Demonstratively labile type. Basic types of accentuation

They are pointed. One has only to create certain conditions, and conflicts of the same type may arise.

Personality accentuation is the hypertrophied development of some character traits against the background of others, which leads to disruption of relationships with others. In the presence of such a symptom, a person begins to show excessive sensitivity to certain factors that cause a stressful state. This is despite the fact that the rest are relatively stable.

Accentuation may be so pronounced that its symptoms are barely noticeable to close people, but its level of manifestation may be such that doctors may consider making a diagnosis such as psychopathy. But the latter disease is characterized by constant manifestations and regular relapses. Or it may smooth out over time and become close to normal.

As practice shows, this symptom most often occurs in adolescents and young men (in approximately 70% of cases). Personality accentuation does not always manifest itself clearly, therefore it can be determined using specially designed psychological tests. During them, people may behave in a specific way, and it is important for the doctor to be able to anticipate such a reaction.

There are such personality types in psychology, which depend on the degree of manifestation of accentuation:

1. The hyperthymic type is characterized by high mood, increased talkativeness, and sociability. People with this form of the disease, as a rule, very often lose the original thread of the conversation, do not respond to comments made and deny all punishments. They are very energetic, mobile, non-self-critical, and love unreasonable risks.
2. The personality accentuation may be of the dysthymic type, which is the complete opposite of the previous one. A representative of this species is constantly depressed, sad and has a closed personality. He is burdened by noisy society, he does not get along closely with employees, and does not like communication. If he becomes a participant in conflicts (which happens extremely rarely), he acts as a passive party in them.
3. characterized by frequent mood swings. If it is elevated, the person actively communicates, which makes him similar to a representative of the hyperthymic type. If a person is in a more depressed state, his behavioral reactions resemble people of the dysthymic type.
4. Emotional Personality accentuation in this case is manifested by excessive sensitivity of character and vulnerability. A person begins to deeply experience even minimal troubles, takes comments and criticism very painfully, is sensitive if he suffers failure, and therefore is often in a sad mood.
5. The demonstrative type is always in the center of attention and achieves goals at any cost.
6. A person of an excitable type is often unrestrained, hot-tempered, prone to rudeness and overly conflicted.
7. Stuck type. Representatives are fixated on their feelings and emotions, act as an active party in conflicts, and are prone to protracted disputes.
8. The pedantic type is characterized by “boringness” in everything, from everyday life to professional activity.
9. they fear for themselves and for those around them, are unsure of themselves, and take defeat seriously.
10. The exalted type is characterized by mood swings, vivid emotions and talkativeness.
11. Schizoid personality accentuation, as a rule, manifests itself in isolation, self-absorption, restraint and coldness in communication.
12. The last type in this classification - extroverted - is characterized by an increased degree of talkativeness, lack of personal opinion, disorganization, and lack of independence.

Accentuations- overly expressed character traits. Depending on the level of expression, there are two degrees of character accentuation: explicit and hidden. Explicit accentuation refers to extreme variants of the norm, characterized by the constancy of traits of a certain type of character. With hidden accentuation, the traits of a certain type of character are weakly expressed or do not appear at all, but can clearly manifest themselves under the influence of specific situations.

Accentuations of character can contribute to the development of psychogenic disorders, situationally determined pathological behavioral disorders, neuroses, and psychoses. However, it should be noted that character accentuation in no case can be identified with the concept of mental pathology. A rigid boundary between conventionally normal, “average” people and accentuated personalities does not exist.

Identifying accentuated individuals in a team is necessary to develop an individual approach to them, for professional guidance, assigning to them a certain range of responsibilities that they are able to cope with better than others (due to their psychological predisposition).

The main types of accentuation of characters and their combinations:

• Hysterical or demonstrative type, its main features are egocentrism, extreme selfishness, an insatiable thirst for attention, the need for veneration, approval and recognition of actions and personal abilities.
• Hyperthymic type - high degree of sociability, noisiness, mobility, excessive independence, tendency to mischief.
• Asthenoneurotic- increased fatigue when communicating, irritability, a tendency to worry about one’s fate.
• Psychosthenic- indecision, tendency to endless reasoning, love of introspection, suspiciousness.
• Schizoid- isolation, secrecy, detachment from what is happening around, inability to establish deep contacts with others, unsociability.
• Sensitive- timidity, shyness, touchiness, excessive sensitivity, impressionability, feelings of inferiority.
• Epileptoid (excitable)- a tendency to repeated periods of melancholy-angry mood with accumulating irritation and a search for an object on which to vent anger. Thoroughness, low speed of thinking, emotional inertia, pedantry and scrupulousness in personal life, conservatism.
• Emotionally labile- extremely changeable mood, fluctuating too sharply and often for insignificant reasons.
• Infantile-dependent- people who constantly play the role of an “eternal child”, who avoid taking responsibility for their actions and prefer to delegate it to others.
• Unstable type- constant craving for entertainment, pleasure, idleness, idleness, lack of will in study, work and fulfilling one’s duties, weakness and cowardice.

The main types of accentuation include:
- Cyclothymic, which is characterized by alternating (cyclical) periods of good and bad mood. Often these transitions are associated with a change in the situation, sometimes even with the weather, which makes the cyclothymic type similar to the labile, unstable one.

Hyperthymic type, which is characterized by a constantly elevated mood, desire for activity, and increased excitability. People of this type tend to take on a large number of tasks that they often do not complete, taking on new ones.

Associated with the predominance of low tone and bad mood. People of this type are characterized by a tendency to depression; they, as a rule, see everything in a dark light and their forecasts are the most pessimistic. Irritability and hypochondriasis make this type similar to the asthenic type, which is also characterized by rapid fatigue.

Schizoid type, which is characterized by emotional coldness and isolation from others. Often people of this type are closed, self-centered, and not inclined to expand contacts; A high level of intelligence is also common, primarily in the sphere of abstract, logical thinking.

The epileptoid type, on the contrary, is characterized by concreteness, viscosity of thinking, often a low general intellectual level, as well as scrupulous pedantry. A tendency to an angry-sad mood often manifests itself in attacks of aggressive behavior, conflict, sometimes even rage and cruelty, which makes this type similar to a stuck person.

The stuck (paranoid) type is characterized by increased suspicion and painful sensitivity, suspiciousness, especially in relationships with others. Distrust of them and the desire for dominance lead to frequent conflicts, and rancor and persistence of negative emotional experiences lead to cruelty and vindictiveness.

The demonstrative (hysterical) type is characterized primarily by pronounced vanity, the desire for recognition, to attract attention at any cost. For this purpose, deceitfulness, fantasy, pretense, and imaginary illnesses are sometimes used. The tendency to be adventurous and the ability to repress unpleasant facts and memories into the unconscious is also very common in people of this type.

The psychasthenic type is characterized by high anxiety, indecision, and suspiciousness associated with a constant search for diseases. There are frequent manifestations of introspection, a tendency to “self-criticism” and a mental return to unpleasant events, which leads to uncertainty and a decrease in claims. This heightened sense of personal inferiority makes this type similar to the sensitive type, which is also characterized by increased impressionability and timidity.

It should be noted that in their pure form these types of accentuation are quite rare; usually a person exhibits “mixed” accentuation, with more or less pronounced forms of several types.

A combination of individual qualities that is completely unique for each person, largely his behavior, communication with other people and attitude towards himself. It represents the second level in the structure of individuality, that “integral individuality” (V. Merlin’s term), which underlies the individual lifestyle, mediating the connection between psychodynamic individual traits and personality structure. The tasks of psychotherapy are largely related to helping a person create an individual, based on his integral disposition of psychodynamic traits, style of activity and communication, which uses positive sides his individuality, compensating for negative ones if possible.

Character accentuation is the excessive manifestation of certain personality traits. As a result, there is selective vulnerability to some psychogenic influences while maintaining resistance to others.

Concept

The concept of “accented personality” was introduced by the German psychiatrist and psychopathologist Karl Leonhard. His classification of personalities had much in common with the concept of “latent psychopathy,” previously proposed by the Soviet scientist Pyotr Gannushkin. However, it was developed by Leonhard into an independent theory.

The scientist presented his thoughts on character typology in his work “Accented Personalities.” The first part of the monograph provides a classification and analysis of various accentuations; in the second, accentuated types are examined using the example of heroes of classical works of world literature.

Although according to International classification diseases of ICD-10, accentuated personality traits are included in the list of problems associated with difficulties in organizing a normal lifestyle (class 21/item Z73.1), the presence of accentuation is not equated to a mental disorder!

At first glance, character accentuations according to Leonhard are similar to personality disorders, which leads to the assumption that there is a connection between them. However, the scientist only sought to identify those personality traits that bring difficulties to their owners in life. When describing accentuations, Leonhard turned to the negative manifestations of certain character traits in an extreme, most pronounced form. Therefore, his characterization of psychological types is perceived as an illustration of human shortcomings and painful patterns of behavior. However, accentuations according to Leonhard are still a manifestation of the clinical norm, albeit in a more acute form, and therefore cannot be used as a psychiatric diagnosis.

Psychologists and psychotherapists around the world are actively interested in issues of accentuation, since the disproportionate development of certain personality traits creates conditions for the formation of corresponding mental or psychosomatic disorders.

In Russian psychology, Leonhard’s typology was developed and supplemented by the scientist Andrei Lichko, who changed the original term “accentuated personality” to “accentuation of character.” After all, an accentuated personality, according to the Soviet psychiatrist, is too complex a concept, more consistent with the idea of ​​psychopathy.

Correspondence table of accentuations according to Leonhard and Lichko.

Types of accentuations

Types of temperament and character accentuation according to Leonard are divided into separate groups.

Temperament

The scientist attributed six types of accentuations to temperament, as a biologically determined formation. Let's talk briefly about each of them.

1. Hyperthymic (hypomanic) temperament. Characterized by a predominance of an optimistic mood, a thirst for activity, a focus on success, and sociability. Negativity develops superficiality, an inability to complete a task. There is a violation of ethical standards, a waste of opportunities.
2. Dysthymic type (subdepressive). The opposite of hyperthymic. Characterized by an orientation toward failure, pessimism, a serious ethical position, extreme passivity in action, and lethargy.
3. Affectively labile type (cyclomic). It is characterized by frequent changes in hyperthymic and dysthymic states.
4. Anxious. Characterized by the inability to defend one's point of view in a dispute, fearfulness, timidity, wariness, humility, and a humiliated position. Compensation in the form of feigned self-confidence or even impudent behavior is possible.
5. The affectively-exalted type is distinguished by the intensity of experiences, violent emotional reactions, and a tendency to extreme manifestations of feelings (enthusiasm, despair). Easily charged by the mood of others.
6. The emotive type is characterized by the ability to deeply feel and empathize. He is distinguished by his impressionability, kindness, and compassion.

Character

Leonhard's character classification is represented by four types.

1. Demonstrative (hysterical) type. The peculiarity of accentuation is the hypertrophied tendency to repression. This explains the ability of the hysteric to embellish reality. A person, as it were, enters into the desired image, beginning to believe his fantasies. Thanks to this trait, he easily adapts to his environment, instilling in himself a feeling of love and sympathy for others. The notorious “need for recognition,” as one of the motives of the demonstrative type, is exaggerated. Rather, the passion for self-praise is associated with the ability to repress objective information about oneself. U ordinary person if you want to embellish the real state of things, the brakes are applied. A hysteric person tends to forget himself, which often leads to rash actions.
2. Pedantic character. In contrast to the demonstrative type, the repression mechanism is poorly developed. People with this type of personality are not able to repress doubts or discard unimportant details of the issue, so they can hardly make their choice on any decision. Hence indecision, scrupulousness in work, hypochondria.
3. Stuck type. Characterized by the persistence of affective reactions. A penchant for ideas that completely take over a person’s thinking. Stuck affect is most clearly manifested in the case when a person’s personal interests are affected. Affect in these cases turns out to be a response to wounded pride, as well as to various shapes suppression, although objectively the moral damage may be negligible. As a result, the stuck type develops such traits as suspicion, hostility, jealousy, and morbid ambition.
4. Excitable type (epileptoid). Characterized by following lower instinctive impulses and ignoring the voice of reason. As a result, impulsiveness, incontinence, demandingness, intolerance, short temper, and conflict develop.

Extroversion/introversion

Character types according to Leonhard also include extroverted and introverted personality accentuations.

The psychiatrist’s understanding of extra- and introversion differs from the popular definitions of these terms according to Eysenck and Myers, and Briggs in socionics.

Due to the fact that most psychologists rely on the interpretation of terms according to Eysenck, and psychiatrists - according to Leonhard, such a terminological discrepancy creates a problem in finding common language between specialists.

According to Leonhard, the extroverted personality type is a conformist who does not subject to special analysis information coming from the outside, and therefore easily succumbs to the influence of others. An introvert, on the other hand, does not blindly succumb to the sensations of the present moment, focusing primarily on previous life experiences and his own conclusions. Here, Leonhard’s opinion coincides with the point of view of Carl Jung, who attributed to introverts the traits of thinking types, and to extroverts - ethical (experiencing) types.

Personality diagnostic methods

Leonhard considered observation and conversation to be the most reliable diagnostic methods. During a personal conversation, the scientist should not study verbal information coming from the patient, but focus on his facial expressions and changes in voice intonation. Studying the patient’s behavior at work, in a relaxed home environment, and in communication with other people, according to Leonhard, provides comprehensive information about the characteristics of his personality.

Types of character accentuation- these are multiple types of characters in which individual traits have passed into a pathological state. Some accentuated character traits are often sufficiently compensated, but in problematic or critical situations, the accentuated personality may exhibit disturbances in adequate behavior. Accentuations of character (this term originates from the Latin (accentus), which means underscore) - are expressed in the form “ weak points"in the psyche of the individual and are characterized by selective vulnerability in relation to some influences with increased stability to other influences.

The concept of “accentuation” has been presented in the development of several typologies throughout its existence. The first of them was developed by Karl Leonhard in 1968. The next classification became more widely known in 1977, which was developed by Andrei Evgenievich Lichko, based on the classification of P. B. Gannushkin, made back in 1933.

Types of character accentuation can directly manifest themselves and can be hidden and revealed only in emergency situations, when behavior becomes most natural.

Individuals of any type of character accentuation are more sensitive and susceptible to environmental influences and, therefore, have a greater tendency to mental disorders than other individuals. If any problematic, alarming situation becomes too difficult for an accentuated person to experience, then the behavior of such an individual immediately changes dramatically and the accentuated traits dominate.

Leonhard's theory of character accentuation has received due attention because it has proven its usefulness. Only the specificity of this theory and the questionnaire attached to it to establish the type of character accentuation was that they were limited by the age of the subjects. The questionnaire was calculated only on the character of adults. That is, children or even teenagers are not able to answer a number of questions, because they do not have the necessary life experience and have not been in such situations before to answer the questions posed. Consequently, this questionnaire would not be able to truthfully determine a person’s existing character accentuation.

Understanding the need to determine the type of character accentuation in adolescents, psychiatrist Andrei Lichko took up this matter. Lichko modified Leonhard's questionnaire. He rewrote the descriptions for the types of character accentuation, changed some of the names of the types and introduced new ones.

Lichko expanded the description of the types of character accentuation, guided by information about the expression of accentuation in children and adolescents and changes in manifestations as the personality develops and grows up. Thus, he created a questionnaire on the types of character accentuations in adolescents.

A. Lichko reasoned that it would be more appropriate to study the types of character accentuations of adolescents, based on the fact that most accentuations are formed and manifested precisely in this age period.

To better understand the types of character accentuation, examples must be given from familiar episodes and persons. Most people know the most popular cartoon characters or characters from fairy tales; they are deliberately portrayed as too emotional, active or, on the contrary, passive. But the point is that it is precisely this expression of extreme variants of character norms that attracts one to oneself, such a person is interested, someone is imbued with sympathy for her, and someone is simply waiting for what will happen to her next. In life you can meet exactly the same “heroes”, only in different circumstances.

Types of character accentuation examples. Alice from the fairy tale “Alice in Wonderland” is a representative of the cycloid type of character accentuation; she had alternations of high and low activity, and mood swings; Carlson is a vivid example of a demonstrative type of character accentuation; he loves to brag, possesses, he is characterized by affected behavior and a desire to be in the center of attention.

The stuck type of character accentuation is typical for superheroes who are in a constant state of struggle.

A hyperthymic type of character accentuation is observed in Masha (the cartoon “Masha and the Bear”), she is spontaneous, active, undisciplined and noisy.

Types of character accentuation according to Leonard

Karl Leonhard was the founder of the term "accentuation" in. His theory of accentuated personalities was based on the idea that there are main, expressive and additional personality traits. The main features, as usual, are much smaller, but they are very expressive and represent the whole personality. They are the core of personality and are of decisive importance in its development of adaptation and mental health. Very strong expressions of basic personality traits impact the entire personality, and under problematic or unfavorable circumstances they can become a destructive factor for the individual.

K. Leonhard believed that accentuated personality traits can primarily be observed with.

The emphasis of personality is determined by the style of communication. Leonhard created a concept in which he described the main types of character accentuations. It is important to remember that Leonhard’s characterization of character accentuation describes only the types of behavior of adults. Karl Leonhard described twelve types of accentuation. All of them, by their origin, have different localizations.

The labile type of character accentuation is manifested in rapid changeability of mood and entire emotional state. Even when there are no obvious reasons for great joy or intense sadness, a person switches between these strong emotions, changing his entire state. Such experiences are very deep, a person may lose his ability to work.

The asthenoneurotic type of character accentuation is expressed in the personality’s tendency to. Such a person is often irritable, constantly complains about his condition, and gets tired quickly. The irritation can be so strong that they may yell at someone for no reason and then regret it later. They depend on the mood and the influx of hypochondria. If you feel good, then the person feels more confident.

The sensitive type of character accentuation is expressed in high, timidity, and isolation. Sensitive individuals have a hard time establishing new contacts, but with those people they know well, they behave cheerfully and at ease. Often, due to their experience of feelings of inferiority, they overcompensate. For example, if a person was previously too shy, then as he matures, he begins to behave too relaxed.

The psychasthenic type of character accentuation manifests itself in a person’s tendency to obsessive states; in childhood they are susceptible to various phobias. They are characterized by anxiety, arising against the background of uncertainty and uncertainty about one’s future. Prone to introspection. They are always accompanied by some kind of rituals, the same type of obsessive movements, thanks to this they feel much calmer.

The schizoid type of character accentuation is manifested in the inconsistency of feelings, thoughts and emotions. A schizoid has a combination of: isolation and talkativeness, coldness and sensitivity, inactivity and determination, antipathy and affection, and so on. The most striking features of this type are a low need for communication and avoidance of others. Inability to empathize and show attention is perceived as a person’s coldness. Such people are more likely to share something intimate with a stranger than with a loved one.

The epileptoid type of character accentuation manifests itself in an angry-angry state. In this state, a person’s irritability and anger accumulates and after some time splashes out in prolonged outbursts of anger. The epileptoid type of accentuation is characterized by inertia in various aspects of life - the emotional sphere, movements, life values ​​and rules. Often such people are very jealous, mostly without reason. They try to live for today's reality and what they have; they do not like to make plans, fantasize or daydream. It is very difficult for the epileptoid personality type.

The hysterical type of character accentuation is characterized by increased egocentrism, thirst for love, universal recognition and attention. Their behavior is demonstrative and feigned in order to gain attention. It is better for them to be hated or treated negatively than to be treated indifferently or neutrally. They approve of any activity in their direction. For hysterical personalities, the worst thing is the possibility of being unnoticed. Another important feature of this type of accentuation is suggestibility, aimed at emphasizing advantages or admiration.

An unstable type of character accentuation manifests itself in the inability to comply with socially acceptable forms of behavior. Since childhood, they have shown a reluctance to learn; it is difficult for them to concentrate on learning, complete tasks, or obey their elders. As they grow older, unstable individuals begin to experience difficulties in establishing relationships, especially difficulties in romantic relationships. They find it difficult to establish deep emotional connections. They live in the present, one day at a time, without plans for the future or any desires or aspirations.

The conformal type of character accentuation is expressed in the desire to blend in with others, not to be different. They easily, without hesitation, accept someone else’s point of view, are guided by common goals, adjust their desires to the desires of others, without thinking about personal needs. They very quickly become attached to their immediate surroundings and try not to be different from others; if they have common hobbies, interests or ideas, they also immediately pick them up. In their professional life they are uninitiative and try to do their job without being active.

In addition to the described types of character accentuation, Lichko additionally identifies mixed accentuations, since accentuation in its pure form is not observed so often. Individual accentuations that are the most expressive are interconnected, while others cannot be characteristic of one person at the same time.