What is meant by temperament and character: how are they related to each other, the differences

Temperament and character are the basic concepts of personality psychology. It is these personal characteristics that make it possible to understand the individuality and uniqueness of a person. Representatives of various psychological schools explain the peculiarities of interpersonal interaction and work performance by a person by his type of temperament and characterological traits.

Temperament and character in life

Despite the fact that these components of the psyche are used to explain the characteristics of an individual’s activity and behavior, there is a fundamental difference between them, which is rooted in the emergence of these mental structures.

Temperament and character in psychology

Temperament in the human sciences is understood as a set of characteristics of the course of psychodynamic processes in the body. This characteristic of an individual is innate. Most often, a child’s temperament type is inherited from one of the parents. Genetic laws also explain the presence of mixed types of temperament.

There are 4 types of temperament: melancholic, choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic. The uniqueness of each person is determined by their character.

Character is a combination of an individual’s personal traits that manifest themselves in activities and behavior. Character formation depends on:

Features of family upbringing and living conditions of a person. Severe emotional shock and the loss of loved ones leave an indelible mark on an individual’s behavior.
The reference group and social circle of the individual (especially during adolescence). A person feels the need for recognition from others, therefore he develops those traits that are valued in a company that is attractive to him.
Cognitive activity and level of education of the individual.
Financial security, status position of a person in the production team.

In the process of ontogenesis, character is constantly modified under the influence of external circumstances or targeted efforts of the individual. In order to find out individuality, psychologists advise: separate the properties of temperament and character traits.

Additional Information. People can restrain the manifestation of negative traits due to their character. There are cases when people, through constant work on themselves and self-control, develop certain patterns of response that are not characteristic of their temperament.

Controls your temperament

Conclusions TheDifference.ru

Temperament is innate, character is acquired.
Temperament cannot be changed, you can learn to restrain it, but character can be adjusted under the influence of external factors.
Temperament is divided into generally accepted types, but many scientists tried to classify character, but did not come to a consensus.
Temperament cannot be assessed; we evaluate character traits.

Date of publication: 01/22/2012
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Temperament is a property of a person that characterizes the dynamics of his behavior. Physiologist. The basis of temperament is the properties of the nervous system, which are congenital (partly genetic conditioning, partly intrauterine development). The formation of temperament continues until adolescence. In a mature person, only very severe shocks lead to changes in temperament. Temperament can also be affected by aging, because... it is associated with changes in the properties of the NS. a factor that masks the manifestations of temperament and character (a product of the social development of the person). One of its main functions is to bring temperament into line with those norms accepted in society.

Merlin highlighted the signs. by cat. temperament properties differ from other psi properties:

a) regulation of the dynamics of psi activity;

b) characteristics of the dynamics of psi processes;

c) stable and constant nature of temperament properties;

d) they characterize the type of temperament;

e) due to the general type of NS.

The difference between temperament and character:

1. temperament is determined genotypically, innately; character is formed during life

2. the basis of the properties of the temperament of the Holy Spirit of the National Assembly, and the nature of the personality’s attitude

3. temperament is stable in ontogenesis, but character can change.

4. temperament has a small number of qualities. but each of them manifests itself in any act of behavior, causing the dynamic characteristics of behavior; there are many character traits, each of them manifests itself in a situation associated with a given relationship

5. temperament is directly related to the emotional sphere, and character is directly related to the volitional sphere

6. temperament, unlike character, is not assessed from the point of view of social desirability

7. character manifests itself under the control of the volitional sphere, temperament - automatically

Temperament is the individual personality characteristics of each person. The behavior of each of us from birth and our attitude towards the world around us depends on it. To ensure success in any activity and reduce the likelihood of conflict situations, you need to take into account the peculiarities of the temperaments of the people around you and your own.

Each person has individual psychophysiological properties. They are there from birth and are very stable. The combination of these properties is called temperament, and it is on them that the dynamic characteristics of mental processes and human states depend.

Features of temperament do not in any way affect a person’s cognitive abilities or his moral qualities. But they must be taken into account when choosing an activity - for example, people with slow reactions will not find it easy to operate mechanisms at high speed, but they will ideally cope with work that requires concentration and perseverance.

It is worth noting once again that these properties are precisely psychophysical. This is part of human physiology. Not only a person’s behavior and character, but also his energy, performance, pace and speed of completing tasks, ease of changing forms of activity and general emotional background depend on temperament. These differences can be noticed even in newborns: some children are more active, scream more often, sleep less, while others, even during periods of wakefulness, can lie quietly, looking at toys.

Differences between temperament and character

Temperament	Character
Genetically primary	Lifetime education
Manifests itself in all areas of life	Associated with certain situations
Appears early	Formed later under the influence of upbringing
Associated with the characteristics of the nervous system	Associated with social situations
Amotivated (does not determine attitude towards the world)	Expresses attitude towards the world
Affects the formation of character, since character traits arise when temperament is sufficiently developed	Affects temperament
Shows up more clearly in difficult situations	Appears in typical situations

What's the difference between them

Genetics have established what determines temperament: temperament is an innate personal characteristic, its manifestations are determined by the functioning of the nervous system. The type of temperament is determined by the following criteria:

The speed of mental processes and their intensity;
Level of activity and expressiveness of the individual;
Sociability, contact, openness of a person;
Flexibility of response and adaptability of personality;
Emotional excitability and level of personal anxiety;
Sensitivity, vulnerability.

Destructive character - what does it mean in psychology

A person's character is not given to him at the moment of birth. Its formation occurs with the conscious participation of its owner. It is determined to a greater extent not by psychophysiological characteristics, but by environment and upbringing.

Important! The main difference between the personality constructs under consideration is that character, unlike temperament, cannot be inherited. Everyone can change those traits of their character that they do not like. It is impossible to change the type of nervous activity, but with constant self-control, the negative properties of temperament can be smoothed out.

Definition

Temperament is a set of certain properties of the human psyche that influence his behavior and activities. A person's nervous system is responsible for his temperament. Its sensitivity affects a person’s reaction to events, the pace of activity, concentration, memory, and speed of thinking.

Character is certain qualities of a person that manifest themselves in relation to the world around them. Character is also connected with the human psyche, but if temperament is given to us from birth and cannot be changed, we can only restrain its negative manifestations, then character traits are formed under the influence of external factors. For example, the character of each person is influenced by upbringing, social environment, the person’s environment, profession and even nationality. But one cannot but agree that character is formed on the basis of temperament.

The relationship between character and temperament

Temperament - what is it, description

Character and type of temperament are inextricably linked. Scientists have established what temperament influences: the emergence of certain character traits is determined by the properties of the psyche. In addition, the manifestation of characterological characteristics is also determined by a person’s temperament.

The same behavioral trait can manifest itself differently in representatives of different temperament types. For example, perseverance in a phlegmatic person will take the form of concentration and carefully thinking through options for achieving a goal, while in a choleric person, perseverance will be expressed by motor activity and a thirst for action.

The peculiarities of people’s communication are explained by temperament, but if character traits were not involved in the process of interpersonal interaction, then no one would observe the limits of decency and monitor the culture of their behavior in society. Character is determined by tact, delicacy, and politeness. The above makes it necessary to distinguish between the properties of the nervous system and the result of education.

Character is manifested in the culture of communication

Video

Have you noticed that people react differently to the same event?
Pay attention to how people behave in line. Someone stands calmly and waits, someone nervously runs ahead to see if the line has moved faster, someone is wailing and complaining... “That’s his character,” someone will say. And it won't be entirely right. It is not our character, to which we attribute much, that is responsible for our behavior, but our temperament. These two concepts are often confused, attributing the properties of one to the other. Let's see if they really are that similar. Contents
hide1Definition2Typology3Theories of temperament4Difference between temperament and character

Basic provisions

Based on the relationship between the two main concepts of personality psychology, scientists have identified blocks in the character structure that can be briefly described as follows:

An emotional block characteristic of melancholic and sanguine people. It includes empathy, impulsiveness, and emotional sensitivity.
A volitional block, pronounced in choleric people. It is based on integrity, categorical judgments, and responsibility.
An intellectual block characteristic of phlegmatic people. It includes a penchant for analysis and reasoning, thoughtfulness, intelligence, cognitive interest, and the ability to understand the figurative meaning of statements.

How to change yourself and your character for the better

In addition, character and temperament are reunited in the overall direction of the personality. This is noticeable in a person’s attitude towards himself and others, towards his own and other people’s work, towards works of art. Personal orientation consists of goals and prevailing motives.

Important! The active formation of the basic foundations of character occurs in the period from 2 to 10 years. It is at this time that the child needs to see a positive example in an adult and adopt positive traits from him. Communication is of great importance for the development of character. There will be a huge difference between the character of a child whose family practiced respectful and trusting communication between members, and the character of a child in an orphanage.

During the preschool period, the main role model for a child is his parents. From the moment they enter school, in addition to parents, teachers and classmates influence the formation of children's character. During adulthood, the character of a man or woman is influenced by colleagues and superiors.

Additional Information. It is a common belief that the formation of character is completed in youth, but some of its traits are acquired only in adulthood.

Choleric

People with this type of temperament have a stable nervous system. In them, the processes of excitation greatly predominate over inhibition, so their movements are sharp and impetuous, all their thoughts flow quickly, and their feelings are completely captivating. Cholerics are extroverts, very sociable, open to emotions, but their mood can change too quickly. Usually their experiences are not too deep, so the owners of this temperament cope with difficulties easily. Their main problem is the inability to restrain themselves.

Choleric people are born leaders. They easily captivate people and enjoy it. They love to argue, but not to find the truth, but simply to prove that they are right and again find themselves above everyone else. People with this temperament are quick-tempered and often suffer from bouts of rage, but at the same time they quickly move away and forget the insults. In order to save face, they are able to blame others for their mistakes.

Choleric - positive and negative traits

With the right motivation, a choleric person can be very proactive, inventive, energetic and principled. The lack of upbringing and positive goals in life makes him irritable, prone to affect and loss of self-control.

Melancholic

People with a melancholic temperament have a weak nervous system. Most of them are emotionally unstable introverts. This is often accompanied by autonomic disorders and panic attacks. Inhibition processes prevail over excitation in them.

Melancholic people usually look calm and outwardly react sluggishly to stimuli, but at the same time they react very sharply to any shades of feelings. The emotional experiences of such a person are always very deep and last for a long time. People with this type of temperament often suffer from depression and invent frightening situations for themselves, which leads to depression and blues.

Melancholic - positive and negative traits

Melancholic people are prone to creative activities and often engage in science. Their constant desire for improvement and perseverance in achieving goals, calm nature and non-conflict nature make them excellent employees. But only in small companies, where you don’t have to constantly be in sight and communicate with someone. Conditions that require quick decisions and activity can cause prolonged inhibitory reactions in them. Simply put, such a person will give up and stop any activity.

What does temperament depend on?

As we have already said, temperament is an innate characteristic of a person. It is believed that it is genetically determined, but there is no strong evidence of this today. In addition, it was noted that some factors may influence it.

Climatic conditions . Probably everyone has noticed that southerners more often have an explosive choleric temperament than residents of northern countries.
Lifestyle. Lack of sleep and poor diet, night work and alcohol abuse can make noticeable adjustments.
Age. Gradually, a person's hormonal levels change. For example, a decrease in testosterone levels, which occurs over the years, leads to a decrease in energy, aggressiveness, and weakening leadership qualities.

In addition, there is a theory that temperament may depend on the time of year when a person was born. Researchers have noticed that those born in the summer are more likely to experience rapid mood swings, those born in the spring are more positive, and “winter people” are less irritable, but are prone to depression. Unfortunately, there is no scientific confirmation of this fact, as well as an explanation.

Testosterone deficiency can change a person's temperament

Traits of female and male temperament

Attention! While studying individual differences, psychologists have identified that the properties of the same type of temperament look different in men and women.

Various choleric people

It is known that choleric temperament is characterized by hot temper and emotionality. However, if a conflict occurs between choleric people of different sexes, then, despite the similarity of the nervous system of both participants in the conflict, the woman will be emotional. A man in a squabble will behave relatively calmly, reflecting her verbal attacks. He will follow logic, not emotions.

Phlegmatic people tend to be immersed in their own inner world. It is believed that an individual with this type of temperament prefers to be alone, since communication is tiring for him. But at the same time, 2 phlegmatic men can animatedly discuss one or another scientific concept for a long time. Phlegmatic girls will not be able to feel comfortable in the process of long-term communication with each other. Their dialogue will be diluted with long pauses and awkward silence.

Vulnerability, sensitivity and a tendency to depression are the image of a melancholic person. But melancholic men tend to suffer and complain about their unhappy fate. Women with this type of temperament more often try to help everyone in need, sacrificing their own interests.

Sanguine people tend to have a carefree attitude towards life. A sanguine man often becomes a leader in a company, but in the production sector it is difficult for him to occupy a leadership position (he lacks responsibility and self-organization). Sanguine women often become bosses and successfully manage an enterprise by delegating authority to their deputies.

What are the types?

If character types are quite difficult to identify, then with temperament everything is much simpler. Psychologists have identified 4 main types. Of course, each person is unique; there is no 100% owner of a single classification. Often, a person is endowed with mixed types, where one predominates over the other. The dominant one determines the identity of the individual.

Sanguine

Sanguine. Lightness, ease in everything. A representative of this type is optimistic about the future and takes on a new business without thinking about failures. It’s a pity that with the same ease he abandons his plans and goals, he can switch gears and get carried away by something new. Such people are characterized as irresponsible and fickle. In fact, a sanguine person can be influenced by stirring up interest in what is happening. Then he will bring everything to the end.

Choleric

The most explosive temperament is choleric. He has attacks of aggression. Imbalance and passion often get in the way of making sound decisions. Cholerics are quick-tempered, often not ready for constructive dialogue and criticism. They are overly emotional and gesticulate a lot in conversation to attract attention. Mood swings often occur, from cheerful to depressive.

Melancholic

A melancholic person is radically different from a choleric person. People of this type are reserved, unsociable, and avoid noisy companies and new acquaintances. They analyze for a long time, experience failures, and have low self-esteem. Anxious. The smallest trouble knocks them out of their working rut for a long time.

Phlegmatic person

The main characteristics of a phlegmatic temperament: constancy, endurance, loyalty to principles. Phlegmatic people are prone to laziness and may not show interest in others, while being in a great mood. Do not try to unbalance him - attempts will be in vain. Phlegmatic people are constant, faithful to their ideals to the end.

Is it possible to change temperament

Temperament is inherited. Man cannot change it. But this does not mean that people should resign themselves to genetic nature:

By training self-control and willpower, choleric people can learn to restrain aggression and irritability;
By developing communication skills, phlegmatic people, despite their inherent slowness, can become good interlocutors;
The sensitivity and impressionability of melancholic people can help them in their creative pursuits.

Temperament and character in psychology are the basis of personality. These components of the personality structure are interdependent; with a skillful and thoughtful approach, through character, everyone can optimize their temperament.

Makes yourself better

Is there a dependence on blood type?

The idea of linking temperament with blood type is not new and has been haunting scientists for a long time. There is a lot of research on this topic. The most popular theory is based on the assertion that all blood groups have different origins and did not appear on Earth at the same time. That is why their owners have different temperaments, must eat certain foods and choose the appropriate type of activity.

The most ancient, according to this theory, is the first blood group. It belonged to ancient hunters who constantly fought for survival. According to researchers, these people are born leaders and optimists, have a strong will and always try to manage all processes.
The second blood group appeared when people united into tribes and began farming. At this stage, connections between people became closer, and norms of behavior became stricter. People with the second group inherited a more stable nervous system from their ancestors. They are calm, patient and diligent. These are extroverts who make contact easily. At the same time, they can be stubborn and conservative, sometimes they do not tolerate stress well and do not know how to relax.
The third group was formed among the nomads. They needed to constantly adapt to new conditions, so the descendants of these people also have high stress resistance and sensitivity. These are creative and inventive individualists who often hide a tremulous soul behind external calm.

Blood type and character