2.1 The concept of personality
In psychology, close, but not identical, concepts are widely used:
Human- a biological creature belonging to the class of mammals of the species Homo sapiens. A specific feature of a person as a biological being is: upright walking; adaptability of hands labor activity; highly developed brain; speech.
As a social being, a person is endowed with consciousness, thanks to which he is able not only to consciously reflect the world, but also to transform it in accordance with his needs and interests.
Personality- this is the same person, but taken from the side of his social significance
Each person has their own specific characteristics. Personality in its originality is individuality. Individuality can manifest itself in the intellectual, emotional, volitional spheres, etc.
We are more interested in the concept of personality.
There are various approaches to the definition of personality in psychology1, which is reflected in the formulations:
A. G. Kovalev - "Personality - the subject and object of social relations."
A. N. Leontiev - "Personality - the subject of activity."
K. K. Platonov - “Personality is a capable member of society, conscious of its role in it”
S. L. Rubinshtein - "Personality is a set of internal conditions through which external influences are refracted."
V.V. Bogoslovsky - "Personality is an agent of social development, a conscious individual who occupies a certain position and social role."
G. Allport - "Personality is an individually unique set of psycho-physiological systems that are formed in vivo - personality traits that determine thinking and behavior that are unique for a given person."
Many psychologists consider the personality of a person who has reached a certain level mental development which is characterized by:
The fact that a person in the process of self-knowledge begins to perceive and experience himself as a whole, different from other people and expressed in the concept of "I";
The presence of their own views and beliefs, as well as relationships;
The presence of their own moral requirements and assessments that make a person relatively stable and independent;
Activity as a necessary characteristic of personality. Personality is formed in the process of active interaction with the outside world.
Activity ensures both the adaptation of the individual to the environment and its change, and also stimulates the participation of the individual in life and activity.
At this level of development, a person is able to: consciously influence the surrounding reality; change it, as well as change yourself; manage their behavior and activities.
What is the main source of activity?
Needs are the awareness and experience by a person of the need for what is necessary to maintain the life of his organism and the development of his personality.
An important characteristic of their needs unsaturation.
The approach of the American psychologist Abraham Harold Maslow (1908-1970) to the study of the hierarchy of needs is interesting.
Maslow believed that the higher a person can climb the ladder of needs, the more mental health, humanity he will show, the more individual he will be.
At the “top” of the pyramid are the needs associated with self-actualization.
Self-actualization - it is the desire to become all that is possible; this is – the need for self-improvement, in realizing one's potential.
This path is difficult: it is associated with the experience of fear of the unknown and responsibility, but it is also the path to a full-fledged inner rich life.
They reach the level of self-actualization, according to A.G. Maslow, few (less than 1%). Most people simply do not see and do not realize their potential, do not know about its existence and do not know the joy of moving towards their disclosure. This is facilitated by the environment (society). So a child who grows up in a friendly environment, when the need for security is satisfied, has more chances for self-actualization.
In general, if a person reaches the level of self-actualization, this means blocking the needs of a lower level.
A person who has reached the level of self-actualization (“self-actualizing personality”) turns out to be a special person: not burdened with many small vices such as envy, anger, bad taste, cynicism. He will not be prone to depression and pessimism, selfishness, etc. He has high self-esteem. He accepts others for who they are. It is characterized by a focus on what is happening outside, as opposed to focusing only on the inner world, the focus of consciousness on one's own feelings and experiences. He has a sense of humor, he has developed creative abilities.
It is characterized by: rejection of conventions, but without ostentatious ignoring them; preoccupation with the well-being of other people, and not with ensuring only one's own happiness; the ability to deeply understand life; ability to face life open eyes, evaluate it impartially, from an objective point of view; establishment with people around, although not with all, quite benevolent personal relationships; direct involvement in life with complete immersion in it, as children usually do; preference in life for new, unbeaten and unsafe paths; the ability to rely on one's experience, reason and feelings, and not on the opinions of other people, traditions or conventions,
Figure 1 - Hierarchy of needs A.G. Maslow
positions of authorities; open and honest behavior in all situations; readiness to become unpopular, to be condemned by the majority of surrounding people for unconventional views; the ability to take responsibility, rather than avoid it; application of maximum efforts to achieve the goals; the ability to notice and, if necessary, overcome the resistance of other people.
2.2. Personality structure
The basis of personality is its structure, i.e. relatively stable communication and interaction of all parties as an integral entity.
There are various approaches to determining the structure of personality.
Knowledge of the elementary foundations of psychology can play an important role in the life of any person. In order for us to most productively fulfill our goals and effectively interact with the people around us, we need to have at least an idea of what personality psychology is, how personality develops and what are the features of this process. It is important to know what the constituent elements and personality types are. Understanding these issues, we get the opportunity to make our lives more productive, comfortable and harmonious.
The Personal Psychology lesson below is designed specifically to help you learn these important fundamentals and learn how to use them in practice as effectively as possible. Here you will get acquainted with how a person and the problem of personality are considered in psychology: you will learn its foundations and structure. You will also gain insight into personality research and many other interesting topics.
What is a personality?
AT modern world there is no unambiguous definition of the concept of "personality" and this is due to the complexity of the phenomenon of personality itself. Any definition currently available is worthy of being taken into account in compiling the most objective and complete.
If we talk about the most common definition, then we can say that:
Personality- this is a person who has a certain set of psychological properties on which his actions are based, which are important for society; internal difference of one person from the rest.
There are several other definitions:
- Personality is a social subject and the totality of his personal and social roles, his preferences and habits, his knowledge and experience.
- Personality is a person who independently builds and controls his life and bears full responsibility for it.
Together with the concept of "personality" in psychology, such concepts as "individual" and "individuality" are used.
Individual- this is an individual person, considered as a unique combination of his innate and acquired qualities.
Individuality- a set of unique traits and features that distinguish one individual from all others; uniqueness of personality and human psyche.
In order for anyone who is interested in the human personality as a psychological phenomenon to have the most objective idea of it, it is necessary to highlight the key elements that make up the personality, in other words, talk about its structure.
Personality structure
The structure of a personality is the connection and interaction of its various components: abilities, volitional qualities, character, emotions, etc. These components are its properties and differences and are called "features". There are quite a lot of these features, and in order to structure them there is a division into levels:
- The lowest level of personality- this is the sexual properties of the psyche, age, congenital.
- The second level of personality- these are individual manifestations of thinking, memory, abilities, sensations, perception, which depend both on innate factors and on their development.
- The third level of personality- this is an individual experience, which contains the acquired knowledge, habits, skills, abilities. This level is formed in the process of life and has a social character.
- The highest level of personality- this is its orientation, which includes interests, desires, inclinations, inclinations, beliefs, views, ideals, worldviews, self-esteem, character traits. This level is the most socially conditioned and formed under the influence of upbringing, and also more fully reflects the ideology of the society in which the person is located.
Why are these levels important and why should they be distinguished from each other? At least in order to be able to objectively characterize any person (including yourself) as a person, to understand what level you are considering.
The difference between people is very multifaceted, because at each level there are differences in interests and beliefs, knowledge and experience, abilities and skills, character and temperament. It is for these reasons that it can be quite difficult to understand another person, to avoid contradictions and even conflicts. In order to understand yourself and those around you, you need to have a certain baggage of psychological knowledge, and combine it with awareness and observation. And in this very specific issue, knowledge of the key personality traits and their differences plays an important role.
Key personality traits
In psychology, personality traits are commonly understood as stable mental phenomena that have a significant impact on a person's activities and characterize him from the socio-psychological side. In other words, this is how a person manifests himself in his activities and in his relationships with others. The structure of these phenomena includes abilities, temperament, character, will, emotions, motivation. Below we will consider each of them separately.
Capabilities
Understanding why the different people Being in the same living conditions, the output is different, we are often guided by the concept of "ability", assuming that they influence what a person achieves. We use the same term to find out why some people learn something faster than others, and so on.
The concept of " capabilities' can be interpreted in different ways. Firstly, it is a set of mental processes and states, often called the properties of the soul. Secondly, it is a high level of development of general and special skills, abilities and knowledge that ensure the effective performance of various functions by a person. And, thirdly, abilities are everything that cannot be reduced to knowledge, skills and abilities, but with the help of which their acquisition, use and consolidation can be explained.
A person has a huge number of different abilities that can be divided into several categories.
Elemental and compound abilities
- Elementary (simple) abilities- these are abilities associated with the functions of the sense organs and the simplest movements (the ability to distinguish smells, sounds, colors). They are present in a person from birth and during life they can be improved.
- Complex abilities- these are abilities in various activities related to human culture. For example, musical (composing music), artistic (the ability to draw), mathematical (the ability to easily solve complex mathematical problems). Such abilities are called socially determined, because. they are not congenital.
General and special abilities
- General abilities- these are the abilities that all people have, but developed by everyone to varying degrees (general motor, mental). It is they who determine success and achievements in many activities (sports, learning, teaching).
- Special abilities- these are abilities that are not found in everyone and for which, in most cases, certain inclinations are required (artistic, graphic, literary, acting, musical). Thanks to them, people achieve success in specific activities.
It should be noted that the presence of special abilities in a person can be harmoniously combined with the development of general ones, and vice versa.
Theoretical and practical
- Theoretical ability- these are the abilities that determine the inclination of the individual to abstract-logical thinking, as well as the ability to clearly set and successfully complete theoretical tasks.
- Practical ability- these are abilities that are manifested in the ability to set and perform practical tasks related to specific actions in certain life situations.
Educational and creative
- Teaching ability- these are abilities that determine the success of training, the assimilation of knowledge, skills and abilities.
- Creative skills- these are abilities that determine a person's ability to create objects of spiritual and material culture, as well as influencing the production of new ideas, making discoveries, etc.
Communicative and subject-activity
- Communication skills- these are abilities that include knowledge, skills and abilities related to communication and interaction with other people, interpersonal assessment and perception, establishing contacts, establishing connections, finding common language, disposition towards oneself and the impact on people.
- Subject-activity abilities- these are abilities that determine the interaction of people with inanimate objects.
All types of abilities are complementary, and it is their combination that gives a person the opportunity to develop most fully and harmoniously. Abilities have an impact both on each other and on the success of a person in life, activity and communication.
In addition to the fact that the concept of “ability” is used to characterize a person in psychology, such terms as “genius”, “talent”, “giftedness” are also used, indicating more subtle nuances of the personality of a person.
- giftedness- this is the presence in a person from birth of the makings for better development abilities.
- Talent- these are abilities that are revealed to the fullest extent through the acquisition of skills and experience.
- Genius- this is an unusually high level of development of any abilities.
As we mentioned above, a person's life outcome is very often related to his abilities and their application. And the results of the vast majority of people, unfortunately, leave much to be desired. Many people start looking for solutions to their problems somewhere outside, when the right solution is always inside a person. And you just have to look into yourself. If a person in his daily activities does not do what he has inclinations and predispositions, then the effect of this will be, to put it mildly, unsatisfactory. As one of the options to change things, you can use the exact definition of their abilities.
If, for example, you have an innate ability to lead and manage people, and you work as a goods receiver in a warehouse, then, of course, this occupation will not bring moral, emotional, or financial satisfaction, because you are doing something completely different deed. In this situation, some kind of managerial position is more suitable for you. You can start at least with a job as a middle manager. Innate leadership abilities, when used systematically and developed, will take you to a completely different level. Set aside time in your schedule to identify your inclinations and abilities, study yourself, try to understand what you really want to do and what will bring you pleasure. Based on the results obtained, it will already be possible to draw a conclusion on the topic in which direction it is necessary to move further.
To determine the abilities and inclinations, there are now a huge number of tests and techniques. You can read more about abilities.
An aptitude test will appear here soon.
Along with abilities, as one of the main personality traits, temperament can be distinguished.
Temperament
temperament called a set of properties that characterize the dynamic features of mental processes and states of a person (their occurrence, change, strength, speed, termination), as well as his behavior.
The idea of temperament has its roots in the works of Hippocrates, an ancient Greek philosopher who lived in the 5th century. BC. It was he who defined the different types of temperaments that people use to this day: melancholic, choleric, phlegmatic, sanguine.
Melancholic temperament- this type is characteristic of people of a gloomy mood, with a tense and complex inner life. Such people are distinguished by vulnerability, anxiety, restraint, and also by the fact that they attach great importance to everything that concerns them personally. With minor difficulties, melancholics give up. They have little energy potential and get tired quickly.
choleric temperament- most characteristic of quick-tempered people. People with this type of temperament are not restrained, impatient, hot and impulsive. But they quickly cool down and calm down if they are met. Cholerics are characterized by perseverance and stability of interests and aspirations.
Phlegmatic temperament- These are cold-blooded people who are more prone to staying in a state of inactivity than in a state of active work. Slowly excitable, but cool down for a long time. Phlegmatic people are not resourceful, it is difficult for them to adapt to a new environment, adjust to new way get rid of old habits. But at the same time they are efficient and energetic, patient, possess self-control and endurance.
Sanguine temperament- such people are merry, optimists, comedians and jokers. Full of hope, sociable, easily converge with new people. Sanguine people are distinguished by a quick reaction to external stimuli: they can be easily amused or thrown into anger. Actively take on new beginnings, can work for a long time. They are disciplined, if necessary, can control their reactions and quickly adapt to new conditions.
This is far from full descriptions types of temperament, but containing the most characteristic features for them. Each of them is neither good nor bad in itself, if you do not associate them with requirements and expectations. Any type of temperament can have both its disadvantages and its advantages. You can find out more about human temperament.
Having a good understanding of the influence of the type of temperament on the rate of occurrence of mental processes (perception, thinking, attention) and their intensity, on the pace and rhythm of activity, as well as on its direction, one can easily and effectively use this knowledge in everyday life.
To determine the type of temperament, it is best to use specialized tests compiled by experts in the field of personality studies.
Soon there will be a test to determine the temperament.
Another fundamental property of a person's personality is his character.
Character
character called acquired in certain social conditions, ways of human interaction with the outside world and other people, constituting the type of his life activity.
In the process of communication between people, character is manifested in the manner of behavior, ways of responding to the actions and actions of others. Manners can be delicate and tactful or rude and unceremonious. This is due to the difference in the nature of people. People with the strongest or, conversely, the weakest character always stand out from the rest. People with a strong character, as a rule, are distinguished by perseverance, perseverance, and purposefulness. And weak-willed people are distinguished by weakness of will, unpredictability, randomness of actions. The character includes many features that modern experts divide into three groups: communicative, business, strong-willed.
Communicative traits - are manifested in a person's communication with others (isolation, sociability, responsiveness, anger, goodwill).
Business features - are manifested in everyday work activities (accuracy, conscientiousness, diligence, responsibility, laziness).
Volitional traits are directly related to the will of a person (purposefulness, perseverance, perseverance, lack of will, compliance).
There are also motivational and instrumental character traits.
Motivational traits - prompting a person to action, guiding and supporting his activity.
Instrumental features - give the behavior a certain style.
If you can get a clear idea of the traits and characteristics of your character, this will allow you to understand the motivating force that guides your development and self-realization in life. This knowledge will allow you to determine which of your features are most developed and which need to be improved, as well as to understand through which features of yours you interact with the world and others to a greater extent. A deeper understanding of yourself provides a unique opportunity to see how and why you react the way you do. life situations and events, and what you need to cultivate in yourself so that your lifestyle becomes as productive and useful as possible and you can fully realize yourself. If you know the features of your character, its pros and cons, and begin to improve yourself, you will be able to respond in the best possible way in a given situation, you will know how to respond to harmful or beneficial influences, what to say to another person, responding to his actions and words .
Soon there will be a test to determine the traits of character.
One of the most important personality traits that have the most serious impact on the process of human life and its result is will.
Will
Will- this is the property of a person to make conscious control of his psyche and actions.
Thanks to the will, a person is able to consciously control his own behavior and his mental states and processes. With the help of the will, a person exerts a conscious influence on the world, making the necessary (in his opinion) changes to it.
The main sign of the will is connected with the fact that, in most cases, it is associated with the adoption of reasonable decisions by a person, overcoming obstacles and making efforts to implement the plan. A volitional decision is made by an individual in the conditions of oppositely directed needs, drives and motives that are opposed to each other and have approximately the same motive force, due to which a person always needs to choose one of two / several.
Will always implies self-restraint: acting in one way or another to achieve certain goals and results, realizing certain needs, a person acting on his own will must always deprive himself of something else, which, perhaps, he sees as more attractive and desirable. Another sign of the participation of the will in human behavior is the presence of a specific plan of action.
An important feature of volitional effort is the absence of emotional satisfaction, but the presence of moral satisfaction arising from the implementation of the plan (but not in the process of implementation). Very often, volitional efforts are directed not to overcome circumstances, but to "defeat" oneself, despite one's natural desires.
Mainly, the will is what helps a person to overcome life's difficulties and obstacles on the way; what helps to achieve new results and develop. As one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, Carlos Castaneda, said: “The will is what makes you win when your mind tells you that you are defeated.” It can be said that the stronger the willpower of a person, the stronger the person himself (of course, not physical, but internal strength is meant). The main practice for the development of willpower is its training and hardening. You can start developing your willpower with quite simple things.
For example, make it a rule to notice those things, the postponement of which devastates you, "sucks energy" and the implementation of which, on the contrary, invigorates, charges and has a positive effect. These are the things that you are too lazy to do. For example, tidy up when you don’t feel like it at all, do exercises in the morning, getting up half an hour earlier. An inner voice will tell you that this can be postponed or it is not necessary to do this at all. Don't listen to him. This is the voice of your laziness. Do as you intended - after that you will notice that you feel more energetic and cheerful, more powerful. Or another example: identify your weaknesses (this can be aimless pastime on the Internet, watching TV, lying on the couch, sweets, etc.). Take not the strongest of them and give it up for a week, two, a month. Promise yourself that after the appointed time you will return to your habit again (if you want, of course). And then - the most important thing: take a symbol of this weakness and constantly keep it with you. But do not fall for the provocations of the "old self" and remember the promise. This is the training of your willpower. Over time, you will see that you have become stronger and will be able to move on to the rejection of stronger weaknesses.
But nothing can compare in terms of the strength of the impact on the human psyche, like another property of his personality - emotions.
Emotions
Emotions can be characterized as special individual experiences that have a pleasant or unpleasant mental coloring, and are associated with the satisfaction of vital needs.
The main types of emotions are:
Mood - it reflects the general state of a person at a certain moment
The simplest emotions are experiences that are associated with the satisfaction of organic needs.
Affects are violent, short-lived emotions that are especially manifested externally (gestures, facial expressions)
Feelings are a spectrum of experiences associated with certain objects.
Passion is a pronounced feeling that (in most cases) cannot be controlled.
Stress is a combination of emotions and physical condition organism
Emotions, especially feelings, affects and passions, are an invariable part of a person's personality. All people (personalities) are emotionally very different. For example, according to emotional excitability, the duration of emotional experiences, the predominance of negative or positive emotions. But the main sign of difference is the intensity of the experienced emotions and their direction.
Emotions have characteristic feature have a significant impact on human life. Under the influence of certain emotions at one time or another, a person can make decisions, say something, and perform actions. As a rule, emotions are a short-lived phenomenon. But what a person sometimes does under the influence of emotions does not always give nice results. And since Since our lesson is devoted to how to improve your life, then we should talk about ways to have a favorable impact on it.
It is important to learn to control your emotions and not succumb to them. First of all, you need to remember that an emotion, whatever it may be (positive or negative), is just an emotion, and it will soon pass. Therefore, if in any negative situation you feel that negative emotions begin to prevail in you, remember this and restrain them - this will allow you not to do or say something that you may later regret. If, due to some outstanding positive events in life, you experience a surge of joyful emotions, then also remember this - this practice will allow you to avoid unnecessary energy costs.
Surely, you are familiar with the situation when, after some time after a moment of stormy joy or delight, you feel some kind of inner devastation. Emotions are always an expense of personal energy. No wonder the ancient Jewish king Salomon had a ring on his finger with the inscription: "This too shall pass." Always in moments of joy or sadness, he turned his ring and read this inscription to himself in order to remember the short duration of emotional experiences.
Knowing what emotions are and the ability to manage them are very important aspects in the development of a person and life in general. Learn to manage your emotions, and you will know yourself to the fullest. Such things as self-observation and self-control, as well as various spiritual practices (meditation, yoga, etc.) allow mastering this skill. You can find information about them on the Internet. And you can learn more about what emotions are in our acting training.
But, despite the importance of all the personality traits discussed above, perhaps the dominant role is occupied by another of its properties - motivation, since it affects the desire to learn more about yourself and immerse yourself in the psychology of the individual, on interest in something new, hitherto unknown, even if you are reading this lesson.
Motivation
In general, in human behavior, there are two complementary sides - it is motivating and regulatory. The incentive side ensures the activation of behavior and its direction, and the regulatory side is responsible for how the behavior develops in specific conditions.
Motivation is closely related to such phenomena as motives, intentions, motives, needs, etc. In the narrowest sense, motivation can be defined as a set of causes that explain human behavior. At the heart of this concept is the term "motive".
motive- this is any internal physiological or psychological urge that is responsible for the activity and purposefulness of behavior. Motives are conscious and unconscious, imaginary and really acting, meaning-forming and motivating.
The following factors influence a person's motivation:
A need is a state of a person's need for anything necessary for a normal existence, as well as mental and physical development.
An incentive is any internal or external factor that, together with a motive, controls behavior and directs it to achieve a specific goal.
Intention is a thoughtful and conscious decision that is consistent with the desire to do something.
Motivation is not fully conscious and indefinite (perhaps) a person's desire for something.
It is motivation that is the "fuel" of a person. Just as a car needs gasoline to keep going, so a person needs motivation to strive for something, develop, reach new heights. For example, you wanted to learn more about human psychology and personality traits, and this was the motivation for turning to this lesson. But what is a great motivation for one may be absolute zero for another.
Knowledge about motivation, first of all, can be successfully used for yourself: think about what you want to achieve in life, make a list of your life goals. Not just what you would like to have, but exactly what makes your heart beat faster and gets you emotionally excited. Imagine what you want as if you already have it. If you feel that this turns you on, then this is your motivation to act. We all have periods of ups and downs in activity. And it is in moments of recession that you need to remember what you have to move forward for. Set a global goal, divide its achievement into intermediate stages and start acting. Only the person who knows where he is going and takes steps towards it will reach his goal.
Also, knowledge about motivation can be used in communicating with people.
A great example is when you ask a person to fulfill some kind of request (for friendship, for work, etc.). Naturally, in return for a service, a person wants to get something for himself (regrettable as it may seem, but most people have a selfish interest, even if it manifests itself in someone to a greater extent, and in someone to a lesser extent). Determine what a person needs - this will be a kind of hook that can hook him, his motivation. Show the person his benefit. If he sees that, having met you halfway, he will be able to satisfy some essential need for him, then this will be almost a 100% guarantee that your interaction will be successful and effective.
In addition to the above material, it is worth mentioning the process of personality development. After all, everything that we have considered before is closely interconnected with this process, depends on it and at the same time influences it. The topic of personality development is very peculiar and voluminous for describing it as a small part of one lesson, but it is impossible not to mention it. Therefore, we will touch on it only in general terms.
Personal development
Personal development is part of the overall development of man. It is one of the main topics of practical psychology, but it is understood far from being unambiguous. When using the phrase "personal development" scientists mean at least four different topics.
- What are the mechanisms and dynamics of personality development (the process itself is being studied)
- What does a person achieve in the process of his development (results are being studied)
- In what ways and means can parents and society form a personality out of a child (the actions of “educators” are being studied)
- How a person can develop himself as a person (the actions of the person himself are studied)
The topic of personality development has always attracted many researchers and was considered from different angles. For some researchers, the greatest interest in personality development is the influence of socio-cultural characteristics, the ways of this influence and models of education. For others, the focus is on independent development a man of himself as a person.
Personal development can be both a natural process that does not require outside participation, or a conscious, purposeful one. And the results will be significantly different from each other.
In addition to the fact that a person is able to develop himself, he can develop others. For practical psychology, assistance in the development of personality, the development of new methods and innovations in this matter, various trainings, seminars and training programs are most characteristic.
Basic theories of personality research
The main trends in personality research can be identified starting from about the middle of the 20th century. Next, we will consider some of them, and for the most popular (Freud, Jung) we will give examples.
This is a psychodynamic approach to the study of personality. The development of personality was considered by Freud in psychosexual terms, and he proposed a three-component structure of personality:
- Id - "it" - it contains everything inherited and incorporated in the human constitution. Each individual has basic instincts: life, death and sexual, the most important of which is the third.
- Ego - "I" - is a part of the mental apparatus that is in contact with the surrounding reality. The main task at this level is self-preservation and protection.
- Super ego - "over me" - is the so-called judge of the activities and thoughts of the ego. Three functions are performed here: conscience, self-observation and the formation of ideals.
Freud's theory is perhaps the most popular of all theories in psychology. It is widely known because it reveals the deep features and stimuli of human behavior, in particular the strong influence of sexual desire on a person. The main position of psychoanalysis is that human behavior, experience and knowledge are largely determined by internal and irrational drives, and these drives are predominantly unconscious.
One of the methods of Freud's psychological theory, when studied in detail, says that you need to learn how to use your excess energy and sublimate it, i.e. redirect to achieve specific goals. For example, if you note that your child is overly active, then this activity can be directed in the right direction - send the child to the sports section. As another example of sublimation, you can cite the following situation: you were standing in line with the tax office and faced with an impudent, rude and negative person. In the process, he yelled at you, insulted, thereby causing a storm of negative emotions - an excess of energy that needs to be thrown out somewhere. To do this, you can go to the gym or swimming pool. You yourself will not notice how all the anger will go away, and you will again be in a cheerful mood. This, of course, is a very trivial example of sublimation, but the essence of the method can be caught in it.
To learn more about the sublimation method, visit this page.
Knowledge of Freud's theory can also be used in another aspect - the interpretation of dreams. According to Freud, a dream is a reflection of something that is in the soul of a person, which he himself may not even be aware of. Think about what reasons could lead to the fact that you had this or that dream. The first thing that comes to your mind as an answer will make the most sense. And already, based on this, you should interpret your dream as a reaction of your unconscious to external circumstances. You can familiarize yourself with the work of Sigmund Freud "The Interpretation of Dreams".
Apply Freud's knowledge to your personal life: in exploring your relationship with your loved one, you can put into practice the concepts of "transference" and "counter-transference". Transfer is the transfer of feelings and affections of two people to each other. Countertransference is a reverse process. If you understand this topic in more detail, you can find out why certain problems arise in relationships, which makes it possible to resolve them as soon as possible. It has been written about in great detail.
Read more about Sigmund Freud's theory on Wikipedia.
Jung introduced the concept of "I" as the individual's desire for unity and integrity. And in the classification of personality types he put the focus of a person on himself and the object - he divided people into extroverts and introverts. In Jung's analytical psychology, personality is described as the result of the interaction of aspiration for the future and individually innate predisposition. Also, special importance is attached to the movement of the individual along the path of self-realization through balancing and integration. various elements personality.
Jung believed that every person is born with a set of certain personal characteristics and that the external environment does not allow a person to become a person, but reveals the characteristics already embedded in it. He also identified several levels of the unconscious: individual, family, group, national, racial and collective.
According to Jung, there is a certain system of the psyche that a person inherits at birth. It has been developing for hundreds of millennia and makes people experience and realize all life experience in a very specific way. And this concreteness is expressed in what Jung called archetypes that influence the thoughts, feelings and actions of people.
Jung's typology can be applied in practice to determine one's own type of attitude or the types of attitudes of others. If, for example, you notice indecisiveness, isolation, sharpness of reactions, a predominant state of protection from the outside, distrust in yourself / others, this indicates that your attitude / attitude of others is of an introverted type. If you/others are open, easy to contact, gullible, get involved in unfamiliar situations, neglect caution, etc., then the installation belongs to the extraverted type. Knowing your type of attitude (according to Jung) makes it possible to better understand yourself and others, the motives for actions and reactions, and this, in turn, will increase your efficiency in life and build relationships with people most productively.
Jung's analytical method can also be used to analyze one's behavior and the behavior of others. Based on the classification of the conscious and the unconscious, you can learn to identify those motives that guide you and the people around you in your behavior.
Another example: if you notice that your child, upon reaching a certain age, begins to behave hostilely towards you and tries to abstract himself from people and the world around him, then you can say with a high degree of certainty that the process of individuation has begun - the formation of individuality. This usually happens during adolescence. According to Jung, there is a second part of the formation of individuality - when a person "returns" to the world and becomes an integral part of it, without trying to separate himself from the world. The method of observation is excellent for revealing such processes.
Wikipedia.
Personality Theory by William James
He divides personality analysis into 3 parts:
- The Elements of Personality (which are grouped into three levels)
- Feelings and emotions caused by constituent elements (self-esteem)
- Actions caused by constituent elements (self-preservation and self-care).
Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.
Individual psychology of Alfred Adler
Adler introduced the concept of "lifestyle" - it is manifested in the attitudes and behavior of a particular individual and is formed under the influence of society. According to Adler, the personality structure is unified, and the main thing in its development is the desire for superiority. Adler distinguished 4 types of attitudes that accompany lifestyle:
- Control type
- receiving type
- avoidant type
- socially useful type
He also proposed a theory that aims to help people understand themselves and those around them. Adler's ideas were the forerunners of phenomenological and humanistic psychology.
Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.
Psychosynthesis by Roberto Assagioli
Assagioli identified 8 zones (substructures) in the main structure of the mental:
- lower unconscious
- Middle unconscious
- higher unconscious
- Field of consciousness
- Personal "I"
- Higher "I"
- collective unconscious
- Subpersonality (subpersonality)
The meaning of mental development, according to Assagioli, was to increase the unity of the psyche, i.e. in the synthesis of everything in a person: body, psyche, conscious and unconscious.
Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.
Physiological (biological) approach (type theory)
This approach focused on the structure and structure of the body. There are two main works in this direction:
Typology of Ernst Kretschmer
According to her, people with a certain body type have certain mental characteristics. Kretschmer distinguished 4 constitutional types: leptosomatic, picnic, athletic, dysplastic. Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.
Work by William Herbert Sheldon
Sheldon suggested that the shape of the body affects the personality and reflects its features. He singled out 3 body classes: endomorph, ectomorph, mesomorph. Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.
Eduard Spranger's concept of personality
Spranger described 6 psychological types of a person, depending on the forms of knowledge of the world: Theoretical person, Economic person, Aesthetic person, Social person, Political person, Religious person. In accordance with the spiritual values of a person, the individuality of his personality is determined. Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.
The dispositional direction of Gordon Allport
Allport put forward 2 general ideas: the theory of traits and the uniqueness of each person. According to Allport, each person is unique and its uniqueness can be understood by identifying specific personality traits. This scientist introduced the concept of "proprium" - something that is recognized as one's own in the inner world and is a distinctive feature. Proprium directs a person's life in a positive, creative, growth-seeking and developing direction in accordance with human nature. Identity here acts as an internal constancy. Allport also emphasized the indivisibility and integrity of the entire personality structure. Read more.
intrapsychological approach. Theory of Kurt Lewin
Levin suggested that the driving forces for the development of the personality are within itself. The subject of his research was the need and motives of human behavior. He tried to approach the study of personality as a whole and was a supporter of Gestalt psychology. Levin proposed his own approach to understanding personality: in it, the source of the driving forces of human behavior is in the interaction of a person and a situation and is determined by his attitude towards it. This theory is called dynamic or typological. Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.
Phenomenological and humanistic theories
The main causal means of personality here is faith in a positive beginning in every person, his subjective experiences and the desire to realize his potential. The main proponents of these theories were:
Abraham Harold Maslow: his key idea was the human need for self-actualization.
Existentialist direction of Viktor Frankl
Frankl was convinced that the key points in the development of the individual are freedom, responsibility and the meaning of life. Read more about this theory on Wikipedia.
Each of the theories existing today has its own uniqueness, significance and value. And each of the researchers identified and clarified the most important aspects of a person's personality and each of them is right in his field.
For the most complete acquaintance with the issues and theories of personality psychology, you can use the following books and textbooks.
- Abulkhanova-Slavskaya K.A. Development of personality in the process of life // Psychology of formation and development of personality. Moscow: Nauka, 1981.
- Abulkhanova K.A., Berezina T.N. Personal time and life time. St. Petersburg: Aletheya, 2001.
- Ananiev B.G. Man as an object of knowledge // Selected psychological works. In 2 volumes. M., 1980.
- Wittels F. Z. Freud. His personality, teaching and school. L., 1991.
- Gippenreiter Yu.B. Introduction to general psychology. M., 1996.
- Enikeev M.I. Fundamentals of general and legal psychology. - M., 1997.
- Crane W. Secrets of Personality Formation. St. Petersburg: Prime-Eurosign, 2002.
- Leontiev A.N. Activity. Consciousness. Personality. M., 1975.
- Leontiev A.N. Problems of the development of the psyche. M., 1980.
- Maslow A. Self-actualization // Personality Psychology. Texts. M.: MGU, 1982.
- Nemov R.S. General psychology. - ed. Peter, 2007.
- Pervin L., John O. Psychology of personality. Theory and research. M., 2000.
- Petrovsky A.V., Yaroshevsky M.G. Psychology. - M., 2000.
- Rusalov V.M. Biological basis of individual psychological differences. M., 1979.
- Rusalov V.M. Natural prerequisites and individual psychophysiological features of the personality // Personality psychology in the works of domestic psychologists. SPb., Peter, 2000.
- Rubinshtein S.L. Basics general psychology. 2nd ed. M., 1946.
- Rubinshtein S.L. Being and consciousness. M., 1957.
- Rubinshtein S.L. Man and the world. Moscow: Nauka, 1997.
- Rubinshtein S.L. Principles and ways of development of psychology. M., Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1959.
- Rubinshtein S.L. Fundamentals of General Psychology. M., 1946.
- Sokolova E.E. Thirteen Dialogues on Psychology. M.: Meaning, 1995.
- Stolyarenko L.D. Psychology. - Rostov-on-Don, 2004.
- Tome H. Kehele H. Modern psychoanalysis. In 2 volumes. Moscow: Progress, 1996.
- Tyson F., Tyson R. Psychoanalytic theories of development. Yekaterinburg: Business book, 1998.
- Freud Z. Introduction to psychoanalysis: Lectures. Moscow: Nauka, 1989.
- Khjell L., Ziegler D. Personality Theories. SPb., Peter, 1997.
- Hall K., Lindsay G. Personality Theories. M., 1997.
- Khjell L., Ziegler D. Personality Theories. St. Petersburg: Peter, 1997.
- Experimental psychology. / Ed. P. Fress, J. Piaget. Issue. 5. M.: Progress, 1975.
- Jung K. Soul and Myth. six archetypes. M.; Kyiv: CJSC Perfection - "Port-Royal", 1997.
- Jung K. Psychology of the unconscious. M.: Kanon, 1994.
- Jung K. Tavistock Lectures. M., 1998.
- Yaroshevsky M.G. Psychology in the XX century. M., 1974.
Test your knowledge
If you want to test your knowledge on the topic of this lesson, you can take a short test consisting of several questions. Only 1 option can be correct for each question. After you select one of the options, the system automatically moves on to the next question. The points you receive are affected by the correctness of your answers and the time spent on passing. Please note that the questions are different each time, and the options are shuffled.
To the question "Who am I?" each of us, most likely, will answer: "a person, a full member of society, a personality", therefore it is not surprising that many people are interested in learning more about what elements make up a personality, without which features and properties an individual cannot take place as a full-fledged personality in the socio-cultural society, how the process of personality formation takes place. Personality is a basic concept in psychology; without a detailed study of its structure and mechanisms of formation, further psychological and sociological research is impossible.
Psychologists define personality as a stable structure of socially significant features that characterize a person as a member of a particular society. Based on the definition, we can conclude that the process of becoming an individual as a person is impossible in isolation from society, and all personality traits and substructures are formed and developed under the influence of society. The structure of personality in psychology has been carefully studied and described by world-famous specialists, and despite the fact that some well-known sociologists, psychologists and psychiatrists disagree about the basic properties and characteristics of personality, there are several generally accepted divisions and classifications of structure elements.
Psychological structure of personality
All personality substructures are inherent in every person living in a socio-cultural society, but in different individuals they are at different levels of development. One of the main tasks that psychologists set themselves when studying the constituent structures is to determine the mechanisms of development, the correction of one or another substructure. One of the most complete and detailed descriptions of the personality structure in psychology includes 10 substructures, the main of which are worldview, experience, orientation, character. Let's consider all substructures in more detail.
worldview
Perception of the world is a subjective perception by an individual of the surrounding world, of all ongoing events, and a designation of one's place in the world. As a rule, perception of the world is the result of passing the information received through the prism of one's own experience and evaluating the outside world according to internal criteria. Psychologists consider the formation of the "I-concept" - the definition of oneself in the external world and in its individual manifestations - to be the most important component of this element of the structure. The worldview can be pessimistic, optimistic, realistic, mystical, atheistic, idealistic, male, female, childish, but it is impossible to unambiguously classify the worldview of people according to any criteria - each person sees and perceives the reality around him in his own way.
An experience
Experience is the most important component of the personality structure in psychology, which is a set of habits, skills, knowledge and skills accumulated in the process of life and development, as well as acquired during a stay in society. In the process of accumulating experience, a certain lifestyle is formed. As a rule, the worldview, horizons, breadth of a person’s thinking and the certainty of the personality’s orientation depend on the amount of accumulated experience.
Orientation
The orientation of the personality is the values, aspirations, guidelines of a person. Realization of oneself in professional activity, search for a place in life, embodiment of dreams and desires, observance of certain moral and ethical rules and norms - all these are the orientations of the individual. According to such criteria as the ability of a person to set goals for himself independently and without outside assistance, according to the breadth, stability, effectiveness of the orientation of the individual and the degree of influence of society on the formation of his aspirations, the general level of personality development is determined.
Character
Psychologists also call character a psychotype - a set of stable features of a person's behavior under certain circumstances and his reactions to any situations. As a rule, under the concept of "character" psychologists mean the most typical personality traits, manifested in the form of a subjective response to objective circumstances; very often the character is described with one keyword - explosive or calm, decisive or suspicious, impulsive or reasonable, etc.
Temperament
Temperament is a combination of stable personality traits associated with the dynamic aspects of activity and determining the type of higher nervous activity of a person. Psychologists distinguish four main types of temperament, which are based on the strength and balance of the processes of excitation and inhibition nervous system. The most common classification of temperament types is the allocation of four types: sanguine, phlegmatic, choleric and melancholic.
Capabilities
The main abilities of each person are strong-willed, mental, mental and bodily; also, all people, to one degree or another, have a number of other abilities - musical, mathematical, artistic, etc. Abilities as a component of the structure are one of the most important tools of the individual, because the more developed the abilities, the more the person is integrated into society and the more he can to do something useful for the society and for yourself.
cognitive sphere
The cognitive sphere includes all components of the psyche and mind, aimed at rational knowledge and perception of the world - logical thinking, memory, attention, critical and analytical perception, decision making, etc.
affective sphere
This sphere, in contrast to the cognitive one, consists of processes related to emotions, feelings, needs and motivation. This area includes psychological processes that cannot be explained from a rational point of view - impulsive reactions, emotions, feelings, desires, predispositions, experiences, worries, intuition, hidden motives, subjective impressions, etc.
Conscious and subconscious
The structure of personality in psychology also includes all manifestations of consciousness, subconscious and unconscious psychological processes. Consciousness includes all conscious and mind-controlled processes and mental activity, and the unconscious includes those mental phenomena and processes that occur without conscious control. In the subconscious, psychological processes occur that have a certain logic, but are not amenable to conscious control.
body drawing
Body drawing is a substructure of personality, which includes the structure of the body, facial expressions characteristic of a person, habitual gestures, manner of speaking, gait, etc. Body drawing is defined as a substructure of personality for the reason that many psychologists are of the opinion that there is a connection between the structure body and character. (For more information about the connection of gestures and facial expressions with psychological processes, see the article)
The structure of personality in psychology is an integral system of personal qualities and properties that fully and comprehensively characterizes all the psychological characteristics of an individual. In addition to the elements described above, the personality structure includes many other components - self-esteem, values, willpower, etc. The level of development of a personality determines the strength of the influence of physiological, emotional and cognitive components. In highly developed individuals with a broad worldview, strong will and personality orientation, and developed abilities, as a rule, conscious and cognitive components based on one's own experience take precedence over unconscious manifestations, instincts, emotions and temperament.
The structure of personality in psychology is a complex individual elements, as well as their interaction with each other. Simply put, individual characteristics in the character of a person. It is conditionally possible to single out a structure consisting of several levels: from the lowest to the highest. The lowest level represents the division into primitive features, for example, sexual differentiation, personality, temperament. The next step in the system of levels is considered to be psychological processes, namely, the features of information perception, memory, and so on.
The structure of personality in psychology is considered from the point of view of development at different levels, but the highest one is of greatest interest. It, in turn, includes the attitude of a person in a team of people, his assessment of his own self, hobbies, individual interests and aspirations, moral principles.
In psychology, it includes a certain set of basic concepts and terms. The main one is individuality, that is, the unity of the psychological characteristics of a person inherent specifically to him. The main ones include categories such as activity and emotionality. The first is a unity of psychological features, for example, skills, knowledge, a person. The concept of temperament is very interesting, it implies the reaction of an individual to ongoing events. No wonder they say that a temperamental person reacts quite sharply to any adverse changes in his life. Skills and knowledge are the defining aspects of personality development in society.
Emotionality is characterized by orientation, existing habits, acquired skills, experience and abilities. Orientation is commonly understood as the true values that are truly dear to a person, everything that he aspires to and what he wants to achieve in life. But abilities are a certain set of tools that ensure the achievement of goals. The more abilities a person has, the more chances he has to achieve what he wants. In the process of the life cycle, an individual acquires skills, abilities and knowledge, getting into different situations and circumstances, due to which experience is added every year.
The structure of personality in psychology includes the most important category called world perception, that is, an individual vision of the world. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that a person can consider his destiny on this earth, his life both in a negative way and in a positive way. The perception of the world is greatly influenced by other personalities, for example, age category, gender division, level of development. In addition to all the concepts described above, a person is often unconsciously guided by instinct. It is thanks to instincts that he reacts equally to certain situations, that is, these are the inherent habits of the individual by nature.
And its structure was very interestingly described by Erickson. He argued that a person goes through the main stages or stages throughout his life. The first stage is infancy, during which the child perceives any information at the level of trust or distrust. At the so-called age of play, the baby manifests itself, he performs conscious actions, can be an initiator. At the stage of adolescence, serious changes occur not only at the physical level, but also in the psychology of a teenager. Then comes youth and maturation in an intimate sense, maturity and, finally, old age, which is usually accompanied by the greatest disappointment in life.
The structure of personality in human psychology is considered a topic that can be studied for a long time, but it will not be possible to fully understand it. It should be understood that the consciousness of an individual is a subtle thing, therefore, it requires careful study and a special approach.
In psychological science, the categories man, individual, personality, individuality belong to the basic categories. They are not purely psychological and are studied by all social sciences. Therefore, the question arises about the specifics of the study of these categories by psychology: all mental phenomena are formed and developed in activity and communication, but they do not belong to these processes, but to their subject - public individual, personalities.
The problem of personality also appears as an independent one. The most important theoretical task is to discover the objective foundations of those psychological properties that characterize a person as an individual, as an individuality and as a person. Man is born into the world as a man.
concept human is the widest. This is the accepted classical scientific generalized name special kind living creature - "reasonable man", or homo sapiens. Everything is united in this concept: natural, biochemical, social, medical, etc.
Individual- a category indicating belonging to the human race. This concept expresses the generic affiliation of a person, i.e. every person is an individual. This is an emphasis on singularity (as opposed to a person) and indivisibility (as opposed to a person).
The individual emphasizes the biological in man, but does not exclude the social components inherent in the human race. A person is born as a concrete individual, but, having become a personality, does not cease to be an individual at the same time.
Personality- a person who develops in society and interacts and communicates with other people using language.
This is a person as a member of society, the result of formation, development and socialization. But what has been said does not mean that a person is only a social being, devoid of biological characteristics. In personality psychology, the social and biological exist in unity. To understand what a person is, it is possible only through the study of real social ties and relationships in which a person enters. It was not for nothing that S. L. Rubinshtein said that all psychology is the psychology of personality. At the same time, the category “man” and “personality” are not synonymous. The latter determines the social orientation of a person who becomes a personality, provided that he develops in society (for example, in contrast to “wild children”), interacts with other people (in contrast to those who are deeply ill from birth). Everyone normal person there are several personal manifestations depending on which part of society he is projecting at the moment: family, work, study, friendship. At the same time, the personality is integral and unified, systemic and organized.
In psychology, there are other, narrower interpretations of the understanding of personality, when certain qualities are singled out, supposedly acting as integral attributes for it. Here it is proposed to consider as a person only someone, for example, who is independent, responsible, highly developed. Such criteria are, as a rule, subjective and difficult to prove.
The specificity of the social conditions of life and the way of human activity determines the features of its individual features and properties. All people have certain mental traits, attitudes, customs and feelings, each of us has differences in the cognitive sphere of personality, which will determine our individuality.
- this is a holistic model, a system of qualities and properties that fully characterizes the psychological characteristics of a person (person, individual).
All mental processes are carried out in some personality, but not all act as its distinctive properties. Each of us is in some ways similar to all people, in some ways only to some, in some ways not like anyone else.
In psychology, there are a huge number of models of the psychological structure of the personality, which stem from various theories about the psyche and personality, from different parameters and tasks. In our manual, we use a model of the psychological structure of the personality, based on a combination of two schemes, developed first by S. L. Rubinshtein, and then by K. K. Platonov.
This basic model comes from a person-activity approach. This structure includes six interconnected substructures. They are conventionally singled out only to obtain a certain scheme of a holistic personality.
So, the following psychological components, or substructures, are distinguished in the personality:- and character;
- mental processes and states;
- and makings;
- mental experience of the individual.
Further, these substructures that make up the subject content of personality psychology will be described in the following lectures and decomposed into separate components: processes, qualities, properties, etc.
