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A set of generalized characteristic features 5 letters scanword. Personality as a set of traits general and individual personality traits allport

Human character traits and their manifestation

03.04.2015

Snezhana Ivanova

Character traits always leave an imprint on a person's behavior, and also affect his actions.

Throughout his life, each person shows his individual characteristics, which are reflected not only in his behavior or the specifics of communication, but also determine the attitude towards activities, himself and other people. All these features, manifested in life, both in scientific use and in everyday life, are called character.

Definition of "character"

In psychology, character is understood as a certain set of human traits that are pronounced and relatively stable. Character traits always leave an imprint on a person's behavior, and also affect his actions.

In psychological dictionaries, you can find a fairly large number of definitions of character, but they all boil down to the fact that character is a set of the most persistent individual psychological characteristics of a person, which always manifest themselves in its activities and social behavior, as well as in the system of relations:

to the team;
to other people;
to work;
to the surrounding reality (to the world);
to yourself.

The term itself character» ( in lane from Greek character - chasing or printing) was introduced by the ancient Greek philosopher and naturalist, a student of Plato and closest friend of Aristotle Theophrastus. And here it is worth paying special attention to the translation of the word - chasing or printing. Indeed, the character seems to emerge as a kind of pattern on a person's personality, thus creating a unique seal that distinguishes its owner from other individuals. Such a design, as well as a coat of arms or an emblem on the personal seal of the medieval nobility, emerges on a certain basis with the help of specific signs and letters. Temperament is the basis for engraving an individual personality, and bright and individual character traits are a unique pattern. .

Character traits as a tool for psychological assessment and understanding of a person

In psychology, character traits are understood as individual, rather complex features that are the most indicative for a person and make it possible to predict with a high degree of probability his behavior in a particular situation. That is, knowing that a particular person has certain traits, one can predict his subsequent actions and possible actions in a particular case. For example, if a person has a pronounced feature of responsiveness, then there is a high probability that at a difficult moment in life he will come to the rescue.

A feature is one of the most important and essential parts of a person, its stable quality and a well-established way of interacting with the surrounding reality. The personality trait crystallizes and reflects its integrity. A person's character trait is a real way to solve many life situations (both activity and communication) and therefore they need to be considered from the point of view of the future. So, character traits are a prediction of the actions and actions of a person, since they are persistent and make a person's behavior predictable and more obvious. Due to the fact that each person is unique, there is a huge variety of unique character traits.

Each person acquires special features of his character throughout his life in society, and it is impossible to consider all individual signs (features) as characterological. Such will be only those who, regardless of the life situation and circumstances, will always manifest themselves in an identical way of behavior and the same attitude in the surrounding reality.

Thus, in order to assess personality psychologists (to characterize it) as an individual, it is necessary to determine not the entire sum of a person’s individual qualities, but to highlight those traits and qualities of character that are distinctive from other people. Despite the fact that these features are individual and different, they must constitute a structural integrity.

Character traits of a person are a priority in the study of his personality, as well as for understanding and predicting his actions, actions and behavior. Indeed, we perceive and understand any kind of human activity as a manifestation of certain traits of his character. But, characterizing a personality as a social being, it is not so much the manifestation of traits in activity that becomes important, but what exactly this activity is aimed at (and also what the human will serves). In this case, one should pay attention to the content side of the character, and more specifically, to those character traits of the personality that make up the general structure as its mental warehouse. They are expressed in: integrity-contradiction, unity-disintegration, static-dynamic, breadth-narrowness, strength-weakness.

List of human traits

human character- this is not only a certain combination of some features (or a random set of them), but the most complex mental formation, which is a certain system. This system consists of many of the most stable qualities of a personality, as well as its properties that are manifested in various systems of human relations (to work, to one's work, to the world around, to things, to oneself and to other people). In these relations, the structural nature of the character, its content and individuality of originality finds its expression. The table below describes the main character traits (their groups) that find their manifestation in various systems of human relations.

Persistent traits (symptom complexes) of character, manifested in personality relationships

In addition to the traits that manifest themselves in the system of relations, psychologists have identified traits of a person's character that can be attributed to the cognitive and emotional-volitional spheres. So character traits are divided into:

cognitive (or intellectual) - curiosity, theoreticality, criticality, resourcefulness, analyticity, thoughtfulness, practicality, flexibility, frivolity;
emotional (sensibility, passion, emotionality, cheerfulness, sentimentality, etc.);
volitional traits (perseverance, determination, independence, etc.);
moral traits (kindness, honesty, justice, humanity, cruelty, responsiveness, patriotism, etc.).

Some psychologists suggest distinguishing between motivational (or productive) and instrumental character traits. Motivational traits are understood as those that drive a person, that is, they encourage him to certain actions and deeds. (they can also be called trait-targets). Instrumental features give a person's activity a peculiar style and individuality. They refer to the very manner and way of performing an activity (they can also be called trait-ways).

Representative of the humanistic trend in psychology Gordon Allport personality traits are grouped into three main categories:

dominant (those that most of all determine all forms of human behavior, his actions and deeds, such as selfishness or kindness);
ordinary (which manifest themselves equally in all spheres of life, for example, parity and humanity);
secondary (they do not have the same influences as dominant or ordinary, for example, it can be diligence or a love of music).

So, the main character traits are manifested in various spheres of mental activity and the system of personality relations. All these relationships are fixed in different ways of action and forms of human behavior that are most familiar to him. Between existing features, certain regular relationships are always established that allow you to create a structural character. She, in turn, helps to predict, according to the character trait of a person already known to us, others who are hidden from us, which makes it possible to predict his subsequent actions and actions.

Any structure, including character, has its own hierarchy. Thus, character traits also have a certain hierarchy, so there are main (leading) and secondary traits that are subordinate to the leading ones. It is possible to predict the actions of a person and his behavior, relying not only on the main features, but also on secondary ones (despite the fact that they are less significant and do not manifest themselves so clearly).

Typical and individual in character

The bearer of character is always a person, and his traits are manifested in activities, relationships, actions, behavior, ways of acting in the family, in a team, at work, among friends, etc. This manifestation always reflects the typical and individual in the character, because they exist in an organic unity (thus, the typical is always the basis for the individual manifestation of character).

What is meant by typical character? A character is called typical if there is a set of essential features that are common to a certain group of people. This set of features reflects the general conditions of life of a particular group. In addition, these traits should be manifested (to a greater or lesser extent) in each representative of this group. The totality of distinctive typical features is a condition for the emergence of a certain.

Typical and individual in character is most clearly expressed in a person's relationship to other people, because interpersonal contacts are always conditioned by certain social conditions of life, the corresponding level of cultural and historical development of society and the formed spiritual world of the person himself. Attitude towards other people is always evaluative and manifests itself in different ways (approval-condemnation, support-misunderstanding) depending on the existing circumstances. This manifestation is expressed depending on the person's assessment of the actions and behavior of others, or rather their positive and negative character traits.

Typical traits of a person's character in terms of their intensity are manifested in each individually. So, for example, individual traits can reveal themselves so strongly and vividly that they become unique in their own way. It is in this case that the typical in character passes into the individual.

Positive character traits and their manifestation

Both typical and individual in character, finds its manifestation in the systems of personality relations. This is due to the presence in the character of a person of certain traits (both positive and negative). So, for example, in relation to work or one's own business, such positive character traits as diligence, discipline and organization are manifested.

As for interpersonal communications and attitudes towards other people, the following are good character traits: honesty, openness, justice, adherence to principles, humanity, etc. All these features allow you to build constructive communication and quickly establish contacts with people around you.

It should be noted that there are a lot of individual character traits. But among them it is necessary to single out, first of all, those that have the greatest influence on the formation of a person’s spirituality and him (it is in this context that the best trait of a person’s character, humanity, finds its manifestation). These traits are even more important in the process of upbringing and development of the younger generation, because the same traits are formed differently depending on situations, the presence of other character traits and the orientation of the personality itself.

Highlighting the good qualities of character, one should not forget about their possible curvature, or the presence of obvious negative traits that a person needs to fight. Only in this case will the harmonious and holistic development of the personality be observed.

Negative character traits and their manifestation

In relation to the behavior, actions and activities of other people, a person always forms traits of a certain character - positive and negative. This happens according to the principle of analogy (that is, identification with what is acceptable) and opposition (with what is included in the list of unacceptable and wrong). Attitude towards oneself can be positive or negative, which primarily depends on the level of development and the ability to adequately evaluate oneself ( that is, from the formed level). A high level of self-consciousness is evidenced by the presence of the following positive features: high demands on oneself, and self-esteem, as well as responsibility. And, on the contrary, such negative character traits as self-confidence, selfishness, immodesty, etc., speak of an insufficient level of development of self-consciousness.

Negative character traits (in principle, as well as positive ones are manifested) in the four main systems of human relations. For example, in the "attitude to work" system, among the negative features are irresponsibility, carelessness and formality. And among the negative features that manifest themselves in interpersonal communication, it is worth highlighting isolation, stinginess, boastfulness and disrespect.

It should be noted that negative character traits, which are manifested in the system of human relations with other people, almost always contribute to the emergence of conflicts, misunderstanding and aggression, which subsequently leads to the emergence of destructive forms of communication. That is why every person who wants to live in harmony with others and with himself should think about cultivating positive traits in his character and getting rid of destructive, negative traits.

Personality types in adulthood, reflecting the leading type of activity and conflict at various stages of psychosexual development, as well as protection, characteristic of these stages.

Oral character: as the leading types of protection are projection(attribution by a person to other people of those traits that he himself possesses), negation(refusal to perceive threatening objects or events in the outside world) and introjection(the process of merging with another person in order to avoid confronting that person's fearful nature or confronting one's own fearful instincts). Among the typical features optimism either pessimism, gullibility or suspicion, admiration or envy and manipulativeness or passivity.

Anal character: leading types of protection are intellectualization(replacing the real, instinctive nature, the reasons for one's desires and actions with fictitious, socially more acceptable ones), reaction formation(replacing your real ones with directly opposite ones), insulation(a break in the normal connections between the cognitive and affective components of desires and impulses to eliminate anxiety) and destruction of the deed(committing such actions or such thoughts that nullify or compensate for previous thoughts and actions that can cause anxiety). Features of this nature - avarice or excessive generosity, constriction or expansiveness, accuracy- uncleanliness and scrupulousness or distraction.

Phallic character: main type of protection crowding out(removal from the consciousness of instinctive desires and actions in order to prevent the experience of anxiety), among the typical features can be identified vanity or self-hatred, elegance or simplicity, chastity or illegibility in communications.

genital character uses as the main protection sublimation(change of the object of the sexual instinct to a more socially acceptable one than the original one, without disturbing or blocking the expression of the instinct), typical features indicate complete socialization, adaptation and efficiency of activity.

Murray's theory

Core personality

core trend

Similar to Freud's position, however, there is the possibility that not all functioning is determined by the desire to avoid conflict between the individual and society.

Kernel Characteristics

Id. Similar to Freud's position, with the addition that not all instincts are selfish and in opposition to social norms.

Ego. Similar to Freud's position, however, there are processes that are not defensive in nature, through which socially acceptable instincts are expressed. These non-defensive ego processes involve cognitive procedures such as rational thinking and accurate perception.

Superego. Similar to Freud's position, with the clarification that the values and taboos contained in it are not necessarily laid down in childhood. In later periods, the superego is influenced by the surrounding people. and even literary works.

Development

Stages of psychosexual development

Similar to Freud's position, with the addition of two more stages, namely:

Claustral(intrauterine period of development): there are no clearly defined erogenous zones, there is a passive dependence on the mother.

urethral(between oral and anal stages): when the urethra is the erogenous zone, and urination itself is the main type of activity.

Periphery of personality

complexes Similar to Freud's ideas about character types with the addition of two types corresponding to the distinguished stages of psychosexual development.

claustral complex. Basic protection - negation, features - passivity and alienation.

urethral complex. The basic defenses are similar to those of the anal character, the traits being competitive and stubborn.

Needs The concept of needs has little to do with other aspects of the theory; a need is defined as an entity that structures perception, apperception, thinking, will and activity in such a way as to transform an unsatisfactory situation in a certain way. A list of 40 needs (eg achievement, power, affiliation) was developed, and several partially overlapping classifications of their functions and characteristics were proposed. Needs are actualized due to real or imagined pressure(environmental forces). The concept of needs is complemented by the concept of an integrat of needs, or a set of stable values and patterns of action; the need integrat is the result of learning and has the function of expressing the need.

Erickson's theory

Core personality

core trend

Similar to Freud's position, however, special emphasis is placed on that aspect of functioning that is not due to the desire to avoid conflict between the individual and society.

Kernel Characteristics

Id. Similar to Freud's position.

Ego. Similar to Freud's position, however, such ego-processes (for example, rational thinking and realistic perception) are postulated that are not related to the conflict between the individual and society. It is believed that the ego is partly innate and has mechanisms like ego instincts.

Superego. Similar to Freud's position.

The most famous representatives of the direction that considers personality as a set of traits:

Gordon Allport (1897-1967), Raymond Cattell (1905-1998), Hans Eysenck (1916-1997)

Description of the phenomenon of personality traits of a person.

The behavior of each person is characterized by characteristic features for him, which we judge on the basis of 3 main criteria:

1. those features that are characteristic of a person - they are pronounced, they do not need to be looked for, they themselves are striking.

2. they are observed in human behavior quite often

3. they are observed in many, very different life situations.

When we discover these characteristic, personal features in a person's behavior, we conclude that a person has such a character. (Polite, decisive, timid, etc.)

Allport, together with H. Odbert, analyzed the English dictionary and found 18 thousand words that characterize a person's personality traits. They are used in various phrases - therefore, these characteristics are much larger than the indicated number.

The concept of "personality traits".

Allport's definition (book - "Becoming a Personality"):

personality trait is a neuropsychological structure that has the ability to make many stimuli functionally equivalent and to initiate and direct equivalent forms of adaptive and expressive behavior.

Firstly,trait is a neuropsychological structure: with this phrase, Allport tries to emphasize that the trait cannot be considered descriptive. characteristics of human behavior. S→R - A trait should not be considered only as an R (response) to a stimulus. And what does it represent?: Tolman's scheme S → O → R - a trait is a real-life intermediate variable (O), which determines the behavior characteristic of each person. At the same time, Allport believes that this is a neuropsychological structure still unknown to scientists, but it exists.

Secondly, A trait, understood as a neuropsychological structure, has the ability to make many stimuli functionally equivalent - this means that due to the presence of a certain trait in a person, he begins to perceive many different stimuli as similar in meaning. All stimuli included in this set become equally capable of activating this trait and inducing behavior characteristic of people with this trait:

Set S 1

incentives

characteristic behavior of a person is observed in a variety of situations.

Allport's example: in the 1950s, this trait was observed very often "fear of communism." This feature can make many stimuli functionally equivalent.

6 incentives: 1. all Russians; 2. Marx's books; 3. Negroes fighting for their rights; 4. university teachers; 5. liberal parties; 6. UN. Due to the existing trait, they can be perceived as functionally equivalent: as sources for the spread of the ideas of communism. Faced with these stimuli, a person may behave in a certain way.

Third, a) a trait can "both initiate and direct equivalent forms of adaptive and expressive (expressive) behavior." Allport gives the trait the ability to "initiate and direct behavior"—the trait can be thought of as a motive for behavior. (Polite person - strives to behave politely.)

B) Trait initiates and directs equivalent forms of behavior. - a trait can initiate and direct not one specific behavior, but many behavioral acts that are similar in meaning to this trait. Equivalent forms of behavior are a set of specific behavioral acts that are similar in meaning to the trait that directs them. The general meaning gives these behavioral acts the features characteristic of a person.

Example: the trait "fear of communism" can initiate forms of behavior - 1. participation in anti-Soviet rallies, 2. negative comments about Marx's books, 3. joining the K-K-Klan, 4. negative comments about university teachers 5. joining ... parties 6. speaking out against the UN.

Concept correlation traits with concepts temperament and character (according to Allport):

Temperament– is considered by Allport in the traditional sense. (as in Nebylitsin, Kreichmer, Sheldon) - formally dynamic characteristics of mental processes and states that are due to the innate anatomical and physiological characteristics of a person.

Personality traits are not reduced to these formally dynamic characteristics of mental processes and states, but are more complex formations. Temperament is a kind of raw material from which personality traits are formed.

These are two completely different realities.

How does the concept of personality trait differ from the concept of character. It is difficult to distinguish between character traits and personality traits, but it is possible. When describing character traits, many authors use value judgments and their specificity is that they contain not an objective description of human behavior, but their subjective assessment.

Example: a teacher who gives all students 5's is characterized as "kind" - which is not an objective description, but a subjective assessment.

Allport refuses to use the term character because a personality trait is an objective characteristic that is completely free from value judgments. "Personality is a character without value."

The main types of personality traits (Allport):

1. Common features- these are those aspects of the personality in relation to which a meaningful comparison can be made among the majority of people belonging to a given culture. ( Meaningful comparison - what are the traits by which it makes sense to compare people with each other - only for those traits that are characteristic of them, but to varying degrees. For example: a tendency to dominate in relationships with other people - for some this feature is completely absent (a tendency to submit) - for someone this feature is hypertrophied and an intermediate position between these poles. So this comparison makes sense. The technique for measuring common features is well developed - questionnaire tests, which consist of a set of questions, according to the results, everyone receives a quantitative assessment of the degree of severity of the trait measured by the test relative to the average statistical norm. The average norm - if you conduct a test on a sufficiently large sample of people, it turns out that the entire set of results obeys the law of normal distribution)