ability to solve difficult problems in physics, etc.). These are not innate abilities; they are socially conditioned.

Types of accentuations or psychotypes

In psychology, psychotypical concepts of personality are widely used, which to some extent indicate the presence of borderline deviations. Every person has an accentuation, which is developed to one degree or another and at any moment can develop into a serious problem.

The following types of accentuations in people are distinguished:

• Cycloid type (biphasic or cyclical mood swings from bad to good, instability of interests)
• Labile personality type (quick and uncontrollable mood changes, which in psychology are called rapid switching; even the person himself cannot predict changes in emotions);
• Asthenic type (a closed and serious person with a characteristic asthenic appearance, distinguished by stubbornness and poor adaptation to changing conditions);
• Sensitive option (high demands on oneself and others, impressionability and increased susceptibility);
• Psychasthenic personality type (distinguished by increased emotional rejection of responsibility; in psychology they are noted as reliable and reasonable people);
• Schizoid variant (in the first place is non-standard thinking, but its consistency is practically absent);
• Conformal type (they completely adapt to their environment and hate change);
• Unsustainable option (rejection of work activity with a craving for an idle existence without control);
• Hysteroid (requires increased attention to oneself, which is why he is prone to demonstrative behavior);
• Epileptoid type (restrained personality with outbursts of anger, loves clarity and certainty in everything);
• Hyperthymic (stable positive mood, openness and high energy).

The personality psychology of each person is a complex, branched structure. Even highly qualified specialists will not be able to identify all its branches. Insufficient understanding of how the brain works causes the continuous emergence of new theories and classifications, which positively prove themselves in practice until the first case that cannot be typed.

Practical and theoretical abilities

Practical abilities are understood as the ability of an individual to pose and solve problems that require action in certain situations.

Theoretical abilities determine abstract and logical thinking, the ability to solve theoretical problems.

Academic and creative abilities

Learning abilities mean how well a person learns new things, acquires knowledge, and acquires skills.

Creative abilities determine an individual’s ability to generate new ideas and produce spiritual and material values.

General and special abilities

General abilities are understood as those abilities that every person has (general mental, motor). But they are developed differently for everyone. And success in certain areas depends on this.

Special abilities can be defined as specific abilities that not every individual has. As a rule, they require innate abilities. This could be musical, acting or literary abilities.

Focus

Perhaps one of the main psychological properties of a person is direction. It includes such important components as:

• Needs
• Motives
• Goals

In fact, direction is nothing more than their unity, which determines the nature of the individual’s activity.

In turn, needs represent the need of a person - if we consider it from the point of view of a socio-biological being in a formed material or spiritual object.

As you know, needs require satisfaction. This is what motivates a person to the necessary activity, which implies a certain activity.

Will

Will is what allows an individual to control his actions and psyche. This is conscious control over one’s behavior, a conscious influence on the surrounding reality.

The following factors can be called signs of will:

• making informed decisions,
• achieving your goals, overcoming difficulties on the way to them,
• self-restraint, when in order to achieve a goal an individual deprives himself of something that may seem attractive to him,
• a clear action plan,
• lack of emotional satisfaction from solving the task,
• moral satisfaction associated with achieving and overcoming oneself.

Will is a person’s main assistant in achieving his goals, the quality that helps him develop and grow as a person. It is the will that helps a person overcome life’s difficulties, even when it seems that the goal is unattainable.

Afterword

Despite the fact that most scientists are of the opinion that individuals are made and not born, the question of whether all people are individuals continues to attract controversy and controversial opinions.

• The question of whether a child can be considered a person is controversial, although humanistic pedagogy argues that, undoubtedly, it can and should be.
• The understanding of a mentally ill person or a criminal as an individual is just as controversial.
• Don’t the phrases “asocial personality” or “degraded personality” look ridiculous?

In the end, everyone chooses for themselves which side they belong to in these issues. In my opinion, each person (especially important for young children when raising) can be treated as a potential personality, that is, given a few points head start. However, this is possible until a person proves otherwise.

Temperament

Temperament is those properties of the psyche that are responsible for its processes and human states.

The following main types of temperament, defined by Hippocrates, are distinguished:

• melancholic,
• choleric,
• phlegmatic,
• sanguine.

A melancholic person is characterized by a tense inner life. People with this temperament are usually gloomy, vulnerable, and have a high level of anxiety. They are restrained in communication, get tired quickly, and give in to difficulties.

Cholerics are quick-tempered, impulsive people, persistent. They have difficulty restraining their emotions, but quickly calm down if they get their way. Such people are true to their interests and aspirations.

Phlegmatic people are efficient and patient, they know how to control themselves perfectly. These are cold-blooded people who are difficult to disturb, but if this happens, it is difficult for them to calm down. Those with a phlegmatic temperament have difficulty adapting to new things and do not easily get rid of old habits.

Sanguine people are cheerful, optimistic, sociable people who love to joke. They are open to new things and easily adapt to changes, they are disciplined in their work and are able to keep their emotions in check.

This is a general and incomplete classification that gives general ideas about temperament.

You need to understand that a person can combine traits of different temperaments and that these types are not often found in their pure form.

Character

In psychology, character is understood as the way a person interacts with other people and the world. It is formed depending on the social conditions in which the individual is located and raised.

Character is manifested in the reaction to the actions of other people, in the manners of the person himself. Many character traits can be grouped into three groups:

• strong-willed,
• business,
• communicative,
• motivational,
• instrumental.

As it is not difficult to guess, strong-willed character traits determine a person’s will and its accompanying qualities (perseverance, determination, compliance).

Business traits are how an individual behaves during work (conscientiousness, laziness, responsibility, tendency to procrastinate).

Communication traits determine how contactable and sociable a person is, how he communicates with others (openness, kindness, politeness, rudeness, isolation).

Motivational traits mean those qualities that encourage action, directing it. Instrumental traits give a certain style to human behavior.

Emotions

Emotions in psychology are defined as individual experiences that arise when vital needs are satisfied (dissatisfied). They may be pleasant or not.

A person is capable of experiencing a variety of emotions, but the main ones include the following:

• the simplest emotions
• mood,
• affects,
• feelings.

The simplest emotions, their manifestation, are associated with the satisfaction of physiological needs.

Mood is a set of emotions that can describe the state of an individual at a certain moment.

Affects can be called strong short-term emotions that have...

By feelings, psychologists understand an individual’s experiences caused by a certain object.

Emotionally, people are very different from each other. These differences consist of different intensity and direction, and the duration of the experience of emotions.

Emotions influence decision-making and specific actions. This is why it is important to control your feelings.

Character

From ancient Greek, the word “character” literally sounds like “sign”, “trait”, “distinctive object”.

Giphy

Character - refers to the mental properties of a person, as an identifier of an individual’s behavior model, and is manifested in his attitude towards society, himself, other people and work. Character is a set of relatively constant personality traits and qualities, such as intellectual, volitional and emotional. Which, in turn, give rise to individual and social behavior of the individual, and interaction with others.

Knowledge of character helps to consciously perceive those traits of an individual that are manifested in his actions from the point of view of logical and internal consistency.

Character is closely related to temperament. Each of us is “filled” with a unique set of characteristics. That is why each of us is unique and inimitable in our own way.