Character(Greek - sign, distinctive property, distinctive feature, feature, sign or seal) - a structure of persistent, relatively permanent mental properties that determine the characteristics of relationships and behavior of an individual.
When they talk about character, they usually mean just such a set of properties and qualities of a person that leave a certain stamp on all its manifestations and actions. Character traits constitute those essential properties of a person that determine a particular way of behavior or way of life. Character statics are determined by type nervous activity, and its dynamics - the environment.
Character is also understood as:
- a system of stable motives and modes of behavior that form a behavioral type of personality;
- a measure of balance of internal and external worlds, features of an individual’s adaptation to the reality around him;
- a clear definition of the typical behavior of each person.
In the system of personality relationships, there are four groups of character traits that form symptom complexes:
- a person’s attitude towards other people, the team, society (sociability, sensitivity and responsiveness, respect for others - people, collectivism and the opposite traits - isolation, callousness, callousness, rudeness, contempt for people, individualism);
- traits that show a person’s attitude to work, his business (hard work, a penchant for creativity, conscientiousness in work, a responsible attitude to work, initiative, perseverance and the opposite traits - laziness, a tendency to routine work, dishonesty, irresponsible attitude to work, passivity) ;
- traits that show how a person feels about himself (feeling self-esteem, correctly understood pride and the self-criticism associated with it, modesty and its opposite traits - conceit, sometimes turning into arrogance, vanity, arrogance, touchiness, shyness, egocentrism as a tendency to consider in the center of events
- yourself and your experiences, egoism - the tendency to care primarily about your personal good);
- traits that characterize a person’s attitude towards things (neatness or sloppiness, careful or careless handling of things).
One of the most famous theories of character is the theory proposed by the German psychologist E. Kretschmer. According to this theory, character depends on physique.
Kretschmer described three body types and three corresponding character types:
Asthenics(from Greek - weak) - people are thin, with long faces. long arms and legs, flat (ore cell and weak muscles. The corresponding type of character is schizothymics- people are closed, serious, stubborn, difficult to adapt to new conditions. In case of mental disorders, they are prone to schizophrenia;
Athletics(from Greek - characteristic of wrestlers) - people are tall, broad-shouldered, with powerful chest, strong skeleton and developed muscles. Corresponding character type - ixothymics- people are calm, unimpressive, practical, domineering, restrained in gestures and facial expressions; They do not like change and do not adapt well to it. In case of mental disorders, they are prone to epilepsy;
Picnics(from Greek - dense. thick) - people of average height, overweight or prone to obesity, with a short neck, large head and a wide face with small features. The corresponding type of character is cyclothymics - people are sociable, sociable, emotional, easily adapting to new conditions. With mental disorders, they are prone to manic-depressive psychosis.
General concept of character and its manifestations
In concept character(from the Greek character - “seal”, “minting”), means a set of stable individual characteristics, developing and manifesting itself in activity and communication, determining its typical modes of behavior.
When determining the character of a person, they do not say that such and such a person showed courage, truthfulness, frankness, that this person is courageous, truthful, frank, i.e. named qualities - properties this person, traits of his character that may appear under appropriate circumstances. Knowing a Person's Character allows you to predict with a significant degree of probability and thereby correct expected actions and actions. It is often said about a person with character: “He had to do exactly this, he could not have done otherwise - that’s his character.”
However, not all human features can be considered characteristic, but only significant and stable ones. If a person, for example, is not polite enough in stressful situation, this does not mean that rudeness and intemperance are a property of his character. Sometimes, even very funny people They may feel sad, but this will not make them whiners and pessimists.
Speaking as a lifetime person, character is determined and formed throughout a person’s life. The way of life includes the way of thoughts, feelings, motives, actions in their unity. Therefore, as a certain way of life of a person is formed, the person himself is formed. Social conditions and specific life circumstances in which it takes place play a big role here. life path of a person, based on his natural properties and as a result of his actions and actions. However, the actual formation of character occurs in groups of different levels of development (groups of friends, class, sports team, etc.). Depending on which group is the reference group for the individual and what values it supports and cultivates in its environment, the corresponding character traits will develop in its members. Character traits will also depend on the individual’s position in the group, on how he integrates into it. In a team as a group of a high level of development, the most favorable opportunities are created for the development of the best character traits. This process is mutual, and thanks to the development of the individual, the team itself develops.
Character content, reflecting social influences, influences, constitutes the life orientation of the individual, i.e. her material and spiritual needs, interests, beliefs, ideals, etc. The orientation of the individual determines the goals, life plan of a person, and the degree of his life activity. The character of a person presupposes the presence of something significant for him in the world, in life, something on which the motives of his actions, the goals of his actions, the tasks that he sets for himself depend.
Crucial to understanding character is the relationship between what is socially and personally significant for a person. Every society has its own most important and essential tasks. It is on them that the character of people is formed and tested. Therefore, the concept of “character” refers to a greater extent to the relationship of these objectively existing tasks. Therefore, character is not just any manifestation of firmness, perseverance, etc. (formal persistence may simply be stubbornness), but a focus on socially significant activities. It is the orientation of the individual that underlies unity, integrity, and strength of character. Possessing goals in life is the main condition for the formation of character. A spineless person is characterized by the absence or scattering of goals. However, the character and direction of a person are not the same thing. Both a decent, highly moral person and a person with low, unscrupulous thoughts can be good-natured and cheerful. The orientation of the individual leaves an imprint on all human behavior. And although behavior is determined not by one impulse, but by an integral system of relationships, in this system something always comes to the fore, dominating it, giving a person’s character a unique flavor.
In a formed character, the leading component is a belief system. Conviction determines the long-term direction of a person’s behavior, his inflexibility in achieving his goals, confidence in the justice and importance of the work he is doing. Character traits are closely related to a person’s interests, provided that these interests are stable and deep. Superficiality and instability of interests are often associated with great imitation, with a lack of independence and integrity of a person’s personality. And, conversely, the depth and content of interests indicate the purposefulness and perseverance of the individual. Similarity of interests does not imply similar character traits. Thus, among rationalizers one can find cheerful and sad people, modest and obsessive people, egoists and altruists.
Indicative for understanding character can also be a person’s attachments and interests associated with his leisure time. They reveal new features, facets of character: for example, L. N. Tolstoy was fond of playing chess, I. P. Pavlov - towns, D. I. Mendeleev - reading adventure novels. Whether a person’s spiritual and material needs and interests dominate is determined not only by the thoughts and feelings of the individual, but also by the direction of his activity. No less important is the correspondence of a person’s actions to the goals set, since a person is characterized not only by what he does, but also by how he does it. Character can only be understood as a certain unity of direction and course of action.
People with similar orientations can take completely different paths to achieving goals, using their own special techniques and methods to achieve this. This dissimilarity also determines the specific character of the individual. Character traits, having a certain motivating force, are clearly manifested in the situation of choosing actions or methods of behavior. From this point of view, the degree of expression of an individual’s achievement motivation—his need to achieve success—can be considered as a character trait. Depending on this, some people are characterized by a choice of actions that ensure success (showing initiative, competitive activity, risk-taking, etc.), while others are more likely to simply avoid failures (deviation from risk and responsibility, avoidance manifestations of activity, initiative, etc.).
Teaching about character - characterology has a long history of development. The most important problems of characterology over the centuries have been the establishment of character types and their definition by their manifestations in order to predict human behavior in different situations. Since character is the lifetime formation of a personality, most of its existing classifications are based on grounds that are external, indirect factors in personality development.
One of the most ancient attempts to predict human behavior is to explain his character by his date of birth. Various ways of predicting the fate and character of a person are called horoscopes.
No less popular are attempts to connect a person’s character with his name.
A significant influence on the development of characterology was exerted by physiognomy(from the Greek Physis - “nature”, gnomon - “knowing”) - the doctrine of the connection between the external appearance of a person and his belonging to a certain type of personality, thanks to which the psychological characteristics of this type can be established by external signs.
Palmistry has no less famous and rich history than the physiognomic direction in characterology. Palmistry(from the Greek Cheir - “hand” and manteia - “fortune-telling”, “prophecy”) - a system for predicting a person’s character traits and his fate based on the skin texture of the palms.
Until recently, scientific psychology invariably rejected palmistry, but the study of the embryonic development of finger patterns in connection with heredity gave impetus to the emergence of a new branch of knowledge - dermatoglyphics.
Graphology, a science that considers handwriting as a type of expressive movements that reflect the psychological properties of the writer, can be considered more valuable in diagnostic terms compared to, say, physiognomy.
At the same time, unity and versatility of character do not exclude the fact that in different situations the same person exhibits different and even opposite properties. A person can be at the same time very gentle and very demanding, soft and compliant and at the same time firm to the point of inflexibility. And the unity of his character can not only be preserved, despite this, but it is precisely in this that it manifests itself.
The relationship between character and temperament
Character are often compared with, and in some cases these concepts are replaced with each other.
In science, among the dominant views on the relationship between character and temperament, four main ones can be distinguished:
- identification of character and temperament (E. Kretschmer, A. Ruzhitsky);
- contrasting character and temperament, emphasizing the antagonism between them (P. Viktorv, V. Virenius);
- recognition of temperament as an element of character, its core, an unchangeable part (S. L. Rubinstein, S. Gorodetsky);
- recognition of temperament as the natural basis of character (L. S. Vygotsky, B. G. Ananyev).
Based on the materialistic understanding of human phenomena, it should be noted that what character and temperament have in common is dependence on the physiological characteristics of a person, and above all on the type nervous system. The formation of character significantly depends on the properties of temperament, which is more closely related to the properties of the nervous system. In addition, character traits arise when temperament is already sufficiently developed. Character develops on the basis of temperament. Temperament determines character traits such as balanced or unbalanced behavior, ease or difficulty of entering a new situation, mobility or inertness of reaction, etc. However, temperament does not determine character. People with the same temperamental properties can have completely different character. Features of temperament can promote or counteract the formation of certain character traits. Thus, it is more difficult for a melancholic person to develop courage and determination than for a choleric person. It is more difficult for a choleric person to develop restraint and phlegmatic behavior; a phlegmatic person needs to spend more effort to become sociable than a sanguine person, etc.
However, as B.G. Ananiev believed, if education consisted only of improving and strengthening natural properties, this would lead to a monstrous uniformity of development. The properties of temperament may, to some extent, even come into conflict with character. In P. I. Tchaikovsky, the tendency to melancholic experiences was overcome by one of the main features of his character - his ability to work. “You always need to work,” he said, “and every honest artist cannot sit with his hands folded, under the pretext that he is not in the mood... If you wait for favor and do not try to meet him, then you can easily fall into laziness and apathy . Dislikes very rarely happen to me. I attribute this to the fact that I am gifted with patience, and I train myself never to give in to reluctance. I learned to conquer myself.”
In a person with a formed character, temperament ceases to be an independent form of personality manifestation, but becomes its dynamic side, consisting in a certain speed of development mental processes and manifestations of personality, a certain characteristic of expressive movements and actions of the individual. Here it should be noted the influence exerted on the formation of character by a dynamic stereotype, i.e. a system of conditioned reflexes that form in response to a steadily repeating system of stimuli. The formation of dynamic stereotypes in a person in various repeated situations is influenced by his attitude to the situation, as a result of which excitation, inhibition, mobility of nervous processes, and, consequently, the general functional state of the nervous system can change. It is also necessary to note the decisive role in the formation of dynamic stereotypes of the second signaling system, through which social influences are carried out.
Ultimately, the traits of temperament and character are organically connected and interact with each other in a single, holistic appearance of a person, forming an inseparable alloy - an integral characteristic of his individuality.
Character for a long time identified with the will of a person, the expression “a person of character” was considered as a synonym for the expression “a strong-willed person.” Will is associated primarily with strength of character, its firmness, determination, and perseverance. When they say that a person has a strong character, then they seem to want to emphasize his determination, his strong-willed qualities. In this sense, a person’s character is best demonstrated in overcoming difficulties, in struggle, i.e. in those conditions where human will is most manifested. But character is not limited to strength; it has content, defining how in different conditions the will will function. On the one hand, character is formed in volitional actions and is manifested in them: volitional actions in situations that are significant for the individual pass into a person’s character, becoming fixed in him as his relatively stable properties; these properties, in turn, determine human behavior and his volitional actions. The strong-willed character is distinguished by certainty, constancy and independence, firmness in achieving the intended goal. On the other hand, there are often cases when a weak-willed person was called “spineless.” From a psychological point of view, this is not entirely true - and a weak-willed person has certain character traits, such as, for example, timidity, indecisiveness, etc. The use of the concept “characterless” means the unpredictability of a person’s behavior, indicates that he lacks his own direction, an internal core that would determine his behavior. His actions are caused by external influences and do not depend on himself.
The originality of character is also reflected in the peculiarities of the flow of a person’s feelings. K. D. Ushinsky pointed out this: “nothing, neither words, nor thoughts, nor even our actions express ourselves and our attitude to the world as clearly and truly as our feelings: in them one can hear the character of not a separate thought, not a separate decision, but the entire content of our soul and its structure.” The connection between feelings and character traits of a person is also reciprocal. On the one hand, the level of development of moral, aesthetic, and intellectual feelings depends on the nature of a person’s activity and communication and on the character traits formed on this basis. On the other hand, these feelings themselves become characteristic, stable personality traits, thus constituting a person’s character. The level of development of a sense of duty, a sense of humor and other complex feelings is a rather indicative characteristic of a person.
Especially great importance for characterological manifestations there is a relationship between intellectual personality traits. Depth and sharpness of thought, unusualness in posing a question and its solution, intellectual initiative, confidence and independence of thinking - all this constitutes the originality of the mind as one of the aspects of character. However, how a person uses his mental abilities will depend significantly on character. It is not uncommon to encounter people who have high intellectual abilities, but who do not provide anything valuable precisely because of their characterological characteristics. An example of this is the numerous literary images of superfluous people (Pechorin, Rudin, Beltov, etc.). As I. S. Turgenev said well through the mouth of one of characters novel about Rudin: “Perhaps there is genius in him, but there is no nature.” Thus, a person’s real achievements depend not on abstract mental capabilities alone, but on a specific combination of his characteristics and characterological properties.
Character Structure
In general All character traits can be divided into basic, leading, setting the general direction for the development of the entire complex of its manifestations, and secondary, determined by the main. So, if we consider such traits as indecisiveness, timidity and altruism, then with the predominance of the former, a person, first of all, is constantly afraid that “something might not work out” and all attempts to help his neighbor usually end in internal experiences and searches for justification. If the leading trait is the second one - altruism, then the person does not outwardly show any hesitation, immediately goes to help, controlling his behavior with his intellect, but at the same time he may sometimes have doubts about the correctness of the actions taken.
Knowledge of leading features allows you to reflect the main essence of character, show its main manifestations. Writers and artists, wanting an idea of the character of the hero, first of all describe his leading, core features. Thus, A.S. Pushkin put into the mouth of Vorotynsky (in the tragedy “Boris Godunov”) an exhaustive description of Shuisky - “a crafty courtier.” Some heroes of literary works reflect certain typical character traits so deeply and correctly that their names become household names (Khlestakov, Oblomov, Manilov, etc.).
Although every character trait reflects one of the manifestations of a person’s attitude to reality, this does not mean that every attitude will be a character trait. Only some relationships become traits depending on the conditions. From the entire set of relationships of the individual to the surrounding reality, character-forming forms of relationships should be distinguished. The most important distinctive feature Such relationships are decisive, primary and general vital significance of those objects to which a person belongs. These relationships simultaneously serve as the basis for the classification of the most important character traits.
A person’s character is manifested in a system of relationships:
- In relation to other people (in this case, one can distinguish such character traits as sociability - isolation, truthfulness - deceit, tactfulness - rudeness, etc.).
- In relation to business (responsibility - dishonesty, hard work - laziness, etc.).
- In relation to oneself (modesty - narcissism, self-criticism - self-confidence, pride - humiliation, etc.).
- In relation to property (generosity - greed, frugality - wastefulness, neatness - sloppiness, etc.). It should be noted that this classification is somewhat conventional and there is a close relationship and interpenetration of these aspects of the relationship. So, for example, if a person is rude, then this concerns his relationship with people; but if at the same time he works as a teacher, then here it is already necessary to talk about his attitude to the matter (dishonesty), about his attitude towards himself (narcissism).
Despite the fact that these relationships are the most important from the point of view of character formation, they do not simultaneously and immediately become character traits. There is a certain sequence in the transition of these relationships into character properties, and in this sense it is impossible to put, for example, the attitude towards other people and the attitude towards property, since their very content plays a different role in the real existence of a person. A person’s attitude towards society and people plays a decisive role in the formation of character. The character of a person cannot be revealed and understood outside the team, without taking into account his attachments in the form of camaraderie, friendship, and love.
In the character structure, one can identify traits common to a certain group of people. Even in the most original person you can find some trait (for example, unusualness, unpredictability of behavior), the possession of which allows you to classify him into a group of people with similar behavior. In this case, we should talk about typical character traits. N.D. Levitov believes that a character type is a specific expression in the individual character of traits common to a certain group of people. Indeed, as noted, character is not innate - it is formed in the life and activity of a person as a representative of a certain group, a certain society. Therefore, a person’s character is always a product of society, which explains the similarities and differences in the characters of people belonging to different groups.
Individual character reflects a variety of typical traits: national, professional, age. Thus, people of the same nationality are in living conditions that have developed over many generations and experience the specific features of national life; develop under the influence of the existing national structure and language. Therefore, people of one nationality differ from people of another in their lifestyle, habits, rights, and character. These typical features are often recorded by ordinary consciousness in various attitudes and stereotypes. Most people have a formed image of a representative of one country or another: an American, a Scot, an Italian, a Chinese, etc.
Sample psychological and pedagogical characteristics of a student:
The material for writing the psychological and pedagogical characteristics was collected in the period from 04/11/2011 to 05/07/2011. In the process of collecting material, the following methods were used: observation during classes, during breaks; conversation with the student, class teacher and other students in the class, subject teacher; testing; studying the class magazine, personal files.
1. General information about the student
Ivanov Andrey Aleksandrovich is a student of class 6 “B” of secondary school No. 10, city N. Born on May 31, 1999. According to the results of a medical examination, he is listed in the 1st health group. Medical group for physical culture- main. Medical professionals have given recommendations for hardening.
2. Conditions of family education
The family in which Andrey Ivanov lives is complete. Father - Ivanov Alexander Alexandrovich - works at... Mother - Ivanova Elena Mikhailovna - a teacher at... In a conversation with the class teacher, it turned out that the psychological situation in the family contributes to the development of the child. Friendly relationships between family members play a fundamental role in the full development of a boy. Parents pay sufficient attention to their son’s education and, if necessary, help in preparing homework.
All conditions for normal development have been created for Andrey. The boy has a place for privacy - his own room, where he can calmly do his homework.
From the answers to the questions in the questionnaire provided to Andrei, it turned out that the boy also has responsibilities around the house: going to the store, washing dishes, taking out the garbage, and the boy especially likes to water the flowers.
This indicates that parents instill in their son hard work, neatness, and a love of order.
According to class teacher, Andrey Ivanov’s parents regularly visit parent meetings, participate in public life schools. They are also interested in their son’s successes and consult with the class teacher on issues of upbringing and the development of certain inclinations of Andrei. It is also important that the boy’s parents regularly review the diary, sign on time, and respond to entries in the diary, which indicates responsibility and an active parental position.
3. Student's educational activity
The first thing that needs to be noted after observing Andrey Ivanov is his conscientious attitude to his studies. He has a high level of attention: he notices mistakes made by students when completing assignments on the board, and quickly responds to questions during oral work. The boy has a well-developed thinking, he easily summarizes material, systematizes and analyzes it.
At Andrey's good academic performance in all subjects. Favorite subjects are the following: mathematics, computer science, Belarusian and Russian languages, Belarusian and Russian literature. General GPA in all subjects is 8.3 points.
Andrey Ivanov is highly active in class. He is one of the first to answer the teacher’s questions and always raises his hand. Despite the fact that the boy’s answers are not always correct, his activity indicates diligence in his studies. It is also important to note the fact that Andrey shows interest in various subjects: those related to both the exact sciences and the humanities. The boy carefully completes his homework and always tries to answer the teacher’s questions. This may indicate determination and leadership qualities.
According to the student himself, he likes to study, and it is not particularly difficult, but at the same time he would like to study better.
4. Student’s work activity
Andrey Ivanov shows interest not only in educational activities, but in various types extracurricular activities. He attends an elective in computer science and mathematics, a sports section (basketball), music school. IN free time Andrey also likes to play computer games or spend time outside with friends.
If a boy is entrusted with a public task, he performs it conscientiously.
Despite the fact that Andrei is still only in 6th grade, he has already decided on his choice of profession: in his own words, in the future the boy dreams of becoming a “great mathematician” and would like to “study in Italy.”
5. Psychological characteristics student's personality
As a result of observations of Andrey, it was established that he is characterized by such qualities of the emotional-volitional sphere as determination, perseverance, independence, and activity. The predominant types of temperament are sanguine (55%) and choleric. These types correspond to such student characteristics as high ability to work, but at the same time instability in interests and inclinations; optimism, sociability, responsiveness; determination, energy, perseverance; average level of strength of nervous processes, high balance of nervous processes, very high mobility of the nervous system.
The methodology for studying self-esteem showed that Andrey has somewhat inflated self-esteem. Often he lacks endurance. For example, he answers teachers' questions very quickly, although his answers are not always accurate, although the boy has well-developed speech. But Andrey is characterized by self-criticism: the student quite adequately assesses his capabilities and is confident in himself.
Despite the active position of the student both in academic and in social activities He is characterized by modesty, kindness, accuracy, sincerity, and responsiveness. Andrey worries if he makes mistakes and tries to correct them.
The boy has good academic performance in all subjects. But in the questionnaire he answered that his favorite subjects are the following: mathematics, computer science, Belarusian and Russian languages, Belarusian and Russian literature.
The student quickly remembers the material, correctly establishes connections between new and covered material, and quickly finds the right rule to complete the task.
Andrey is highly active in class. He is one of the first to answer the teacher’s questions and always raises his hand.
The boy is very sociable, does not conflict with anyone in class, and has many friends. I would also like to note high culture communication Andrey: he is always polite, tactful, respectful towards his parents, teachers, and elders.
6. Features of cognitive activity
As already mentioned, Andrey has high level attention (always notices mistakes on the board). He is distinguished by his ability to timely switch and distribute attention, which I have repeatedly noticed in mathematics and computer science lessons.
Andrey has the most developed types of memory: motor-auditory and combined (memory coefficient in both types was 70). The auditory type of memory is less developed (the coefficient was 60).
The boy also has well-developed thinking; he easily summarizes material, systematizes and analyzes it. Andrey has very well developed speech, in most cases he correctly formulates his thoughts. In general, the level of general mental development is quite high; in some situations the boy is ahead of his peers.
7. General psychological and pedagogical conclusions
Based on the presented data and their analysis, we can draw a conclusion about the diversified development of Andrey Ivanov’s personality. He is a very capable, purposeful, inquisitive, broad-minded student.
Andrey is very sociable, non-conflict, and knows how to accept criticism. The boy skillfully combines academic and extracurricular activities. Andrey has great potential for studying the exact sciences, where application logical thinking, but there is also an interest in creativity. It should continue to develop in these directions.
Did you like the material?
Please give your rating.
Each person has his own psychological characteristics. There are no two identical people on earth. Everyone has characteristics that are determined in mental processes: an individual has perception, subjective memory and the characteristics of its processes that are unique to him. The level of intellectual development, qualities such as attention and imagination also differ in individual characteristics.
Each person is a unique personality. People differ from each other in abilities, character traits, characteristics, temperament, manifestations of will, emotionality, needs and interests.
Each person has his own personal attitudes, rules and norms of life.
However, all people common features body structure. All, having individual characteristics, are united by the presence of mental processes (sensations, perception, memory, thinking, etc.), common structural elements of personality characteristics. Everyone’s brain and other physiological systems function according to the same laws.
Thus, in each person one can observe manifestations common to all and individual (single) manifestations peculiar only to him.
Human characteristics are divided into two classes: typical (inherent in a group of subjects) and individual (inherent in only one subject).
Typical features are differences, in other words, features that distinguish a certain group of people on some basis. In psychology, intergroup differences are divided into three main levels: neurodynamic, temperamental and characterological.
Typical features at the neurodynamic level are manifested in varying degrees of severity of the properties of the nervous system (strength, mobility, lability, balance between the processes of excitation and inhibition). Based on existing neurodynamic characteristics, people are distinguished with a strong or weak, mobile or inert, balanced or unbalanced nervous system.
Typical characteristics at the temperamental level are characterized, in contrast to the properties of the nervous system, by differences in mental activity, and not physiological processes. Temperament properties include:
reactivity, which is characterized by the intensity of mental reactions (degree of fear, depth of feelings, etc.);
sensitivity, which is determined by the lowest intensity of external influences that cause a mental reaction (the higher the sensitivity, the faster the mental reaction appears). Sensitivity is associated with the properties of the nervous system (weak nervous system - high sensitivity);
activity - a person’s energy in deeds and actions (the predominance of excitation processes);
plasticity is expressed in the ease of adaptation to new conditions (the opposite property is rigidity, which means inertia of attitudes, slowness of switching from one conditions (situation) to others);
extroversion is associated with the personality’s focus on the environment (ease of contact with strangers, etc.);
introversion is determined by the personality’s focus on oneself (a special attitude towards one’s own thoughts, experiences, difficulty establishing contacts with other people, etc.);
emotional excitability is essentially identical to sensitivity.
Each property of temperament under certain conditions acts either as a positive or as a negative quality of personality. For example, a student’s high sensitivity helps to better understand the psychology of another person. At the same time, such a student is the most mentally vulnerable. He experiences failures acutely.
Term character introduced by the ancient Greek scientist Theophrastus (VI-III centuries BC). Translated from Greek, this word means “trait”, “sign”, “sign”. It is believed that character is a combination of permanent and essential personality traits that form a certain mental makeup. Character properties are usually separated from temperament properties. This division is based on the condition that the properties of temperament are determined to a greater extent by the genotype (the innate type of the nervous system), and the properties of character by the phenotype (the type of higher nervous activity that is formed as a result of a combination of innate characteristics and living conditions). Character properties include volitional qualities and personality orientation, including feelings, interests, etc. In other words, with a narrower understanding, they should include only those features of a person’s personality that characterize his attitude towards something.
It is customary to distinguish between five main groups of character traits: the first group is determined by traits that reflect a person’s behavior in relation to society and other people. These are collectivism, tactfulness, politeness, sensitivity, goodwill, truthfulness, humanity, etc. The opposite of them: individualism, tactlessness, rudeness, deceit, flattery, cruelty, envy, impudence, etc.;
the second group is characterized by traits characteristic of a person in activity (work, study, etc.). These are hard work, perseverance, initiative, etc. The opposite of them: laziness, irresponsibility, dishonesty, lack of initiative, etc.;
the third group is traits that reflect a person’s attitude towards things. These are accuracy, thriftiness, generosity, etc. Their opposites are: sloppiness, wastefulness, stinginess, etc.;
the fourth group is determined by traits that express a person’s attitude towards himself. These are criticality, demandingness, modesty, pride, etc. The opposite: arrogance, boastfulness, arrogance, arrogance, etc.;
the fifth group is characterized by traits that reflect a person’s attitude to the world around him, to social phenomena and events. These are adherence to principles, optimism, etc. The opposite: unprincipledness, pessimism, etc.;
An essential feature of character traits is the stability of their manifestation in various situations. This property are mentioned when talking about a person’s strong or weak character (manifestation of activity in counteracting external circumstances). In this case, there is also a judgment about the inconsistency of character (the presence in a person of properties that lead to contradictions in actions and deeds).
When a new personality is born, it receives a unique character as a gift. Human nature can consist of traits inherited from parents, or it can manifest itself in a completely different, unexpected quality.
Nature not only determines behavioral reactions, it specifically influences the manner of communication, attitude towards others and oneself, and towards work. A person's character traits create a certain worldview in an individual.
A person’s behavioral reactions depend on characterTemperament or character?
These two definitions create confusion because they both play a role in shaping personality and behavior. In fact, character and temperament are heterogeneous:
- Character is formed from a list of certain acquired qualities of a person’s mental make-up.
- Temperament is a biological quality. Psychologists distinguish four types of it: choleric, melancholic, sanguine and phlegmatic.
Having the same temperament, individuals can have completely different characters. But temperament has an important influence on the development of nature - smoothing or exacerbating it. Also, human nature directly affects temperament.
What is character
Psychologists, speaking about character, mean a certain combination of individual traits that are persistent in their expression. These traits have the maximum impact on the behavioral line of the individual in diverse relationships:
- among people;
- in the work team;
- to one's own personality;
- to the surrounding reality;
- to physical and mental labor.
The word "character" Greek origin, it means “to mint.” This definition was introduced into everyday use by the natural scientist Ancient Greece, philosopher Theophrastus. Such a word really, very accurately defines the nature of an individual.
Theophrastus was the first to coin the term "character"
The character seems to be drawn as a unique drawing; it gives birth to a unique stamp, which is worn by the individual in a single copy.
To put it simply, character is a set, a combination of stable individual mental characteristics.
How to understand nature
To understand what kind of nature an individual has, you need to analyze all his actions. It is behavioral reactions that determine examples of character and characterize personality.
But such a judgment is often subjective. A person does not always react the way his intuition tells him. Actions are influenced by upbringing life experience, customs of the environment where the person lives.
But you can understand what kind of character a person has. By observing and analyzing the actions of a certain person for a long time, it is possible to identify individual, especially stable traits. If a person behaves the same way in completely different situations, showing similar reactions, makes the same decision, this indicates the presence of a certain nature.
Knowing which character traits are manifested and predominant in an individual, one can predict how he will manifest himself in a given situation.
Character and its traits
A character trait is an important part of a personality; it is a stable quality that determines the interaction between a person and the surrounding reality. This is the defining method of resolving emerging situations, therefore psychologists consider a personality trait as a predictable personal behavior.
Variety of characters A person acquires characteristics of character throughout his entire life; it is impossible to classify individual traits of nature as innate and characterological. To analyze and assess a personality, a psychologist not only determines the totality of individual characteristics, but also identifies their distinctive features.
It is character traits that are defined as primary in the study and compilation of psychological characteristics personality.
But, when defining and assessing a person, studying behavioral traits in social terms, the psychologist also uses knowledge of the meaningful orientation of nature. It is defined in:
- strength-weakness;
- breadth-narrowness;
- static-dynamic;
- integrity-contradiction;
- integrity-fragmentation.
Such nuances constitute a general, complete characteristic of a particular person.
List of personality traits
Human nature is a complex combination of unique traits that forms a unique system. This order includes the most striking, stable personal qualities, revealed in gradations of human-society relationships:
| Relationship system | Inherent Traits of an Individual | |
| Pros | Cons | |
| To self | Pickiness | Condescension |
| Self-criticism | Narcissism | |
| Meekness | Boastfulness | |
| Altruism | Egocentrism | |
| To the people around you | Sociability | Closedness |
| Complacency | Callousness | |
| Sincerity | Deceit | |
| Justice | Injustice | |
| Community | Individualism | |
| Sensitivity | Callousness | |
| Courtesy | Shamelessness | |
| To work | Organization | Laxity |
| Mandatory | Cluelessness | |
| Performance | Sloppiness | |
| Enterprise | Inertia | |
| Hard work | Laziness | |
| To items | Economy | Wastefulness |
| Thoroughness | Negligence | |
| Neatness | Negligence | |
In addition to the character traits included by psychologists in the gradation of relationships (as a separate category), manifestations of nature in the moral, temperamental, cognitive and sthenic spheres were highlighted:
- moral: humanity, toughness, sincerity, good nature, patriotism, impartiality, responsiveness;
- temperamental: passion, sensuality, romance, liveliness, receptivity; passion, frivolity;
- intellectual (cognitive): analytical, flexible, inquisitive, resourceful, efficient, critical, thoughtful;
- sthenic (volitional): categoricalness, persistence, obstinacy, stubbornness, determination, timidity, courage, independence.
Many leading psychologists are inclined to believe that some personality traits should be divided into two categories:
- Productive (motivational). Such traits push a person to perform certain actions and actions. These are goal-traits.
- Instrumental. Giving personality during any activity individuality and method (manner) of action. These are methods-traits.
Gradation of character traits according to Allport
Allport's theory The famous American psychologist Gordon Allport, an expert and developer of gradations of an individual’s personal characteristics, divided personality traits into three classes:
Dominant. Such traits most clearly reveal the behavioral form: actions, activities of a certain person. These include: kindness, selfishness, greed, secrecy, gentleness, modesty, greed.
Ordinary. They manifest themselves equally in all numerous areas of human life. These are: humanity, honesty, generosity, arrogance, altruism, egocentrism, cordiality, openness.
Secondary. These nuances do not have a particular impact on behavioral reactions. These are not dominant behaviors. These include musicality, poetry, diligence, and diligence.
A strong relationship is formed between a person’s existing personality traits. This pattern forms the final character of the individual.
But any existing structure has its own hierarchy. The human warehouse was no exception. This nuance is traced in Allport's proposed gradation structure, where minor traits can be suppressed by dominant ones. But in order to predict an individual’s actions, it is necessary to focus on the entire set of personality traits.
What is typicality and individuality?
The manifestation of the nature of each person always reflects the individual and typical. This is a harmonious union personal qualities, because the typical serves as the basis for identifying the individual.
What is a typical character. When a person has a certain set of traits that are the same (common) for a specific group of people, such a warehouse is called typical. It is like a mirror, reflecting the accepted and habitual conditions of existence of a particular group.
Also, typical features depend on the warehouse (a certain type of nature). They are also a condition for the emergence of a behavioral type of character into the category of which a person is “recorded.”
Having understood exactly what characteristics are inherent in a given personality, a person can be drawn up an average (typical) psychological portrait and assigned a certain type of temperament. For example:
| Positive | Negative |
| Choleric | |
| Activity | Incontinence |
| Energy | Hot temper |
| Sociability | Aggressiveness |
| Determination | Irritability |
| Initiative | Rudeness in communication |
| Impulsiveness | Unstable behavior |
| Phlegmatic person | |
| Perseverance | Low activity |
| Performance | Slowness |
| Calm | Inactivity |
| Consistency | Unsociability |
| Reliability | Individualism |
| Integrity | Laziness |
| Sanguine | |
| Sociability | Aversion to monotony |
| Activity | Superficiality |
| Goodwill | Lack of persistence |
| Adaptability | Poor perseverance |
| Cheerfulness | frivolity |
| Courage | Recklessness in actions |
| Resourcefulness | Inability to concentrate |
| Melancholic | |
| Sensitivity | Closedness |
| Impressionability | Low activity |
| Performance | Unsociability |
| Restraint | Vulnerability |
| Cordiality | Shyness |
| Accuracy | Poor performance |
Such typical character traits, corresponding to a certain temperament, are observed in each (to one degree or another) representative of the group.
Individual manifestation. Relationships between individuals always have an evaluative characteristic; they are manifested in a rich variety of behavioral reactions. The manifestation of an individual's individual traits is influenced by big influence emerging circumstances, a formed worldview and a certain environment.
This characteristic is reflected in the vividness of the individual's various typical features. They vary in intensity and develop individually for each individual.
Some typical traits manifest themselves so powerfully in a person that they become not just individual, but unique.
In this case, typicality develops, by definition, into individuality. This personality classification helps to identify the negative characteristics of an individual that prevent them from expressing themselves and achieving a certain position in society.
By working on himself, analyzing and correcting shortcomings in his own character, each person creates the life he strives for.
Each person has certain characteristics that are expressed in emotional manifestations, selection of specific actions and reactions. All this happens automatically and is defined by people as character traits. There are many personality types to quickly determine what kind of person is experiencing this.
Everyone knows what character is. This is a set of qualities that are inherent in a particular person. Character is developed throughout life. As a child, he is flexible and quickly changing. Over the years, it becomes more stable and eventually consolidates. The article will tell you what it is and what features this phenomenon has.
What is personality character?
Every person encounters the character of another person. What it is? This is a characteristic of the psyche that combines permanent and stable qualities that determine the behavior and attitude of an individual. Translated from Greek, character means “trait”, “sign”. This is a stable characteristic that affects behavior, ways of reacting, activities and individual manifestations of a person.
We can say that the character of a person determines a person’s entire life, his destiny. They say that fate is predetermined. In fact, a person who does not obey specific rules and strategies creates his own destiny, which he then lives.
By changing your character, you can change your destiny, since character determines the reaction, behavior, and decisions a person makes in a specific situation. If you look closely, you can see that people who are similar in character live the same life. Only the details differ, but their methods and behavior are the same.
Character is formed throughout a person's life. It can be changed at any moment, which in adulthood is possible only under the influence of one’s own desire and willpower. If a person cannot change his character, then his life does not change and its development is predictable.
Personality Traits
Character changes depending on the type of activity, society, social circle, attitude towards oneself and the world as a whole. If any of these aspects change, this may affect the change in the quality of character. If everything in a person’s life remains unchanged, then character traits remain unchanged.
Personality traits
The character of a person is also formed under the influence of the values and moral beliefs that a person uses. The more stable they are, the more a person becomes entrenched in his behavior and manifestations. The main feature of personal character is its certainty, where one can note the leading features, of which several always stand out. Definition of character disappears if there are no stable qualities.
Character is also based on the interests that a person has. The more stable and constant they are, the more a person becomes focused, persistent and integral in his manifestations.
You can determine the character traits of another person by his actions and their direction. Both actions and the results that he achieves after completing them are important. They are the ones who show a person's character.
Temperament and personality
The relationship between personality and character is also visible. Although these characteristics are determined by the human psyche, they are different quantities. Temperament is determined by the structure of the nervous system, which makes it innate quality, the manifestations of which cannot be changed, but you can simply do something.
Character is a flexible aspect that is formed throughout life. A person can change it, which is determined by his life activity.
Character is formed based on the temperament with which a person is born. Temperament can be called the basis on which the entire branch of his character qualities is built. At the same time, temperament does not change depending on external circumstances and type of activity.
Temperament is characterized by three directions, each of which has its own complex structure:
- Mobility (activity). It manifests itself in active work, self-expression, manifestation of oneself, which can be either sluggish or overly active.
- Emotionality. There is a variety of moods and feelings here. Defined by:
- Lability – the speed of change from one mood to another.
- Impressiveness - the depth of perception of external emotional stimuli.
- Impulsivity is the speed at which an emotion transforms into a motivating force for action without thinking it through and making a decision to carry it out.
- Motor skills.
Personality types
Psychologists from different times have tried to identify personality types to identify specific groups of people. E. Kretschmer identified 3 groups of people according to their body type:
- People are picnics, prone to gaining excess weight, short in stature, with a large face, neck, and overweight. They are easily adaptable to the conditions of the world, sociable and emotional.
- Athletic people are characterized by well-developed muscles, tall and broad-shouldered, hardy and with a large chest. They are not impressionable, domineering, calm and practical, restrained in gestures and facial expressions, and do not adapt well.
- Asthenic people are characterized by thinness and undeveloped muscles, a narrow face, long arms and legs, and a flat chest. They are stubborn and serious, withdrawn and poorly adaptable to change.
K. Jung proposed another typology that divides people by type of thinking:
- Extroverts. Very sociable and active people who tend to make a lot of acquaintances. They are direct and open. They love to travel, have parties, and be the life of the party. They focus on objective circumstances, and not on the subjective opinions of people.
- Introverts. Very closed and isolated people from the world. They have few friends because they find it difficult to make contacts. They constantly analyze everything that is happening. They are very anxious and prefer to be alone.
Another classification divides people into 4 psychotypes depending on their combination of character and temperament:
- Cholerics are unbalanced, fast, impetuous, passionate people. They quickly become exhausted due to the senseless expenditure of energy. Prone to emotional outbursts and mood swings.
- Phlegmatic people are stable in their manifestations, emotions and views, unhurried, unperturbed people. They tend to be calm and balanced, and persistent in their work. Outwardly they do not show emotions.
- Melancholic people are vulnerable people prone to constantly experiencing emotions. Very impressionable, react sharply to external manifestations.
- Sanguine people are lively, mobile and active people. They react quickly to external circumstances and tend to receive many impressions. They are productive at work. They easily endure failures and troubles.
Psychological character of personality
Changes that occur in the psychological character of a person are divided into natural (typical) and individual (atypical).
Natural changes occur as a person grows up and goes through certain changes in his body. Childish features disappear, replaced by adult ones. Childhood traits include capriciousness, irresponsibility, fears, and tearfulness. For adults - wisdom, life experience, tolerance, rationality, prudence, etc.
Much here is determined by the situations that a person often encounters. Communication with people, various circumstances, successes and failures, tragedies determine a person’s change of views and values. This is why people of the same age group differ from each other because everyone has had their own life experiences. Here individual traits are formed, which depend on the life circumstances through which each person passes.
Traits are quickly replaced by others if they are similar to or include previous ones.
Social character of personality
The social character of a person is understood as those qualities that should be characteristic of absolutely all people of a particular society. When going out into society, a person must show not only individual traits, but also those qualities that are considered acceptable, approved, and normal. This set is formed by society, the media, culture, education, educational institutions, religion, etc. It should be noted that parents also raise their children depending on the framework and norms that are accepted in society.
According to E. Fromm, the social character of a person is a person’s way of adapting to the society in which he is located. This is an unpunished and free way of existing in a particular society. He believed that no society allows a person to fully realize himself, since he always dictates its own rules and norms, which should be above individual characteristics and desires. This is why a person is always in conflict with society, when he must obey in order to be accepted, or tries to protest, which can be punishable.
Society will never allow a person to express himself in full force, which prevents him from realizing his inclinations and harms the individual himself. A distortion of character must occur when everyone fits themselves into certain frameworks and norms accepted in society. Only through the development of social character in a person does society make him safe for itself. What is important here is not the personality, but its safe manifestations that will be acceptable in society. Otherwise, there will be punishment for any individual self-expression that does not fit into the framework.
Accentuation of personality character
The accentuation of a person’s character is understood as a set of qualities that are clearly manifested by an individual within normal limits. It is divided into:
- Hidden - traits that appear infrequently or never at all. However, under certain conditions they can appear.
- Explicit - traits that manifest themselves to the extreme of the norm and are characterized by constancy.
K. Leongrad identified types of accentuation:
- Hysterical – thirst for attention, egocentrism, need for honor and approval, recognition of individual characteristics.
- Hyperthymic – sociability, mobility, tendency to mischief, excessive independence.
- Asthenoneurotic – anxiety, high fatigue.
- Psychosthenic – indecision, a tendency to demagoguery, analysis and soul-searching, suspiciousness.
- Schizoid – detachment, isolation, unsociability.
- Excitable – periodic sad moods, accumulation of irritation.
- Sensitive – increased touchiness, sensitivity, shyness.
- Infantile dependent - a delay in childhood when a person does not take responsibility.
- Emotionally labile – mood variability.
- Unstable - a tendency towards idleness, pleasure, entertainment, idleness.
Bottom line
Personality character often helps in understanding the personality itself, since everything revolves around it inner world, which has manifestations in the form of reactions, emotions, behavior, actions and even achievements that currently exist. Considering the different character types can lead to the following result - understanding people quickly and easily.
Character is a flexible characteristic that can be changed at any time. It can change both unconsciously and under the influence of the willpower of a person who controls the manifestation of a particular quality. The longer a person exhibits a particular quality, the more it is consolidated and becomes one of his characteristics that influences the future development of life.