Psychology of Personality

• Personality is the totality of social relations realized in diverse activities ( A.N. Leontiev ).
• Personality - "a living person of flesh and blood" ^[1] , woven into many relationships to the world; the epicenter of "explosive" changes in being ^[2] ; being transforming into ideal form ( S.L. Rubinstein ).
• Personality - the subject of life: active, responsible, with the ability to temporarily regulate life and resolve life contradictions ( K.A. Abulkhanova )
• Personality is a social individual, an object and subject of social relations and the historical process, manifesting itself in communication, in activity, in behavior ( V.A. Gansen ).
• The concept of personality denotes the human individual as a member of society, summarizes the socially significant features integrated in him ( I.S. Kon ).
• Personality is the subject of social behavior and communication ( B.G. Ananyev ).
• Personality - a person as a public individual, a subject of cognition and objective transformation of the world, a rational creature with speech and capable of labor activity ( A.V. Petrovsky ).
• Personality - a person as a carrier of consciousness ( K.K. Platonov ).
• A personality is a set of individual psychological characteristics that forms during life, which determine the attitude that is peculiar for a given person to himself, society and the world around him as a whole ( Yu.V. Shcherbatykh ).
• A personality is a specific person who is a carrier of consciousness, capable of cognition, experience, transformation of the world around him and building certain relationships with this world and with the world of other personalities. (M.N.Sherbakov)
• Personality - 1) a person, as a subject of social relations and conscious activity; 2) the systemic quality of the individual, determined by the inclusion in social relations, which is formed in joint activities and communication (M.V. Gamezo)

The main directions in personality psychology

• Deep psychology of personality
  • Psychoanalysis of Z. Freud
  • Individual Psychology A. Adler
  • Humanist psychoanalysis E. Fromm
  • Psychoanalytic theory of neurotic conflicts C. Horney
  • The analytical theory of personality K. G. Jung
  • Ego-psychoanalysis of E. Erickson
  • Transaction analysis E. Bern
• Humanistic psychology
  • Humanistic personality theory A. Maslow
  • The human-centered approach of C. Rogers
• Existential psychology
  • Dasein analysis of L. Binswanger and M. Boss
  • American School of Existential Psychology - I. Yalom , R. May , J. Buigental .
  • Psychology of the search and implementation of the meaning of life (see logotherapy ) V. Frankla
  • Existential Analysis A. Langle
• Cognitive and socio-cognitive trends in personality psychology
  • Theory of personality constructs by J. Kelly
  • Socio-cognitive theory of personality A. Bandura
  • Socio-cognitive personality theory J. Rotter
• Behavioral Psychology
  • Theory of operant learning B. Skinner
• Dispositional direction in personality theory
  • G. Allport's dispositional personality theory
  • R. Cattell's structural theory of personality traits
• Psychopathology of personality
  • Theory of psychopathology of mental life K. Jaspers
  • Theory of personal accentuations K. Leonhard
  • Pathopsychology of personality B.V. Zeigarnik
  • Clinical Psychology of Personality P.S. Gurevich

Deep Psychology of Personality

The main category of the underlying paradigm of psychology is the category of the unconscious , proposed by Z. Freud at the end of the 19th century. In the broad sense, the unconscious is called the huge layer of mental life of the person, not correlated with the conscious “I” and includes vitality, psychic energy , unconscious physicality, instinctual drives ( libido and mortido ), untapped potentials, repressed desires, forgotten events and experiences.

Z. Freud proposed a structural and topographic model of personality. The structural model consists of components

• I
• It
• Super-I .

The “I” is consolidated in the ontogenesis of the individual from the primary unconscious psychoid ^[3] and represents an instance that more or less belongs to the sphere of the conscious. Thanks to the "I", a person has the ability to conscious relationships with the world, reflection, self-regulation and self-determination. The Super-I appears at the oedipal stage and represents the internalized parental images, namely, in the aspect of the norms and rules of social life. ^[4] . S t.z. It was precisely in the Super-Self that Freud was based on the unconscious idea of ​​the Absolute, that is, the basis of the religiosity of the individual. “It” consists of two instincts - libido and mortido, and represents the fundamental principle of the psychic life of a person and pure energy that nourishes conscious activity. Ideas about the genesis, dynamics, relationships and contradictions of these structural elements form a practice-oriented personality model used in modern practice of psychoanalysis.

The topographic model of personality includes the conscious, preconscious and unconscious. In the conscious are the contents of the individual life that are correlated with the "I". In the preconscious are forgotten, repressed contents that were previously correlated with the "I" and can be either actualized by the effort of the I, or extracted by the method of psychoanalysis. Unlike the realm of the unconscious, these contents are already “known” to the conscious Ego and have verbal-symbolic characteristics. In turn, unconscious contents are trustful - these are pure drives, instincts, potencies, psychic energy.

Another practice-oriented model of Z. Freud is the model of psychosexual periodization of life, which is based on the idea of ​​“libido migration” to various areas of the body in the process of ontogenetic development of the personality. The grounds for periodization are bodily zones of concentration of libidinal energy; main topics of parenting and social interactions of the individual; typical and individual personality traits formed at each stage; the success of the stages or the formation of fixations.

The main methods of orthodox psychoanalysis are the couch method , the method of free associations, the interpretation of dreams, the analysis of resistance, transference and countertransference.

Classical psychoanalysis introduced into the psychology of personality the ideas of unconscious determination of individual life and had a significant impact on the culture of self-knowledge and psychohygiene. In addition, one cannot fail to appreciate the broader view proposed by Z. Freud on the nature of sexuality, as on the primary vital force, the powerful energy of life and creativity, in opposition to the isolation of the function of reproduction of the genus.

C. Jung 's views on the nature of the unconscious essentially differed from the understanding of the unconscious by Z. Freud. According to C. Jung, the unconscious includes the personal and collective unconscious. The personal unconscious contains contents similar to the contents of the preconscious in the theory of Z. Freud. The collective unconscious belongs to specific patterns of perceptions, reactions, relationships, patterns of behavior that have been enshrined in the organic foundations of the psyche with their countless repetitions in the experience of mankind. ^[five]

K. G. Jung called these patterns archetypes and described the main ones: self, person, shadow, anima and animus, mother, father, child, hero, trickster. The archetypal contents of the unconscious constellate in significant situations of individual life, and their influences are, as a rule, unconscious for the individual.

Archetypes have their equivalents in culture, expressed in specific subjects, images and symbols of culture. So, for example, the archetype of the mother is represented in the images of Mary, Gaia , Aphrodite , Medea , Stepmother; archetypal plots of motherhood can be the birth of a child, self-sacrifice, salvation, custody of a child, or exile, destruction of a child’s life.

The idea of ​​using plots and symbols of culture as models for understanding and interpreting the contents of individual life formed the basis of the Jungian method, was developed in modern analytical psychology and became one of the foundations of the cultural paradigm in personality psychology.

Humanistic Psychology

The approach of humanistic psychology in the study of personality is somewhat similar to existential psychology. A person and his existence are recognized as unique, an important point is self-improvement and the responsibility of the individual for his actions. A person’s personality is studied as something integral, and not divided into various parts (emotions, subconscious , behavior, etc.). ^[6]

Existential Psychology

In existential psychology, the emphasis is, firstly, on the uniqueness of the life of each individual person, and secondly, a distinctive feature of the existential approach in psychology is the shift of attention from "essence" to "existence", a process, observation and analysis of the very process of human life is carried out . ^[7]

Cognitive Behavioral Psychology

In the cognitive psychology of personality, the emphasis is placed on various functions of a person’s thinking, its perception, memorization and reproduction of surrounding events and the world as a whole. ^[8] Behavioral concepts supplementing this approach in the study of personality, which emphasize exclusively the actual behavior of a person, his words, actions, and reactions to external stimuli. ^[9]

Personality in Russian Psychology of the 20th Century

The foundations of psychological research in Russian psychology were laid in pre-revolutionary Russia A.F. Lazursky , V.M. Bekhterev and M.Ya. Bassov . Among the works on personality theory in the USSR in psychology, the works of V.S. Merlin , L.S. Vygotsky , A.N. Leontiev , S.L. Rubinstein , K.A. Abulkhanova , A.V. Petrovsky , V.A. Petrovsky , B.A. Sosnovsky , A.G. Kovaleva , V.N. Myasishcheva and K.K. Platonov .

The concept of personality of A. G. Kovalev

A.G. Kovalev raises the question of the integral spiritual appearance of the personality, its origin and structure as a question of the synthesis of complex structures:

• temperament (structure of natural properties),
• orientation (system of needs, interests, ideals),
• abilities (system of intellectual, volitional and emotional properties).

All these structures arise from the interconnectedness of the personality’s mental properties, which characterize a stable, constant level of activity that ensures the individual’s best adaptation to stimuli due to the most adequate reflection of them. In the process of activity, the properties are in a certain way connected with each other in accordance with the requirements of the activity.

The concept of personality of V. N. Myasishchev

V.N. Myasishchev builds the concept of personality, the central element of which is the concept of attitude. The personality relationship is an active, conscious, integral, selective experience-based relationship of the individual with various aspects of reality.

V.N. Myasishchev unity of personality is characterized by: orientation (dominant relationships: to people, to oneself, to objects of the outside world), general level of development (in the process of development, the general level of personality development increases), personality structure and dynamics of neuropsychic reactivity (meaning only the dynamics of higher nervous activity ( GNI ), but also the objective dynamics of living conditions).

From this point of view, the personality structure is only one of the definitions of its unity and integrity, i.e. a more private characteristic of the personality, the integration features of which are associated with motivation, relationships and personality trends.

The concept of personality K.K. Platonov

The concept of the dynamic structure of personality ( K.K. Platonov ). The most common personality structure is the assignment of all its features and traits to one of the four groups that form the 4 main sides of the personality:

1. Socially determined features (orientation - desires, aspirations, ideals, worldview, moral qualities).
2. Personal experience (volume and quality of existing ZUN ( knowledge , skills ) and habits).
3. Individual features of various mental processes (attention, memory).
4. Biologically determined features (temperament, inclinations, instincts, etc.).

1 and 2 are socially determined, 3 and 4 are genetically determined.

All 4 sides of the personality interact closely with each other. However, the dominant influence always remains with the social side of the personality - its worldview, focus, needs, interests, ideals and aesthetic qualities.

The concept of personality of Yu. V. Shcherbatykh

By Yu.V. Shcherbatykh , the concept of personality includes two pairs of dialectically contradictory characteristics, without which it is difficult to understand this term.

1. The personality of any person is a combination of individual and specific characteristics of a person that distinguishes him from other people.
2. At the same time, in each particular society, the personalities of people bear common features that are determined by the historical, national, political or religious characteristics of a particular social community.
3. The personality has a relatively stable structure in which individual personality traits are interconnected into a complex hierarchical system.
4. A person’s personality is not something frozen and unchanging, but develops and changes in the process of individual development and the impact of external circumstances on it.

According to Hansen, the structure of personality includes temperament, orientation, character and ability.

The concept of B. G. Ananyev’s personality

B.G. Ananyev believes that the following characteristics are included in the personality structure:

• a certain complex of correlated properties of an individual (age-gender, neurodynamic, constitutional-biochemical);
• the dynamics of psychophysiological functions and the structure of organic needs, also attributable to individual properties.
• The highest integration of individual properties is presented in temperament and inclinations;
• status and social roles;
• behavior motivation and value orientations;
• structure and dynamics of relations.
• personality is a natural manifestation of being that defines a place for any phenomenon

Modern concepts of personality psychology

In modern traditional psychology, there are two main concepts for determining a person’s personality. The first of them can be called objectivistic , since individual components of a person’s personality — emotions , behavior , needs — are subjected to experimental research , and a person is only an object of influence of any external forces (such a concept is characteristic of behaviorism and cognitive psychology). The second concept of personality psychology can be characterized as subjective , since it declares the original freedom of the person, it is replete with the concepts of "individuality", "responsibility", etc. This concept is mainly characteristic of an existential and humanistic psychological school. ^[ten]

In determining the subject of studying the psychology of personality, one may encounter some difficulties, since personality is a collective concept that includes several manifestations and therefore this science is divided into several disciplines that study various manifestations of personality. The psychology of personality is divided into the psychology of emotions, motivation, will , etc. In general, it can be said that the psychology of personality with all its units studies emotions , feelings, thoughts , self-awareness , GNI , motives, intelligence , social roles and other manifestations of personality. ^[eleven]

1. Observation . This is a method of researching a person, characterized by a non-interference of a specialist in the process and a statement and further analysis of the information collected. A household observation method is distinguished when a simple statement of the facts that occurs in a random and spontaneous manner and a scientific observation method occurs when the information received is subjected to further in-depth analysis. The latter is characteristic of psychoanalysis .
2. An experiment . This is a personality research method in which the researcher actively intervenes in the subject’s activity, creates certain conditions in which he will be in order to further analyze his reactions and behavior . ^[12]
3. The method of conversation. With this method, the subject himself gives an account of his personality manifestations - emotions , feelings, thoughts. In this method, the key role is played by those questions that the researcher asks the subject. Subsequently, the obtained information about the individual is analyzed.
4. Questionnaires. This method is usually used to identify the individual personality traits. Questionnaires are one-dimensional (when one particular trait is studied, for example, the level of aggression) and multidimensional when a whole range of certain traits is studied. Questionnaires include a scale that reflects the individual's propensity for the appearance of certain traits.
5. Projective methods. This is a whole group of personality research methods, in various versions of which the subjects are encouraged to respond to certain stimuli: interpret pictures, describe their emotional state in a particular modulated situation. ^[13]

• Theodore Millon
• Eisenck, Hans Jürgen
• Allport, Gordon
• Psychological types
• Stress analysis

Personality Psychology Textbooks

• Muddy S. Personality Theories: A Comparative Analysis
• Hall K., Lindsay D. Personality Theories
• Starovoitenko EB, Psychology of personality in the paradigm of life relations
• Petrovsky A.V., Yaroshevsky M.G. Fundamentals of Theoretical Psychology
• Shcherbatykh Yu.V. General psychology. Tutorial. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2009
• Rubinstein S.L. Fundamentals of General Psychology

Theories of Personality

• Freud, Z. Introduction to Psychoanalysis Lectures 1-14.
• Jung K.G. The problem of the soul of modern man
• Bern E. Games People Play
• Fromm E. The Art of Loving
• Maslow A. Basic assumptions about human nature
• Erickson E. Eight Ages of Human Life
• Rogers K. A Fully Functioning Man
• Frankl V. Basic concepts of speech therapy
• Langle A. Psychotherapy - a scientific method or spiritual practice?
• May R. Discovery of Being
• Ukolova E. M. The idea of ​​personality in the teachings of Victor Frankl. Diss. Cand. psychological sciences. - M.: 2016.

Personality Psychology Articles

• Petrovsky V.A. General personology: "personality science"

Popular Science Resources in Personality Psychology

• Bern E. Introduction to Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis for the Uninitiated
• Library of Psychology and Self-Development
• Popular Psychology Articles
• Articles on psychology. Relationship psychology
• total from athene's (New in Neurology, Quantum Psychology - Film) ^[1]
• Psychology Articles