home · Lighting · Temperament and basic properties of the human nervous system. Temperament. Theories of temperament. Type of higher nervous system and temperament. Psychological characteristics of temperament and personality characteristics Properties of the nervous system are the basis of temperament

Temperament and basic properties of the human nervous system. Temperament. Theories of temperament. Type of higher nervous system and temperament. Psychological characteristics of temperament and personality characteristics Properties of the nervous system are the basis of temperament


Introduction

2.2 Temperament and personality

Conclusion

Glossary

Appendix A

Appendix B


Introduction


RelevanceThe chosen topic is that the idea of ​​​​the relationship between temperament and the biological properties of the body was reflected differently at different historical stages. In the humoral theory of Hippocrates and Galen, different types of temperament corresponded to the predominance of one or another special fluid in the body. Kretschmer and Sheldon associated types of temperament with constitutional features of the body structure (6, p. 16). Albrecht Haller, the founder of experimental physiology, who introduced the concepts of excitability and sensitivity, which are important for psychology, argued that the main factors of differences in temperament are the strength and excitability of the blood vessels themselves through which the blood passes (9, p. 52). This idea was adopted by A. Haller’s student, G. Wrisberg, who connected temperament directly with the characteristics of the nervous system.

Developing the ideas of the school of I.P. Pavlova, Teplov and Nebylitsin suggested that the biological basis of temperament “is rooted in the so-called “general properties” of the nervous system, i.e., the properties of the frontal regions of the brain.” In modern foreign works devoted to the basics of temperament, the characteristics of the latter are put in accordance with the functioning of individual brain structures, or, using the terminology of Teplov and Nebylitsyn, with the “particular” properties of the nervous system (Rusalov). According to Eysenck, the severity of such temperamental traits as extraversion and introversion is associated with the level of activation of the reticular formation, and neuroticism is associated with the activity of the limbic system (6, p. 153). J. Gray, a student of Eysenck, describes three emotional response systems related to the properties of temperament and the corresponding brain systems that unite various brain structures. These brain systems, according to Gray, include structures and areas of the cortex, midbrain and limbic structures, as well as connections between them.

The most important component of internal conditions is the properties of the nervous system. The type of nervous system, in turn, determines a person’s temperament and is reflected in his behavioral characteristics. In its manifestations, temperament depends not only on the hereditary properties of the nervous system.

The social environment has a significant impact on both the rate of development of temperament and the ways in which it is manifested by an individual. For example, in recent decades, “the biological and physiological maturation of a person has accelerated, acceleration led to the early formation of his temperament, while his social formation has somewhat slowed down due to an increase in the duration of education, and this, in turn, delayed his inclusion in significant social contacts” .

Due to its relevance, the purpose of this work is a detailed study of the concepts of the nervous system and temperament, the relationship between the properties of the nervous system and types of temperament and their influence on the personality, activity and abilities of a person.

The object of study is the nervous system and temperament.

The subject of the study is the connection between the properties of the nervous system and temperament.

The purpose of this work is a detailed study of the concepts of the nervous system and temperament, the relationship between the properties of the nervous system and types of temperament and their influence on a person’s personality, activity and abilities.

Based on the goal, the following tasks can be identified:

-consider the concept of temperament and nervous system;

-consider the properties of temperament and the nervous system;

-consider the relationship between temperament and the nervous system;

-consider the influence of temperament on a person’s life.

The following methods were used during the study: observation, natural experiment, laboratory experiment.

During the study, the following sources of information were used: Druzhinin V.N. Experimental psychology. - St. Petersburg: Publishing house "Peter", 2000; Egorova E.A. Psychology of individual differences. M., 1997; Kovalev A.G. Personality Psychology, 3.M. ed., "Enlightenment", 1997; A short dictionary of the system of psychological concepts // K.K. Platonov - M. Higher School 1984; Merlin V.S. Essay on the theory of temperament, M., 1964; Nemov R.S. Psychology // Textbook for students of higher pedagogical educational institutions. In 3 books. Book 1, M.: Education VLADOS, 1998; General psychology / Composition. E.I. Rogov - M. VLADOS, 1995; Pavlov I.P. Full collection Op. T.3. Book 2.M. - L., 1951; Practical psychology in tests, or how to learn to understand yourself and others, M., ed. "AST-Press Book", 2001; Practical psychology // Toolkit. Ed. Shaparya V.B. - Rostov n/d: ed. "Phoenix", 2002; Psychology of individual differences TEXTS /ed. Yu.B. Gippenreiter, V.Ya. Romanova - M. publishing house of Moscow State University, 1982; Simonov P.V., Ershov P.M. Temperament. Character. Personality, ed. M., "Science", 1984; Strelyau Ya. The role of temperament in mental development. M., 1982; Theoretical problems of personality psychology, ed. E.V. Shorokhova, M., 1974; Teplov B.M. Current state of the question about the types of higher nervous activity and their definition // Psychology of individual differences - M., 1982.

1. Theoretical foundations of temperament and the nervous system


1.1 General concept of temperament and its properties


Temperament is the biological foundation on which the personality is formed as a social being. It reflects mainly the dynamic aspects of behavior, mainly of an innate nature, therefore the properties of temperament are the most stable and constant compared to other mental characteristics of a person. The most specific feature of temperament is that the various properties of a given person’s temperament are not randomly combined with each other, but are naturally interconnected, forming a certain organization, structure that characterizes temperament.

When they talk about temperament, they mean many mental differences between people - differences in depth, intensity, stability of emotions, emotional sensitivity, pace, energy of actions and other dynamic, individually stable features of mental life, behavior and activity. However, temperament today remains a largely controversial and unresolved problem.

Temperament translated from Latin means “mixture”, “proportionality” (4, p. 214).

Humanity has long tried to identify the typical characteristics of the mental make-up of various people, to reduce them to a small number of generalized portraits - types of temperament.

Typologies of this kind were practically useful, since with their help it was possible to predict the behavior of people with a certain temperament in specific life situations.

The properties of temperament include those distinctive, individual characteristics of a person that determine the “dynamic aspects of all his types of activity, characterize the peculiarities of the course of mental processes, have a more or less stable nature, persist for a long time, appearing soon after birth (after how the central nervous system takes on specifically human forms." It is believed that the properties of temperament are determined mainly by the properties of the human nervous system.

The properties of temperament include individual characteristics that:

-regulate the dynamics of mental activity as a whole;

-characterize the peculiarities of the dynamics of individual mental processes;

-have a stable and permanent nature and remain in development over a long period of time;

-are in a strictly natural relationship, characterizing the type of temperament;

-are uniquely determined by the general type of nervous system.

Using certain signs, it is possible with sufficient certainty to distinguish the properties of temperament from all other mental properties of a person.

The psychological characteristics of temperament types are determined by the following basic properties:

Sensitivity - we judge this property by what is the least force of external influences necessary for the occurrence of any psychological reaction in a person, and what is the speed of occurrence of this reaction.

temperament nervous system personality

Reactivity - this property is judged by the degree of involuntary reactions to external or internal influences of the same strength.

Activity - this property is judged by the degree of activity with which a person influences the outside world and overcomes obstacles in achieving goals. This includes focus and perseverance in achieving goals, concentration in long-term work. The ratio of activity and reactivity - this property is judged by the speed of various psychological reactions and processes: speed of movements, rate of speech, resourcefulness, speed of memorization, speed of mind.

Plasticity and rigidity - this property is judged by how easily and flexibly a person adapts to external influences or, conversely, how inert and rigid his behavior, habits, and judgments are.

Extraversion and introversion - this property is judged by what a person’s reactions and activities primarily depend on - from external impressions arising at the moment (extroversion) or from images, ideas and thoughts associated with the past and future (introversion).

Emotional excitability - this property is judged by how weak an impact is necessary for the occurrence of an emotional reaction and at what speed it occurs.

So, temperament should be understood as individually unique properties of the psyche that determine the dynamics of a person’s mental activity, which, equally manifested in a variety of activities regardless of its content, goals, motives, remain constant in adulthood and in interconnection characterize the type of temperament.

1.2 Psychological characteristics of temperament types


The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who lived in the 5th century BC, described four temperaments, which were given the following names: sanguine temperament, phlegmatic temperament, choleric temperament, melancholic temperament. The first classification of temperaments was proposed by Galen, and it has survived to this day in a relatively little changed form. The last known description of it, which is also used in modern psychology, belongs to the German philosopher I. Kant. Below is a psychological description of the four types of temperaments:

.sanguine 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. 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. The mood of a sanguine person changes quickly, but, as a rule, a good mood prevails.

As a rule, he responds to a greater extent to external impressions than to subjective images and ideas about the past and future, an extrovert;

.phlegmatic temperament.

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. Usually he has poor facial expressions, his movements are inexpressive and slow, just like his speech. In relationships with people, a phlegmatic person is always even-tempered, calm, moderately sociable, and has a stable mood. The calmness of a person of phlegmatic temperament is also manifested in his attitude towards events and phenomena in life, a phlegmatic person is not easily enraged and emotionally hurt. Characterized by patience, endurance, self-control. As a rule, he has difficulty meeting new people, responds poorly to external impressions, and is an introvert. The disadvantage of a phlegmatic person is his inertia and inactivity;

.choleric temperament.

People of this temperament are fast, excessively mobile, unbalanced, excitable, all mental processes occur quickly and intensely in them. It is clearly manifested in the lack of restraint, 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 mood sometimes changes dramatically.

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;

.melancholic temperament.

For people of this temperament, an insignificant reason can cause tears; they are overly touchy and painfully sensitive. His facial expressions and movements are inexpressive, his voice is quiet, his movements are poor.

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. His reaction often does not correspond to the strength of the stimulus; there is depth and stability of feelings, with their weak expression. Melancholic people are usually passive in their work, often with little interest (after all, interest is always associated with strong nervous tension). 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.

The famous cartoonist H. Bidstrup once depicted the reaction of four people to the same incident: someone accidentally sat on the hat of a man resting on a bench. The result: the choleric person became furious, the sanguine person laughed, the melancholic person became terribly upset, and the phlegmatic person calmly put his hat on his head.

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.


1.3 General concept of the nervous system and its properties


The nervous system is an integral morphological and functional set of various interconnected nervous structures, which, together with the humoral system, ensures the interconnected regulation of the activity of all body systems and the response to changing conditions of the internal and external environment. The nervous system acts as an integrative system, linking into one whole sensitivity, motor activity and the work of other regulatory systems (endocrine and immune). The structure of the nervous system is shown in Appendix A.

The central nervous system, when considered in more detail, consists of the forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain and spinal cord. In these main sections of the central nervous system, in turn, the most important structures are distinguished that are directly related to mental processes, states and properties of a person: the thalamus, hypothalamus, pons, cerebellum and medulla oblongata, which are presented in Appendix B.

The nervous system is a complex network of structures that permeates the entire body. In humans, as in all mammals, the nervous system includes three main components:

-nerve cells (neurons);

-associated glial cells, in particular neuroglial cells, as well as cells forming neurilemma;

-connective tissue.

Neurons provide the conduction of nerve impulses; neuroglia performs supporting, protective and trophic functions both in the brain and in the spinal cord, and the neurilemma, consisting mainly of specialized, so-called. Schwann cells, participates in the formation of peripheral nerve fiber sheaths; Connective tissue supports and binds together the various parts of the nervous system.

Properties of the nervous system are “its natural, innate characteristics that influence individual differences in the formation of abilities and character.” These properties include:

-the strength of the nervous system in relation to excitation, i.e. its ability to withstand intense and frequently repeated loads for a long time without detecting excessive braking;

-the strength of the nervous system in relation to inhibition, i.e. ability to withstand prolonged and frequently repeated inhibitory influences;

-balance of the nervous system in relation to excitation and inhibition, which is manifested in the equal reactivity of the nervous system in response to excitatory and inhibitory influences;

-lability of the nervous system, assessed by the speed of onset and cessation of the nervous process of excitation or inhibition;

The weakness of nervous processes is characterized by the inability of nerve cells to withstand prolonged and concentrated excitation and inhibition. When exposed to very strong stimuli, nerve cells quickly go into a state of protective inhibition.

Thus, in a weak nervous system, nerve cells are characterized by low efficiency, their energy is quickly depleted. But a weak nervous system has great sensitivity: even to weak stimuli it gives an appropriate reaction.

V.D. Nebylitsyn expressed the idea that a special combination of the basic properties of the nervous system, i.e. each type has its own advantages and disadvantages. In conditions, for example, of monotonous work, the best results are shown by people with a weak type of nervous system, and when moving to work associated with large and unexpected loads, on the contrary, people with a strong nervous system.

-general, or systemic, properties that cover the entire human brain and characterize the dynamics of its work as a whole;

-complex properties, manifested in the peculiarities of the work of individual “blocks” of the brain (hemispheres, frontal lobes, analyzers, anatomically and functionally separated subcortical structures, etc.);

As B.M. wrote Teplov, the properties of the nervous system “form the soil on which some forms of behavior are more easily formed, and others more difficult.”

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 is a highly sensitive nervous system, and this is its well-known advantage. Knowledge of temperament, knowledge of the features of the innate organization of the nervous system, which influences the course of a person’s mental activity, is necessary for a teacher in his educational and educational work.

So, a person’s complex of individual-typological properties of his nervous system primarily determines temperament, on which the individual style of activity further depends. Each property of the nervous system has not one manifestation, but a whole series of manifestations (a symptom complex of manifestations). And each of these manifestations cannot be assessed unambiguously (as useful or harmful). Each manifestation can be favorable or unfavorable depending on the specific situation and the nature of the activity.


1.4 Classification of types of higher nervous activity (HNA)


According to the teachings of I.P. Pavlov, individual behavioral characteristics, the dynamics of mental activity depend on individual differences in the activity of the nervous system. The basis of individual differences in nervous activity is the manifestation and correlation of the properties of two main nervous processes - excitation and inhibition (8, p. 154).

Three properties of the processes of excitation and inhibition were established:

-the strength of excitation and inhibition processes,

-balance of excitation and inhibition processes,

-mobility (changeability) of excitation and inhibition processes.

Combinations of these properties of nervous processes of excitation and inhibition were used as the basis for determining the type of higher nervous activity. Depending on the combination of strength, mobility and balance of the processes of excitation and inhibition, four main types of higher nervous activity are distinguished in accordance with Figure 1.


Figure 1. Classification of types of GNI


Weak type. Representatives of a weak type of nervous system cannot withstand strong, prolonged and concentrated stimuli. The processes of inhibition and excitation are weak. When exposed to strong stimuli, the development of conditioned reflexes is delayed. Along with this, there is a high sensitivity (i.e., a low threshold) to the actions of stimuli.

Strong unbalanced type. Distinguished by a strong nervous system, it is characterized by an imbalance of the basic nervous processes - the predominance of excitation processes over inhibition processes.

Strong balanced mobile type. The processes of inhibition and excitation are strong and balanced, but their speed, mobility, and rapid turnover of nervous processes lead to relative instability of nerve connections.

Strong balanced inert type. Strong and balanced nervous processes are characterized by low mobility. Representatives of this type are always outwardly calm, even, and difficult to excite.

The type of higher nervous activity refers to natural higher data; this is an innate property of the nervous system. On this physiological basis, various systems of conditioned connections can be formed, i.e. in the course of life, these conditioned connections will be formed differently in different people: this is where the type of higher nervous activity will manifest itself. Temperament is a manifestation of a type of higher nervous activity in human activity and behavior.

The characteristics of a person’s mental activity, which determine his actions, behavior, habits, interests, knowledge, are formed in the process of a person’s individual life, in the process of upbringing. “The type of higher nervous activity gives originality to a person’s behavior, leaves a characteristic imprint on the entire appearance of a person - it determines the mobility of his mental processes, their stability, but does not determine either the behavior or actions of a person, or his beliefs, or moral principles.”

I.P. Pavlov understood the type of nervous system as innate, relatively weakly susceptible to changes under the influence of environment and upbringing. According to Pavlov, the properties of the nervous system form the physiological basis of temperament, which is a mental manifestation of the general type of the nervous system. You can put an equal sign between the type of nervous system and temperament.

Thus, the types of higher nervous activity (HNA) are a set of innate (genotype) and acquired (phenotype) properties of the nervous system that determine the nature of the interaction of the body with the environment and are reflected in all functions of the body. The specific significance of congenital and acquired - a product of the interaction of genotype and environment - may vary depending on conditions. In unusual, extreme conditions, predominantly innate mechanisms of higher nervous activity come to the fore. Various combinations of the three main properties of the nervous system - the strength of the processes of excitation and inhibition, their balance and mobility - allowed I.P. Pavlov identified four sharply defined types, differing in “adaptive abilities and resistance to neurotic agents.”

2. The relationship between temperament and the nervous system


2.1 Physiological basis of temperament


The properties of temperament, based on a certain type of nervous system, are the most stable and constant compared to other mental characteristics of a person.

According to the teachings of I.P. Pavlov, individual behavioral characteristics, the dynamics of mental activity depend on individual differences in the activity of the nervous system.

The physiological basis of temperament is the neurodynamics of the brain, i.e. neurodynamic relationship between the cortex and subcortex. The neurodynamics of the brain is in internal interaction with the system of humoral and endocrine factors. A number of researchers (Lende, Belov, partly E. Kretschmer, etc.) were inclined to make temperament dependent, primarily on these latter. There is no doubt that the system of endocrine glands is included among the conditions affecting temperament.

It would be wrong, however, to isolate the endocrine system from the nervous system and turn it into an independent basis of temperament, since the most humoral activity of the endocrine glands is subject to central innervation. There is an internal interaction between the endocrine system and the nervous system, in which the leading role belongs to the nervous system.

For temperament, the excitability of the subcortical centers, with which the characteristics of motor skills, statics and autonomics are associated, is undoubtedly of significant importance. The tone of the subcortical centers and their dynamics influence both the tone of the cortex and its readiness for action. Due to the role they play in the neurodynamics of the brain, subcortical centers undoubtedly influence temperament. The subcortex and cortex are inextricably linked with each other. What is ultimately decisive is not the dynamics of the subcortex itself, but the “dynamic relationship between the subcortex and cortex,” as emphasized by I.P. Pavlov in his doctrine of the types of the nervous system.

The types of nervous systems outlined by I.P. Pavlov connects with temperament, comparing four groups of nervous systems in accordance with Figure 2, which he arrived at in the laboratory.


Figure 2. Relationship between types of GNI according to I.P. Pavlov and temperaments according to Hippocrates


These general types of the nervous system underlie the four traditional types of temperament (choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and melancholic), although in addition to four combinations of properties of nervous processes, others were discovered, the dependence of temperament on the properties of the nervous system is manifested primarily as follows: the more a person has The more pronounced one physiological property of the nervous system is, the less pronounced the corresponding property of temperament is.

If we highlight the natural connections between the properties inherent in each type of temperament, we will obtain the following results, which are shown in Table 1.


Table 1. Dependence of temperament on the characteristics of the nervous system

Mental properties Types of temperament and corresponding properties of the nervous system Sanguine Choleric Phlegmatic Melancholic Strong Balanced. MovableStrong Unbalanced. MobileStrong Balanced InertWeak Unbalanced SedentarySpeed ​​of mental reactionsHighVery highSlowMediumStrength of mental reactionsAverageVery largeLargeLargeExtrovert or introvertExtrovertExtrovertIntrovertPlasticity or rigidityPlasticPlasticRigidRigidEmotional excitabilityModerateHighSlow bayaHighStrength of emotionsAverageVery largeWeakLargeEmotional stabilityStableUnstableVery unstableVery unstableSensitivityReducedSmallSmallHighReactivityIncreasedHighSmallSmallActivityIncreasedIncreasedHighReducedReactivity-ActivityBalancedReactiveActive WillBalancedReaction RateFastFastSlowM long lasting

The given characteristics do not pretend to be categorical, since the division of the temperament of all people into four groups is very arbitrary. More broadly, we can only say that temperament mainly determines the course of a person’s mental life, the dynamics of mental activity.

To summarize the above, we can say that the properties of the nervous system, like the properties of any other physiological system, depend on the properties of the organism as a whole. Therefore, the properties of temperament ultimately depend on the properties of the organism as a whole. But this dependence is indirect and mediated, while the dependence of temperament on the properties of the nervous system is direct and immediate.


2.2 Temperament and personality


Temperament is one of the mental properties of a person, but people with the same temperament turn out to be very different. Each person is a unique individual, and it is not always possible to attribute him to one of the above types of temperament. The personality of most people has characteristics of not one, but two or more types. Along with the features of a choleric person, a person may have, for example, noticeable signs of a sanguine person; a melancholic person has traits of a phlegmatic person, etc.

Most often, a personality is a carrier of mental properties belonging to different types of temperament. She has a mixed type of temperament (3, p.80). But there are people who are distinguished by rather striking manifestations of one or another type of temperament. Thus, the wonderful Russian commander A.V. Suvorov was a typical choleric person: contemporaries recall that his views, words, and movements were distinguished by extraordinary liveliness. He seemed to know no peace and gave the observer the impression of a man consumed by the thirst to do a hundred things at once. He did not walk, but ran, did not ride, but jumped, did not go around the chair standing in the way, but jumped over it.

Among the writers, A.S. was choleric. Pushkin, sanguine - A.I. Herzen. V.A. had traits of melancholic temperament. Zhukovsky and N.V. Gogol (especially in the last years of his life), pronounced phlegmatic people were I.A. Goncharov and I.A. Krylov.

Personality and temperament are interconnected in such a way that temperament acts as “the common basis of many other personal properties, primarily character. It, however, determines only the dynamic manifestations of the corresponding personal properties.”

Personality traits such as impressionability, emotionality, impulsiveness and anxiety depend on temperament.

Impressiveness is the power of influence of various stimuli on a person, the time they are stored in memory and the strength of the reaction to them. The same stimuli have a greater impact on an impressionable person than on an insufficiently impressionable person. An impressionable person, in addition, remembers the corresponding influences longer and retains his reaction to them longer. And the strength of his corresponding reaction is much greater than that of a less impressionable individual.

Emotionality is the speed and depth of a person’s emotional reaction to certain events. An emotional person attaches great importance to what happens to him and around him. He is much more likely than a unemotional person to have all sorts of bodily reactions associated with emotions. An emotional individual is one who is almost never calm, is constantly in the grip of some kind of emotion, in a state of heightened excitement or, on the contrary, depression.

Impulsivity manifests itself in unrestrained reactions, in their spontaneity and manifestation even before a person has time to think about the current situation and make a reasonable decision about how to act in it. An impulsive person first reacts and then thinks whether he did the right thing, often regretting premature and incorrect reactions.

An anxious person differs from a low-anxious person in that he too often experiences emotional experiences associated with anxiety: fear, apprehension, fears. It seems to him that much of what surrounds him poses a threat to his own self. An anxious person is afraid of everything: strangers, phone calls, tests, official institutions, public speaking, etc.

The combination of the described properties creates an individual type of temperament. Those manifestations of “temperament, which ultimately become personality traits, depend on training and upbringing, on culture, customs, traditions, and much more.”

Although temperament is an innate personality quality, this does not mean that it does not change at all under the influence of living conditions, activities, education and self-education. Among outstanding people there were many who managed to suppress the negative properties of their temperament. It is known, for example, that the writer A.P. As an adult, Chekhov never showed harshness in dealing with people; he was distinguished by his gentleness, delicacy, and outward calm. However, his natural inclinations were different (like his father and other family members, who were distinguished by their harshness and temper).

But the writer worked hard on himself and managed to overcome the negative traits of his temperament. I.P. worked a lot on his temperament. Pavlov. In his youth, he was a very ardent, enthusiastic person, capable of forgetting everything except what interested him at the moment. Subsequently, he learned to restrain his hobbies and taught himself to control his stormy temperament.

So, 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. Temperament changes somewhat under the influence of living conditions and upbringing. Temperament can also change as a result of self-education.


2.3 Temperament and activity


If we evaluate the given psychological characteristics of temperament, we will see that each of them has both good and bad properties. Thus, a sanguine person is emotional and has good performance, but his motives are unstable, and his attention is also unstable. A melancholic person is characterized by less efficiency and greater anxiety, but he is a sensitive person, as a rule, careful and prudent. Consequently, there are no “bad” or “good” temperaments - each temperament is good in some conditions and bad in others. It also does not determine the social value of a person - a person’s inclinations, worldview and beliefs, and the content of his interests do not depend on temperament. In the same way, people of the same type of temperament can be both progressive and conservative.

Depending on how a person relates to certain phenomena, to life tasks, to the people around him, he mobilizes the appropriate energy, becomes capable of prolonged stress, forces himself to change the speed of his reactions and the pace of work. A well-mannered and sufficiently strong-willed choleric person is able to show restraint and switch his attention to other objects, although this is given to him with greater difficulty than, for example, a phlegmatic person.

Under the influence of life conditions and a certain course of action, a choleric person may develop inertia, slowness, and lack of initiative, while a melancholic person may develop energy and determination. Life experience and a person’s upbringing mask the manifestation of a person’s type of higher nervous activity and temperament.

However, individual strong mental shocks and complex conflict situations can suddenly unmask and aggravate one or another natural dynamic feature of the human psyche.

In the system of education and re-education, typological categories of people require a particularly careful individual approach. Under unusual super-strong influences that give rise to a criminally dangerous situation, previously formed inhibitory reactions can be “disinhibited,” primarily in people of the choleric type. Melancholic people are less resistant to difficult situations and are more prone to a neuropsychic breakdown.

Depending on the living conditions and activities of a person, certain properties of his temperament can be strengthened or weakened.

Characteristics of temperament should be taken into account during professional selection. The profession of an operator of an automatic system control panel, for example, requires a timely and quick response to changes in the operation of many units and quick adoption of the right decisions; Discipline in the classroom requires that the student be able to control his feelings and desires. These requirements cannot be changed arbitrarily, since they depend on objective reasons - on the content of the activity.

Temperament, influencing the dynamics of activity, can influence its productivity (. In different types of activity, the role of temperament is not the same. Each property of temperament requires individual methods of work or influence on a person. Thus, melancholic people quickly get tired. Therefore, they need more frequent rest breaks than other persons.The emotional sphere of the individual also depends on temperament, and hence the effectiveness of disciplinary actions or the motivating power of the motive.

A certain degree of adaptation of temperament to the requirements of activity is also possible thanks to re-education (training) of individual properties of temperament.

There are four ways to adapt temperament to the demands of activity.

The first way is professional selection, one of the tasks of which is to prevent persons who do not have the necessary temperamental properties from participating in this activity. This path is implemented only during selection for professions that place increased demands on personality traits.

The second way to adapt temperament to activity is to individualize the requirements, conditions and methods of work placed on a person (individual approach).

The third way is to overcome the negative influence of temperament through the formation of a positive attitude towards activity and corresponding motives.

The fourth, main and most universal way of adapting temperament to the requirements of activity is the formation of its individual style. An individual style of activity is understood as an individual system of techniques and methods of action that is characteristic of a given person and is appropriate for achieving a successful result.

Temperament is an external manifestation of a type of higher nervous activity of a person, and therefore, as a result of education, self-education, this external manifestation can be distorted, changed, and “masking” of the true temperament occurs. Therefore, “pure” types of temperament are rarely found, but, nevertheless, the predominance of one or another tendency is always manifested in human behavior.

We emphasize that temperament determines only dynamic, but not meaningful characteristics of behavior. Based on the same temperament, both a “great” and a socially insignificant personality are possible.


2.4 Temperament and ability


Temperament has nothing to do with the talent and giftedness of people. Among the great people there are bright representatives of all four types of temperaments: I.A. Krylov and M.I. Kutuzov - phlegmatic, A.S. Pushkin and A.V. Suvorov - choleric, M.Yu. Lermontov and A.I. Herzen - sanguine people, poet V.A. Zhukovsky, N.V. Gogol and P.I. Tchaikovsky is melancholic.

The simplest, natural manifestation of temperament can be observed in childhood. Temperament makes itself felt very early, already in the first year of life, because, as we know, temperament is based on innate types of the nervous system. They constitute the inclinations, or natural prerequisites, that function and manifest themselves in the child in his behavior, in his relationships with people around him and living conditions.

During life, the type of human nervous system (genotype) does not remain unchanged; under the influence of environmental influences, as a result of upbringing, the acquisition of experience in communication and activity, it changes significantly and is even rebuilt. “The behavior of humans and animals is determined not only by the innate properties of the nervous system, but also by those influences that fell and are constantly falling on the body during its individual existence, i.e., it depends on constant upbringing or training in the broadest sense of these words. And This is because, next to the above-mentioned properties of the nervous system, its most important property, the highest plasticity, continuously appears.”

Therefore, the decisive importance in the formation of the dynamic characteristics of a child’s behavior is not the innate properties of the nervous system themselves, but his real relationships with the people around him, the circumstances of his life, the direction and nature of his activities. The child's activities in cooperation with adults are crucial in the development and change of temperament. By organizing the child’s life, motivating the forms and methods of his behavior and relationships, the adult, as it were, “educates” the child’s temperament.

Both temperament and abilities are characterized by high stability. Of course, inclinations, the education system and sensitive age play a big role in the formation of abilities. Abilities are manifested in the dynamics of the formation of knowledge, skills and abilities in the conditions of specific activities.

-individual psychological characteristics that distinguish one person from another;

-not any individual characteristics, but only those that are related to the success of any specific activity;

-ability is not reducible to psychological formations, i.e. to knowledge, skills, abilities.

Based on these characteristics, the following definition of abilities is given. Abilities are individual psychological characteristics that are a condition for the successful implementation of one or another productive activity.

Abilities are divided into general, special and communication abilities. General abilities are understood as a system of individual mental properties that ensures productivity in mastering knowledge, skills and abilities to carry out various types of activities. The basis for the development of general abilities is laid in cognitive (mental) processes.

Special abilities include such a system of personality properties that helps to achieve high results in any special field of activity (musical, stage, sports, mathematics, military leadership, etc.).

The ability to communicate presupposes a developed degree of socio-psychological adaptation, i.e. active adaptation of the individual to the conditions of the new social environment. Manifests itself in the ability to exert a psychological influence on others, to convince them and to win them over.

Ya. Strelyau studied the relationship between the levels of intellectual abilities and the properties of temperament. The study gave a negative result. No correlations were found between levels of intellectual abilities and temperament properties. This means that among individuals with a “high level of intellectual abilities one can find both sanguine and phlegmatic, both choleric and melancholic, or various combinations of these types of temperament.”

Abilities are revealed in the process of mastering an activity. They are closely related to the general orientation of the individual and a person’s inclinations towards a particular activity.

Research by psychologists has shown that representatives of different temperaments can achieve equally high success in their activities, but they go to these successes in different ways. B.C. Merlin and E.A. Klimov developed the concept of an individual style of activity, the essence of which is to understand, take into account and master a person’s psychodynamic characteristics. Thus, it is easier for a choleric person than for a phlegmatic person to develop speed and energy of action, while it is easier for a phlegmatic person to develop restraint and composure.

Conclusion


To summarize all of the above, I would like to note once again that the features of the types of GNI and the properties of temperament have attracted and are attracting the attention of psychologists from different countries. A significant contribution to the study of this issue was made by the following works: I.P. Pavlova, B.M. Teplova, V.D. Nebylitsina (1976), M.V. Bodunova (1977), V.M. Rusalov, I.M. Paley, L.B. Ermolaeva-Tomina, and many others.

General types of the nervous system are one of the most developed areas of the physiology of higher nervous activity. Physiological research into the general types of the nervous system opens up new methodological paths for the experimental psychological study of temperaments. According to the teachings of I.P. Pavlov, some properties of the nervous system form the physiological basis of temperament; experiments have clearly shown this.

Temperament is the biological foundation of our personality, i.e. based on the properties of the nervous system, associated with the structure of the human body (its constitution), with metabolism in the body. I.P. Pavlov revealed the laws of higher nervous activity and established that the basis of temperament is the same reasons as the basis of the individual characteristics of human conditioned reflex activity - the properties of the nervous system. These properties are hereditary and extremely difficult to change.

There are still slightly different views on the nature of temperament. A significant part of scientists consider temperament to be an innate quality. I am closer to the approach formulated by Krutetsky, who believes that the role of the environment (upbringing) in the formation of temperament is great and that with proper consideration of the properties of temperament and on the basis of these properties, it is possible to form a person who is valuable for society (6, p. 74).

The psyche of each person is unique. Its uniqueness is associated both with the characteristics of the biological and physiological structure and development of the organism (internal conditions), and with the composition of social connections and contacts (external influence). Biologically determined personality substructures include temperament, as well as gender and age-related mental properties. Thus, personality is a set of internal conditions through which all external influences are refracted.

Temperament to some extent influences the development of a person’s abilities, especially those that include movements with such essential characteristics as tempo, reaction speed, and excitability. First of all, these are abilities that include complex and precise movements with a complex trajectory and uneven pace. These also include abilities associated with increased performance of long-term concentration.

Research on the connection between temperament and activity shows the importance of taking this factor into account when choosing a profession, both by the person himself and by educational organizations and industries when applying for study and work.

This work describes:

a general idea of ​​temperament (properties of temperaments, psychological characteristics of temperaments, temperament and activity, temperament and personality, temperament and abilities);

basic properties of the nervous system, classification of GNI types, correlation of GNI types with temperament.

Getting acquainted with the literature on the topic under consideration allows you to take a fresh look at yourself as a person, understand how temperamental characteristics influenced your character, your studies, and try to resolve some problems of communication, study, and change your attitude towards yourself.

Glossary


No. New concept Contents 1 Humoral theory of temperament, a theory based on the position of the dominant fluid in the body (humor) and the type of temperament - sanguine, choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic 2 Dynamics of vitality, energy and perseverance in survival, state of movement, course of development, change of some kind or phenomena under the influence of various factors3 Introversion is a way of psychological orientation in which the movement of energy is carried out towards the inner world. 4 The limbic system is the olfactory, or visceral, brain, a set of parts of the brain, united by anatomical (spatial relationship) and functional (physiological) characteristics 5 Neurotransmitters are physiologically active substances produced by nerve cells. With the help of neurotransmitters, nerve impulses are transmitted from one nerve fiber to another fiber or to other cells through the space separating the membranes of contacting cells 6 Mental processes processes occurring in the human head and reflected in dynamically changing mental phenomena: sensations, perception, imagination, memory, thinking, speech, etc. 7 Reticular formation is a reticular formation, a network-like formation, a set of nerve structures located in the central parts of the brain stem (medulla oblongata and midbrain, optic thalamus). 8 Midbrain is a section of the brainstem located between the diencephalon (anteriorly), the pons and the cerebellum (posteriorly). It is represented by a quadrigeminal structure, consisting of two pairs of hillocks, or tubercles, the tegmentum of the brain, and the cerebral peduncles, which look like longitudinal cords. 9 Physiology is the science of the vital functions of organisms, their individual systems, organs and tissues and the regulation of physiological functions. F. also studies the patterns of interaction of living organisms with the environment, their behavior in various conditions. 10Extroversion is an attitude or position characterized by a concentration of interest in external objects. A method of psychological orientation in which the movement of energy is carried out towards the external world 11 Endocrine system - a system of glands that produce hormones and release them directly into the blood. These glands, called endocrine or endocrine glands, do not have excretory ducts; they are located in different parts of the body, but are functionally closely interconnected.

List of sources used


1.Druzhinin V.N. Experimental psychology. - St. Petersburg: Publishing house "Peter", 2000. - P.215.

2.Egorova E.A. Psychology of individual differences. M., 1997. - P. 203.

.Kovalev A.G. Personality Psychology, 3.M. ed., "Enlightenment", 1997. - P.254.

.A short dictionary of the system of psychological concepts // K.K. Platonov - M. Higher School 1984. - P.287.

.Merlin V.S. Essay on the theory of temperament, M., 1964. - P.241.

.Nemov R.S. Psychology // Textbook for students of higher pedagogical educational institutions. In 3 books. Book 1, M.: Education VLADOS, 1998. - P.184.

.General psychology / Composition. E.I. Rogov - M. VLADOS, 1995. - P.128.

.Pavlov I.P. Full collection Op. T.3. Book 2.M. - L., 1951. - P.271.

.Practical psychology in tests, or how to learn to understand yourself and others, M., ed. "AST-Press Book", 2001 - P.124.

.Practical psychology // Toolkit. Ed. Shaparya V.B. - Rostov n/d: ed. "Phoenix", 2002. - P.158.

.Psychology of individual differences TEXTS /ed. Yu.B. Gippenreiter, V.Ya. Romanova - M. publishing house of Moscow State University, 1982. - P. 123.

.Simonov P.V., Ershov P.M. Temperament. Character. Personality, ed. M., "Science", 1984. - P. 210.

.Strelyau Ya. The role of temperament in mental development. M., 1982. - P. 162.

.Theoretical problems of personality psychology, ed. E.V. Shorokhova, M., 1974. - P.173.

.Teplov B.M. Current state of the question about the types of higher nervous activity and their definition // Psychology of individual differences - M., 1982. - P.282.

Appendix A


Structure of the nervous system

Appendix B


Structures that are directly related to mental processes, states and properties of a person

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The physiological basis of temperament is the type of higher nervous activity (I.P. Pavlov). The type of higher nervous activity is a peculiar combination of the basic properties of nervous processes: their strength, balance and mobility.

The power of nervous processes– an indicator of the performance and endurance of nerve cells in relation to strong and prolonged stimuli.

Equilibrium– the ratio of excitation and inhibition processes. The nervous system is balanced if the excitation process is equal in strength to the inhibition process; and unbalanced if one process is stronger than the other.

Mobility– rate of change of processes of excitation and inhibition.

I.P. Pavlov identified four types of higher nervous activity, which are characterized by a certain combination of properties of nervous processes: 1) strong, balanced, agile; 2) strong, unbalanced; 3) strong, balanced, inert; 4)weak. These types of higher nervous activity underlie the four types of temperament - sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic and melancholic. The psychological characteristics of temperament as a whole are associated not with any one property of the nervous system, but with their combination, i.e. type of nervous system.

In the psychological characteristics of temperament, the following properties are distinguished: 1) sensitivity– increased response to emotional stimuli; sensitive people are highly sensitive, they experience sensations when the stimulus is insignificant; 2) reactivity determined by the strength of the emotional response; reactive person - impressionable, emotionally reacting to external and internal influences; 3) activity manifests itself in the energy with which a person influences the world (persistence in overcoming obstacles, perseverance, focused attention); 4) ratio of reactivity and activity indicates how much a person’s behavior and activity depend on random circumstances (mood, emotional reactions) and how much they depend on the goals and objectives set for themselves; 5) reaction rate characterizes the speed of mental processes (cognitive, emotional, volitional), speech, motor reactions; 6) plastic characterized by ease and flexibility of human adaptation to changing environmental conditions; rigidity– inertia, stereotypical behavior, inability to quickly adapt to changes; 7) extroversion is expressed in a person’s appeal primarily to the external world of images, thoughts, feelings; introversion- into the inner world; The characteristics of people’s reactions and activities, their communication (contact or isolation) depend on this predominant orientation. All these properties in complex interaction are manifested in each type of temperament.

Let's look at the characteristics of the four types of temperament.

Sanguine(from Latin sanguis - blood) - a type of temperament characterized by high activity, efficiency, speed and vivacity of movements, rich facial expressions, and a fast pace of speech. A person with this type is sociable and strives for a change of impressions. He easily and quickly experiences his failures; he has strong, balanced and mobile nervous processes.

Phlegmatic person– a type of temperament determined by a low level of mental activity, slowness, inexpressive facial expressions, stability of interests and aspirations. A person with this type has difficulty switching from one type of activity to another and has difficulty adapting to a new environment.

Choleric– a type of temperament manifested in a high level of mental activity, energetic actions, sharpness, swiftness of movements, their fast pace, impetuosity; in a sharp change in mood, imbalance, exhaustion. A person with this type is quick-tempered and impatient.

Melancholic(from the gr. melas - black + chole - bile) - a type of temperament characterized by a low level of mental activity, slowness of movements, restraint of motor skills and speech, and rapid fatigue. A person with this type is characterized by high emotional sensitivity, depth and stability of emotions; negative emotions predominate in him; he is often vulnerable, withdrawn, and alienated.

The type of temperament generally depends on heredity. Certain properties of temperament can vary within certain limits depending on living conditions and upbringing. Changes can occur under the influence of past illnesses, deep experiences, and operating conditions.

The basic properties of a particular temperament appear in a person gradually, with age. This process is called temperament maturation.

Temperament, being individual personality traits, has a significant impact on the formation of a person’s character and behavior. Temperament is the dynamic side of character, its physiological basis.

8.3. Properties of temperament as a regulator of activity style.

Although temperament in a pronounced form is quite rare, nevertheless, it is useful for a manager to take into account the peculiarities of the temperaments of his subordinates. Temperament is a way of implementing an activity, not the content of behavior.

By criterion mobility-inertia There are differences in the nature of the work: inert people perform monotonous, monotonous work more successfully, the process of preparing for the start of work, “getting involved” in it is important for them, they are reluctant to be interrupted, their orientation-cognitive activity is more developed. People with a mobile type of nervous activity require varied work that allows them to switch from one activity to another; they quickly get involved in work and can easily interrupt it.

By criterion strength-weakness significant differences were also found.

The strong type is characterized by low susceptibility to fatigue, the ability to work in a group, and gradual involvement in work; corrections and additions are made as work progresses, and they can remember many tasks at the same time. In situations of tension, there is an expansion in the scope of mental actions, which can be quite effective.

The weak type is characterized by a greater susceptibility to fatigue, a need for silence, they work better alone, plan work, corrections and additions are made at the verification stage, new work is started after the previous one is completed. In situations of nervous tension, the total duration of activity may increase, and the volume of mental activity decreases somewhat.

Proper organization of work, taking into account the characteristics of temperament, will help make it more effective.


Chapter 9. CHARACTER.

Character concept

Personal character and relationships

Character concept

Character- This a holistic formation of a personality that determines the characteristics of a person’s activity and behavior and is characterized by a stable attitude towards various aspects of activity.

Character is always an individually unique combination of traits that form an integral unity. Each character is unique. Character traits- these are the essential properties of a person that determine her line of behavior in a certain situation (for example, masculinity or cowardice when faced with danger, etc.). Character is manifested not in random, but in constant, stable forms of behavior for a given person in certain situations. A person’s character is determined by his attitude to reality: to society, work, other people, himself. These relationships can determine, for example, character traits such as hard work, kindness, modesty, etc. Character is formed during life. Character traits are not innate. The system of those relationships that determine character is created by society.

The manifestation and formation of character is influenced by a number of natural features of human organization. Thus, character is related to temperament. The properties of the nervous system, as the natural basis of temperament, can promote or hinder the formation of certain character traits (for example, under unfavorable conditions, a melancholic person is more likely to become a coward than a sanguine person; under favorable conditions, courage is more likely to be found in a sanguine person than in a melancholic person). Temperament influences the form of manifestation of character, “colors” its features (for example, perseverance in a choleric person is expressed in vigorous activity, in a phlegmatic person - in calm efficiency). Character, in turn, can influence the manifestation of typological characteristics of the nervous system, “masking” the characteristics of temperament (for example, initiative, independence can mask the rigidity of a phlegmatic person).

In the structure of character, there are two main groups of traits.

A group of traits in which the orientation of the personality is expressed, i.e. the system of her relations to reality combines character traits that express the following relations: a) relations to the team, individuals (collectivism, selfishness, kindness, sociability, secrecy, etc.); b) attitude to work (hard work, conscientiousness, negligence, accuracy, etc.); attitude towards oneself (modesty, self-esteem, pride, ambition, etc.).

Strong-willed traits character expresses attitudes towards obstacles (dedication, independence, determination, perseverance, courage, etc.). Strong-willed traits are the “backbone of character”; depending on their development, character is classified as strong or weak. Volitional traits become valuable in a person only under the condition of a morally educated will aimed at achieving socially useful goals.

In addition to those mentioned, character traits related to the characteristics of the cognitive and emotional sphere of a person are distinguished. TO cognitive traits include mindset (analyticity, flexibility, criticality, etc.). TO emotional traits include passion, sentimentality, as well as traits based on moral feelings (patriotism, humanity).

Character Formation occurs in vigorous activity. It involves the formation and transformation of certain ways of human behavior into stable, permanent habits (habits). Habits are formed by repeating the same actions over and over again. One of the most important conditions for the formation of character traits, therefore, is repeated and persistent exercise in appropriate actions and deeds. Habits become the basis of character traits only with the appropriate conscious attitude of the individual. The most favorable period for the formation of many character traits is early childhood. Character formation is impossible without self-education. A favorable period for self-education is adolescence, in which self-awareness is formed, the choice of profession, friends, etc. is made.

Thus, it can be said that character traits reflect how a person acts, and personality traits reflect what he acts for.

Character, like temperament, depends on the physiological characteristics of a person, and, above all, on the type of nervous system. The properties of temperament leave their mark on the formation of character, determining the dynamic features of its occurrence, i.e. temperament represents the dynamic side of character. Features of temperament can counteract or promote the development of certain characterological traits.

Character- lifetime acquisition of personality, it accumulates a person’s habits and is largely the result of self-education. Temperament does not unilaterally and definitively determine the path of development of specific character traits; temperament itself, within certain limits, is transformed under the influence of character properties. The development of character and temperament in this sense are interdependent processes. In character, a personality is revealed from the side of its content, in temperament - from the side of dynamic manifestations.

The basis for the development of a truly scientific theory of temperament was created by the teaching of I. P. Pavlov on the typological properties of the nervous system, with which he associated four types of temperament.

The properties of the nervous system are innate individual characteristics of a person, which directly or indirectly influence absolutely all components of a person’s mental organization, his behavior and activity. It has been established that the properties of the nervous system are manifested in the inclinations and development of abilities, needs, motives and motivational attitudes, temperament and predisposition to specific mental states, tolerance of intellectual and physical stress, individual style and success in performing activities.

Pavlov identified three main properties of the nervous system: strength, balance and mobility of excitatory and inhibitory processes. From a number of possible combinations of these properties, Pavlov identified four, according to his data, basic, typical combinations in the form of four types of higher nervous activity /3,4,5/.

BALANCED

NOT BALANCED

MOBILE

INERT

Rice. 1. Types of the nervous system according to I.P. Pavlov

Pavlov put their manifestations in behavior in direct connection with the ancient classification of temperament. A strong, balanced, mobile type of nervous system was considered by him as the corresponding temperament of a sanguine person; strong, balanced, inert - phlegmatic temperament; strong, unbalanced - choleric temperament; weak - melancholic temperament. However, even with a mass approach, it is quite rare to discover or select bright representatives with given combinations of properties of the nervous system; the vast majority of people during a mass examination will be classified as so-called variations of the main types of the nervous system.

The strength of the nervous system is considered as the ability of the cells of the cerebral hemispheres to maintain efficiency. There were two aspects to this property:

a) “workability in the narrow sense”, i.e. the ability to withstand concentrated excitation for a long time without detecting excessive inhibition,

b) the ability of extreme inhibition in response to the action of a single, but for given conditions, excessively strong stimulus

Weak nervous systems are characterized by a larger initial effect, faster approach to the limit and earlier achievement of the limit of a given function, while strong nervous systems are characterized, on the contrary, by a smaller effect at minimal stimulus values, and a slower approach to the limit of the function and later reaching this limit. These differences can only be explained by assuming that a weak nervous system has a lower absolute threshold, due to which stimulation falling on it has a greater physiological effect than stimulation of the same physical intensity received by a strong nervous system /1.3 ,4.5/

The balance of nervous processes is the balance of the processes of excitation and inhibition. The ratio of the strength of both processes decides whether a given individual is balanced or unbalanced, when the strength of one process exceeds the strength of the other.

As is known, it was precisely the balance of excitation and inhibition that was the only feature that formed the basis of the first version of the typological classification developed by I. P. Pavlov. Somewhat later, in the works of the 30s, the concept of balance was specified by indicating the strength of the nervous system as a sign by which the degree of balance of the two main nervous processes should be assessed. Thus, the category of balance received the value of a secondary feature in the classification of the properties of the nervous system, determined by the ratio of two primary parameters related to excitatory and inhibitory processes. Thus, there are as many types of balance of nervous processes as there are primary properties of the nervous system. Then each of the properties of the nervous system should receive separate characteristics for excitatory and inhibitory processes; with a quantitative approach, this means obtaining two absolute values ​​of a given property; comparison of these two absolute values ​​gives a balance characteristic for this property; hence balance, or poise, acts as a general principle for organizing the properties of the nervous system and as a derived parameter for each of the basic properties.

Mobility is the speed of restructuring reactions from one signal value of a stimulus to the opposite. In the works of the Pavlovian school, when determining mobility, two sides of this property were distinguished: the speed of occurrence, course and termination of the nervous process - one side; the speed of transition from excitation to inhibition and back is the other side. In addition, some researchers also highlight a third aspect of this property - the rate of formation of positive and inhibitory conditioned connections.

Teplov believed that the ability to quickly respond to changes in the environment, which determines mobility, has a complex nature and therefore different manifestations of this property appear in different studies. All of them come directly from the three sides of mobility, identified earlier, and all of them are certainly characterized by speed: “we can say that by mobility in the broad sense of this term we mean all the characteristics of the work of the nervous system, depending on the time factor, all those forms of this work, to to which the speed characteristic is applicable" (Teplov, 1955, p. 10).

Dynamism is the speed of formation of a conditioned reflex. It is determined by the speed of response to an external stimulus, which, in the process of forming a conditioned reflex, becomes a signal of a favorable (positive - causing excitement) or unfavorable (negative - requiring avoidance and inhibition) situation. Dynamism is one of the main factors in the speed of the learning process and is associated with the success and speed of formation of adequate reactions. It is the action of this factor that determines the speed of the body’s primary adaptation to the influence of emerging conditions long before there is a need to maintain reactions for a long time at the normal level (strength of the nervous system) or change the course of action to the opposite (mobility of nervous processes) /4, 5/.

Soviet psychologists (B. M. Teplov and others) note that the primary scientific significance of I. P. Pavlov’s work lies in elucidating the main role of the properties of the nervous system as the primary and deepest parameters of the psychophysiological organization of the individual. At the present stage of development of science, it is not yet possible to draw final scientific conclusions regarding the number of main types of the nervous system, as well as the number of typical temperaments. Research by Soviet scientists shows that the very structure of the properties of the nervous system as neurophysiological dimensions of temperament is much more complex than previously thought, and the number of basic combinations of these properties is much greater than was assumed by I. P. Pavlov. However, for practical (including psychological and pedagogical) study of personality, the division into four main types of temperament and their psychological characteristics can serve as a fairly good basis.

CHOLERICK - characterized by a high level of mental activity, energetic actions, sharpness, swiftness, force of movements, their fast pace, impetuosity. He is prone to sudden mood swings, quick-tempered, impatient, prone to emotional breakdowns, and sometimes aggressive. Insufficient emotional and motor balance of a choleric person can result, in the absence of proper upbringing, in incontinence, hot temper, and inability to self-control under emotional circumstances.

SANGUINE - characterized by high mental activity, efficiency, swiftness and vivacity of movements, variety and richness of facial expressions, fast speech. They strive for frequent changes of impressions, respond easily and quickly to surrounding events, and are sociable. Emotions - mostly positive - arise quickly and quickly change. Experiences failure relatively easily and quickly. Under unfavorable conditions and negative educational influences, mobility can result in a lack of concentration, unjustified haste in actions, and superficiality.

PHLEGMATIC - this type of temperament is characterized by a low level of mental activity, slowness, and inexpressive facial expressions. He does not easily switch from one type of activity to another and has difficulty adapting to a new environment. A phlegmatic person has a calm, even mood. Feelings and moods are usually constant. If educational influences are unsuccessful, he may develop lethargy, poverty of emotions, and a tendency to perform monotonous actions.

MELANCHOLIC - characterized by a low level of mental activity, slowness of movements, restraint of facial expressions and speech, and rapid fatigue. He is distinguished by high emotional sensitivity to the events happening to him, usually accompanied by increased anxiety, depth and stability of emotions with their weak external manifestation, and negative emotions predominate. With a lack of appropriate educational influences, a melancholic person may develop increased emotional vulnerability, isolation, alienation, fear of new situations, people and various kinds of tests /6,7/.

The data presented show that, depending on the conditions of personality formation, each type of temperament can be characterized by a complex of both positive and negative psychological traits: “best” or “worst”. There are no only positive or only negative temperaments. The teacher’s task, therefore, is not to transform one type of temperament into another in the process of individual work with a child, but to achieve, on the one hand, the development of the positive qualities inherent in each temperament, and on the other hand. , eliminating or weakening those shortcomings that have already begun to manifest themselves in the child’s behavior.

Since the formation of temperamental characteristics is a process that greatly depends on the development of volitional personality traits, the formation of moral and volitional aspects of character is of paramount importance for the education of temperament. Mastering your behavior will mean the formation of positive qualities of temperament.

At the same time, the teacher should keep in mind that temperament must be strictly distinguished from character. Temperament in no way characterizes the content side of a person (worldview, views, beliefs, interests, etc.), does not determine the value of a person or the limit of achievements possible for a given person. It relates only to the dynamic side of activity. Character is inextricably linked with the content side of personality.

When involved in the development of character, temperament properties undergo changes, due to which the same initial properties can lead to different character properties depending on living conditions and activities. Thus, with appropriate upbringing and living conditions, a person with a weak-type nervous system can develop a strong character, and, conversely, traits of weak character can develop with a “hothouse”, pampering upbringing in a person with a strong nervous system. In all its manifestations, temperament is mediated and conditioned by all real conditions and the specific content of a person’s life. For example, a lack of restraint and self-control in a person’s behavior does not necessarily indicate a choleric temperament. It may be a disadvantage. Temperament directly manifests itself in the fact that for one person it is easier, for another it is more difficult to develop the necessary behavioral reactions, that for one person certain methods of developing certain mental qualities are needed, for another - others /7,8/.

It is indisputable that with any temperament it is possible to develop all socially valuable personality traits. However, specific methods for developing these properties depend significantly on temperament. Therefore, temperament is an important condition that must be taken into account in an individual approach to education and training, to the formation of character, to the comprehensive development of mental and physical abilities.

INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1. General concept of temperament
CHAPTER 2. Basic properties of temperament
CHAPTER 3. Classifications of temperament
CHAPTER 4. Psychological characteristics of temperament types
CONCLUSION
LIST OF REFERENCES USED

INTRODUCTION

People begin to become familiar with the concept of “temperament” very early. Even in childhood, we notice that some of us are more active, cheerful, persistent, while others are slow, shy, unhurried in words and actions. It is in these features that temperament manifests itself.

The famous psychologist Merlin wrote: “Imagine two rivers - one calm, flat, the other fast, mountainous. The flow of the first is barely noticeable, it smoothly carries its waters, it does not have bright splashes, stormy waterfalls or splashes. The course of the second is the complete opposite. The river rushes quickly, the water in it rumbles, boils and, hitting the stones, turns into shreds of foam... Something similar can be observed in people’s behavior.”

Observations have shown that all people are different not only in appearance, but also in behavior and movements. For example, if you monitor the behavior of students in class, you can immediately notice the difference in the behavior and movements of each one. Some have unhurried, correct movements, a noticeable calmness in their gaze, while others have sudden movements, fussiness in their eyes, but most of them show similar results in development. What explains this difference in behavior? First of all, temperament, which manifests itself in any type of activity (play, work, study, creative), in gait, gestures, in all behavior. The individual characteristics of a person’s personality and his temperament give a unique color to all activities and behavior.

CHAPTER 1. GENERAL CONCEPT OF TEMPERAMENT

When they talk about temperament, they mean many mental differences between people - differences in depth, intensity, stability of emotions, emotional sensitivity, pace, energy of actions and other dynamic, individually stable features of mental life, behavior and activity. Nevertheless, temperament today remains a largely controversial and unresolved problem. However, with all the diversity of approaches to the problem, scientists and practitioners recognize that temperament is the biological foundation on which the personality is formed as a social being.

Temperament reflects the dynamic aspects of behavior, predominantly of an innate nature, therefore the properties of temperament are the most stable and constant compared to other mental characteristics of a person. The most specific feature of temperament is that the various properties of a given person’s temperament are not randomly combined with each other, but are naturally connected with each other, forming a certain organization and structure.

So, under temperament one should understand the individually unique properties of the psyche that determine the dynamics of a person’s mental activity, which, equally manifested in a variety of activities regardless of its content, goals, motives, remain constant in adulthood and in interconnection characterize the type of temperament.

The properties of temperament include individual characteristics that:

  1. Regulate the dynamics of mental activity in general;
  2. Characterize the features of the dynamics of individual mental processes;
  3. They are stable and permanent in nature and remain in development over a long period of time;
  4. They are in a strictly natural relationship, characterizing the type of temperament;
  5. Definitely due to the general type of nervous system.

CHAPTER 2. BASIC PROPERTIES OF TEMPERAMENT

The properties of temperament include those distinctive, individual characteristics of a person that determine the dynamic aspects of all his types of activity, characterize the peculiarities of the course of mental processes, have a more or less stable nature, persist for a long time, appearing soon after birth (after the central nervous system takes on specifically human forms). It is believed that the properties of temperament are determined mainly by the properties of the human nervous system.

Soviet psychophysiologist V.M. Rusalov, relying on a new concept of the properties of the nervous system, proposed on its basis a more modern interpretation of the properties of temperament. Based on the theory of the functional system P.K. Anokhin, which includes four blocks of storage, circulation and processing of information (the block of afferent synthesis, programming (decision making), execution and feedback), Rusalov identified four associated temperament properties that are responsible for the breadth or narrowness of afferent synthesis (the degree of intensity of the body’s interaction with environment), ease of switching from one behavior program to another, speed of execution of the current behavior program and sensitivity to the discrepancy between the real result of an action and its acceptor.

In accordance with this, the traditional psychophysiological assessment of temperament changes and instead of two parameters - activity and sensitivity - it now includes four components: ergicity (endurance), plasticity, speed and emotionality (sensitivity). All these components of temperament, according to V.M. Rusalova, are biologically and genetically determined. Temperament depends on the properties of the nervous system, and they, in turn, are understood as the main characteristics of functional systems that provide integrative, analytical and synthetic activity of the brain and the entire nervous system as a whole.

The psychological characteristics of temperament types are determined by the following basic properties:

Sensitivity – We judge this property by what is the least force of external influences necessary for the occurrence of any psychological reaction in a person, and what is the speed of occurrence of this reaction.

Reactivity – this property is judged by the degree of involuntary reactions to external or internal influences of the same strength.

Activity – this property is judged by the degree of activity with which a person influences the outside world and overcomes obstacles in achieving goals. This includes focus and perseverance in achieving goals, concentration in long-term work.

Relationship between activity and reactivity – this property is judged by the speed of various psychological reactions and processes: speed of movements, rate of speech, resourcefulness, speed of memorization, speed of mind.

Plasticity and rigidity – this property is judged by how easily and flexibly a person adapts to external influences or, conversely, how inert and inert his behavior, habits, and judgments are.

Extraversion and introversion - this property is judged by what primarily determines a person’s reactions and activities - from external impressions arising at the moment (extroversion) or from images, ideas and thoughts associated with the past and future (introversion).

Emotional excitability - this property is judged by how weak the impact is necessary for the occurrence of an emotional reaction and at what speed it occurs.

CHAPTER 3. CLASSIFICATIONS OF TEMPERAMENT

Different classifications of temperaments rely on their different properties:

1) speed and strength of emotional reactions;

2) level of activity and predominant feeling tone;

3) scales of extraversion (introversion) and neuroticism (emotional stability);

4) reactivity and activity;

5) general mental activity, historian and emotionality.

The similarity noticeable in these classifications shows that the identified psychological characteristics really form a special, fairly clearly defined group of individual properties.

In these examples of classifications, only the most general properties are noted. A more complete list of such properties, including more specific ones, is as follows: sensitivity, reactivity and activity, rate of reactions, plasticity and rigidity, extroversion and introversion, emotional excitability.

According to the teachings of the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (VI century BC), there are four types of temperament. The body was believed to have four main fluids, or "juices": blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Mixed in certain proportions, they make up his temperament. The specific name of the types of temperament was given by the fluid predominant in the body: melancholic, sanguine, phlegmatic and choleric temperament (hence melancholic; sanguine; phlegmatic; choleric).

Psychological teaching about temperament. The approach to temperament characteristic of this teaching is to proceed from the analysis of only behavior. When determining temperament, as a rule, the sign of innate or organic foundations does not appear, and the main load is on the sign of “formal-dynamic properties of behavior”, which are abstracted from integral behavioral acts. But here a significant difficulty is revealed: this feature also does not allow us to unambiguously resolve the issue of the range of specific properties that should be attributed to temperament. And the tendency to expand the range of such properties leads to a confusion of temperament with character and even personality.

Physiological doctrine of temperament. Throughout the long and complex history of the study of temperament, it has always been associated with the physiological characteristics of the body. One of the most serious attempts to provide a physiological basis for temperament is associated with the names of I. P. Pavlov, B. M. Teplov and Nebylitsyn. Initially, this concept was called the doctrine of the types of the nervous system, later - the doctrine of the properties of the nervous system.

Regardless of the listed hypotheses about the physical foundations of temperament, there is a growing conviction that its properties are most clearly manifested in those forms of behavior that are directly related to the energy expenditure of the body - with the methods of accumulation and expenditure of energy and the quantitative characteristics of processes. Therefore, most temperament researchers paid attention, first of all, to the emotional and motor reactions of the individual, especially emphasizing their formal aspect, that is, their strength (intensity) and course over time.

A classic example of this approach is the typology of temperaments by W. Wundt, the creator of experimental psychology. He understood temperament as a predisposition to affect, which was expressed in the following thesis: temperament is for emotion what excitability is for sensations. Based on this understanding, W. Wundt identified two bipolar properties of temperament, namely the strength and speed of change of emotion, emphasizing the importance of the individual’s energy characteristics.

Classification of temperaments (according to Wundt)

We find in W. Wundt an extremely important idea that each temperament has its positive and negative sides, and this, in particular, means that proper education involves using the advantages of a given temperament and at the same time leveling out the negative influence that it may have influence an individual's behavior.

There remains confidence that the dynamic properties of behavior manifested in temperament have a physiological basis - certain features of the functioning of physiological structures. The question of what these structures and features are is being intensively researched. There are different opinions about what specific characteristics of the body should be associated with temperament - hereditary or simply physiological, which can be formed during life. There is a fundamental difficulty here: it has not yet been established what, in terms of behavior, is a manifestation of the genotype (refers to temperament), and what is the result of lifetime layers (refers to character).

CHAPTER 4. PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TYPES OF TEMPERAMENT

The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who lived in the 5th century BC, described four temperaments, which were given the following names: sanguine temperament, phlegmatic temperament, choleric temperament, melancholic temperament. He described the main types of temperaments, gave them characteristics, but connected temperament not with the properties of the nervous system, but with the ratio of various fluids in the body: blood, lymph and bile. The first classification of temperaments was proposed by Galen, and it has survived to this day in a relatively little changed form. The last known description of it, which is also used in modern psychology, belongs to the German philosopher I. Kant.

I. Kant divided human temperaments (manifestations of temperament can also be seen in higher animals) into two types: temperaments of feeling and temperaments of activity.

According to I.P. Pavlov, temperaments are the “main features” of a person’s individual characteristics.

Below is a psychological description of the four types of temperaments:

Sanguine 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.

Phlegmatic temperament.

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 of phlegmatic temperament is also manifested in his attitude towards events and phenomena in life, a phlegmatic person is not easily enraged and emotionally hurt. It is easy for a person of phlegmatic temperament to develop self-control, composure, and calmness. But a phlegmatic person should develop the qualities he lacks - greater mobility, activity, and not allow him to show indifference to activity, lethargy, inertia, which can very easily form under certain conditions. Sometimes a person of this temperament may develop an indifferent attitude towards work, towards life around him, towards people and even towards himself.

Choleric temperament .

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 mood sometimes changes dramatically. 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.

Melancholic temperament .

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 a familiar and calm environment, people with this temperament feel calm and work very productively. It is easy for melancholic people to develop and improve their characteristic depth and stability of feelings, increased susceptibility to external influences.

“Pure” temperaments are relatively rare. There are transitional, mixed, intermediate types of temperament; Often a person's temperament combines traits of different temperaments.

CONCLUSION

Features of the type of higher nervous activity and the properties of temperament have long attracted the attention of researchers. However, the data they obtained is extremely contradictory. Many theories and study methods have been put forward.

Beginning in the mid-18th century, theories of temperament related to certain properties of the nervous system developed. Thus, Albrecht Haller, the founder of experimental physiology, who introduced the concepts of excitability and sensitivity, important for psychology, argued that the main factors of differences in temperament are the strength and excitability of the blood vessels themselves through which blood passes. This idea was adopted by A. Haller’s student, G. Wrisberg, who connected temperament directly with the characteristics of the nervous system. Thus, he believed that the choleric sanguine temperament was based on a large brain, “strong and thick nerves” and high excitability of the senses. The idea of ​​connecting the characteristics of temperament with certain anatomical and physiological characteristics of the nervous system in various forms is manifested in the teachings of many philosophers and doctors of the 18th and 19th centuries. The idea of ​​the existence of such a connection was expressed by I.P. Pavlov, who assumed that the extreme human types of “thinkers” and “artists” should also correspond to the opposite types of temperaments, melancholic and choleric. He established and experimentally proved that the physiological basis of temperament is a combination of the properties of nervous processes. B.M. Teplov, rejecting Pavlov’s scheme of “four classical temperaments,” proposed considering all combinations of properties of the nervous system as independent types, posing as a special task the question of the criteria on the basis of which “main types” can be distinguished from them.

LIST OF REFERENCES USED

  1. Maklakov A.G. General psychology. - St. Petersburg, 2000.
  2. Merlin V.S. Essay on the theory of temperament. - M., 1964.
  3. Nebylitsyn V.D. Basic properties of the human nervous system // Izbr. psychological works. - M., 1990.
  4. Petrovsky A.V. Introduction to Psychology. - M., 1995.
  5. Rogov E.I. General psychology: A course of lectures for the first stage of teacher education. - M., 1998.
  6. Strelyau Ya. The role of temperament in mental development. - M., 1982.

The physiological basis of temperament is the type of higher nervous activity (I.P. Pavlov). The type of higher nervous activity is a peculiar combination of the basic properties of nervous processes: their strength, balance and mobility.

The power of nervous processes– an indicator of the performance and endurance of nerve cells in relation to strong and prolonged stimuli.

Equilibrium– the ratio of excitation and inhibition processes. The nervous system is balanced if the excitation process is equal in strength to the inhibition process; and unbalanced if one process is stronger than the other.

Mobility– rate of change of processes of excitation and inhibition.

I.P. Pavlov identified four types of higher nervous activity, which are characterized by a certain combination of properties of nervous processes: 1) strong, balanced, agile; 2) strong, unbalanced; 3) strong, balanced, inert; 4)weak. These types of higher nervous activity underlie the four types of temperament - sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic and melancholic. The psychological characteristics of temperament as a whole are associated not with any one property of the nervous system, but with their combination, i.e. type of nervous system.

In the psychological characteristics of temperament, the following properties are distinguished: 1) sensitivity– increased response to emotional stimuli; sensitive people are highly sensitive, they experience sensations when the stimulus is insignificant; 2) reactivity determined by the strength of the emotional response; reactive person - impressionable, emotionally reacting to external and internal influences; 3) activity manifests itself in the energy with which a person influences the world (persistence in overcoming obstacles, perseverance, focused attention); 4) ratio of reactivity and activity indicates how much a person’s behavior and activity depend on random circumstances (mood, emotional reactions) and how much they depend on the goals and objectives set for themselves; 5) reaction rate characterizes the speed of mental processes (cognitive, emotional, volitional), speech, motor reactions; 6) plastic characterized by ease and flexibility of human adaptation to changing environmental conditions; rigidity– inertia, stereotypical behavior, inability to quickly adapt to changes; 7) extroversion is expressed in a person’s appeal primarily to the external world of images, thoughts, feelings; introversion- into the inner world; The characteristics of people’s reactions and activities, their communication (contact or isolation) depend on this predominant orientation. All these properties in complex interaction are manifested in each type of temperament.



Let's look at the characteristics of the four types of temperament.

Sanguine(from Latin sanguis - blood) - a type of temperament characterized by high activity, efficiency, speed and vivacity of movements, rich facial expressions, and a fast pace of speech. A person with this type is sociable and strives for a change of impressions. He easily and quickly experiences his failures; he has strong, balanced and mobile nervous processes.

Phlegmatic person– a type of temperament determined by a low level of mental activity, slowness, inexpressive facial expressions, stability of interests and aspirations. A person with this type has difficulty switching from one type of activity to another and has difficulty adapting to a new environment.

Choleric– a type of temperament manifested in a high level of mental activity, energetic actions, sharpness, swiftness of movements, their fast pace, impetuosity; in a sharp change in mood, imbalance, exhaustion. A person with this type is quick-tempered and impatient.

Melancholic(from the gr. melas - black + chole - bile) - a type of temperament characterized by a low level of mental activity, slowness of movements, restraint of motor skills and speech, and rapid fatigue. A person with this type is characterized by high emotional sensitivity, depth and stability of emotions; negative emotions predominate in him; he is often vulnerable, withdrawn, and alienated.

The type of temperament generally depends on heredity. Certain properties of temperament can vary within certain limits depending on living conditions and upbringing. Changes can occur under the influence of past illnesses, deep experiences, and operating conditions.

The basic properties of a particular temperament appear in a person gradually, with age. This process is called temperament maturation.

Temperament, being individual personality traits, has a significant impact on the formation of a person’s character and behavior. Temperament is the dynamic side of character, its physiological basis.

8.3. Properties of temperament as a regulator of activity style.

Although temperament in a pronounced form is quite rare, nevertheless, it is useful for a manager to take into account the peculiarities of the temperaments of his subordinates. Temperament is a way of implementing an activity, not the content of behavior.

By criterion mobility-inertia There are differences in the nature of the work: inert people perform monotonous, monotonous work more successfully, the process of preparing for the start of work, “getting involved” in it is important for them, they are reluctant to be interrupted, their orientation-cognitive activity is more developed. People with a mobile type of nervous activity require varied work that allows them to switch from one activity to another; they quickly get involved in work and can easily interrupt it.

By criterion strength-weakness significant differences were also found.

The strong type is characterized by low susceptibility to fatigue, the ability to work in a group, and gradual involvement in work; corrections and additions are made as work progresses, and they can remember many tasks at the same time. In situations of tension, there is an expansion in the scope of mental actions, which can be quite effective.

The weak type is characterized by a greater susceptibility to fatigue, a need for silence, they work better alone, plan work, corrections and additions are made at the verification stage, new work is started after the previous one is completed. In situations of nervous tension, the total duration of activity may increase, and the volume of mental activity decreases somewhat.

Proper organization of work, taking into account the characteristics of temperament, will help make it more effective.


Chapter 9. CHARACTER.

Character concept