Individual psychological characteristics of personality and properties

Psychology studies not only the general laws and patterns of mental processes and states. We are all different, unique and inimitable individuals, therefore knowledge of the individual psychological characteristics of a person is no less important than the mechanisms and processes of the psyche that are characteristic of all people. This area is studied by a branch of psychology called differential psychology, or the psychology of individual differences.

How individual psychological characteristics of a person manifest themselves

Psychology studies the general and individual laws of formation and development of the psyche. By the way, they are studied not only by psychology, but also by philosophy and sociology. The first (general patterns), for example, includes the theory of age-related crises, the concept of psychological defense mechanisms. The second is ideas about the formation of individual psychological characteristics. What applies to them? Individual psychological characteristics of a person include temperament, character and its individual traits, abilities, and emotional-volitional sphere.

How and in what ways are individual psychological characteristics manifested? Yes in everything. For example, how we react to certain events or how we tell a story is directly related to temperament. Choleric people give in to emotions and gesticulate a lot. Phlegmatic people are reserved, pay attention to little things, and objectively assess the situation. However, we have already gotten a little ahead of ourselves. Let's look at each of the main individual characteristics in more detail, including temperament.

Interesting! The study of individual psychological characteristics deals with a special branch of psychology - differential psychology, or the psychology of individual differences. It explains why people behave differently in the same situations, why children with completely different futures grow up in the same conditions, etc.

General and individual in the human psyche

There is a saying: “Another person’s soul is darkness.” This is true only for those who do not know psychology at all. And this science is quite accurate, and it claims that there are unshakable general principles that govern the mental processes of any person. Not only the similarity of physiological structure, but also the commonality of the characteristics of the mental sphere allows us to classify all people as one species, Homo sapiens. We even go through similar stages of development and we all experience the same age-related crises and difficulties of growing up.

In psychology there is a concept of norm, although it is quite fragile. Too strong a deviation from the mental norm is considered a pathology, is recognized as a mental illness and requires the intervention of a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.

However, people are still different, and this is noticeable, one might say, with the naked eye, even to a person inexperienced in psychology. We behave differently in similar situations, we show emotions differently. There are differences in the course of cognitive processes, and in the level of intelligence, and in the volitional sphere, and in motor skills.

These features appear within the framework of general patterns, but they play an important role in creating a unique image of the individual. And at the same time, they help to understand her motives, desires, and predict behavior. That is, the individual manifests itself in general, and not only through the characteristics of behavior and external activity, but also at the internal level of consciousness.

Despite the diversity of manifestations of our psyche, when we talk about individual psychological characteristics, we primarily mean three areas: temperament, character and abilities. And if, for example, in cognitive processes the individual is only a superstructure, an addition to general patterns, then temperament, character and abilities can be considered as a manifestation of the unique uniqueness of each person.

Temperament

Temperament is a type of nervous system, an innate characteristic. This is a set of psychophysical properties of a person that determines the specifics of performing an activity. Rhythm, speed, intensity of reactions - all this depends on temperament. Let's take a closer look at the types of temperaments, and then their properties.

Types of temperament according to Hippocrates

Hippocrates was the first to talk about temperaments. He identified four personality types based on which fluid predominates in a person:

Holi (bile). These are active and sometimes fussy people. They are characterized by sudden mood swings and sociability, turning into obsession.
Phlegm (mucus). These are calm, reasonable, slow people.
Melan holi (black bile). These are pessimists, in a state of decline and characterized by indecision.
Sangwa (blood). These are active and persistent people who always achieve their goals. Born leaders.

Since then, many studies have been carried out, different classifications of temperaments have appeared, but this typology is still taken as a basis. True, no one talks about the predominance of liquids anymore, and the names have changed a little. The study of temperaments is conducted around the reactions of excitation and inhibition. And the main person in this theory is considered to be I.P. Pavlov.

Temperament in modern psychology

In modern psychology, the following classification of temperaments is used:

Choleric. Strong, agile, unbalanced type. They say about these people: “Starts with half a kick.” True, the choleric person cools down just as quickly. Moreover, he not only cools down, but forgets the reason for the quarrel, the unpleasant fact itself. Therefore, it is difficult to resolve disagreements with choleric people. Cholerics have leadership qualities, but lack of restraint and emotionality prevent them from achieving a stable result in life.
Sanguine. Agile, balanced, strong type. The processes of excitation and inhibition occur quickly, but this does not affect the mood as clearly as in a melancholic person. Sanguine people are more into humor. They can be called easy-going. They are distinguished by high adaptive abilities, flexibility, and sociability. These are positive and active people who know how to find an approach to every person and have leadership characteristics. A sanguine person does not tolerate boredom and monotony. It is characterized by high speed and strength in performing activities.
Phlegmatic person. Strong, balanced, motionless type. The arousal reaction is weak. Phlegmatic people are distinguished by restraint and prudence, which sometimes turn into tediousness. These are the executive and most responsible workers, but living with a phlegmatic person is difficult. He is stingy with emotions, does not know how to empathize, is cautious and passive. Does not like surprises, experiments, novelty. His restraint, resistance to stress and composure are sometimes mistaken by others for indifference. Phlegmatic people do not like changes in activity.
Melancholic. Weak, unbalanced, mobile type. Like a choleric person, his mood constantly fluctuates, but negative connotations predominate. This is a passive, insecure, vulnerable type. Gets tired quickly and does not adapt well to changes. At the same time, these are the most sincere and empathetic people with a rich and interesting inner world.

Psychologists note that not a single temperament occurs in its pure form. That is, more often a person has 2 or 3 types mixed.

In addition, modern psychology relies on the typology of temperaments by K.G. Cabin boy. He identified two types: extroverts and introverts. The former direct their energy to the outer world, the latter to the inner world. Extroverts have a more acute need for social contacts and group work than introverts. The latter are prone to solitude. This is due to the fact that introverts have a higher sensitivity to external stimuli. Extroverts are more stable, so they need strong emotional influences to be aroused.

Interesting! There are other typologies of temperaments, for example, Galen’s classification, the theory of E. Kretschmer.

Properties

Balance, mobility, strength are properties of temperament. We have already mentioned this, but there are other properties. Let's look at them in more detail:

sensitivity (sensitivity) – reaction to minimal exposure to a stimulus;
reactivity - the strength of the emotional reaction to stimuli;
activity – activity in interpersonal relationships, when performing activities;
pace of reactions - speed of movements, speech, thinking, performance of activities;
mobility (plasticity/rigidity) – speed of adaptation to changing conditions.

Let’s imagine portraits of temperaments through a table, where “+” is a high level, and “–” is a low level of some property.

Sensitivity	Reactivity	Activity	Rate of reactions	Mobility
Choleric	–	+	+	+	+
Sanguine	–	+	+	+	+
Phlegmatic person	–	–	+	–	–
Melancholic	+	–	–	–	–

In addition, when considering temperaments, it is customary to study concentration. Choleric people have slow concentration (distractable type), sanguine people have fast concentration, phlegmatic people have slow concentration, melancholic people have unstable attention (they get tired quickly, are distracted a lot).

Important! Characteristics of temperament must be taken into account during the learning process, during employment and when building relationships with others. The psychological climate in the family, work team, class, group depends on the compatibility of temperaments.

Hidden and obvious accentuation of personality

Accentuation refers to the dominant personality traits, that is, some characteristics are moderately developed in us, while others are excessively developed.

As a result of accentuation (from the word “accent”, i.e. strengthening), the personality becomes disharmonious.

Strengthening individual traits

cause a person’s vulnerability, are his weak point, “Achilles’ heel”;
limits a person’s abilities in certain areas of activity.

For example, a personality with an accentuation of weak will can be used by people and is completely unsuitable for working in leadership positions.

Accentuation is not a psychological or mental deviation, but an extreme variant of the norm.

There are several reasons for this

dominance of one trait is formed only at certain stages of development, and can be minimized with age;
accentuation does not always appear, but only under certain circumstances;
accentuation does not in any way prevent a person from adapting to society, with the exception of a number of restrictions that we mentioned above.

Depending on the dominance of one of the character traits, the following types are distinguished:

Type of accentuation	Characteristic
Demonstrative	The desire to be in . Deliberate behavior, boasting.
Pedantic	Caution, fear of change, thoroughness, thoughtfulness.
Excitable	Very impulsive behavior. Lives by impulses, instincts, drives.
Hypertemic	Always cheerful, active, thirsty for life. Sociable, optimistic, easily overcomes difficulties.
Stuck	Remembers insults and troubles for a long time, is vengeful, petty
Dysthymic	Pessimist, always sad and despondent. Concentrated on the dark sides of life.
Cyclothymic	Changes from thirst for life to pessimism occur frequently and regularly.
Exalted	A violent reaction to any event, a state from delight to universal sadness.
Emotive	High sensitivity, empathy, sincerity, tearfulness.
Anxious	Anxiety for any reason and for no reason. Wariness, timidity, uncertainty.

Accentuation is considered obvious in cases where it accompanies a person most of the time, almost always.

If the dominance of any trait appears in stressful or critical situations, then the accentuation is called hidden.

Character

Character is a complex of acquired personality traits. Don’t believe those who say: “That’s my character” or “We don’t get along.” Unlike temperament, character can be changed.

First, let's define the concept. Character is a complex of stable personality properties that determine a person’s behavior and reactions and his attitude towards other people and himself. Now let's look at several character classifications.

Classifications

S. Freud, within the framework of his theory of psychosexual personality development, identified the following types of character:

Oral. This is an irritable person prone to overeating, alcohol abuse, smoking and other addictions. Among people of this type there are representatives of two subspecies: passive-oral and oral-aggressive. The first are distinguished by naivety, suggestibility, and knowledge. The latter are characterized by cynicism, often show aggression, crave power, and tend to manipulate people.
Anal. These are overly pedantic, secretive people prone to hoarding. As with the oral character, there are two subtypes: anal-retentive and anal-thrust. People of the first type are distinguished by greed and stubbornness. People of the second type are characterized by emotional instability and an aggressive desire for leadership.
Phallic. People of this type try to demonstrate their masculinity/femininity as much as possible in everything. And not in the best forms: impudence, bitchiness, depravity. These are people of extremes. They either hate themselves or they adore them; or remain faithful, or regularly engage in casual relationships; or are overly cautious, or lead a wild and dangerous lifestyle, etc.
Genital. According to Freud, this is the optimal, healthy type of character. He is characterized by a high level of stress resistance, developed adaptive abilities, sociability, openness, and activity. Such people achieve success in all areas of life and know how to win people over.

Another psychoanalyst, Alexander Lowen, named these types of characters:

Oral. These are people who depend on other people's opinions and are afraid of being rejected and abandoned. Every minute they demand attention to themselves, waiting for words of love. However, they do not know how to give off heat.
Masochistic. These are secretive, distrustful and vindictive people, prone to self-punishment and self-flagellation. They are used to playing the role of a victim and suffering. Those who find themselves next to them become unwitting participants in some kind of drama.
Hysterical. These are very artistic people. They do not live, but play on stage. Their every word, reaction, gesture is clearly verified and rehearsed. However, excessive emotionality prevents you from making and implementing long-term plans. Such people need emotions, so they constantly get into some kind of trouble, become participants or instigators of scandals and fights.
Narcissistic. These are people who are guided solely by personal interests. People for them are tools, a means to achieve personal goals. A narcissist does not know how to empathize or sympathize. He asserts himself at the expense of others. He cannot stand loneliness, as he needs to see, hear and feel admiration for himself.
Schizoid. People who live in their own world. Outwardly it seems that they are cold, callous, indifferent. But that's not true. Passions boil in the inner world of a schizoid; he knows how to love and get carried away by something. But he does not tolerate “water” or anything superficial. Carefully chooses friends, hobbies, and work.

I believe you have noticed that characters get their names from a set of individual, leading qualities. Therefore, sometimes character types are called accentuation types. But let's look at this separately.

Note! There are no bad or good characters. Each person has their own advantages and disadvantages.

Accentuations

Accentuations are sharpened character traits. That is, this is some kind of disharmony, in which some features are weakly expressed, while others are overdeveloped.

In psychology, it is customary to focus on the typology of accentuations proposed by A.E. Lichko:

Hyperthymic type. These are resourceful, active and sociable people. They will make their way everywhere, however, problems arise with long-term planning. Risk-prone, rarely think about the consequences of their actions.
Cycloid type. The life of such people consists of cycles: sometimes a good mood, sometimes a bad one, activity is replaced by passivity, a period of increased performance turns into a period of loss of strength, etc. If you communicate with this person occasionally, you may get the impression that you are dealing with different people. One phase of the cycle lasts 2–4 weeks.
Labile type. Unpredictable and emotionally unstable type. Your attitude towards yourself, other people and the world is directly related to your mood. Increased sensitivity to external stimuli is noticeable.
Asthenoneurotic type. An anxious, capricious, lethargic type, prone to hypochondria - excessive preoccupation with one's own health. Such people quickly get tired of work, communication and other activities.
Sensitive type. These are sensitive and impressionable people. They prefer solitude, calm and quiet games, and “one-on-one” hobbies. In the presence of close people they behave relaxed, but in a circle of unfamiliar people they are reserved and indecisive.
Psychasthenic type. These are anxious, suspicious, indecisive people, prone to philosophizing. They get tired quickly and suffer from mood swings. They often withdraw into themselves.
Schizoid type. These people build an invisible wall between themselves and the world. They do not express the need for social contacts; they are happy alone. These are stubborn and purposeful people who do not like to pour water. The essence of things is important to them, not the form. Actions are preferred to words.
Epileptoid type. This is a passive, inflexible type who is prone to affective outbursts. Moreover, in this case, the affect lasts quite a long time – up to several days. All this time the person is in a depressed mood and is looking for someone to take his anger out on. Epileptoids can be dangerous to others and are capable of violence during an outbreak.
Hysterical type. Such people are characterized by egocentrism. They are indifferent to the problems and interests of others and crave constant attention to themselves. Prone to manipulation and blackmail, including demonstrative attempts at suicide.
Unstable type. People of this type do not like to work, they try to escape from reality and responsibility into the world of entertainment and games. They cannot be alone. In companies they occupy the position of slaves.
Conformal type. People of this type are afraid of novelty and do not perceive it in any form. They become attached to things, people, work, order, etc. They take a long time to get used to a new environment and have difficulty adapting to any changes in life. In a group, people are more likely to be followers than leaders.

You may have been confused by some of the names, as they are very similar to the names of mental disorders. Don't be alarmed. Accentuation is not a pathology. However, it cannot be considered normal either. This is a borderline state between the norm (a harmonious character in which all traits are balanced and compensate for each other) and pathology (psychopathy). Accentuations need to be monitored and, if possible, corrected, since under the influence of unfavorable factors they can turn into pathology.

Structure

Character structure is a group of leading traits. There is no generally accepted classification in psychology, but the following character structure can be roughly distinguished:

emotional traits - cheerfulness or gloominess, sensitivity or callousness;
volitional traits - decisiveness and indecisiveness, independence and dependence, initiative and passivity;/li>
moral traits - kindness and cruelty, responsiveness and indifference, sincerity and deceit;
intellectual traits - curiosity or indifference, intelligence or dullness, resourcefulness or confusion.

In everyday life, there are many unofficial names for characters: weak-willed (a rag), steely-willed (a man with a core), no character (a “neither fish nor fowl” person). All this has to do with character structure. That is, those around you notice which group of traits is expressed more strongly or weakly and, based on this, they give the name to the entire character. For example, the core refers to developed volitional qualities.

Character traits and temperament properties

The first character traits based on temperament appear already in infancy, and by adolescence many of them become stable. At the same time, the relationship between character and temperament manifests itself in all aspects of a person’s life, forms the principles of his behavior, dictates interests, desires and actions.

Manifestations of character can be expressed in relation to oneself and the people around you. Tactfulness or rudeness, the desire to help loved ones or unwillingness to see other people’s difficulties, stable attachment or the ability to easily part with people determine the characteristics of a person’s communication.

Other character traits show his attitude:

towards oneself - self-confidence or a tendency to self-flagellation;
to the point - conscientiousness and responsibility or a tendency not to go into details and always rush;
to things - neatness or negligence, respectful or not very respectful attitude towards other people's property and cultural values.

Character traits lay down behavior programs. And if the program is formed, this is exactly how a person will act in typical situations. Moreover, in childhood and adolescence, these “programs” are amenable to external adjustment - through the efforts of educators, teachers, parents, and psychologists. In adulthood, a person, as a rule, tends to follow accepted programs of action and change them only if he understands that they interfere with achieving his goals.

Capabilities

Abilities are innate data. To be more precise, from birth we are given inclinations, and in the future it depends on the conditions of human development whether they develop abilities or not. Inclinations are anatomical and physiological features of the nervous system that serve as the basis for the formation of abilities. Abilities are personality traits that help one achieve greater success in performing any activity compared to other people.

Abilities can be biologically determined (given by nature) and socially acquired (specific abilities). In addition, in psychology it is customary to distinguish the following types of abilities:

Are common. They help you achieve success in any type of activity. Examples of general abilities: good memory, high stability of attention and mental agility.
Specialized. Increase the chances of success in mastering a specific activity. Examples: musical ear, artistic taste.

Among the special abilities are the following types:

musical,
artistic,
sports,
literary,
creative,
educational,
intellectual,
mathematical,
others.

On the subject of interaction, it is customary to distinguish the following abilities:

interpersonal – a person easily establishes social contacts;
subject - a person is better able to interact with objects than with people.

In addition, theoretical and practical abilities are distinguished. In the first case, a person is more inclined to analysis and reasoning. In the second case, a person prefers to implement his activities through active actions.

According to the degree of development, abilities are reproductive (repeating someone else’s experience, knowledge) and inventive (creating something unique, new).

Motivation

In general, there are two sides to human behavior that complement each other: incentive and regulation. The incentive side ensures the activation of behavior and its direction, and the regulatory side is responsible for how behavior develops under specific conditions.

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

A motive is any internal physiological or psychological urge responsible for the activity and purposefulness of behavior. Motives can be conscious and unconscious, imaginary and really active, meaning-forming and motivating.

The following phenomena influence human motivation:

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

A stimulus is any internal or external factor, coupled with a motive, that controls behavior and directs it to achieve a specific goal.

Intention is a thought-out and consciously made decision that is consistent with the desire to do something.

Motivation is a person’s not fully conscious and vague (possibly) desire for something.

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

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

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

An excellent example would be a situation where you ask a person to fulfill some request (for friendship, for work, etc.). Naturally, in exchange for a service, a person wants to receive something for himself (as sad as it may be, most people are characterized by selfish interest, even if it manifests itself in some to a greater extent and in others to a lesser extent). Determine what a person needs; this will be a kind of hook that can hook him, his motivation. Show the person the benefits. If he sees that by meeting you halfway, he will be able to satisfy some essential need for him, then this will be an almost 100% guarantee that your interaction will be successful and effective.

You can learn about the features of motivation, its types and other interesting things from the next lesson of our training.

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

Emotions

Emotions are a mental reaction to any events. An emotional reaction is always subjective and has nothing to do with objective facts. Emotions are associated with the individual needs of the individual, as well as beliefs and experiences.

By type, emotions can be positive or negative. The first includes joy, passion, enthusiasm, faith, optimism, hope, satisfaction. The second - boredom, irritation, disappointment, anxiety, despondency, fear, sadness, excitement.

Psychologist B.I. Dodonov proposed the following classification of emotions according to the specifics of the situations in which they arise:

communicative;
altruistic;
practical (occurs after the successful implementation of the plan);
gloric (associated with the need for self-affirmation);
fearful (occurs in situations of risk, danger);
romantic;
aesthetic;
Gnostic (associated with the desire for knowledge);
active (associated with accumulation, gathering);
hedonistic (associated with any pleasures).

Emotions are situational experiences. They are short-lived. If you continue to experience the same thing after the situation ends, then this is the feeling. However, in practice, the first and second are often identified.

Structure of individual qualities

To more accurately determine the quality of a person’s personality, one should highlight its biological structure. It consists of 4 levels:

Temperament, which includes characteristics of genetic predisposition (nervous system).
The degree of unique mental processes that allows one to determine a person's personal qualities. The level of individual perception, imagination, manifestation of volitional signs, feelings and attention influences the achievement of results.
The experiences of people, characterized by knowledge, abilities, capabilities and habits.
Indicators of social orientation, including the subject’s attitude to the external environment. The development of personal qualities acts as a guiding and regulating factor of behavior - interests and views, beliefs and attitudes (state of consciousness based on previous experience, regulating the attitude and behavior of people), moral norms.

The above categories are closely related to the needs and character, abilities and egocentrism of people. The set of general indicators influences the creation of an individual personality shell.

Will

Will is a person’s ability to consciously regulate his behavior and activities. The presence of will presupposes overcoming external and internal obstacles on the path to the goal. The will is formed by the age of 5-6 years. Until this moment, the child has only involuntary activity. But gradually the child learns to structure his motives and desires, overcome difficulties, and analyze his thoughts and actions.

Will is manifested in such character traits as perseverance, determination, dedication, independence, courage, endurance, diligence, and discipline. The presence of these qualities is noticeable at the cognitive, emotional and behavioral level.

Strong-willed traits of people

Adjusting behavioral factors associated with overcoming internal and external discomfort makes it possible to determine personal qualities: the level of effort and plans for taking actions, concentration in a given direction. Will manifests itself in the following properties:

willpower - the level of effort to achieve the desired result;
perseverance – the ability to mobilize to overcome troubles;
endurance - the ability to limit feelings, thinking and actions.

Courage, self-control, commitment are the personal qualities of strong-willed people. They are classified into simple and complex acts. In a simple case, incentives to action flow into execution automatically. Complex acts are carried out on the basis of motivation, drawing up a plan and taking into account the consequences.

Professional personality traits

It is not enough to gain certain knowledge in a particular professional activity. To achieve success in the chosen field, a person must have specific qualities. Regardless of the significance of the profession, a person’s abilities are classified into several categories:

verbality – language proficiency, determination of the significance of concepts and words;
numerical ability - the ability to accurately and quickly perform standard arithmetic operations;
the ability to correct numbers, letters, words;
have an idea of objects in 2-3 dimensions;
ability to detail objects and graphic images;
motor coordination - control of the movements of the eyes, legs and arms; the ability to coordinate them with certain signals;
dexterity - the ability to manipulate small objects;
perception of color shades, the ability to distinguish and compare them;
general intelligence is the ability to learn, which consists of understanding and accepting the material being studied, the ability to reason and draw correct conclusions.

Human abilities

Based on the described properties, a list of psychological qualities necessary for specific professional activities is compiled. To become successful in business, other individual characteristics are also necessary. They are called social temperament and influence an individual’s confidence in certain operating conditions.

Types of individual psychological professional qualities:

Typological properties, including lability of the nervous system, dynamism, mobility, strength.
Perceptual and sensory properties, the level of which develops with the acquisition of skills.
Individual attention, including elements such as switching, distribution, stability.
Psychomotor skills, based on the development of certain operating systems necessary in solving professional problems.
Mnemonics is the ability to remember material, techniques and the ability to develop professional memory.

Note! In any activity you need to be able to think and have imagination; strong-willed qualities are especially important. Without them, it will not be possible to overcome difficulties in the work process.