Temperament from the point of view of psychology. Common definition of temperament

The problem, which will be discussed in this lecture, has occupied mankind for more than 25 centuries. Interest in it is associated with the evidence of individual differences between people. The psyche of each person is unique. Its uniqueness is connected both with the peculiarities of the biological and physiological structure and development of the organism, and with the unique composition of social ties and contacts. The biological conditioned substructures of personality include, first of all, temperament. When they talk about temperament, they mean many mental differences between people - differences in depth, intensity, stability of emotions, emotional impressionability, pace, energy of actions and other dynamic, individually stable features of mental life, behavior and activity. Nevertheless, temperament remains a largely controversial and unresolved issue today. However, with all the diversity of approaches to the problem, scientists and practitioners recognize that temperament- the biological foundation on which the personality as a social being is formed. Temperament reflects the dynamic aspects of behavior, mainly of an innate nature, therefore, the properties of temperament are the most stable and constant in comparison with other mental characteristics of a person. The most specific feature of temperament is that the various properties of the temperament of a given person are not randomly combined with each other, but are naturally interconnected, forming a certain organization that characterizes 3 temperaments.

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

Before proceeding to the consideration of various types and features of temperament, it should immediately be noted that there are no better and worse temperaments - each of them has its positive aspects, and therefore the main efforts should be directed not at its correction, but at its reasonable use in a specific activity. merits. From time immemorial, man has made attempts to single out and realize the typical features of the mental make-up of various people, trying to reduce all their diversity to a small number of generalized portraits. Such generalized portraits from ancient times were called types of temperaments. Such typologies were practically useful, since they could be used to predict the behavior of people with a certain temperament in specific life situations.

Typologies of temperament

The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (VXVIII century BC) is considered the creator of the doctrine of temperaments. He argued that people differ in the ratio of the 4 main "juices of the body" - blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile - which are part of it. Based on his teachings, the most famous doctor of antiquity after Hippocrates, Claudius Galen (II century BC), developed the first typology of temperaments, which he outlined in the famous treatise “De temperamentum” (Latin “proportionality”, “correct measure”) . According to his teaching the type of temperament depends on the predominance of one of the juices in the body. They were allocated temperaments, which in our time are widely known: sanguine(from lat. sanguis - blood), phlegmatic(from Greek phlegma - phlegm), choleric(from the Greek chole - bile), melancholic(from Greek melas chole - black bile). This fantastic concept has had a huge impact on scientists for many centuries.

A variety of typologies of temperaments arose. Of greatest interest are those in which the properties of temperament, understood as hereditary or innate, were associated with individual differences in physique. These typologies are called constitutional typologies. Among them are the typologies of E. Kretschmer, W. Sheldon and others.

In psychological science, most constitutional concepts have become the object of sharp criticism. The main drawback of such theories is that they underestimate, and sometimes simply openly ignore, the role of the environment and social conditions in shaping the psychological properties of an individual.

In fact, the dependence of the course of mental processes and human behavior on the functioning of the nervous system, which performs a dominant and controlling role in the body, has long been known. The theory of the connection of some general properties of nervous processes with types of temperament was proposed by I. P. Pavlov and was developed in the works of his followers.

IP Pavlov understood the type of the nervous system as innate, relatively weakly subject to changes under the influence of the environment and upbringing. According to IP Pavlov, the properties of the nervous system form the physiological basis of temperament, which is a mental manifestation of the general type of the nervous system. Types of the nervous system, established in animal studies, I. P. Pavlov proposed to extend to humans.

Each person has a very specific type of nervous system, the manifestations of which, i.e. features of temperament, constitute an important aspect of individual psychological differences. Specific manifestations of the type of temperament are diverse. They are not only noticeable in the external manner of behavior, but seem to permeate all aspects of the psyche, significantly manifesting themselves in cognitive activity, the sphere of feelings, motives and actions of a person, as well as in the nature of mental work, speech features, etc.

To compile the psychological characteristics of traditional 4 types, the following main properties of temperament are usually distinguished:

sensitivity is determined by what is the smallest force of external influences necessary for the occurrence of any psychological reaction.

Reactivity characterized by the degree of involuntary reactions to external or internal influences of the same strength (a critical remark, an offensive word, a sharp tone - even a sound).

Activity indicates how intensely (energetically) a person influences the outside world and overcomes obstacles in achieving goals (persistence, focus, concentration).

The ratio of reactivity and activity determines what human activity depends to a greater extent: on random external or internal circumstances (moods, random events) or on goals, intentions, beliefs.

Plasticity and rigidity indicate how easily and flexibly a person adapts to external influences (plasticity) or how inert and bone his behavior is.

Rate of reactions characterizes the speed of various mental reactions and processes, the rate of speech, the dynamics of gestures, the speed of the mind.

extraversion, introversion determines what the reactions and activities of a person mainly depend on - from external impressions that arise at the moment (extrovert), or from images, ideas and thoughts related to the past and future (introvert).

Emotional excitability It is characterized by how weak the impact is necessary for the occurrence of an emotional reaction and with what speed it occurs.

Considering all the listed properties, J. Strelyau gives the following psychological characteristics of the main classical types of temperament:

sanguine

A person with increased reactivity, but at the same time, his activity and reactivity are balanced. He vividly, excitedly responds to everything that attracts his attention, has a lively facial expression and expressive movements. On an insignificant occasion, he laughs out loud, and an insignificant fact can make him very angry. It is easy to guess his mood, attitude to an object or person by his face. He has a high threshold of sensitivity, so he does not notice very weak sounds and light stimuli. Possessing increased activity, and being very energetic and efficient, he actively takes up a new business and can work for a long time without getting tired. Able to quickly concentrate, disciplined, if desired, can restrain the manifestation of his feelings and involuntary reactions. He is characterized by quick movements, flexibility of mind, resourcefulness, a fast pace of speech, a quick inclusion in a new job. High plasticity is manifested in the variability of feelings, moods, interests, aspirations. Sanguine easily converges with new people, quickly gets used to new requirements and environment. Without effort, not only switches from one job to another, but also responds more to external impressions than to subjective images and ideas about the past and future, an extrovert.

Choleric

Like the sanguine person, it is characterized by low sensitivity, high reactivity and activity. But in a choleric person, reactivity clearly prevails over activity, so he is not curbed, unrestrained, impatient, quick-tempered. He is less plastic and more inert than the sanguine. Hence - greater stability of aspirations and interests, greater perseverance, difficulties in switching attention are possible, he is rather an extrovert.

Phlegmatic person

The phlegmatic person has a high activity, significantly prevailing over low reactivity, low sensitivity and emotionality. It is difficult to make him laugh and sad - when they laugh loudly around him, he can remain unperturbed. When in big trouble, he stays calm. Usually he has poor facial expressions, movements are not expressive and slowed down, as well as speech. He is not resourceful, with difficulty switching attention and adapting to a new environment, slowly rebuilding skills and habits. At the same time, he is energetic and efficient. Differs in patience, endurance, self-control. As a rule, he finds it difficult to meet new people, weakly responds to external impressions, an introvert.

Melancholic

A person with high sensitivity and low reactivity. Increased sensitivity with great inertia leads to the fact that an insignificant occasion can cause tears in him, he is overly touchy, painfully sensitive. His facial expressions and movements are inexpressive, his voice is quiet, his movements are poor. Usually he is insecure, timid, the slightest difficulty makes him give up. The melancholic is not energetic and persistent, gets tired easily and is not very efficient. It is characterized by easily distracted and unstable attention, and a slow pace of all mental processes. Most melancholics are introverts.

Temperament and activity

The productivity of a person's work is closely related to the characteristics of his temperament. So, the special mobility (reactivity) of a sanguine person can bring an additional effect if the work requires a change in objects of communication, occupation. A false impression may be created that inert people have no advantages in any kind of activity, but this is not true: it is they who are especially easy to carry out slow and smooth movements. For psychological and pedagogical influence, it is necessary to take into account the possible type of human temperament. R. M. Granovskaya's advice: it is useful to control the activity of a choleric person as often as possible; harshness and incontinence are unacceptable in working with him, since they can cause a negative response. At the same time, any act of his must be exactingly and fairly evaluated. At the same time, negative assessments are necessary only in a very energetic form and as often as necessary to improve the results of his work or study. A sanguine person should be constantly assigned new, if possible, interesting tasks that require concentration and tension from him.

Phlegmatic need to be involved in active activities and interest. It requires systematic attention. It cannot be quickly switched from one task to another. With regard to the melancholic, not only harshness, rudeness, but also simply an elevated tone, irony are unacceptable. About an act committed by a melancholic, it is better to talk with him alone. He requires special attention, you should praise him in time for his successes, determination and will. A negative assessment should be used as carefully as possible, mitigating its negative impact in every possible way. Melancholic- the most sensitive and vulnerable type. You have to be extremely gentle and kind with him.

It can be considered already firmly established that the type of temperament in a person is innate, on which particular properties of his innate organization it depends, has not yet been fully clarified. Congenital features of temperament are manifested in a person in such mental processes that depend on upbringing, social environment and the ability to control their reactions. Therefore, a specific reaction to a situation can be determined both by the influence of the characteristic differences of the nervous system, and be the result of training and professional experience. However, the limits of possible development are determined by the innate properties of the nervous system. Professional selection helps to identify applicants with the most suitable for a given specialty.

Four types of temperament

temperament (lat. Temperamentum- proper ratio of parts) - a stable association of individual personality traits associated with dynamic, rather than meaningful aspects of activity. Temperament is the basis of character development; in general, from a physiological point of view temperament - a type of higher nervous activity of a person.

Temperament - these are individually peculiar properties of the psyche, reflecting the dynamics of a person's mental activity and manifesting themselves regardless of his goals, motives and content. Temperament changes slightly during life, and, in fact, not even temperament changes, but the psyche, and temperament is always stable.

Four temperaments in the form of visual emoticons (phlegmatic, choleric, sanguine, melancholic) are shown in fig. 7.

The magic of numbers in the Mediterranean civilization led to the doctrine of four temperaments, while in the East a five-component "system of the world" developed. The word "temperament" and the Greek word "krasis" (Greek khraots; - "fusion, mixing"), which is equal in meaning to it, were introduced by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. By temperament, he understood both the anatomical and physiological and individual psychological characteristics of a person. Hippocrates, and then Galen, explained temperament, as a feature of behavior, by the predominance of one of the “vital juices” (four elements) in the body:

  • the predominance of yellow bile ("bile, poison") makes a person impulsive, "hot" - choleric;
  • the predominance of lymph ("sputum") makes a person calm and slow - phlegmatic;
  • the predominance of blood ("blood") makes a person mobile and cheerful - sanguine;
  • the predominance of black bile ("black bile") makes a person sad and fearful - melancholic.

Rice. 7. Four temperaments

This system still has a profound influence on literature, art and science.

A truly turning point in the history of the natural science study of temperaments was the teaching of I.P. Pavlov about the types of the nervous system (types of higher nervous activity) common to humans and higher mammals. I.P. Pavlov proved that the physiological basis of temperament is the type of higher nervous activity, determined by the ratio of the main properties of the nervous system: strength, balance and mobility of the processes of excitation and inhibition occurring in the nervous system. The type of the nervous system is determined by the genotype, i.e. hereditary type. I.P. Pavlov identified four clearly defined types of the nervous system, i.e. certain complexes of the basic properties of nervous processes.

The weak type is characterized by the weakness of both excitatory and inhibitory processes - melancholic.

A strong unbalanced type is characterized by a strong irritable process and a relatively strong inhibition process - choleric, "unrestrained" type.

Strong balanced mobile type - sanguine, "live" type.

Strong balanced, but with inert nervous processes - phlegmatic, "calm" type.

Strength - the ability of nerve cells to maintain normal performance with a significant tension in the processes of excitation and inhibition, the ability of the central nervous system to perform certain work without the need to restore its resources. A strong nervous system is able to withstand a large load for a long time and, conversely, a weak nervous system cannot withstand a large and prolonged load. It is believed that people with a stronger nervous system are more resilient and stress-resistant. The strength of the nervous system in terms of excitation is manifested in the fact that it is relatively easy for a person to work in adverse conditions, a short rest is enough for him to restore strength after tiring work, he is able to work intensively, does not get lost in an unusual environment, and is persistent. The inhibitory power of the nervous system is manifested in the ability of a person to restrain his activity, for example, not to talk, to show calmness, self-control, to be restrained and patient.

The balance of nervous processes reflects the ratio, the balance of excitation and inhibition. In this case, balance means the same severity of nervous processes.

The mobility of the nervous system is expressed in the ability to quickly move from one process to another, from one activity to another. Persons with a more mobile nervous system are distinguished by the flexibility of behavior, they quickly adapt to new conditions.

A description of the features of different temperaments can help to understand the features of a person’s temperament, if they are clearly expressed, but people with pronounced features of a certain temperament are not so common, most often people have a mixed temperament in various combinations. Although, of course, the predominance of traits of any type of temperament makes it possible to attribute a person's temperament to one or another type.

Temperament and human abilities

A person with any type of temperament can be capable and incapable - the type of temperament does not affect a person’s abilities, it’s just that some life tasks are easier to solve for a person of one type of temperament, others for another. Depends on the temperament of a person:

  • the speed of occurrence of mental processes (for example, the speed of perception, the speed of thinking, the duration of concentration, etc.);
  • plasticity and stability of mental phenomena, the ease of their change and switching;
  • pace and rhythm of activity;
  • the intensity of mental processes (for example, the strength of emotions, activity of the will):
  • the focus of mental activity on certain objects (extraversion or introversion).

From the point of view of psychologists, four temperaments - just one of the possible systems for assessing psychological characteristics(there are others, for example, "introversion - extraversion"). Descriptions of temperaments are quite different for different psychologists and, apparently, include a fairly large number of factors.

Attempts were made to bring the scientific and experimental base under the theory of temperaments (IP Pavlov, G.Yu. Aizenk, B.M. Teplov, etc.), however, the results obtained by these researchers are only partially compatible with each other. Of interest is the study of T.A. Blumina (1996), in which she made an attempt to compare the theory of temperaments with all known at that time (more than 100) psychological typologies, including in terms of methods for determining these types.

In general, classification by temperament does not meet modern requirements for factor analysis of personality and is currently more interesting from a historical point of view.

Modern science sees in the doctrine of temperaments an echo of the ancient classification of four types of mental response in combination with intuitively noticed types of physiological and biochemical reactions of the individual.

At present, the concept of four temperaments is supported by the concepts of "inhibition" and "excitation" of the nervous system. The ratio of "high" and "low" levels for each of these two independent parameters gives a certain individual characteristic of a person, and, as a result. - a formal definition of each of the four temperaments. On emoticons (see Fig. 7) you can interpret a smile; as the ease of inhibition processes, and frowning eyebrows - as a manifestation of the ease of excitation.

The work of scientists on the human genome creates the conditions for revealing the functions of human genes that determine temperament through hormones (serotonin, melatonin, dopamine) and other biochemical mediators. Biochemistry and genetics make it possible to establish and formalize the psychological phenotypes of people, noticed even by doctors of antiquity.

The original concept of temperament is presented in the books by J. Feldman Level Theory and Human Model (2005) and Philosopher on the Beach (2009). They consider the situation “a person in a stream of tasks of the same type”. It turns out that a person is included in the solution gradually, the number of errors and the time to solve one problem gradually decrease. Then they say that "working capacity is growing" or "warming up is growing." Then comes the maximum (plateau), then the warm-up drops to zero (refusal of the decision, rest). It is believed that for each person such a curve is repeated periodically, this is his individual characteristic. If randomly selected people are placed on the same task flow, their warm-up curves fall into four groups. These four types of warm-up curves correspond exactly to the four temperaments:

  • rapid rise - high and short plateau - rapid decline (choleric);
  • moderately rapid rise - moderately high and short plateau - moderately rapid decline (sanguine);
  • slow rise - low and long plateau - slow decline (phlegmatic);
  • a very slow rise - a high spike in the middle and a return to a low point - and then a slow decline to zero (melancholic).

So, temperament is the most general formal-dynamic characteristic of individual human behavior.

Each of us has a huge number of friends. Some like to complain about life, others serve as an example to follow. They are all completely different, individual personalities. But they also have similar features and characteristics, which are called temperament. Do you know what type of temperament you have and what kind of people you find it easiest to get along with? If not, then we will reveal to you all the details of this issue.

Temperament - its properties and types

Surely many have heard about a person that he is a very temperamental person. But what is behind these words and what characteristics allowed him to give such an assessment? The study of temperament types helped psychologists to conclude that a person’s mental processes proceed in a certain rhythm, feelings can be expressed to varying degrees, and the energy of actions can also be different. Temperament is closely related to the innate characteristics of the higher nervous activity of a person. It is characterized by differences between people in terms of emotionality, impressionability, behavior and any activity. In other words, this is a personality dynamic that is innate, manifests itself in childhood and is not amenable to education. However, it is worth remembering that beliefs, life principles and worldview have nothing to do with temperament.

Psychologists have divided the types of temperament into 4 parts, each of which is a characteristic of a holistic personality, but it is very rare in its pure form. So, the types of human temperament today are divided into choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and melancholic.

  1. Choleric. A person with a similar temperament tends to vividly experience various states and also quickly forget them. This is usually expressed in irascibility and immediately following her quick outgoing. Choleric temperament characterizes its owner as a very mobile and energetic person. In life, choleric people are very passionate natures, whose experiences are always deep, feelings instantly replace each other, and movements are sharp and swift.
  2. Sanguine. It looks like a choleric, but if the first movement is sharp, then sanguine people make them easily and smoothly. People with a similar temperament can be called surfaces. Emotional states, so quickly replacing each other, do not linger in the mind of a sanguine person. Therefore, he quickly forgets grievances and attachments. In general, this is a cheerful person with a very mobile facial expression, who is very impressionable and easily distracted by external stimuli.
  3. Melancholic. Such a temperament can be found in people who have a slow movement of mental processes. Usually a melancholic can be called a person who most often has a sad or gloomy mood, his movements are slow and awkward, he himself is indecisive, withdrawn and not sociable. Such people are very hard going through life's difficulties, keep their feelings deep in their souls and often hesitate in making decisions.
  4. Phlegmatic person. Like a melancholic, such a person is primarily distinguished by slowness in deeds and in his own speech. It is almost impossible to piss him off due to his even and imperturbable character. Before taking any action, the phlegmatic thinks it over for a long time and carefully. Therefore, such people hold fast to their workplace and are strongly called to their work, with difficulty switching to another.

How to find out your temperament type?

Today, determining the type of temperament is a task that even a schoolboy can handle. For some individuals, it is enough just to read the description of each of the species in order to understand which one they belong to. However, professional diagnostics of the type of temperament consists of a combination of various methods and techniques that are aimed at obtaining a complete picture of the psychological characteristics of the individual.

One of the simplest is the method for determining the type of temperament N.N. Obozova. The subject is asked line by line to choose one of the 15 characteristic features of a particular temperament.

Characteristic sign sanguine Phlegmatic person Choleric Melancholic
1 Balanced Behavior well balanced Well balanced Unbalanced Very unbalanced
2 emotional experiences superficial, short term Weak strong, short term deep and long
3 Mood sustainable, cheerful Steady, without great joys and sorrows Unstable with a predominance of vigorous Unstable with a predominance of pessimism
4 Speech Loud, lively, smooth monotonous, happy Loud, harsh, uneven Silent with breath
5 Patience Moderate Very big Weak Very weak
6 Adaptation Excellent slow Good Difficult (isolation)
7 Sociability Moderate low high Low (closed)
8 aggressive behavior Peaceful behavior restraint in behavior Aggressive Hysteria in behavior, indignation and avoidance of difficulties
9 Attitude towards criticism Calm indifferent excited Touchy
10 activity in activity Energetic (business) Behavior of an indefatigable worker Passionate, enthusiastic Uneven, reactive behavior (as a response to the activity of others)
11 Attitude towards new indifferent negative positive An optimistic attitude is replaced by a pessimistic one and vice versa
12 Attitude towards danger Calculating, without much risk Cold-blooded, imperturbable Combat, risky, without much calculation Anxious, confused, depressed
13 Striving for a goal Fast, obstacle avoidance Slow, persistent Strong, with full dedication Now strong, now weak, with avoidance of obstacles
14 Self-esteem Some overestimation of their abilities Real assessment of your abilities Significant overestimation of one's abilities Most often - underestimation of their abilities
15 Suggestibility and suspiciousness small stable Moderate Big
Sum of points

Suppose that in the question "Balance of behavior" the answer "perfectly balanced" is closer to you and the answer "well balanced" is slightly untrue. In this case, the most successful answer is given a score of 2 points, less corresponding to 1 point, and the remaining values ​​​​are equal to zero.

The type of personality that ultimately outperforms the others in points is predominant.

After conducting an independent diagnosis of oneself or one of the persons of interest, one should not forget that knowing how to determine the type of temperament does not guarantee a 100% hit. In nature, temperaments are found in a mixed form, in which one prevails. Thus, even if you are sure that you know a person well, do not forget about the pitfalls of his personality.

Choleric- this is a person whose nervous system is determined by the predominance of excitation over inhibition, as a result of which he reacts very quickly, often thoughtlessly, does not have time to restrain himself, shows impatience, impulsiveness, sharpness of movements, irascibility, unbridledness. The imbalance of his nervous system predetermines the cyclicity in the change of his activity and vivacity: being carried away by some business, he works passionately, with full dedication, but he does not have enough strength for long, and as soon as they are exhausted, he is worked out to the point that everything is unbearable for him.

An irritable state, a bad mood, a breakdown and lethargy appear (“everything falls out of hand”). The alternation of positive cycles of raising mood and energy with negative cycles of decline, depression causes uneven behavior and well-being, increased susceptibility to the appearance of neurotic breakdowns and conflicts with people.

A person with a strong, balanced, mobile nervous system; has a fast reaction rate; his actions are deliberate; he is cheerful, thanks to which he is characterized by a high resistance to the difficulties of life. The mobility of his nervous system determines the variability of feelings, attachments, interests, views, high adaptability to new conditions. This is a sociable person, easily converges with new people, and therefore he has a wide circle of acquaintances, although he is not distinguished by constancy in communication and affection.

He is a productive figure, but only when there are many interesting things to do, that is, with constant excitement, otherwise he becomes boring, lethargic, distracted. In a stressful situation, he shows a "lion's reaction", that is, he actively, deliberately defends himself, fights for the normalization of the situation.

A person with a strong, balanced, but inert nervous system. As a result: reacts slowly; taciturn; emotions appear slowly (it is difficult to anger, cheer);has a high capacity for work, well resists strong and prolonged stimuli, difficulties, but is not able to quickly respond to unexpected new situations. Strongly remembers everything learned; unable to abandon the developed skills and stereotypes, does not like to change habits, routines, work, friends, it is difficult and slow to adapt to new conditions. The mood is stable, even. In case of serious troubles, the phlegmatic person remains outwardly calm.

A person with a weak nervous system, with increased sensitivity to even weak stimuli. If the irritant is strong, then a “breakdown”, “stopper” may occur, confusion, “rabbit stress” will appear, therefore, in stressful situations (exam, competition, danger, etc.), the results of the melancholic’s activities may worsen compared to the calm habitual situation. Hypersensitivity leads to rapid fatigue and a drop in performance (longer rest is required).

An insignificant reason can cause resentment, tears. The mood is very changeable, but usually the melancholic tries to hide, not to show his feelings outwardly, does not talk about his experiences, although he is very inclined to give himself up to experiences, often sad, depressed, insecure, anxious, he may experience neurotic disorders. However, having a high sensitivity of the nervous system, such people often have pronounced artistic and intellectual abilities.

It is difficult to accurately answer what type of temperament this or that adult person has. The type of the nervous system, although determined by heredity, is not absolutely unchanged. With age, as well as under the influence of systematic training, education, life circumstances, nervous processes may weaken or intensify, their switching may accelerate or slow down. For example, among children, choleric and sanguine people predominate (they are energetic, cheerful, easily and strongly excited; crying, after a minute they can be distracted and laugh joyfully, that is, there is a high mobility of nervous processes). Among the elderly, on the contrary, there are many phlegmatic and melancholic people.

Temperament- this is an external manifestation of the type of higher nervous activity of a person, and therefore, as a result of education, self-education, it can be distorted, changed, and the true temperament is “disguised”. Therefore, "pure" types of temperament are rarely found, but nevertheless, a certain tendency always manifests itself in human behavior.

Rice. 2.10. Characteristics of temperament types

The studies of B. M. Teplov and V. D. Nebylitsyn showed that the harmonious picture of the correspondence of the four types of higher nervous activity (according to I. P. Pavlov) to the four temperaments known since antiquity is not as obvious as previously thought. They suggested temporarily refusing to discuss the types of higher nervous activity until its basic properties and the nature of their interrelationship are more fully studied. These scientists showed the partiality of such properties when applying conditioned reflex procedures to various analyzer systems and outlined the search for common characteristics of the nervous system in the amodal regulatory structures of the brain. Particularly important are the conclusions of B. M. Teplov about the absence of direct parallelism between the properties of the nervous system and the characteristics of behavior. According to the psychological characteristics of behavior, one cannot judge the physiological qualities of the nervous system. Its properties do not predetermine any forms of behavior, but form the ground on which some forms are easier to form and others are more difficult. The task is to search for those qualities that determine individual differences in the parameters of general mental activity and emotionality - the main two dimensions of temperament (V. D. Nebylitsyn).

In this way, temperament- this is a characteristic of a person from the side of the dynamic features of his mental activity, that is, the pace, speed, rhythm, intensity of the activity of mental processes and states, the degree of emotionality.

The following features of temperament properties can be distinguished:

  1. conditionality of their properties of the nervous system and constant individual characteristics of the emotional sphere, which include: strength, speed of emotions, emotional excitability;
  2. stability or variability, smoothness or sharpness of change in emotions;
  3. regulation of the dynamics of mental processes and mental activity in general (speed, rate of response).

There are interesting observations about the relationship between skin patterns on the fingers of a person and his nervous system, his temperament. "Comb count" - a quantitative method for analyzing patterns on the skin of the fingers. scallops- this is a visible ribbing of the skin, forming one or another papillary pattern on the extreme phalanx. In the pattern, the number of scallops that are intersected or in contact with a segment of a straight line drawn from the center of the delta (three radii) to the center of the pattern is counted. If the pattern is an arc, then the scallop count is zero.

The total scallop count is determined by summing up all the scallops on the ten fingers of the hand. It is higher in men (from 130 to 150) than in women (from 110 to 135). The predominance of spirals and large loops increases it. In persons with a strong and balanced nervous system, "loops" dominate; strong, but unbalanced - "spirals", and "arcs" are observed in owners of a weak nervous system. Choleric has 50% spirals and the rest are loops. Phlegmatic - all loops. Melancholic - at least one arc, and the more arcs, the weaker the nervous system.

The productivity of a person's work is closely related to the characteristics of his temperament. So, the special mobility of a sanguine person can give an additional effect if the work requires him to frequently switch from one occupation to another, promptness in decision-making, and the monotony, regulation of activities, on the contrary, lead such a person to rapid fatigue. Phlegmatic and melancholic people, on the contrary, in conditions of strict regulation and monotonous work, show greater productivity and resistance to fatigue than choleric and sanguine people.

In behavioral communication, it is possible and necessary to foresee the peculiarities of the reaction of persons with different types of temperament and to respond adequately to them.

We emphasize that temperament determines only dynamic, but not meaningful, characteristics of behavior. One and the same type of temperament can be in both a “great” and a socially insignificant person.

IP Pavlov singled out three more "purely human types" of higher nervous activity:

  • thinking;
  • art;
  • average.

Representatives of the first type (in whom the activity of the second signaling system of the left hemisphere of the brain predominates) are very reasonable, prone to a detailed analysis of life phenomena, to abstract abstract logical thinking. Their feelings are characterized by moderation, restraint and usually break out only after passing through the "filter" of the mind. Such people are usually interested in mathematics, philosophy, they like scientific activities.

People of the artistic type (here the activity of the first signal system of the right hemisphere of the brain predominates) has figurative thinking, it is imprinted by great emotionality, vividness of imagination, immediacy and liveliness of perception of reality. They are primarily interested in art, theater, poetry, music, writing and artistic creativity. They strive for a wide range of communication. These are typical lyricists, and they skeptically regard people of the thinking type as “crackers”.

Most (up to 80%) belong to the "golden mean", the middle type. In their character, a rational or emotional principle slightly predominates, and this depends on upbringing (from early childhood), on life circumstances.

Temperament is another secret door for those who want to know the soul of another person. Character and temperament are instinctive properties of personality, and temperament is primary in relation to character. Temperament is the basis for the development of character, and from the point of view of physiology, it is a type of higher nervous activity of a person.

It expresses the individual psychological characteristics of a person, and also determines the procedural side of the psyche. Sometimes temperament also includes some physiological features on which it depends. Transmitting and receiving cells are combined into nerve circuits or networks. The actual junction points - specific points on the surface of nerve cells where their contact occurs - are called synapses (synapsis; Greek "contact", "connection"), and the process of transmitting information in these places is synoptic transmission.

    For the first time, the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates spoke about temperament as a personality trait.

What characterizes temperament

Temperament characterizes the dynamic features of mental activity, i.e., the speed of reaction, its pace, rhythm, intensity, sharpness, amplitude. And also reflects the emotionality of a person. These are impressionability (susceptibility, sensitivity to influences), speed (the speed with which emotion becomes the motivating force of actions) and emotional lability (the speed with which an emotional state ends, or is replaced by one another). (sensitivity to emotions), reflects the origin, duration, the speed of the onset and cessation of various feelings, sensations and moods. The main emotional states are impressionability, impulsiveness and stability/instability of emotional states.

Impressionability reflects the subject's level of receptivity, impulsiveness, the speed with which emotions affect human behavior, and the speed with which a given emotional state passes or is replaced by another. Temperament - characterized by the dynamics of the course of mental processes, depending on excitation and inhibition. Excitation is the functional activity of nerve cells and the cerebral cortex, inhibition is the attenuation of the activity of the cerebral cortex and nerves. Temperament is an innate quality, and can be corrected by about 25%. Why is this an innate quality? Since parents have a physiological similarity with children, transmitted genetically.

There are various neurons in our body that receive and transmit information. Nerve cells (neurons) perform their functions together, even the work of our brain neurons is to receive signals from some other nerve cells and transmit them to others. Mature neurons, unlike other cells, cannot divide, and the genetically determined products of any neuron must ensure the preservation and change of its functions throughout its life. The nervous system generates electrical impulses that are transmitted. That is, how strong they will be, how quickly they will be transmitted, in what rhythm, how quickly they will go out, etc., depends on our physiology. Therefore, people with a retarded temperament (usually people from its northern regions) and emotions do not feel the full force of their manifestations. And in temperamental people, tet in people with a southern temperament, on the contrary, emotions manifest themselves very well.

    Temperament is a reflection of all the psychological and physiological activities of a person. Sometimes people with a strong bright temperament are said to be full of vitality, or it is also called activity. The vitality can vary from a state of lethargy and inertia to extreme energy and even drive. The motor component of temperament is not just a characteristic, but a means of actualizing the internal dynamic and mental state of the individual. The dynamics of motor activity include: such characteristics of muscle movement as: speed, strength, sharpness, rhythm, and variety. Many of these characteristics apply to speech activity.

It depends on the habitat of the race to which the person belongs, the warmer the country, the more pronounced the temperament. That is why we have a lot of jokes about temperamental Estonians and Englishmen. And fairy tales about temperamental representatives of the African continent. Most of these ideas are exaggerated, but nevertheless, partly true. The northern temperament is not comparable to ours, more southern, and if we consider that even more southern peoples were infused into our blood, then everything becomes clear. There are quite a lot of types of temperament and approaches to them. Consider the main 2.

temperament and fear

Temperament types

Pavlov's classification of temperaments. Strong, unrestrained, inert, weak. Pavlov singled out 4 types of temperament, and classified them depending on: strength, balance, mobility of nervous processes.
1. Strength is the ability of a person to withstand the influence of stimuli from the outside without changing his state
2. Balance - a feature of the ratio of the processes of inhibition and excitation
3.Mobility-shows the ability to quickly (fast or slow) change the processes of excitation and inhibition.

Compliance with Galen's temperament types, and characteristics.
Strong - sanguine. Characteristics of this type of temperament: strength, mobility of processes, extreme balance, a tendency to look for joyful moments everywhere, playing for the audience.
Unrestrained - choleric. Characteristics: strength, mobility, imbalance.
Inert - phlegmatic. Characteristics: strength, poise, inactivity, calmness.
Weak - melancholic. A special feature of this type of temperament is a constant tendency to melancholy, as well as weakness, imbalance, and inactivity.

Types of temperament and their characteristics

Here, presented temperament types, according to Galen's classification and their characteristics. Galen, developed it, based on the classification of temperaments of Hippocrates. Temperament is represented by 4 types, but it must be borne in mind that pure types are found only ideally, that is, in a book, and people rarely approach them in life. There are about ten intermediate types of temperament. But the main ones are: choleric, phlegmatic, sanguine, and melancholic. The name of the temperament types came from the names of the types of liquid in the human body. Sanguine from sangva - blood, phlegmatic - from phlegm - mucus. Choleric - from cholera, red (yellow) bile, melancholic - from melanin - black bile. Many people don't fit pure types, including characteristics from one and the other. The type of temperament is usually determined by the prevailing characteristics.

Melancholic

People with a melancholic type of temperament have a weak nervous system, they are usually introverts (introverts are closed from emotions, communication, their thoughts are directed to the inner world, prefer thinking and imagination to real actions) with a high level of neuroticism (neuroticism is a personality trait characterized by emotional instability, anxiety, low self-esteem, sometimes autonomic disorders). They have a predominance of inhibition over excitation. The melancholic is easily vulnerable, deeply experiences even minor failures, outwardly sluggishly reacts to what is happening. It has an increased sensitivity of the nervous system and a sharp reaction to shades of feelings. His emotional experiences are deep, and are of great duration and stability. Melancholic people are most prone to depression and the imagination of frightening situations, fear of physical pain and social punishment, they are also afraid of conflicts in communication, quarrels, natural disasters. Often they are prone to blues, which is expressed in extreme pessimism, and fear of action.

People of this type of temperament are perfectionists. They are idealists who want everything to be perfect, everything to go on as usual and have its place in life. Their perfectionism is addressed to themselves: constant self-censorship and striving for perfection. To the world and to others: excessive demands on others. If, melancholic, they do not meet their own standards, they criticize themselves, if others do not meet their standards, others, and this happens often, because their standards are too high. Many melancholics dig in order to find out the secret of every little thing. Because "vegetating in ignorance," they can deviate from perfection. They are inquisitive and ask specific questions in order to come to a clearer understanding of everything in the world. They are very stubborn and stubborn, because it is quite difficult to keep such a course in life.

Choleric

Choleric temperaments are distinguished by a strong unbalanced nervous system, a significant predominance of excitation over inhibition, a high degree of extraversion (extraversion is an orientation to the outside world, suggesting sociability, they prefer the social and practical aspects of life, open to emotions) and low neuroticism, most prone to rage. The movements of the choleric are fast and impetuous, in other things, like actions, and the flow of thoughts, and reactions, he is able to devote himself to business and love with all passion, they always go to the end. This type of temperament is unbalanced, prone to violent manifestations of emotions, and sudden mood swings. Cholerics easily overcome difficulties, but they do not restrain themselves well, they easily explode. They are leaders by nature, they are obeyed already in kindergarten. Cholerics have a sense of anxiety. Their fears are often related to everyday life situations, and imaginary fears. Experienced fear in a choleric person contributes to the emergence of anxiety, fearfulness, and caution.

Cholerics are leaders and directors in life. They strive to be in the lead, to be at the top, in control. They want to dominate and often use command imperatives in speech. Cholerics love competition... but hate to lose. They love to argue, but not in order to find out the truth, like melancholic people, but in order to confirm their innocence. People of this type of temperament are quick-tempered, but quick-tempered. They may blame others for their own mistakes in order to save face.

Sanguine (cycloid)

The temperament of a sanguine person is characterized by a strong balanced mobile nervous system, a balanced reaction of excitation and inhibition, as well as a high degree of extraversion and neuroticism, of emotions he is most predisposed to joy. A sanguine person is characterized by such traits as mobility, liveliness, quick response to the events of the world around him, the comparative speed of psychological reactions, and psychological response, he relatively easily experiences failures and troubles, he simply does not get hung up on them. He strives for frequent change of impressions. The sanguine person is resistant to the emotion of fear. But he sometimes manifests elementary obsessions, more often than others they have a fear of heights. The strongest hypochondriacal fear that manifests itself in a sanguine person is the fear of going crazy, they are not even so much afraid of death as of losing a comfortable, habitually mundane healthy and sound spiritual being.

Sanguine loves to be surrounded by other people. The more people the better, it allows them to feel not alone. Loneliness frightens and oppresses them. Sanguine people want to be the center of attention, recognition of compliments and praise. They are talkative, energetic, often joking and laughing.

Phlegmatic person

The phlegmatic temperament is characterized by a strong, inert and balanced nervous system, composure and balance of nervous processes, introversion and low neuroticism. They are distinguished by slowness in everything, in reactions, deeds, actions, they are imperturbable, thorough, restrained, sometimes even too much. Phlegmatic people generally were not prone to violent emotional response. They have a steady desire for more or less constant moods, the external expression of mental states is rather weak. The phlegmatic is characterized by feelings of anxiety and longing. He is not able to quickly and easily get scared, he needs time, once in a new environment, he will be lonely, because he needs time to get used to it. The phlegmatic is not very prone to fear, to be afraid of mostly imaginary actions, but they are afraid of sudden changes, the unknown.

The temperament of these people dictates submission. They are quite easy to lead, they are easy to persuade. They are not confrontational, and try to thin the air when things come to a head.

They are empathetic and keenly aware of the feelings of those around them, and are very careful about the feelings of others. But, they themselves are often used for their own purposes. They are obligatory and indecisive. As a rule, they do not see a leader in themselves, they work better if they are told what to do. They are afraid to make decisions and lead.

Pure and transitional types of temperament

Phlegmatic and melancholy people have a calm (inhibited) temperament. And in choleric and sanguine people, temperament is strongly expressed. Accordingly, fears and other emotions will be felt more strongly. The strongest type of temperament, in relation to the manifestation of emotions, is sanguine, and the weakest is phlegmatic. What types of people are more? Pavlov, said that in the process of evolution, the weak type should have disappeared altogether. But it didn't disappear! On the question of the quantitative ratio of types of temperaments. The most numerous is the sanguine group (44%), the second is the melancholoid group (29%), the third is the choleroid group (14%), and the fourth is the phlegmanoid group (9%). The number of "balanced" in the human population is only 4%. The data from the article are pure and transitional types of temperament.

    Due to the fact that pure types of temperament are rare, there are many transitional types that combine some features in one person.

But you can not say that it is very good. Scientists have noticed that the most powerful and outstanding personalities, as a rule, have a strong character and a pure type of temperament. So, O. V. Suvorov, A. S. Pushkin, I. P. Pavlov approached "pure" choleric people. Famous melancholics: Mozart, Poganini. Sanguine - Yu. A. Gagarin. Many other equally famous people also had pure, or close to pure types. So do not hide your type of temperament and do not remake yourself.

id="leftmenu">

Temperament - a set of typological features of a person, manifested in the dynamics of his psychological processes: in the speed and strength of his reaction, in the emotional tone of his life. Temperament is a manifestation in the human psyche of an innate type of nervous activity. Therefore, the properties of temperament include, first of all, the innate and individually peculiar properties of a person. The word "temperament" in Latin means "proper ratio of parts", the Greek word "krasis" equal in meaning was introduced by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (5-4 centuries BC). By temperament, he understood both the anatomical and physiological and individual psychological characteristics of a person.

Temperament Properties

In some people, mental activity proceeds evenly. Such people outwardly are always calm, balanced and even slow. They rarely laugh, their eyes are always strict and hungry. Getting into difficult situations or funny situations, these people remain outwardly unperturbed. Their facial expressions and gestures do not differ in variety and expressiveness, their speech is calm, their gait is firm. In other people, psychological activity proceeds spasmodically. They are very mobile, restless, noisy. Their speech is impetuous and passionate, their movements are chaotic, their facial expressions are varied and rich. Often such people wave their hands and stomp their feet when talking. They are fussy and impatient. The properties of temperament are those natural properties that determine the dynamic side of a person's mental activity. In other words, the nature of the course of mental activity depends on temperament, namely:


the speed of occurrence of mental processes and their stability (for example, the speed of perception, the speed of the mind, the duration of concentration of attention);


mental rhythm and pace;


the intensity of mental processes (for example, the strength of emotions, activity of the will);


the focus of mental activity on some specific objects (for example, a person’s constant desire for contacts with new people, for new impressions of reality, or a person’s appeal to himself, to his ideas and images).


Also, the dynamics of mental activity depends on motives and mental state. Any person, regardless of the characteristics of his temperament, with interest, works more energetically and faster than without it. For any person, a joyful event causes a rise in mental and physical strength, and misfortune causes their fall. On the contrary, the properties of temperament manifest themselves in the same way in the most diverse types of activity and for the most diverse purposes. For example, if a student is worried before passing a test, shows anxiety before a lesson at school during teaching practice, is in anxious anticipation of a start in sports competitions, this means that high anxiety is a property of his temperament. The properties of temperament are the most stable and constant in comparison with other mental characteristics of a person. Various properties of temperament are naturally interconnected, forming a definite organization, a structure that characterizes the type of temperament.


To compile the psychological characteristics of the traditional 4 types of temperament, the following main properties of temperament are usually distinguished:


Sensitivity is determined by what is the smallest force of external influences necessary for the occurrence of any psychological reaction.


Reactivity is characterized by the degree of involuntary reactions to external or internal influences of the same strength (a critical remark, an offensive word, a sharp tone - even a sound).


Activity indicates how intensely (energetically) a person influences the outside world and overcomes obstacles in achieving goals (persistence, focus, concentration).


The ratio of reactivity and activity determines what human activity depends on to a greater extent: on random external or internal circumstances (moods, random events) or on goals, intentions, beliefs.


Plasticity and rigidity indicate how easily and flexibly a person adapts to external influences (plasticity) or how inert and bone his behavior is.


The rate of reactions characterizes the speed of various mental reactions and processes, the rate of speech, the dynamics of gestures, the speed of the mind. Extraversion, introversion determines what the reactions and activities of a person mainly depend on - from external impressions that arise at the moment (extrovert), or from images, ideas and thoughts related to the past and future (introvert). Emotional excitability is characterized by how weak the impact is necessary for the occurrence of an emotional reaction and at what speed it occurs.

Characteristics and features of the main psychological types of temperament

sanguine

The sanguine person quickly converges with people, is cheerful, easily switches from one type of activity to another, but does not like monotonous work. He easily controls his emotions, quickly gets used to a new environment, actively enters into contacts with people. His speech is loud, fast, distinct and is accompanied by expressive facial expressions and gestures. But this temperament is characterized by a certain duality. If the stimuli change rapidly, novelty and interest of impressions are maintained all the time, a state of active excitement is created in the sanguine person and he manifests himself as an active, active, energetic person.


If the effects are long and monotonous, then they do not support the state of activity, excitement, and the sanguine person loses interest in the matter, he develops indifference, boredom, lethargy. A sanguine person quickly has feelings of joy, grief, affection and ill will, but all these manifestations of his feelings are unstable, do not differ in duration and depth. They quickly arise and can just as quickly disappear or even be replaced by the opposite. The mood of a sanguine person changes quickly, but, as a rule, a good mood prevails.

Choleric

People of this temperament are fast, excessively mobile, unbalanced, excitable, all mental processes proceed quickly and intensively. The predominance of excitation over inhibition, characteristic of this type of nervous activity, is clearly manifested in incontinence, impulsiveness, irascibility, irritability of the choleric. Hence the expressive facial expressions, hurried speech, sharp gestures, unrestrained movements. The feelings of a person of choleric temperament are strong, usually brightly manifested, quickly arise; mood sometimes changes dramatically. The imbalance inherent in choleric is clearly associated in his activities: he gets down to business with an increase and even passion, while showing impulsiveness and speed of movements, works with enthusiasm, overcoming difficulties.


But in a person with a choleric temperament, the supply of nervous energy can be quickly depleted in the process of work, and then a sharp decline in activity can occur: the upsurge and inspiration disappear, the mood drops sharply. In dealing with people, the choleric person allows harshness, irritability, emotional restraint, which often does not give him the opportunity to objectively evaluate the actions of people, and on this basis he creates conflict situations in the team. Excessive straightforwardness, irascibility, harshness, intolerance sometimes make it difficult and unpleasant to stay in a team of such people.

Phlegmatic person

A person of this temperament is slow, calm, unhurried, balanced. In activity shows solidity, thoughtfulness, perseverance. He usually finishes what he starts. All mental processes in the phlegmatic proceed as if slowly. The feelings of a phlegmatic person are outwardly expressed weakly, they are usually inexpressive. The reason for this is the balance and weak mobility of the nervous processes. In relations with people, the phlegmatic is always even, calm, moderately sociable, his mood is stable.


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

Melancholic

Melancholics have slow mental processes, they hardly react to strong stimuli; Prolonged and strong stress causes slow activity in people of this temperament, and then its cessation. In work, melancholic people are usually passive, often of little interest (after all, interest is always associated with strong nervous tension). Feelings and emotional states in people of a melancholic temperament arise slowly, but differ in depth, great strength and duration; melancholic people are easily vulnerable, they can hardly endure insults, grief, although outwardly all these experiences are expressed weakly in them.


Representatives of the melancholic temperament are prone to isolation and loneliness, avoid communication with unfamiliar, new people, are often embarrassed, show great awkwardness in a new environment. Everything new, unusual causes a braking state in melancholics. But in a familiar and calm environment, people with such a temperament feel calm and work very productively. It is easy for melancholic people to develop and improve their inherent depth and stability of feelings, increased susceptibility to external influences.

4 types of temperament

Temperament - these are individually peculiar properties of the psyche, reflecting the dynamics of a person's mental activity and manifesting themselves regardless of his goals, motives and content. Temperament changes slightly during life, and, in fact, not even temperament changes, but the psyche, and temperament is always stable. The magic of numbers in the Mediterranean civilization led to the doctrine of four temperaments, while in the East a five-component "system of the world" developed. The word "temperament" and the Greek word "krasis" (Greek chraots; - "fusion, mixing"), which is equal in meaning to it, was introduced by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates. By temperament, he understood both the anatomical and physiological and individual psychological characteristics of a person. Hippocrates, and then Galen, explained temperament, as a feature of behavior, by the predominance of one of the “vital juices” (four elements) in the body:


the predominance of yellow bile ("bile, poison") makes a person impulsive, "hot" - choleric;

the predominance of lymph ("sputum") makes a person calm and slow - phlegmatic;

the predominance of blood ("blood") makes a person mobile and cheerful - a sanguine person;

the predominance of black bile ("black bile") makes a person sad and fearful - a melancholic.


This system still has a profound influence on literature, art and science.


A truly turning point in the history of the natural science study of temperaments was the teaching of I.P. Pavlov about the types of the nervous system (types of higher nervous activity) common to humans and higher mammals. I.P. Pavlov proved that the physiological basis of temperament is the type of higher nervous activity, determined by the ratio of the main properties of the nervous system: strength, balance and mobility of the processes of excitation and inhibition occurring in the nervous system. The type of the nervous system is determined by the genotype, i.e. hereditary type. I.P. Pavlov identified four clearly defined types of the nervous system, i.e. certain complexes of the basic properties of nervous processes.


The weak type is characterized by the weakness of both excitatory and inhibitory processes - melancholic. A strong unbalanced type is characterized by a strong irritable process and a relatively strong inhibition process - choleric, "unrestrained" type. Strong balanced mobile type - sanguine, "live" type. Strong balanced, but with inert nervous processes - phlegmatic, "calm" type.


Strength - the ability of nerve cells to maintain normal performance with a significant stress on the processes of excitation and inhibition, the ability of the central nervous system to perform certain work without the need to restore its resources. A strong nervous system is able to withstand a large load for a long time and, conversely, a weak nervous system cannot withstand a large and prolonged load. It is believed that people with a stronger nervous system are more resilient and stress-resistant. The strength of the nervous system in terms of excitation is manifested in the fact that it is relatively easy for a person to work in adverse conditions, a short rest is enough for him to restore strength after tiring work, he is able to work intensively, does not get lost in an unusual environment, and is persistent. The inhibitory power of the nervous system is manifested in the ability of a person to restrain his activity, for example, not to talk, to show calmness, self-control, to be restrained and patient.


The balance of nervous processes reflects the ratio, the balance of excitation and inhibition. In this case, balance means the same severity of nervous processes. The mobility of the nervous system is expressed in the ability to quickly move from one process to another, from one activity to another. Persons with a more mobile nervous system are distinguished by the flexibility of behavior, they quickly adapt to new conditions. A description of the features of different temperaments can help to understand the features of a person’s temperament, if they are clearly expressed, but people with pronounced features of a certain temperament are not so common, most often people have a mixed temperament in various combinations. Although, of course, the predominance of traits of any type of temperament makes it possible to attribute a person's temperament to one or another type.