With the concept of "temperament" a person begins to get acquainted from a very early age. While still a child, he notices that some of his peers are more persistent, funny and agile, while others are unhurried in actions and words, shy and slow.
It is this personality trait that is called "temperament." The psychic rhythm and pace, the speed of occurrence and the duration of feelings, the focus on contacts with objects and people, savvy, interest in oneself and others depend on this characteristic of the individual.
About temperament
What does this concept mean? By temperament we mean mental differences expressed in a person by depth, stability and intensity of emotions, pace and energy of actions, emotional sensitivity and many other features. The problem of an accurate description of this concept is still unresolved and controversial. However, if we take into account all the diverse approaches that were used to study it, we can note: researchers are unanimous in their opinion that temperament serves as the foundation that plays a crucial role in the formation of a person’s personality as a purely social being.
The properties of the psyche inherent in an individual individual are reflected in its dynamic characteristics of behavior, mostly innate. Moreover, the most striking nuance of temperament is that all its manifestations are perfectly combined with each other. And this is not happening by chance. All the features inherent in human behavior have inextricable links among themselves, forming a certain conglomerate. He is the main characteristic of temperament.
In other words, this concept means the individually-peculiar properties of the psyche. They determine the dynamics of an individual’s behavior and always manifest themselves in the same way, regardless of human activity, its motives, content and goals. These properties remain unchanged in adulthood, characterizing in aggregate the type of temperament.
Hippocratic Theory
Since ancient times, mankind has made attempts to reduce an infinite number of individuals to a limited number of personality portraits. The most ancient and most famous example of such typification is the typology of four temperaments, proposed by Hippocrates. This thinker was able to identify general patterns among the many individual variants of the psyche.
This so-called humoral typology of temperament carried practical benefits. With its help, it became possible to predict the behavior of people with a certain mental mindset in a particular life situation.
Translated from the Latin language, the concept of “temperament” means “proportionality”, “mixture”. This comes from the typology of Hippocrates. Temperament, according to the "father of medicine", is determined by the predominance of one of the four fluids in the body. If it is blood (in Latin “sanguine”), then the type of human behavior will be sanguine. He belongs to people who are energetic and fast, cheerful and sociable, who easily endure failures and life difficulties.
In the Hippocratic theory of the typology of temperaments, the concept of temperament, in which bile predominates in the body. In Latin, its name sounds "chole". Such a person is choleric. Among all the others, he is distinguished by bile and irritability, excitability and restraint, mobility and a sharp change in mood.
The third type in the typology of Hippocratic temperament is phlegmatic. It is inherent in a person in whose body mucus predominates (in Latin “phlegm”). Such people are distinguished by calm and slowness, poise and difficulty in switching between activities, poor adaptation to new conditions.
The fourth type of mental behavior in the typology of Hippocratic temperament is characterized by a somewhat painful shyness and impressionability of a person, a tendency to sadness and isolation, quick fatigue and excessive sensitivity to failure. The ancient thinker called such people melancholy, indicating that black bile, or “melana-chole,” predominates in their bodies.
This theory is called humoral from the Latin word “humor” - “liquid”. Hippocrates studied the manifestations of various types of temperament. At the same time, he was the first to raise the question of their connection with the individual's lifestyle. The thinker understood all this in the broadest sense, starting from drinking and eating, ending with natural conditions and communication features.
Adherents of the humoral theory can be found today. They are researchers who have shown that the balance and ratio of thyroid hormones in the body affect the manifestation of the choleric type of temperament. With their overabundance, a person has increased excitability and irritability.
Galen's Theory
Among the authors of the typology of temperament was the most famous ancient doctor after Hippocrates. In the 2nd century BC. Galen developed a typology of temperaments and presented it in his treatise De temperamentis. In this work, he described in detail nine different psychological characteristics of human behavior. Of these, he identified four, which are used in our time. These types of temperament, according to Galen, directly depend on which of the "juices" prevails in the body. Among them are blood (sanguine), phlegm (phlegmatic), bile (choleric) and black bile (melancholic).
Galen (following Hippocrates) developed the doctrine of temperaments, which are proportions with a mixture of several basic “juices”. If “warm” liquid prevailed, then this scientist described the person as energetic and courageous. With a greater proportion of "cold juice" - slow, etc.
This concept has been used by scientists for many centuries.
Sigo Theory
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. new descriptions of the typology of temperament — constitutional — were developed. Their idea came to light thanks to the influence of anthropologists, who drew attention to the differences in the structure of the body, as well as psychiatrists who pointed to the individual differences of people who influence the predisposition to mental illness. Based on this, the concept of a constitutional typology of temperament was formed. She pointed out the connection between the body of a person and traits of his character.
The first to finally formulate such a theory was the French physician Claude Sigault in 1904. This author of the constitutional typology of temperament pointed out that the human body itself, as well as its disorders, are dependent on innate predispositions and the environment.
In this case, each system of our body corresponds to certain external conditions. For example, air is a source of respiratory reactions, food that enters the body contributes to food processes. In the physical environment, the motor reactions of a person occur, and in the social - brain.
K. Sigo identified four types of physique. Their formation, according to the author, is based on the predominance of a particular system in the body. These are body types such as respiratory and digestive, muscular, as well as cerebral (cerebral).
This or that prevailing system contributes to the emergence of a specific human reaction to environmental changes. That is why each variety of the described physique corresponds to the constitutional typology of temperament.
The concept of C. Sigo connected the constitution of the body with the peculiarities of human behavior. She played an important role in the formation of modern theories of typology in the psychology of temperament.
Theory of E. Kretschmer
This German psychiatrist also authored a constitutional typology of temperament. In his work, which he published in 1921, the scientist paid attention to the correspondence of a certain type of physique to diseases such as manic-depressive psychosis and schizophrenia.
In the theory of E. Kretschmer about the typology of temperament, it was stated that in nature there are 4 constitutional types of the body. These conclusions were made by a psychiatrist on the basis of many dimensions:
- Leptosomatic. People with this constitutional type have a cylindrical trunk. Their physique is fragile, their height is tall, their chest is flat, their face is elongated. The head of forestry specialists has an egg-shaped shape. They have a thin long nose, which, together with an undeveloped lower jaw, forms an angular profile. Leptosomatics are distinguished by narrow lower limbs, long bones and thin muscles. In his typology of temperament of people in whom these features are extremely pronounced, E. Kremer called asthenics, which in Greek means “weak”.
- Picnic. These are overly obese people with rich fatty tissue, small or medium growth, a large belly, a spreading body and a round head on a short neck. With relatively large body parameters and narrow shoulders, their shapes appear barrel-shaped. This type of people also has a tendency to stoop. The name “picnic” by E. Kretschmer in the typology of temperament was given from the Greek word “pyknos”, which means “dense”, “thick”.
- Athletic This name also comes from the Greek language, where it means “struggle”, “struggle”. These are people with good muscles, medium or high stature and a strong physique. They have broad shoulders and narrow hips. From this, the body in appearance resembles a trapezoid. There is practically no fat layer. The face of athletes has the shape of an elongated egg, and their lower jaw is well developed.
- Dysplastic. The name of this body type comes from two Greek words: "bad" and "formed." The structure in this case is irregular and shapeless. People of this type have various physique deformations (for example, too tall).
E. Kretschmer classified the constitutional features of his patients only on the basis of the proportions of the parts of the body. Moreover, in his opinion, schizophrenia overtakes, as a rule, leptosomatics. Although among his patients there were athletics. Picnics are susceptible mainly to manic-depressive psychosis. The author of the theory also pointed out that athletics are least affected by mental illness, but have a predisposition to epilepsy.
Based on the tendency to various emotional reactions, E. Kretschmer divided people into two large groups. One of them, in his opinion, has a cyclotymic type of temperament. The emotional life of these people is characterized by a mood with poles from fun to sad. The second group is characterized by schizotemic temperament. The scale of emotions of these people ranges from sensitive to unexcited.
Schizotimics have a leptosomatic or asthenic physique. In the case of a mental disorder, they have a predisposition to schizophrenia. Such people are closed, prone to fluctuations in emotions, stubborn and unstable to changes in attitudes and attitudes. It is difficult for them to adapt to the environment and think specifically.
The direct opposite of schizotimic is cyclothymic. These are people with a picnic physique, realistic in their views, easily in contact with their surroundings, and fluctuating between sadness and joy.
E. Kretschmer explained the connection of some mental properties of a personality with a certain type of physique because both of them are due to the functioning of the endocrine glands and the composition of the blood.
Theory of I.P. Pavlov
When making attempts to reproduce the results of the study by E. Kretschmer, it became clear that the extreme options are not suitable for most people. Critics of this theory, among whom was academician I.P. Pavlov, argued that the mistake of the German psychologist was to spread pathological patterns to the norm and classify all of humanity as two types - schizoid and cycloid.
That is why a new theory of temperament typology was created. Academician I.P. understood the concept of temperament. Pavlov.
Scientists have long been aware of the fact that human behavior and the occurrence of mental processes in his body depend on the functioning of the nervous system. However, the theory of I.P. Pavlov on the typology of temperament for the first time indicated the connection of various kinds of character with those properties that nervous processes possess. Subsequently, this concept continued to develop the followers of the great physiologist.
I.P. Pavlov drew attention to the relationship that occurs between a person’s temperament and the type of his nervous system. In the course of the experiments, he proved that the reflection of the activity of the brain can be seen in two main processes - inhibition and excitement. It is they who have different powers in people from their very birth. Based on the ratio of these properties, Pavlov identified four main types of higher activity of the nervous system:
- Rampant. In the typology of temperament, choleric have such a strong, unbalanced and mobile nervous system.
- Alive. In the typology of temperament according to Pavlov, such a balanced, mobile and strong NS belongs to a sanguine person.
- Calm. This type of NS, characterized by strength, poise and inertness, have phlegmatic.
- Weak. For this type of NS, mobility and imbalance are characteristic. Such traits are characteristic of the temperament of the melancholic.
Theory of W. Sheldon
In the 1940s, a new constitutional concept was formulated regarding the typology of temperament and character. Its author was an American scientist W. Sheldon. The basis of this theory was the views of Kretschmer.
W. Sheldon adhered to the hypothesis that there are several basic types of physique, which he described using photographic techniques and complex anthropometric measurements. At the same time, the scientist identified:
- Endomorphic type. These are people with a weak physique and an excess of adipose tissue.
- Mesomorphic type. It is characterized by a strong, slender body, great mental stability and strength.
- Ectomorphic type. These are people with a weak body, a flattened chest and thin long limbs. Their nervous system is easily excitable and sensitive.
Conducting long-term observations allowed W. Sheldon to conclude that a certain temperament corresponds to all the described types of physique. As a result, the scientist identified viscerotonics, somatotonics and cerebrotonics.
Choleric
Consider each of the types of temperament with its psychological characteristics.
Choleric - people whose functioning of the nervous system excitation prevails over inhibition. That is why such a person is able to react very quickly to any situation, but often does it completely thoughtlessly. As a result, he does not have time to restrain himself and does not show patience.
Choleric people are characterized by sharpness and impetuosity of movements, rampant, hot-tempered and unrestrained. The imbalance of the nervous system of such people causes a cyclical change in their activity and vigor. Being carried away by any business, they work with full dedication and passionately. However, they do not have enough strength for a long time. This becomes the result of a bad mood, lethargy and a breakdown.
Exposure to alternating cycles of uplift and energy with negative periods of depression and recession causes uneven behavior, neurotic breakdowns and conflicts with others.
Sanguine
These people have a mobile, balanced and strong NS. They have a quick but thoughtful reaction. Sanguine people are cheerful, so it is not difficult for them to resist the difficulties that arise. The mobility of the NS causes variability of feelings, interests, affections, as well as a high level of adaptation to new conditions. These people are sociable and have a wide circle of acquaintances.
Sanguine - productive figures, but in the absence of interest, they become boring and lethargic. In the event of stressful situations, such people deliberately and actively defend themselves, fighting for the normalization of the situation.
Phlegmatic person
These people are characterized by a strong, balanced, but at the same time inert NS. That is why their reaction is slow. Phlegmatic is difficult to cheer and angry, but at the same time it has good resistance to long-term and strong irritants, as well as high performance. Such people do not like to change their usual way of life and slowly adapt to new conditions.
Melancholic
The nervous system of such people is very weak. , . .
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