Accentuation of character (or accentuation) is an actively used concept in scientific psychology. What is this mysterious phrase and how did it appear in our lives?
The concept of character was introduced by Theophrastus (a friend of Aristotle) - translated as “trait”, “sign”, “imprint”. Accentuation, accent - stress (translated from Latin)
First, it’s worth understanding the concept of character. On scientific resources one can find its definition as a set of personality traits that are stable and determine a person’s behavior, his relationships with others, habits and, as a result, his future life.
Accentuation of character is an excessive strengthening of a certain personality trait that determines the specificity of a person’s response to the events of his life..
Accentuation is on the verge of normality and pathology - if there is excessive pressure or impact on the accentuated feature, it can take on “inflated” forms. However, in psychology, accentuations are not classified as personality pathologies; the difference is that, despite the difficulties of building relationships with others, they are capable of self-control.
Accentuation of character: Concept, definition
The concept of “ character accentuation
” was introduced by Karl Leonhard, who was a famous German psychologist and psychiatrist who worked at the neurological hospital of the University of Berlin. Also, A.E. Lichko, who is known as a child psychiatrist, actively took up the issue of personality types.
Accentuation of a person’s character is an increased manifestation of certain character traits, which leads to disharmony and vulnerability.
This feature of a person affects his actions, behavior, perception of the world around him, communication with others and harmony with himself.
Important!
Accentuation is not a mental disorder. At the age of 15 to 25 years, hidden accentuations are present in almost every person. With age, a person smoothes out his negative traits, the number of accentuations is reduced by 2 times.
Hysterical
The hysterical type is one of the most difficult in terms of communication with him. Patients themselves do not experience communication problems, but negative traits can seriously complicate the building of close relationships, for example, friendships or romantic ones. Among the features of this class:
Egocentrism. Patients with hysterical accentuation of character are overly selfish. Basically, this becomes an obstacle to normal relationships. As part of psychopathy, such individuals view others only as tools for their own development and benefit.
The desire to be constantly in the spotlight. Increased artistry. At best, such patients choose creative professions, where they sublimate the increased concentration of psychic energy. They transfer it, as they say, into action. On the other hand, much more often the trait takes on a destructive character. For example, attempts at demonstrative suicide are typical. This trait does not contribute to good relations with others.
Inability to take into account other people's interests. Doesn't always happen. Closer to the level of psychopathy. Accompanied by a reluctance and inability to consider other people as equals. And at the same time, a feeling of superiority and arrogance is added.
Active position. A positive trait. Hysteroids often get into trouble and try to be the center of attention. They make excellent civil activists, politicians, lawyers and other people who are involved in socially important matters.
Communication skills. They know how to establish relationships with almost anyone. This is also a merit of artistry, since partners simply do not see negative traits. Hysteroids know how to hide their true face, at least until they get close enough to others.
Persistence to the point of stubbornness. Reluctance to accept another opinion. It is extremely difficult to convince a hysteroid.
Inability to survive “blows of fate.” Despite their apparent impenetrability, these people are not quite what they seem. They are afraid of being ridiculed and misunderstood. In the case of psychopathy, they are especially worried if something does not happen according to their plan.
Intolerance of criticism. Excessive sensitivity.
Increased initiative.
Hysteroids are extremely difficult in terms of communication and close relationships. But thanks to their persistence and initiative, they are indispensable in social work. They have an active creativity. They often choose appropriate professions.
Types of character accentuation
The issue of accentuation in the 20th century was dealt with by various scientists, professors, psychologists and psychotherapists.
Many have proposed their own types and classifications of character accentuation. The works of Leonhard and Lichko deserve the greatest attention. Their types vary considerably, but in general they come to a consensus.
Types of character accentuation according to Leonard
K. Leonhard gives his classification of types of character accentuation:
- Demonstrative
. A person tries to make a favorable impression on others and attract attention. The individual often praises himself and tries to seem like an indispensable character in every situation. Most of what he says is only his imagination or has a small amount of truth. - Stuck
. Characterized by increased stability of affect, prolonged emotional reaction, and experiences. Such people rarely forgive disrespect and insults towards them. They remember insults for a long time and at the first opportunity they try to take revenge on the offender. - Pedantic
. Such a person is overly neat, tries to maintain order in everything, but at the same time suffers from indecision. Before making a decision, he will think through each step for a long time, weighing the pros and cons. Such a person is afraid of change and taking responsibility. - Hyperthymic
. Such people are always in a good mood even without good reason. There is increased activity, a thirst for a rich life, vivid emotions and impressions. This type is characterized by sociability and optimism. Life's problems are experienced without much difficulty. - Excitable
. The person is extremely impulsive. His actions and behavior are influenced to a greater extent by instincts, drives and impulses, rather than by a rational understanding of his behavior. This type is not familiar with the concept of tolerance. - Dysthymic
. The person is almost always in a gloomy and bad mood, thinks pessimistically, and does not see anything good in life. Dysthymics are not characterized by fun and activity. - Exalted
. The main feature is a violent reaction to what happened. Such people are very enthusiastic, every little thing makes them happy. But they also quickly become saddened by bad news. - Cyclothymic
. It assumes that the hyperthymic type is being replaced by the dysthymic type. This happens quite often. In the first state, good news not only leads to positive emotions, but also motivates action. In the second state, bad news not only upsets, but also leads to apathy. - Anxious
. This type of personality is characterized by excessive anxiety regarding possible difficulties and worry about their future. However, there are no real reasons for concern. The person is very timid, submissive, and not confident in his abilities. - Introverted
. Such people are accustomed to being guided by personal life experience. A person often delves into himself, immerses himself in the inner world and temporarily falls out of real life. He thinks more than he does. - Extravetered
. A person is greatly influenced by the opinions of others. He does not have a clear position; new thoughts and opinions constantly appear, which are formed on the basis of what other people have said. Such people are prone to impulsive actions. - Emotive
. The main personality trait is increased sensitivity. Such a person is very kind, soft-spoken, receptive, can burst into tears at any moment, does not hold grudges for long, and quickly forgives.
Types of character accentuation according to Lichko
A. E. Lichko identifies two main types of accentuation:
- Explicit
is an extreme variant of the norm. Problematic character manifests itself throughout life. This can happen not only in difficult life situations, but also in prosperous ones. In everyday life it is called “Psychopath”. - Hidden
is the usual variant of the norm. A problematic character most often manifests itself only in problematic situations, during conflicts with others, or in a state of depression. In favorable situations, this can be a completely sweet and balanced person.
It's the little things that show character. Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Hysterical type
Usually manifests itself in the younger generation and females.
A person wants to constantly be in the spotlight and has a bright appearance. Characterized by excessive expression of emotions and sensitivity. There is hidden envy. Can't stand it if someone tries to outshine them. They quickly and easily establish contact with others thanks to their openness and sociability.
Epileptoid type
The personality type is characterized by excitability.
To attract attention, he may resort to various manipulations. A person is usually pessimistic and keeps all grievances inside himself, which leads to serious conflicts with others. Having thrown out all the anger, he tries for a long time to come to a calm state. In some ways he manifests himself as a despot and clings to every little thing.
Schizoid type
These are cold, taciturn and secretive individuals.
A person cannot contact people and usually chooses loneliness. Shyness alternates with tactlessness. Cannot feel the emotions and mood of another person, does not understand the true attitude towards himself. But such a person usually has unusual hobbies and a well-developed imagination. The subject can achieve success in creative activities.
Labile type
Such people are prone to sudden mood swings for no particular reason.
This negatively affects the work process and overall well-being. Despite this, a person is characterized by positive thinking, sincerity and caring. Minimum probability of transition to the psychopathy phase. The subject does not cope well with stressful situations.
Conformal type
A conformist person tends to trust others, follow their advice and listen to their opinions.
Rarely can he go against the majority and is unable to think critically. At the same time, they always follow new trends in fashion and behavior. If such a person is surrounded only by good people, then he will be able to achieve success, but will not be able to take initiative and act independently. Finding themselves in bad company, they succumb to their image (take alcohol and drugs).
Astheno-neurotic type
Representatives of this type get tired quickly and are easily irritated.
They cope poorly with mental and physical stress. Fatigue can cause anger, nervousness, insomnia and loss of appetite. Such people are distinguished by kindness, devotion, and are attached to family members.
Psychasthenic type
The subject frequently engages in introspection.
It is characterized by lack of independence, anxiety about the future life, unreasonable fears and bad thoughts appear. Such a person believes in omens, superstitions, and observes rituals, which generally lead to bad emotions. Always tries to meet the expectations of others. Sometimes this leads to neurosis.
Sensitive type
Sensitivity and receptivity are clearly manifested.
Such a person does not like to conflict and shows courage in difficult situations. But at the same time, they are often pessimistic and unsure of their own capabilities.
Hyperthymic type
These are very optimistic people; short-term outbreaks of aggression rarely appear.
The person is always in a good and cheerful mood, has many friends and acquaintances. For those around him, he is perceived as an active, carefree, energetic and cheerful person. Easily copes with mental and physical stress. Among the negative aspects: indiscriminateness when choosing an environment, a tendency to frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Erratic or unrestrained type
The personality constantly craves fun and entertainment, prefers to sit back, does not take study and work seriously, and copes poorly with its responsibilities.
By nature they are weak and cowardly. Psychologically unstable character: should you be afraid?
Work on yourself
Treatment is based on reducing the intensity of manifestations of enhanced traits. However, it is not necessary in all cases. In fact, correction is needed if accentuation affects social adaptation.
- For the hysterical type. You need to communicate calmly, speech should be quiet. You need to learn to do good deeds, without showing or talking about the fact that it was you who performed this action. When in the company of people, you need to behave quietly, calmly, and imagine yourself invisible. Great importance must be given to auto-training, which must be done daily. It is important to learn to love yourself the way God created you and to increase your self-esteem.
- For epileptoid type. You need to learn to forgive insults and not hold a grudge against anyone. It is necessary to take care of developing tolerance and learning to treat other people kindly. It is important to be able to show generosity. It is advisable to become a good listener, not to interrupt the speaker, and to be able to support. You need to learn to put yourself in another person's shoes.
- For the schizoid type. It is necessary to master copying your opponent’s facial expressions and learn to understand what emotion he is experiencing at the moment. It is important to be friendly and treat other people the way you want them to treat you. Exercises such as playing choleric may be necessary; a person learns to speak quickly, loudly and impulsively.
- For cyclone type. You need to start a diary. In it, note what tasks you are planning, you also need to describe your experiences and emotions in a given situation. You need to think about how you should change so as not to interfere with the lives of other people.
- For the paranoid type. You don’t need to believe your first impression; you need to learn to determine people’s motives. You need to try to behave calmly and avoid making comments towards the other person. It would be a good idea to attend training on communicative behavior. Relaxation exercises are of great importance; you can do meditation or yoga. You need to learn to compliment people when they deserve it.
- For unstable type. A person must learn to resist his own laziness, to do the things that he needs. You need to motivate yourself.
- For labile type. You need to rationally approach problems and solve them. It is necessary to keep a diary in which you note your mood, in particular, for what reasons it changes. Learn to control your emotions, don't let them control your actions. Auto-training will help you find balance and normalize your nervous state. It will help get rid of hypersensitivity to situations that begin to irritate and drive you crazy.
- For conformal type. You need to learn to develop critical thinking. When faced with an event, you need to think about the possible consequences. If they want to advise you on something or call you to go somewhere, you should also call someone in response, suggesting that you take a different path. Do unconventional things, learn to leave your comfort zone.
- For astheno-neurotic type. Imagine that you are a superhero and you can do anything. Constantly expand your social circle, develop your sense of humor.
- Psychasthenic type. When some fears appear, you need to imagine that the object of fear has already been accomplished. Do not always strive to comply with established procedures; sometimes deviate from the rules. Do facial exercises to relax your muscles.
- If you have a hyperthymic type, then you will need to clean up your workplace and closet. This is necessary to systematize thoughts in your head. Always bring things you start to their logical conclusion. Keep a diary, indicate all your tasks in it, plan your actions.
- If you have a sensitive type, then you need to praise yourself for every victory. You can make a special poster on which to highlight your merits and achievements. It would be useful to turn to a sense of humor, this will reduce the feeling of discomfort.
Combinations of types of accentuations
There are often cases when traits of different types are combined with each other.
There are 2 main types of combinations:
- Intermediate
. Caused at the genetic level or develops at an early age. A combination of astheno-neurotic and sensitive is often observed. - Amalgam
. Mixed types appear as a result of improper upbringing or the influence of psychogenic factors. It is also possible to combine only certain types, for example, labile and hysteroid types.
Character accentuation test according to Shmishek
A modern test for checking character accentuations
At the end of the 20th century, H. Schmishek developed a questionnaire based on Leonhard’s research. There are about 90 questions in it. For each of them you need to give a specific answer “yes” or “no”.
The test can be carried out either for one person or for a group of people. Testing has been successfully used to study the character traits of both adults and adolescents who are already 14 years old.
Instructions are included with each questionnaire. It may change taking into account the characteristics of the audience being surveyed. The instructions should be clear and simple, without raising any questions. If teenagers are tested, it is better to attach several examples.
There is no set time limit for testing. At the end of it, the psychologist checks the forms (there are special keys for this). The result is specific scores for each type of accentuation (raw score). It is multiplied by a coefficient (each type of accentuation has its own coefficient) and the final indicator is obtained.
The results are reflected in the form. A psychologist can give an approximate assessment of the type of accentuation. The final results can be displayed graphically for complete clarity.
Human Character: Definition, Properties and Types
Labile
Characterized by instability of the emotional sphere. Often this is a minimally noticeable manifestation. There are practically no extreme degrees of deviation. The range of the emotional spectrum is minimal. Patients of this type are natural empaths. They have a good sense of the mood and state of others. Typical features include:
- Sensuality and emotionality. Labile individuals are good at feeling the mood of others, so they easily get used to their role and can give the right advice. Therefore, they make good psychologists, psychotherapists and social workers. Patients of the labile type are not deprived of emotions themselves. At the same time, the sensory sphere changes quickly - from joy to sadness. In many ways, the sensations depend on the current interlocutor.
- Difficulty lifting. People with such accentuation of character do not tolerate loneliness and separation well. Therefore, they strive to arrange life so that there are as few changes as possible. This often leads to some problems. For example, patients may give up a promising job just to be with people they care about.
- Sincerity. Openness. Good nature.
- Sociability. Together with sincerity, this makes them excellent interlocutors and advisers.
- Vulnerability. Intolerance of criticism addressed to oneself. Inability to work with this criticism and become better through constructive communication, comments, even friendly ones.
- Responsiveness and compassion. Willingness to help anyone and everyone. Sometimes this trait can become a problem.
Psychologists and social workers work with labile patients. Empathy makes them valuable employees, communicators and partners.
Features of character accentuation in adolescents
It is during adolescence that a person’s character is actively formed.
Teenagers gradually transition into adulthood. During this period, children can often express themselves negatively; interests, habits, and views often change, and not always for the better. There are also positive aspects - a teenager learns to be independent, bear responsibility, and faces the first difficulties of life. In adolescence, emotionality, anxiety, sudden changes in mood, and outbursts of anger are pronounced. Almost every teenager has one type of accentuation or another. Features of accentuation are not permanent and appear only in certain cases and practically do not appear in the usual environment. Negative traits gradually smooth out as they grow older and may disappear altogether.
Profession and character of a person: feedback
Degree of severity of accentuations
Trying to give a more precise definition of what character accentuation is, Andrei Lichko identified two groups (or two stages) of accentuations:
- Hidden accentuation. In this case, specific character traits are practically not noticeable, but can manifest themselves in stressful situations and conflicts.
- Explicit accentuation. All specific and problematic character traits are expressed quite strongly and manifest themselves in many life situations. Explicit accentuation is considered an extreme case of the norm.
Accentuation of character is the sum of hereditary characteristics of the psyche, upbringing and accumulated life experience. Usually, the hereditary component under normal conditions of upbringing forms only a hidden form of accentuation, and under the influence of various external factors it can become explicit.
Factors influencing the formation of character accentuations
The appearance of accentuation is associated with the influence of factors that are conventionally divided into social, hereditary and psychological.
Among the most significant are:
- The process of education
. Usually caused by the fact that the parents do not control the child at all or, on the contrary, overprotect him. The child may lack love, attention, and communication with peers. - Obstacles to development
. We are talking about the period of schooling. An authoritarian and coercive communication style is often established. A child at school should feel free and have every opportunity for self-realization. - Cognitive crisis
. Often, when communicating with others, a teenager develops internal and external barriers, which leads to nervous breakdowns. - Disharmony with the inner self
. A person develops problems with self-esteem, he considers himself unworthy, and a feeling of inferiority arises.
Causes
Many factors can provoke the development of personal accentuation. The main and most common one is genetic predisposition. Another reason is the lack of communication during puberty, when a teenager is ignored by peers and parents. The social environment greatly influences the formation of personality.
The lack of realization of a child’s communicative potential can be hidden not only in parental indifference, but also in overprotection. In this case, this is the reason for the lack of communication with people of the same age, which negatively affects later life.
Accentuation can be caused by unmet personal needs, various complexes, nervous system disorders and other somatic diseases. Statistics show that such manifestations are typical for individuals whose work involves constant communication. This condition is observed in teachers, medical and social workers, media persons and military personnel.
Diagnosis of character accentuations
Having found out what type of accentuation is inherent in a person, you can understand what problems and difficulties he experiences during social adaptation, what drives and motivates him, and also predict his reactions and behavior in current life situations.
To diagnose accentuation, the following methods are often used:
- Schmishek test;
- PDO Lichko;
- Leonard's technique.
A correctly chosen technique will allow you to obtain the most approximate results.
Philanthropist - helping for profit or a character trait?
Ways and methods of treating accentuations of various types
Treatment involves smoothing out the manifestations of pronounced character traits.
Important!
Treatment is necessary if accentuation interferes with normal personality development, self-realization and conflict-free existence surrounded by people.
Despite the fact that a person’s character is almost impossible to correct, you can still learn to restrain and suppress negative manifestations.
On one's own
Some people prefer to deal with problems on their own and work on themselves.
This will require enough time and training that will allow you to develop those character traits that will suppress negative reactions.
This approach allows you to study behavioral patterns and leads to harmonization with the outside world. Each type of accentuation has its own specially designed exercises that need to be performed every day.
Help from a psychologist
You can also seek help from a real specialist.
Depending on the case, treatment can take from 3 months to a year. In very severe cases, correction can last several years. The person will visit a psychologist frequently, talk with him and perform certain activities.
The role of accentuations in personality structure
In the personal structure, accentuations occupy a leading role and largely determine the quality of life of an individual.
It is worth considering that accentuation is not a diagnosis! In a psychologically mature person, it manifests itself as a feature, which can be a clue in choosing a place of study, profession, or hobby.
If accentuation takes on pronounced forms (this depends on many factors - upbringing, environment, stress, illness), then it is necessary to use drug treatment. In some cases, certain types of character accentuation can lead to the formation of neuroses and psychosomatic diseases (for example, a labile type often suffers from infectious diseases), and in extreme cases, such a person can be dangerous.
