Types of temperament: brief characteristics and diagnosis. Types of temperament: brief description, features

People's temperaments are the individual characteristics of the personality and character of each of them. A person's temperament and character are the main properties of his personality and individuality. It reflects the characteristics of human behavior that have been characteristic of him since birth and expresses the individual’s attitude towards the world around him.

To be successful and communicate with others, a person simply needs to take into account people’s temperaments and their characteristics. This reduces the likelihood of conflict situations and possible stress.

Human temperaments have been studied since the 2nd century BC. e. It was then that Claudius Galen identified four types that are still used today.

A person’s temperament is determined from birth - it is an innate personality trait that does not change throughout life. However, temperament has always been a subject of scientific research. It was studied by the likes of Wundt, Kant, and Pavlov. And the British psychologist Eysenck in the twentieth century developed a test to determine human temperament. The test is a questionnaire of 50-100 questions. Thanks to this test, you can accurately determine a person’s temperament type.

People's temperaments are completely different. But there is no worst or best of them. Therefore, when communicating, efforts should be made to identify and use the advantages of one or another temperament.

The content of the article:

Human temperament is a set of psycho-emotional characteristics of a person, a kind of litmus test with the help of which the character of any individual is determined. It should be remembered that the volitional qualities of people are not only an innate factor, they are also influenced by acquired reactions to external stimuli. In most cases, when determining temperament, it is necessary to understand the manifestations of acquired reactions.

What is human temperament

Temperament is, first of all, a certain trait of a person’s personality. During the formation of personality, specific processes occur that are reflected in the behavior of people in society.

The main criteria of temperament are the general activity of the person, who at the same time shows social mobility and formats his feelings and emotionality. This is a reaction to any circumstances, a manifestation of feelings or an expression of emotions.

general characteristics a person is easily identified only if he has a stable psychomotor system. However, in most situations, everyone can have several types of temperament, which characterize him as an extraordinary person.

Sometimes a critical set of circumstances or force majeure can turn a calm individual into a rather aggressive person. It is also worth remembering that powerful people can become flexible members of society if the appropriate approach is found to them.

Features of determining temperament according to different theories

Many research experts human souls created their own system of distinguishing people according to their personal qualities. In some aspects these theories are similar, but in certain details they are sometimes radically different from each other.

Definition of temperament according to Hippocrates and Galen

Physicians of Antiquity long observed the fact that many people could be classified into four types. Hippocrates made some assumptions on this issue, and Galen improved them:

• Sangwa. The doctors considered saturation of the body with blood as a good sign for people’s sociability. In their opinion, a person of this type is always active and has a cheerful disposition.
• Reflux. The predominance of lymph in the form of sputum in the human body was considered a manifestation of calmness and slowness. In this case, Hippocrates and Galen based their conclusions on the fact that a person's blood does not boil, which usually leads to a surge of energy towards the people around him.
• Hole. Yellow bile has always and at all times been characterized as a poison that poisons human body. In this case, the predominance of it in the blood characterized people as individuals who do not know how to control their emotions.
• Melanchole. The presence of black bile in a person’s body radically changed his behavior compared to a “chole” person. Hippocrates and Galen considered such people to be fearful individuals who often indulge in sad memories.

It was according to the theory of these two ancient doctors that the modern concept of dividing people into four categories according to temperament was developed.

Jung's definition of temperament

The famous psychotherapist and student of Freud decided to improve the system that was offered to humanity by the great figures of ancient times. In his interpretation, the types of temperament became more specific and began to look like this:

1. Extrovert. This type of personal characteristic of a person implies the focus of all his attention directly on objects. For such individuals, the priority is the opinion of the public, which determines their pattern of behavior. To some extent this is in a great way adapt to society, but excessive manifestation of extraventiveness often leads to the subordination of personal interests in the name of others and nervous exhaustion.
2. Introvert. A subjective starting point when planning your life - distinguishing feature a person with a similar temperament. Such people give preference to personal experiences rather than the suffering of those closest to them. External reality is not an argument for introverts, because in all life situations they rely solely on their own opinion.

Jung developed a broader concept of determining a person's character based on two factors. However, it does not take into account the fact that people's behavior often depends on many nuances.

Designation of temperament according to Kant

The German philosopher also became interested in the theory developed by Hippocrates and Galen. As his contribution to this development, after a detailed study of the issue described, he proposed the following amendments:

• Das Leichtblutigen (cheerful disposition). Faith in a bright future, wit, simplicity and kindness - positive traits a person with such a temperament. However, at the same time, Kant emphasized that merry people often easily make promises that they are then unable to keep. In addition, they do not possess such qualities as patience and endurance.
• Das Schwerblutigen (dark disposition). Such people do not dream of new beginnings, because they are constantly subject to self-analysis in a rather negative way. Asking such a person for help can sometimes be very difficult, because he does not promise to take part in someone else's fate without good reasons for this.
• Das Warmblutigen (hot temper). You should not test the patience of such a person, because he instantly lights up like a match. However, with a competent approach to the problem that has arisen on the part of the instigator of the conflict, he quickly cools down and may even apologize. However, Kant argues that it is this type of temperament that is most predisposed to the perception of flattering speeches and compliments.
• Das Kaltbluti (cold-blooded man). Not a single muscle moves on the face of such a person, because she masterfully controls her emotions. However, people with a similar temperament are quite passive and do not want to challenge fate for their own realization.

Kant's development is interesting because it described in some detail the differences between people with a heterogeneous pattern of behavior. However, he did not take into account the fact that each person can combine several of the types he voiced.

Types of the nervous system according to I. P. Pavlov

The Russian scientist is known to a large category of people for his developments in the study of the reflex capabilities of dogs. At the same time, he devoted his time to the concept of differentiation of temperament, which is close to the theory of Hippocrates:

1. Strong type (sanguine). According to the system of the scientist voiced, the basis of the temperamental traits of such a person is the desire to resist life’s difficulties. Such people easily adapt to any changes, both physically and emotionally.
2. Inert type (phlegmatic). Low mobility of a person with a similar character can be considered as positive factor, because he will never enter into conflict. Even an experienced provocateur will not be able to call negative emotions in a phlegmatic person.
3. Unbalanced type (choleric). In this case, it is necessary to emphasize that such people are not able to control the balance of excitation and inhibition in their nervous system. Consequently, one cannot expect restraint and composure from such persons.
4. Weak type (melancholic). Weakness in external manifestations of life and excessive sensitivity to all external stimuli are the basis of the behavior of a person with such a character. Pavlov argues that strong negative emotions can completely destroy the integrity of a melancholic person’s vision of reality.

Calculation of temperament according to E. Kretschmer

This scientist’s theory is based on the fact that a person is controlled by hormones, adjusting the behavior pattern of each individual:

• Picnic type. The definition of temperament in this case is based on the appearance of the person being analyzed. Such people have a stocky figure and excellent health. By nature, they are subject to a riot of passions and exceptional spontaneity. However, E. Kretschmer divides this subspecies into people with hyperactivity and calmer individuals.
• Asthenic type. With rather poorly developed muscles, such a person is quite attractive. appearance. In terms of his character, he resembles a contradictory nature, which can be accompanied by a rich collection of complexes. However, among such people there are often excellent friends who are ready to help their neighbor at any moment.
• Athletic type. It is such people who sometimes decide the destinies of entire nations. They do not focus on their own experiences, because they stubbornly pursue their goals in the most effective ways.

External signs allow you to better understand a person’s character and his view of the world. But do not forget how to determine temperament by other indicators, since it is rare to find a personality that ideally fits the description of a specific psychotype. Mostly all people combine various characteristics, and the main type is only dominant when making important decisions or communicating with others.

Classification of temperament according to A. E. Lichko

Famous psychiatrist for a long time studied character accentuation in humans. After some research, he proposed his differentiation of people by temperament:

1. Hyperthymic type. With increased mental activity and optimism in all factors, such individuals have every chance of a successful life in the future. They usually realize their powers in politics or in big business.
2. Cycloid type. A person with such a behavior pattern agrees with everything that happens in his life. He resembles the well-known pony from the cartoon film, who performed the same actions every day.
3. Labile type. Typically, this pattern of behavior is characteristic of teenagers who are looking for their place in this life. An adult with a labile type becomes some kind of experimenter, but within a rather limited framework.
4. Hysterical type. Some people only want to express their opinion through hysterics. The process of hand-wringing is important to them, and not its result. This is how melancholic people behave, who have manifestations of choleric temperament.

Classification of temperament from astrologers

Many people, if they want to determine the type of their temperament, turn to all kinds of horoscopes. Ultimately, after studying such sources, they receive the following data:

• Aries. Strong will, friendly character, internal energy- a distinctive character trait of people who were born under this zodiac sign. However, with all these advantages, Aries are always avid debaters on any issue. Such behavior can be characterized by a predisposition to such a type of temperament as sanguine people.
• Taurus. Such people are rather silent, but have their own firm position in life. They speak slowly and measuredly, but at the same time evaluate every word spoken. By their type they are closest to phlegmatic people.
• Cancer. Pictures from a kaleidoscope make up the vision of the world of a person who was born in summer time. At the same time, Cancers love to joke both at others and at themselves. Remaining excellent family men, they can get carried away, but they will never betray their relatives. This type of character is most suitable for sanguine people.
• a lion. Such people love to rule in any society. There are no authorities for them, because their personality is inviolable. At their core, they are closest to sanguine people, but if you awaken the beast in them, you will have to watch the rampage of the choleric person.
• Virgo. At first glance, this sign promises only peace and tranquility. However, in reality, these people often cannot be devoted to their significant other. They are thrifty and know how to make friends, which characterizes them as sanguine people. Although it is often among them that one comes across bright choleric people with hysterical habits.
• Scales. People born under this constellation are excellent listeners. They are energetic without ostentatious fussiness and are constantly in search of harmony. In all respects, their characteristics can be safely classified as sanguine. Melancholic people are also often found among those born in the second decade.
• Scorpion. People of this type should not be exposed to negative emotions. They have self-control, but not everyone dares to test their patience. All this indicates that when meeting a Scorpio, you can get acquainted with a choleric person with his insatiable thirst for justice.
• Sagittarius. Friendly and sociable people of this constellation can sometimes be quite tactless in their reasoning. At the same time, they are rarely traitors and slanderers, which characterizes them as sanguine people. However, among Sagittarius there are many phlegmatic and melancholic people, especially among those who were born almost at the intersection of dates with previous and subsequent astrological types.
• Capricorn. So called gray cardinals have great internal abilities. They usually act as advisers to their friends in their own analysis of problems, which in some way classifies them as melancholic.
• Aquarius. The most cheerful horoscope sign can be a friend to almost anyone. He is free as air from any circumstances, but if there are two patron planets in his star chart, he can be sanguine, melancholic and choleric in certain situations.
• Fish. Such a zodiac sign suggests regularity in actions and thinking. However, Pisces will find mutual language with any representative of the horoscope, which equates them in some way to phlegmatic people.
• Twins. Many people have heard about the hypocritical behavior of such persons. At the same time, Gemini with hostility routine work capable of becoming polyglots. In their temperament, they resemble sanguine people who are always ready to admit their mistakes. But since there are two personalities fighting within them, depending on the reactions acquired through life, they can also be creative melancholics or cholerics.

What kind of temperaments a person has - look at the video:

If you want to reveal the secret of how to determine a person’s temperament, you should review each section in detail. After all, every person has his own unique personality characteristics. And in some cases it is worth taking a closer look at the developments of famous specialists in order to create a description of the psychotype as completely as possible.

Temperament(Latin temperamentum - proper relationship of parts) - a stable combination of individual personality characteristics associated with dynamic, rather than meaningful aspects of activity. Temperament is the basis of character development; in general, from a physiological point of view, temperament is a type of higher nervous activity person.

Story

Four temperaments in the form of visual emoticons (names from left to right and top to bottom: phlegmatic, choleric, sanguine, melancholic)

The magic of numbers in the Mediterranean civilization led to the doctrine of the four temperaments, while in the East a five-component “world system” developed.

The word “temperament” (from the Latin temperans, “moderate”) translated from Latin means “the proper ratio of parts”, equal to it in meaning Greek word“krasis” (ancient Greek κράσις, “merging, mixing”) was introduced by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. By temperament he understood both the anatomical, physiological, and individual psychological characteristics of a person. Hippocrates explained temperament as behavioral characteristics, the predominance in the body of one of the “vital juices” (four elements):

The predominance of yellow bile (ancient Greek χολή, chole, “bile, poison”) makes a person impulsive, “hot” - choleric.

The predominance of lymph (ancient Greek φλέγμα, phlegm, “phlegm”) makes a person calm and slow - a phlegmatic person.

The predominance of blood (Latin sanguis, sanguis, sangua, “blood”) makes a person active and cheerful - a sanguine person.

The predominance of black bile (ancient Greek μέλαινα χολή, melena chole, “black bile”) makes a person sad and fearful - melancholic.

This concept still has a profound influence on literature, art and science.

A turning point in the history of the natural science study of temperaments was the teaching of Ivan Petrovich Pavlov about the types of the nervous system (types of higher nervous activity) common to humans and higher mammals. He proved that the physiological basis of temperament is the type of higher nervous activity, determined by the relationship of basic properties nervous system: strength, balance and mobility of the processes of excitation and inhibition occurring in the nervous system. The type of nervous system is determined by the genotype, that is, the hereditary type.

Pavlov identified 4 clearly defined types of the nervous system, that is, certain complexes of the basic properties of nervous processes.

The weak type is characterized by weakness of both excitatory and inhibitory processes - corresponds to the Hippocratic melancholic.

The strong unbalanced type is characterized by a strong irritability process and a relatively strong inhibition process - corresponds to the choleric, “uncontrollable” type.

A strong, balanced, mobile type - corresponds to a sanguine person, a “living” type.

Strong, balanced, but with inert nervous processes - corresponds to the phlegmatic, “calm” type.

Temperament types

Describing the characteristics of different temperaments can help to understand the traits of a person’s temperament if they are clearly expressed, but people with clearly expressed traits of a certain temperament are not very common; most often people have mixed temperament in various combinations. But the predominance of traits of any type of temperament makes it possible to classify a person’s temperament as one or another type.

Phlegmatic - n hasty, imperturbable, has stable aspirations and mood, 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 - fast, 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.

Sanguine - a lively, hot, active person, with frequent changes of mood and impressions, with a quick reaction to all the events happening around him, quite easily coming to terms with his failures and troubles. Usually a sanguine person has 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 - easily vulnerable, prone to constantly experiencing various events, he reacts sharply to external factors. He often cannot restrain his asthenic experiences by force of will; he is highly impressionable and easily emotionally vulnerable.

Properties of temperament

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; phlegmatic, as a self-possessed person without hasty decisions; a sanguine person, as a highly responsive person for any work; choleric, as a passionate, frantic and active person in work.

Negative properties of temperament can manifest themselves: in a melancholic person - isolation and shyness; a phlegmatic person has excessive slowness; in a sanguine person - superficiality, scatteredness, inconstancy; A choleric person has hasty decisions.

A person of any type of temperament may or may not be capable; The type of temperament does not affect a person’s abilities, it’s just that some life tasks are easier to solve by a person of one type of temperament, others - by another.

Influence of temperament

The following depend on a person’s temperament:

the speed of occurrence of mental processes (for example, speed of perception, speed of thinking, duration of concentration, etc.);

plasticity and stability of mental phenomena, ease of their change and switching;

pace and rhythm of activity;

the intensity of mental processes (for example, the strength of emotions, the activity of the will);

the focus of mental activity on certain objects (extraversion or introversion).

Psychology

From the point of view of psychologists, the four temperaments are only one of the possible systems for assessing psychological characteristics (there are others, for example, “introversion - extraversion”). Descriptions of temperaments vary quite a bit among different psychologists and seem to include a fairly large number of factors. Attempts have been made to provide a scientific and experimental basis for the theory of temperaments (I. P. Pavlov, G. Yu. Eysenck, B. M. Teplov and others), however, the results obtained by these researchers are only partially compatible with each other. Of interest is the study by T. A. Blyumina (1996), in which she attempted to compare the theory of temperaments with all psychological typologies known at that time (more than 100), including from the point of view of methods for determining these types. In general, the classification by temperament does not meet modern requirements for factor analysis personality and at the moment is interesting rather from a historical point of view.

Modern approach

Modern science sees in the doctrine of temperaments an echo of the ancient classification of four types of mental response in combination with intuitively noticed types of physiological and biochemical reactions of the individual.

Currently, the concept of four temperaments is supported by the concepts of “inhibition” and “excitation” of the nervous system. The ratio of “high” and “low” levels, for each of these two independent parameters, gives a certain individual characteristic of a person, and, as a result, a formal definition of each of the four temperaments. On emoticons (see picture above) you can interpret a smile as the ease of inhibition processes, and frowning eyebrows as a manifestation of ease of excitement.

Within the framework of socionics, they also distinguish the so-called. socionic temperament, where the concepts of excitation and inhibition are replaced by the associated versatility (introversion - extraversion), which determines the general activity of a person, and rationality (rationality - irrationality), which determines the pace of this activity.

The development of the Human Genome program creates conditions for revealing the functions of human genes that determine temperament through hormones (serotonin, melatonin, dopamine) and other biochemical mediators. Biochemistry and genetics make it possible to establish and formalize the psychological phenotypes of people, noticed by ancient doctors.

Types of temperament played an important role in the psychology of modern times, in the philosophy of Immanuel Kant and Rudolf Hermann Lotze.

What is temperament?

History says that the concept of temperament was introduced into scientific circulation by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who lived in the 4th – 5th centuries. BC. He also proposed names for the types of human constitution (physique), which later began to be used as modern names for temperament types: sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic. Further, the Roman physician Claudius Galen continued the Hippocratic teachings in the 2nd century. AD He believed that a person’s temperament is determined by the ratio or mixture of 4 “juices” in the body: blood, lymph, black bile or yellow bile. From the ancient names of these “juices” came the names of temperament types that have survived to this day. “Sangva” is blood, “hole” is ordinary bile, “melan hole” is dark bile and “phlegm” is lymph. It was believed that the type of human temperament is determined by the type of fluid that predominates in the body. Thanks to the scientific research of I.P. Pavlov is associated with the discovery of the following basic properties of the nervous system: strength - weakness, excitability - inertia, balance - imbalance. But later it turned out that 3 properties of the nervous system are not enough to characterize all the features of temperament. Psychophysiologists B.M. Teplov, V.D. Nebylitsyn, V.M. Rusalov proved that the nervous system has other properties. And they added one more pair of properties: lability - rigidity. Lability is a rapid response to stimuli, and rigidity is a slow response to stimuli. As a result, other facts of the same order stood out: it was pointed out that the width of the lumen and the thickness of the walls of blood vessels have for temperament different people. But all these views had a common belief that the sources of temperamental characteristics should be sought in individual characteristics of the structure of the body.

Temperament is a set of stable, individual, psychophysiological properties of a person that determine the dynamic features of his mental processes, mental states and behavior. In other words, we are talking about individual characteristics of a person, which are more likely to be congenital rather than acquired. This is actually true: temperament is the only, purely natural personal characteristic of a person, and the reason to consider it a personal characteristic is the fact that the actions and deeds that a person performs depend on temperament. It is also necessary to explain what dynamic features are. Dynamic features of behavior are those characteristics that are described in purely physical terms and are not subject to moral evaluation (for example, the energy with which a person’s performance is associated, the speed and tempo of movements performed, etc.). It should be noted that in human behavior, in addition to dynamic aspects, there are also aspects that need and can be assessed in value terms such as “good-bad”, “moral-immoral”.

Such assessments are not suitable for characterizing temperament; they relate to other aspects of a person's personality, for example, his abilities, values, needs and character. The only case when temperament can be assessed as good or bad is when it comes to the correspondence of a person’s temperament type to the dynamic requirements of a particular activity.

According to I.P. Pavlov, temperaments are the “main features” of a person’s individual characteristics. They are usually distinguished as follows: sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric and melancholic. A relationship has been established between the type of higher nervous activity and temperament.. A sanguine person quickly gets along with people, is cheerful, easily switches from one type of activity to another, but does not like monotonous work. He easily controls his emotions, quickly gets used to a new environment, and actively comes into contact with people. His speech is loud, fast, distinct and is accompanied by expressive facial expressions and gestures. But this temperament is characterized by some duality. If stimuli change quickly, novelty and interest of impressions are maintained all the time, a state of active excitement is created in a sanguine person and he manifests himself as an active, active, energetic person. If the influences are long-lasting and monotonous, then they do not maintain a state of activity, excitement, and the sanguine person loses interest in the matter, he develops indifference, boredom, and lethargy. A sanguine person quickly develops feelings of joy, grief, affection and hostility, but all these manifestations of his feelings are unstable, do not differ in duration and depth. They arise quickly and can disappear just as quickly or even be replaced by the opposite. The mood of a sanguine person changes quickly, but, as a rule, a good mood prevails. A child of this type: he is thin, slender, graceful. In his movements he is too fast and agile, even fussy. He eagerly seizes on any new undertaking, but lacking the perseverance to see it through to completion, he quickly loses interest in it.

His mind is lively and sharp, but not deep and thoughtful enough. He is cheerful, loves pleasure and strives for it. Phlegmatic person

- a person of this temperament is slow, calm, unhurried, and balanced. In his activities he demonstrates thoroughness, thoughtfulness, and perseverance. As a rule, he finishes what he starts. All mental processes in a phlegmatic person seem to proceed slowly. The feelings of a phlegmatic person are poorly expressed outwardly; they are usually inexpressive. The reason for this is the balance and weak mobility of nervous processes. In relationships with people, a phlegmatic person is always even-tempered, calm, moderately sociable, and has a stable mood. The calmness of a person with a phlegmatic temperament also manifests itself in his attitude towards the events and phenomena of life; a phlegmatic person is not easily enraged and emotionally hurt. A child of this type is physically well-fed, he is slow in his movements, inert and lazy. His mind is consistent, thoughtful and observant, sparkling with awareness. His feelings are not hot, but constant. In general, he is a good-natured, balanced child.. People of this temperament are fast, excessively mobile, unbalanced, excitable, all mental processes occur quickly and intensely in them. The predominance of excitation over inhibition, characteristic of this type of nervous activity, is clearly manifested in the incontinence, impetuosity, hot temper, and irritability of the choleric person. Hence the expressive facial expressions, hasty speech, sharp gestures, unrestrained movements. The feelings of a person with choleric temperament are strong, usually clearly manifested, and arise quickly. The imbalance characteristic of a choleric person is clearly associated with his activities: he gets down to business with increasing intensity and even passion, showing impetuosity and speed of movements, working with enthusiasm, overcoming difficulties. But in a person with a choleric temperament, the supply of nervous energy can quickly be depleted in the process of work, and then a sharp decline in activity may occur: elation and inspiration disappear, and the mood drops sharply. In communicating with people, a choleric person admits harshness, irritability, and emotional incontinence, which often does not give him the opportunity to objectively evaluate people’s actions, and on this basis he creates conflict situations in the team. Excessive straightforwardness, hot temper, harshness, and intolerance sometimes make it difficult and unpleasant to be in a group of such people. A child of the choleric type is thin and slender, he is too decisive and fast. He is bold, persistent and sharp in the implementation of his plans. He has a sharp, insightful and mocking mind. His feelings are passionate and harsh in expressing his likes and dislikes. He is power-hungry, vengeful and prone to all kinds of struggle. The child is the most restless and least balanced.

Melancholic type temperament similar to phlegmatic, but there is one significant difference from it. A melancholic person is an unbalanced person with a weak nervous system and in him the processes of inhibition clearly prevail over the processes of excitation. Melancholic people have slow mental processes, they have difficulty reacting to strong stimuli; Prolonged and strong stress causes people of this temperament to slow down their activity and then stop it. Melancholic people are usually passive in their work, often with little interest (after all, interest is always associated with strong nervous tension). Feelings and emotional states in people of melancholic temperament arise slowly, but are distinguished by depth, great strength and duration; melancholic people are easily vulnerable, have a hard time withstanding insults and grief, although outwardly all these experiences are poorly expressed in them. Representatives of a melancholic temperament are prone to isolation and loneliness, avoid communicating with unfamiliar, new people, are often embarrassed, and show great awkwardness in a new environment. Everything new and unusual causes melancholics to become inhibited. But in the usual and calm atmosphere people with this temperament feel calm and work very productively. A child of melancholic temperament: gloomy and serious beyond his years, he is slow and thorough in the manifestations of his will. With a strong, deep and thoughtful mind. Extremely impressionable, gloomy and withdrawn, he rarely shows his feelings.

Research has established that weakness of the nervous system is not a negative property. A strong nervous system copes more successfully with some life tasks, and a weak one with others. A weak nervous system (in melancholic people) is a highly sensitive nervous system, and this is its well-known advantage. It should be remembered that the division of people into four types of temperament is very arbitrary. There are transitional, mixed, intermediate types of temperament; Often a person's temperament combines traits of different temperaments. “Pure” temperaments are relatively rare.

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 unusual for a given temperament. Psychological research and pedagogical practice show that temperament changes somewhat under the influence of living conditions and upbringing. Temperament can also change as a result of self-education. Even an adult can change his temperament in a certain direction. It is known, for example, that A.P. Chekhov was a very balanced, modest and delicate person. But here interesting fact from his life. In one of his letters to his wife O. L. Knipper-Chekhova, Anton Pavlovich makes the following valuable confession: “You write that you envy my character. I must tell you that by nature I am harsh, I am quick-tempered, etc. But I am used to restraining myself , because it is not proper for a decent person to let himself go. In the past, I did the devil knows what.”

Temperament is a set of psychophysiological characteristics of a person. Temperament is divided into 4 main types, which have their own character traits and features that can briefly tell about a person.

Temperament test

To find out what type of person you are, we recommend taking a temperament test.

I am fussy and restless.

I am a cheerful person.

I am restless and hot-tempered.

I'm usually calm and cool-headed.

I can be suspicious and suspicious.

I am sharp and straightforward in my communication.

Sometimes I listen to someone inattentively, without delving into the essence of the story.

In work and in life, I adhere to the usual pattern.

I am usually reasonable and careful.

I can easily tolerate loneliness.

I place high demands on myself and others.

I easily get involved in new work, and also switch from one type of activity to another.

I am very resourceful in an argument.

I prefer to hide my thoughts from others.

I am neat and like order in everything.

Even in difficult and unforeseen circumstances, I do not lose my composure.

I'm easily offended.

I often take risks.

I usually fall asleep and wake up without difficulty.

I am lenient when it comes to jokes directed at me.

Failures depress me.

Personality type test

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Melancholic

Phlegmatic person

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General information

The concept of “temperament” was first introduced by the ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates. His theory of 4 types of personality is based on the predominance of one or another liquid in the body or, as the scientist called it, “vital juice.”

Accordingly, based on this hypothesis, 4 main personality types were identified:

• choleric - predominance of bile (from other Greek chole - bile);
• sanguine - predominance of blood (from Latin sanguis - blood);
• phlegmatic - predominance of phlegm (from other Greek phlegma - phlegm, “phlegm”);
• melancholic - predominance of black bile (from other Greek melas chole - black bile).

Later, Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov emphasized not only the physiological characteristics of individuals, but also their similar mental characteristics. He noticed that each personality type is characterized by a certain set of basic innate properties of the nervous system.

In addition, each personality type is characterized by certain pronounced character traits and possible mental pathologies:

• choleric - impulsiveness and aggression, diseases - impulsive personality disorder;
• sanguine - mobility, sociality, self-confidence, diseases - hypomania;
• phlegmatic - social withdrawal, self-absorption, diseases - schizoid personality disorders;
• melancholic - sadness, cowardice, depression, weakness, illness - anxious personality disorder.

As a rule, it is customary to distinguish 3 areas of manifestation of temperament:

• general activity level;
• level of emotionality;
• features of the motor sphere.

General activity is expressed in the degree of human interaction with the surrounding world - both natural (nature) and social.

The motor or motor sphere determines the speed of reactions, rate of speech, speed and clarity of movements.

Emotionality is characterized by receptivity, sensuality and speed of change emotional state and moods.

Typology and properties of temperament

To correctly draw up a psychological profile, it is necessary to take into account 9 basic properties of temperament.

1. Sensitivity is the threshold strength of external influences that can cause a minimal reaction.
2. Reactivity is the number of reactions to an external stimulus.
3. Activity - determines how much quick action human (physiological and mental processes).
4. The ratio of activity and reactivity determines what drives a person more: his own emotions or external factors and society.
5. Plasticity is a person’s ability to adapt to a specific situation and adapt in life.
6. Rigidity - determines a person’s inertia and how accustomed he is to “go with the flow.”
7. Reaction rate - speed of speech, facial expressions and gestures, clarity of thinking and speed of mental reactions.
8. - psychotypes that determine the source of energy: internally “I” or the external world.
9. Emotional excitability - indicates how quickly a certain reaction occurs to any irritating factor.

Depending on how the combination of these factors develops, a person’s temperament is determined.

Having put together all the “puzzles” of personality types, we can briefly characterize the types of temperament as follows:

1. Sanguine is fast and cheerful, hot and sociable. Such a person is “alive” - his actions can outpace his thoughts, he easily puts up with minor troubles.
2. Phlegmatic - unhurried in action, knows exactly what he wants from life. He is never in a hurry, even if he is catastrophically late. He shows perseverance in his work and often achieves success in his career.
3. Choleric is the most unbalanced of all types. Characterized by frequent mood swings and periodic loss of strength. It quickly lights up with a new business, but also quickly goes out.
4. Melancholic - constantly worries, is very vulnerable and susceptible to the opinions of others. He rarely shows his true feelings to others, but he takes even minor defeats too close to his heart.

Description of types

Each personality type is special and individual. Next, we will consider a brief description, advantages and disadvantages of each type of temperament.

Sanguine

A personality type that is characterized by flexibility of thinking and pliability.

Anticipation of something new or unreasonable fear of the future can indicate a good sixth sense. But it doesn’t always “work like a clock” - in the article “” you can find several tricky tricks for opening the “third eye”.

A cheerful and active sanguine person quickly gets along with people and knows exactly what he wants from life. Such a person cannot sit still and is extremely skeptical about monotonous work. A sanguine person switches quite easily from one type of activity to another, and almost always succeeds in any endeavor.

Such a person is easily given control over emotions, he easily meets new people and is always open to communication. Facial expressions and speech are very expressive; a sanguine person loves and knows how to speak in public.

Advantages:

1. The sanguine type of temperament is characterized by cheerfulness, energy, cheerfulness, and responsiveness.
2. The mood tends to change frequently, but generally a good mood prevails.
3. Feelings of affection, hostility, joy and grief arise quickly in sanguine people, but they are shallow.
4. Quickly grasps everything new and interesting.
5. Quickly switches from one type of activity to another.
6. He easily experiences his failures and troubles.
7. Easily adapts to various life circumstances.
8. Has good performance and endurance.
9. He takes on any new business with enthusiasm.
10. Characterized by loud, hasty, but at the same time clear speech, accompanied by active gestures and expressive facial expressions.
11. When communicating with new people, he does not feel fear or constraint.
12. Maintains self-control in stressful, critical situations.
13. He is able to defend himself with arguments and at the same time tries to normalize the situation.
14. Quickly wakes up and falls asleep.
15. Shows persistence in achieving the assigned task and goal.
16. Good organizer.

Flaws:

1. If a sanguine person loses interest in the work he has started, then he abandons it without completing it.
2. They don't like monotonous work.
3. They tend to overestimate both themselves and their capabilities.
4. The sanguine type is characterized by instability in interests and inclinations.
5. A person with a sanguine type of temperament finds monotonous, everyday painstaking work a burden.
6. Hasty in decisions, rash decisions, not collected.
7. Unstable mood.
8. It is difficult to develop strong-willed qualities.

To achieve success in their activities, sanguine people should not waste time on trifles; they need to be purposeful, careful, and diligent.

Phlegmatic person

Calm and measured, slow and absolutely balanced phlegmatic people are distinguished by their slowness and perseverance. They always clearly think through their every action, bringing everything they start to its logical conclusion. They are not used to giving in to difficulties and often become successful businessmen.

They are not used to showing off their feelings, for which they often receive the status of “cold” and “heartless.” Phlegmatic people are always in a stable mood and rarely succumb to external provocations.

Advantages:

1. The phlegmatic type of temperament is characterized by calmness, composure, prudence, caution, patience, perseverance, balance and endurance, both in ordinary life and in a stressful situation.
2. Shows consistency and thoroughness in his work, as a result of which he brings the work he begins to completion.
3. Persistent and tenacious in achieving their goals.
4. Phlegmatic people do not have a tendency to affect.
5. Speech is calm, measured with pauses, without clearly expressed emotions, without gestures or facial expressions.
6. Phlegmatic people are not talkative.
7. Able to perform monotonous, long-term intense work.
8. He calculates everything and does not waste his energy in vain.
9. She adheres to a systematic approach to her work.
10. They tend to adhere to the established, familiar routine of life.
11. Follows the routine with ease.
12. He has good endurance, which easily allows him to restrain his impulses.
13. Not vindictive.
14. Treats barbs directed at him condescendingly.
15. They are characterized by constancy in relationships and interests, often monogamous.
16. They love order and neatness in everything.
17. In phlegmatic people, reason prevails over feeling.
18. They communicate well with people of other temperaments.
19. Has a good memory.
20. Phlegmatic people are reliable people who are difficult to anger.
21. The feelings of phlegmatic people are deep, but carefully hidden from prying eyes.

Flaws:

1. Phlegmatic people are practically not susceptible to approval and censure addressed to them.
2. They react poorly to external stimuli, so they cannot quickly react to new situations.
3. Stingy with emotions.
4. The facial expressions and movements of a phlegmatic person are inexpressive and slow.
5. Thorough to the point of being boring.
6. He starts work slowly and just as slowly switches from one task to another.
7. Has difficulty adapting to a new environment and is slow to get along with new people.
8. There are many stereotypes and patterns in life.
9. Unresourceful.

Phlegmatic people should develop the qualities they lack, such as mobility and activity. Avoid the manifestation of such qualities as: inertia and lethargy.

Choleric

The choleric type of temperament is characterized by decisiveness, initiative, and straightforwardness. Mental processes proceed too quickly, which makes people with this temperament somewhat unbalanced and abrupt. They are often unrestrained and hot-tempered, easily losing their temper even over trifles.

When communicating with a choleric person, you should be prepared for his irritability and impetuosity - people of this type can, in an emotional outburst, say nasty things that they will regret in a couple of seconds.

Advantages:

1. Agile and fast.
2. He gets down to business with passion, works on the rise, overcoming difficulties.
3. Almost always resourceful in an argument.
4. Forgiving and non-offensive.
5. Has expressive facial expressions.
6. The speech is lively and emotional.
7. Able to quickly make decisions and act.
8. Tirelessly strives for something new.
9. He quickly falls asleep and wakes up, sleeps soundly.
10. In a critical situation, he shows determination and drive.
11. Feelings quickly arise and manifest themselves clearly.

Flaws:

1. The choleric person is too hasty.
2. The choleric type of temperament is characterized by sharp, impetuous movements, restlessness, imbalance, and a tendency to get hot.
3. Not very patient.
4. In relationships and in communicating with people, he can be harsh and straightforward.
5. May provoke conflict situations.
6. Stubborn, often capricious.
7. Characterized by a sharp rise and rapid decline in activity, i.e. The choleric person works in fits and starts.
8. Sometimes he does not delve into the essence of the problem, skims the surface, and gets distracted.
9. Prone to risky behavior.
10. Choleric people's speech is fast, sometimes confused, and passionate.
11. Aggressive, very hot-tempered and uncontrollable.
12. Prone to sudden mood swings and nervous breakdowns.
13. When his energy supply is depleted, his mood plummets.
14. Intolerant of the mistakes and shortcomings of others.
15. Touchy.

Cholerics need to learn to restrain themselves and not be arrogant. They may be advised to count to ten before reacting to a situation.

Melancholic

People with a weak nervous system are very vulnerable and fragile. They are often offended and take any criticism personally. They take failures very hard and reproach themselves for mistakes in life for a long time. They love to be pitied and look for protectors among stronger individuals.

In the life of a melancholic person, everything is always bad - even if there are a lot of good people, There is good job and the house is full of prosperity, the melancholic will find a reason for sadness.

Everything new puts people of this type into a stupor - spontaneous solutions to problems are alien to them, and if something does not go according to plan, it immediately leads melancholic people astray.

Advantages:

1. The melancholic type of temperament is characterized by increased sensitivity.
2. Melancholic people are able to perceive approval and censure.
3. Presents high requirements both to yourself and to the people around you.
4. They feel good about other people.
5. Under favorable conditions, they are restrained and tactful.
6. The emotional states and feelings of people with a melancholic type of temperament are distinguished by their depth, duration and great strength.
7. Melancholic people are characterized by constancy and depth, acute susceptibility to external influences.
8. In a familiar and calm environment, people with a melancholic type of temperament feel calm and work very productively.

Flaws:

1. Melancholic people are distinguished from other types by their high emotional sensitivity.
2. They have a hard time withstanding grief and resentment, although this may not appear outwardly.
3. They keep their thoughts and experiences to themselves.
4. Even minor failures are greatly experienced.
5. Very shy, shy, vulnerable, secretive, indecisive, unsure of himself and his abilities.
6. Always pessimistic, rarely laughs.
7. At the slightest failure he feels depressed and confused.
8. In an unfamiliar environment, he gets lost.
9. A melancholic person is embarrassed when contacting new people.
10. It takes a long time to adapt to a new team.
11. Has a small circle of close people.
12. Melancholic people have a tendency to loneliness, depression, suspicion, they become isolated and withdraw into themselves.
13. They get tired quickly and need to take breaks while working.
14. The melancholic type of temperament is characterized by weak, quiet speech up to a whisper, impressionability to the point of tearfulness, excessive touchiness and tearfulness.
15. The slightest trouble or nervous environment at work can throw a melancholic person out of balance.
16. At unfavorable conditions melancholic people are withdrawn, fearful, and anxious.
17. Melancholic is the only type of temperament characterized by slight vulnerability and touchiness.
18. Prefers to obey rules and authorities.
19. On the eve important events always overly worried and worried.
20. What a choleric person sweeps away on his way, a phlegmatic person does not notice, and a sanguine person bypasses, becomes an obstacle for a melancholic person. He gets lost, gives up, and it is at such moments that he needs sympathy and support from family and friends.

In terms of self-improvement and self-realization, melancholic people need to be more active, engage in organizational activities in order to feel their importance, confidence and increase self-esteem. This is also facilitated by physical education and sports, gymnastics.

Type Compatibility

The types of temperaments and character leave a special “imprint” on the relationships between people. In addition, personal characteristics bring some diversity to the behavioral reactions of all sociotypes and are reflected in their worldview.

When one partner suppresses the feelings and desires of the other, certain difficulties arise. In the article “” you can learn more about all the complexities of such relationships.

It can be very difficult for people with different temperaments to understand each other - their desires, aspirations and life rhythms are fundamentally different. But, despite individuality, certain trends are visible in the relationships of certain types.

1. Choleric - phlegmatic
   One of the most successful combinations- a phlegmatic person is able to balance a “violent” choleric person and, if necessary, will put him in his place. In addition, in work the phlegmatic person complements the more hysterical choleric person, directs him in the right direction and often places responsibility on himself.
2. Melancholic - sanguine
   A good-natured and open sanguine person will easily console a whiny and pessimistic melancholic person. He will become a “light at the end of the tunnel” for him and will happily try to fill his depressed friend vital energy. The compatibility of these personality types is extremely successful - a melancholic person will periodically help a sanguine person get rid of “rose-colored glasses,” and he, in turn, will make the melancholic person’s life brighter and more fun.
3. Choleric - sanguine
   This is a rather complex combination, so an unbalanced and irrational choleric person will greatly irritate a logical sanguine person. In addition, such a couple cannot avoid frequent quarrels based on “pulling the blanket” - everyone will try to take the dominant position in the duet.
4. Phlegmatic - melancholic
   The most depressing couple - none of the partners feel vitality, both rarely go out in public and are not used to communication. Their relationship is very difficult - they rarely understand each other’s desires and often complain about others.

If temperaments are not very compatible, partners should follow simple recommendations.

1. In tandem choleric - melancholic, choleric people need to restrain themselves more, and melancholic people should not take everything so personally and try to abstract themselves from difficulties.
2. Once in a phlegmatic-sanguine union, phlegmatic people need to try to show their feelings more openly and directly and not be so persistent and unapproachable in their behavior, and sanguine people should try to be more consistent in their deeds and more reliable in their promises. Otherwise, it will be difficult for them to cope with their partner’s growing irritability.

If people have a similar type of nervous system, then the most favorable interaction is between two phlegmatic or melancholic people, somewhat worse - between two sanguine people, and very bad - between two choleric people.

Interesting to know! 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 the relationship.

It is most difficult for straightforward, excitable and uncontrollable choleric people to maintain a balance in relationships, who often cannot stop in their statements and actions in time and therefore can offend others without meaning to.

Before talking about types of temperament, it is necessary to clarify what the term “temperament” itself means.

Despite the fact that many people consider this word to be quite mysterious, the answer to this question: what is human temperament is quite simple.

Translated into Russian from Latin, “temperament” means mixture, proportionality, moderation.

The definition of temperament in psychology explains in detail that emotionality, passion, and excitement characterize various aspects human psyche. For example, such as the speed of its processes and their regulation, as well as excitability and balance.

Particular attention can be paid to the individual’s adaptation to the modern environment that surrounds him.

We can conclude that the types of temperament and their psychological characteristics are united by the innate characteristics of the individual’s character, which serves as the key to the manifestation of uniqueness in the higher nervous activity of each person.

The typology of a unique person’s temperament may undergo changes as a result of growing up, education or self-education, as well as environmental conditions.

It is for this reason that we need to find the answer to the question “how to know your temperament?” - impossible. There is no “pure temperament”; it is always only combined, consisting of traits inherent in its different types. It is worth talking in more detail about the types of temperament.

The history of the emergence of temperament and the concept of types of human emotionality

The concept of types of temperament and about itself in its modern form“roots” in antiquity since the time of Hippocrates. He himself and his student Galen believed that emotionality, excitement, and passion in a person’s character are formed from different proportions of the four “juices” mixed in the human body. Based on their reasoning, we can conclude that human life is not possible without 4 fluids: blood, black and yellow bile, lymph.

The names of all 4 types of temperament proposed by Hippocrates and Galen correspond to modern ones and have remained unchanged since antiquity. They talk about temperament types like this:

They discovered the mutual dependence of the “human body from the soul” and “soul from the body” and their inextricable unity.

Basic properties of the concept

Before talking about the psychological characteristics of each type of human temperament, you need to be aware of the properties of temperament and characteristics:

The correct balance of activity and reactivity helps maintain the mental balance of a unique person.

1. Extraversion and introversion:
2. Extraversion is a person’s focus on interacting with environment.
3. Introversion is a person’s focus on himself, that is, on his inner world.
4. Emotional excitability, which controls the change in emotions, or more precisely, the emotional responses of an individual.

Personality depending on the type of “liquid”

As can be seen from the above, temperament is understood as characteristics of mental activity based on its properties.

Being informed about these properties can illuminate the 4 types of temperament , taking into account that each of them is a collection consisting of properties. You should pay attention to each of them. Modern characteristics temperament types:

Having considered the types of human temperament and their characteristics , it is necessary to pay attention to the role of emotionality in work and educational activities.

The influence of emotionality and its features in human labor and educational activities

Any activity, including professional ones, should be comfortable for a person, regardless of the type of temperament.

Comfort is the key to peace of mind and preservation psychological well-being. It is worth considering that each area professional activity suitable only for a certain circle of people. When choosing a job or retraining, the type of temperament plays one of the most important roles in a person’s life.

In order for an individual to be able to properly structure his work/educational activities, he needs to know as many subtleties as possible about his temperament and its characteristics.

Adjustment of individual emotionality depending on specific working conditions

In psychology, there are two distinct ways of restructuring a person’s individual characteristics.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of temperament is one of the most interesting areas in the field of psychological diagnostics.

Many people wonder how to determine their temperament type? Having an idea of ​​your temperament types and their psychological characteristics, this is not difficult to do. To do this, you need to contact a psychologist or psychotherapist, who, using special questionnaires and techniques, will help you navigate the peculiarities of mixing juices (liquids) and develop an individual formula for emotionality.

The psychologist's tools may include:

1. From the questionnaire-methodology of V.M. Rusalov “Temperament Structure Questionnaire (OST)”, which is aimed at studying the components of temperament. This is social energy, social plasticity, the speed of their reactions. And also emotionality. In other words, it measures the levels of aspects of temperament: “objective-activity” and “communicative”. The author has developed two versions of questionnaires: children's or adolescent questionnaires intended for people aged 13 to 17 years, and adults, aimed at ages from 18 to 55 years. There is an information-switching (computer) version.
2. Eysenck's method for determining temperament is aimed at identifying the level of: neuroticism, extroversion-introversion. In other words, elements of temperament. That is why the second name of this questionnaire is types of temperaments. Following the logic of the questionnaire and Eysenck’s opinion:
3. Choleric is a neurotic extrovert;
4. Melancholic - neurotic introvert;
5. A sanguine person is not a neurotic extrovert;
6. A phlegmatic person is not a neurotic introvert.

The psychologist’s “case” presents 2 versions of the questionnaire. The only difference is in the location of the stimulus material and the text. The instructions, “keys” and interpretation remain unchanged.

Another technique is the Eysenck circle for temperament . Its essence is that bipolarity is expressed on the X and Y axes of the coordinate grid. It consists entirely of definitions and words that characterize the psychological components of emotionality in an individual’s character. The extreme points of the axes indicate its direction towards the world, which is a sign of extroversion, or on internal experiences, which is typical for introverts.

It is believed that sociability, openness, cheerfulness and lightness are the main traits of extroverts. Introverts are characterized by closeness, aloofness, concentration on their own affairs, and calmness. Factor number two that makes up the Eysenck circle is neuroticism.

1. Jan Strelyau's questionnaire is aimed at studying individual elements this phenomenon, such as levels: the strength of excitation processes, the strength of inhibition processes, the mobility of nervous processes. An indicator of the balance of excitation and inhibition processes in terms of strength is calculated.