When studying conditioned reflex activity of animals, the well-known physiologist I.P. Pavlov identified four main types of the nervous system. These types differ from each other on the basis of the strength or weakness of the nervous processes, their balance or imbalance (that is, the predominance of one of them over the other), mobility or inertia.
російський фізіолог, творець науки про вищу нервову діяльність і уявлень про процеси регуляції травлення; засновник найбільшої російської фізіологічної школи; лауреат Нобелівської премії в галузі фізіології або медицини у 1904 році «За роботу з фізіології травлення».
Classification of nervous system types developed by I.P. Pavlov, as a result of studying the activity of the brain of animals, mostly coincided with the characteristics of human temperaments given two thousand years ago by the "father of medicine" Hippocrates.
The latter, as is known, described the character of the sanguine, the character of the choleric, the character of the phlegmatic, and the character of the melancholic. Temperament reflects the properties of the nervous system, its power of excitation and inhibition, emotionality and activity of the individual. Unlike character, which is formed throughout human life, temperament is given to us from birth.
So, according to temperament, people are divided into 4 types: choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and melancholic. Despite the fact that in some literature it is said that most often people have a mixed temperament, still only one is always predominant.
It just happens that with age, the traits characteristic of this type soften, this happens in the process of education and character formation.
According to I. P. Pavlov, sanguine people are people with strong, balanced and mobile nervous processes; cholerics also have strong, mobile, but unbalanced nervous processes with a predominance of excitement over inhibition; phlegmatics are characterized by strong, inert nervous processes with a huge predominance of inhibition, and finally, melancholics are people with weak excitation and inhibition processes.
The famous Danish artist Bidstrup depicted temperaments very wittily: he showed the reactions of people of different temperaments to the same life situation: a person is sitting on a bench, and a hat is lying next to him, a man approaches and sits on his headdress.
When the choleric noticed this, he got angry, the phlegmatic both smoked his pipe and continued to smoke, not paying attention to what happened, the melancholic got upset and cried, and the sanguine took everything as a joke and laughed at the situation.
And indeed, one can see a person's temperament most vividly in stressful, non-standard situations!
If you are very attentive to people and observe their behavior for some time, you can easily determine, by a person's reaction to an unexpected stressful situation, his predominant type of temperament. Stress factors
Sanguine is very sociable and will laugh, phlegmatic does not show bright emotions, melancholic shows caution and passivity, and choleric is very impulsive in any extreme situation. Each type of temperament is unique and inimitable. It has both its advantages and disadvantages
Peculiarities of temperament types: choleric character
Representatives of the predominant choleric temperament have a strong but unstable nervous system. The character of a choleric person is considered to be angry and hot-tempered, but this is not so.
It's just that choleric people have an easily excitable nervous system, and all their emotions are stronger and more intense, whether it's anger or joy. But it's also easy how these flare-ups come and go, as their moods are very changeable. Cholerics are characterized by fast, excited speech, expressive facial expressions, and sharp movements.
The choleric character is distinguished by a strong process of excitation and a somewhat less strong process of inhibition; they are mobile in him, and therefore a choleric person can quickly and easily switch from one type of activity to another after rest and quickly get back to work. However, after work, as well as after a conflict, a choleric cannot immediately calm down.
He is easily excited because his strong arousal process is not sufficiently balanced by inhibition. Therefore, the parents of a child with a choleric temperament should build education in order to curb the inhibition process in him. If this was lost at one time, it is necessary to develop the ability to restrain one's reaction to the environment with the help of self-education.
A choleric person, if he is not educated, is difficult in communication. As a person with a strong nervous system, she can find herself in the role of a leader.
Choleric - the manager works energetically, the team managed by him achieves high indicators, but. it is sometimes difficult for his subordinates to go to work - the boss often explodes over small things, pulls employees, does not always follow the simplest rules of courtesy, etc.
An ill-mannered choleric can become a real punishment in the family: he will be rude to children and his wife, parents; he creates commotion, noise, an atmosphere of nervousness around him, suppresses the initiative of other family members.
Peculiarities of temperament types: sanguine character
Sanguines, as well as cholerics, are very emotional, but have a strong and stable nervous system, so it is extremely difficult to remove such people.
A cheerful, optimistic mood prevails in the character of sanguine people, they are sociable and do not like to be alone. The language of the sanguine is fast but clear, the movements are confident and plastic, and the gait is smooth and springy.
Sanguines, who have strong, balanced and mobile nervous processes, are able to work actively and for a long time, quickly switch from one emotional state to another, easily switch from rest to work and vice versa. Sanguines know how to find a way out of difficult situations, are able to set themselves and solve difficult tasks.
Peculiarities of temperament types: phlegmatic character
Phlegmatics have a strong, stable nervous system, but inert nervous processes. The main qualities of a phlegmatic character are slowness, calmness and balance.
Phlegmatics are difficult to rise and take a long time to make decisions, but once they are made, they almost never change them. Despite the fact that the thinking and movements of phlegmatic people are slow, they are very efficient and achieve excellent results in their activities.
A phlegmatic person is a person with strong, but sluggish nervous processes, so he slowly starts something, but always brings things to an end.
Having found himself in the role of a boss, a phlegmatic will lead calmly and systematically. But without appropriate upbringing, a phlegmatic person will be annoyed by many things: for example, the speed with which his colleagues make decisions, the demands of higher organizations for urgent adjustments, revisions, reports, etc.
For a phlegmatic person, the pace required by the circumstances may be overwhelming. At home, a phlegmatic person can upset the most harmless proposal of his wife, which requires a quick change of plans: for example, immediately after coming home from work, go to the cinema or the theater.
In these cases, knowing the peculiarities of the prevailing temperament of the husband, the wife should warn him about her plans in advance. If a phlegmatic person is going to read a newspaper after work, he will be annoyed by the commotion of children, their requests to play or go for a walk with them.
Peculiarities of temperament types: melancholic character
Melancholics have a weak, unstable nervous system, so they are easily excited and quickly tired. People with a predominant melancholic type of temperament are very sensitive and vulnerable. Melancholics tend to worry about little things, get depressed and feel anxious.
Usually, melancholics have good mental abilities, they easily learn new material, but it happens that they also quickly forget it.
Melancholics often get lost in difficult situations and cannot always find a way out of a predicament, are extremely reluctant to make responsible decisions, quickly tire from physical and mental stress, and need longer rest after a day's work.
People with a predominant melancholic type of temperament are more difficult to tolerate various troubles and diseases. Even with a slight injury, they can faint.
The recovery period for melancholics, as a rule, lasts longer than for people with a strong nervous system. The character of a melancholic is characterized by a long adaptation to everything new.
It is difficult for them to adapt to climate changes, new circumstances, and so on. Of course, a person with weak nervous processes needs more orderly living conditions.
Peculiarities of communication between people with different types of temperament
It is difficult for a phlegmatic to communicate with a sanguine. But if both know that their behavior is marked by the peculiarities of innate temperament, they will better adapt to each other's society.
It is easier for a sanguine to communicate with a choleric, but it is very difficult for a phlegmatic and a choleric to get along with each other.
Practice shows that knowing the characteristics of the temperaments of loved ones helps to establish relationships even when the incompatibility of temperaments creates, it would seem, sufficient grounds to talk about psychological incompatibility.