Descriptions of people with different types of character accentuations. Methods for determining character accentuation by personal

Accentuations are overly pronounced character traits related to the extreme version of the norm, bordering on psychopathy. With this feature, some traits of a person's character are sharpened, disproportionate in relation to the general makeup of the personality, leading to some kind of disharmony.

The term "personality accentuation" was introduced in 1968 by a German psychiatrist K. Leonhard, who described this phenomenon as overly expressed individual personality traits that tended to go into a pathological state under the influence of unfavorable factors. Later, this issue was considered by AE Lichko, who, on the basis of Leongrad's works, developed his own classification and introduced the term "character accentuation" into everyday life.

And although the accentuated character is by no means identified with mental illness, it is important to understand that it can contribute to the formation of psychopathologies (neuroses, psychoses, etc.). In practice, it is very difficult to find a line to separate “normal” from accentuated personalities. However, psychologists recommend identifying such people in teams, because accentuation almost always determines special abilities and psychological disposition for specific activities.

Classifications

Character accentuations in terms of severity can be explicit and hidden. Explicit accentuation is an extreme version of the norm, when certain character traits are expressed throughout life. The manifestation of hidden accentuations is usually associated with some kind of traumatic circumstances, which, in principle, is a common variant of the norm. During a person's life, the forms of accentuations can change from one to another under the influence of various external and internal factors.

Lichko classification

The most common and understood classifications of character types include the aforementioned systems developed by Leonhard and Lichko. Lichko studied character accentuations to a greater extent, which can be observed in adolescence, and the following types are distinguished in its classification:

Classification of Leongrad

In many ways, the classification of character types proposed by Leongrada is similar, who studied character accentuations mainly in adults and identified the following types:

One of the modifications of the Leongarad classification is the Shmishek system, who proposed to divide the types of accentuations into the accentuation of temperament and character. So, to the accentuations of temperament, he attributed hyperthymic, dysthymic, cyclothymic, anxiety, exaltation and emotiveness. But excitability, getting stuck, ostentatiousness and pedantry, the author ranked directly among the accentuations of character.

Examples of

Popular characters of modern animated films and literary works endowed with pronounced personal characteristics. Thus, an unstable or dysthymic personality type is well illustrated in the hero of the famous children's work "The Adventures of Pinocchio" by Pierrot, whose mood is usually bleak and depressed, and his attitude to surrounding events is pessimistic.

The Eeyore Donkey from the cartoon about Winnie the Pooh is best suited to the asthenic or pedantic type. This character is distinguished by unsociability, fear of disappointment, concern for his own health. But the White Knight from the famous work "Alice in Wonderland" can be safely attributed to the extraverted schizoid type, characterized by intellectual development and unsociability. Alice herself is, rather, of the cycloid type, which is characterized by an alternation of increased and decreased activity with corresponding mood swings. The character of Don Quixote Cervantes is revealed in a similar way.

The accentuation of the character of the demonstrative type is clearly manifested in Carlson - a narcissist a character who loves to show off, always striving to be the object of everyone's attention. Winnie the Pooh from the children's work of the same name and Matroskin's cat can be safely attributed to the excitable type. These two characters are similar in many ways, since both are distinguished by an optimistic mindset, activity and immunity to criticism. An exalted character can be observed in the character of the modern cartoon "Madagascar" King Julian - he is eccentric, inclined to exaggerate his own emotions, does not tolerate inattention to himself.

The labile (emotional) type of character accentuation is revealed in Tsarevna Nesmeyana, but the fisherman from A.S. Pushkin's "On the Fisherman and the Fish" is a characteristic representative of the conformal (extroverted) type, which is easier to adapt to the opinion of others than to defend his point of view. The paranoid (stuck) type is characteristic of most self-motivated and self-confident superheroes (Spiderman, Superman, etc.), whose life is a constant struggle.

Formation factors

The accentuated character is formed, as a rule, under the influence of the totality various factors... There is no doubt that one of the key roles in this is played by heredity, that is, some innate personality traits. In addition, the following circumstances can affect the appearance of accentuations:

• Appropriate social environment. Since the character is formed from early childhood, the people around the child have the greatest influence on the development of personality. He unconsciously copies their behavior and adopts their characteristics;
• Deforming upbringing. Lack of attention from parents and other people around them, excessive custody or severity, lack of emotional intimacy with the child, excessive or conflicting demands, etc.;
• Failure to meet personal needs. With an authoritarian type of government in a family or school;
• Lack of communication in adolescence;
• An inferiority complex, overestimated self-esteem or other forms of disharmonious self-image;
• Chronic diseases, especially those affecting nervous system, physical disabilities;
• Profession. According to statistics, character accentuations are more often observed in representatives of such professions as actors, teachers, medical workers, the military, etc.

According to scientists, character accentuation often manifests itself in puberty, but as they grow up, it turns into a latent form. As for the genesis of the phenomenon under consideration, a number of previous studies show that, in general, upbringing itself cannot create conditions in which, for example, a schizoid or cycloid personality type could be formed. However, in certain relationships in the family (excessive indulgence of the child, etc.), it is quite possible that the child will develop hysterical accentuation of character, etc. Very often, people with a hereditary predisposition have mixed types of accentuations.

Peculiarities

Accentuations of character are found not only in their "pure" form, easily amenable to classification, but in a mixed form. These are the so-called intermediate types, which are the result of the simultaneous development of several different traits. Taking these personality traits into account is very important when raising children and building communication with adolescents. It is also necessary to take into account the features of an accentuated character when choosing a profession, when identifying a predisposition to a particular type of activity.

Very often, an accentuated character is compared to psychopathy. Here it is important to take into account the obvious difference - the manifestation of accentuations is not constant, since over time they can change the degree of severity, smooth out or completely disappear. Under favorable life circumstances, individuals with an accentuated character are even able to reveal special abilities and talents in themselves. For example, a person with an exalted type can discover the talent of an artist, actor, etc.

As for the manifestations of accentuations in adolescence, the problem given is currently very relevant. According to statistics, almost 80% of adolescents have character accentuations. And although these features are considered temporary, psychologists talk about the importance of their timely recognition and correction. The fact is that some of the pronounced accentuations under the influence of some unfavorable factors can transform a mental illness already in adulthood.

Treatment

An overly pronounced accentuation of character, leading to an obvious disharmony of the personality, may indeed require some treatment. It is important to emphasize that therapy for the problem under consideration should be inextricably linked with the underlying disease. For example, it has been proven that with repeated traumatic brain injuries against the background of an accentuated character, the formation of psychopathic disorders is possible. Despite the fact that character accentuations in themselves are not considered pathologies in psychology, they are quite close to mental disorders in a number of ways. In particular, the accentuated character is one of the psychological problems, in which it is not always possible to maintain normal behavior in society.

Explicit and latent character accentuations are diagnosed during special psychological tests using appropriate questionnaires. Treatment is always prescribed individually, depending on the specific type of accentuation, its causes, etc. As a rule, correction is carried out with the help of psychotherapy in an individual, family or group form, but sometimes additional drug therapy may be prescribed.

36. ACCENTUATIONS OF CHARACTER. TYPES OF ACCENTUATIONS

Accentuationcharacter- this is an extreme version of the norm, in which certain character traits are excessively strengthened, as a result of which selective vulnerability to a certain kind of psychogenic influences is revealed with good resistance to others. In other words, accentuation is a variant of mental health (norm), which is characterized by a special severity, acuteness, disproportionality of some character traits to the entire personality makeup and leads it to a certain disharmony.

The author of the concept of accentuation is the German psychiatrist Karl Leonhard; he coined the term "accentuated personality". AE Lichko clarified this term, changing it to the term "character accentuation", since personality, in his opinion, is too complex a concept, rather suitable for psychopathies.

According to A.E. Lichko, according to the severity, two types (two stages) of accentuations can be distinguished:

Explicit accentuation is an extreme version of the norm. Problematic character traits are quite pronounced throughout life, in both problematic and prosperous situations. Explicit accentuation in everyday life is called - Psychopath (not to be confused with Psychopathy as a personality disorder).

Latent accentuation is a common norm. Problematic traits of this type of character are manifested mainly in difficult life situations, in stress and conflicts, although in favorable circumstances we can be quite nice person.

Accentuation - personality traits, more pronounced than the personality pattern, but not as bulging as in psychopathy. Accentuation of character is a consequence of both heredity factors and one or another type of child's upbringing. The factors of upbringing that provoke and reinforce accentuations include overprotection, conniving upbringing, emotional rejection, cruel or contradictory upbringing, upbringing under the conditions of the "cult of the disease"

Different researchers distinguish different accentuations. The most widespread are the classifications of K. Leonhard and A.E. Lichko, other classifications can be found in A.P. Egides, E.A.Nekrasova and V.V.Ponomarenko, N.I. Kozlov and other authors.

In his work "Accentuated Personalities" Karl Leonhard identified ten pure types and a number of intermediate ones.

Pure types:

1.Demonstrative(self-confidence, vanity, boasting, lies, flattery, focus on one's own self as a standard). An analogue of the hysteroid type according to Lichko.

2.Emotive(kindness, fearfulness, compassion). - Analogue of the labile type according to Lichko.

3.Hyperthymic(desire for activity, pursuit of experiences, optimism, focus on luck);

4.Dysthymic(lethargy, emphasizing ethical aspects, worries and fears, focus on failure);

5 labile(mutual compensation of traits, focus on different standards);

6 anxious(fearfulness, timidity, submissiveness);

7.Exalted(inspiration, lofty feelings, elevation of emotions into a cult). Analogue of the Lichko labile type.

8 pedantic(indecision, conscientiousness, hypochondria, fear of inconsistency with ideals). An analogue of the psychasthenic type according to Lichko.

9 getting stuck(suspicion, resentment, vanity, transition from exaltation to despair); - analogue of Ixotim, Viscous character according to Kretschmer. Another analogy is epileptoid.

10 excitable(irascibility, ponderousness, pedantry, focus on instincts). Analogue of the epileptoid type according to Lichko.

The other two types are - extroverted and introverted type, were described by K. Leonhard as intermediate types, since they no longer relate to the character, but to the personal level.

Karl Leonhard is primarily a psychiatrist, and his classification of types of accentuation is closest not to healthy people, but to psychiatric practice. A.E. Lichko described to a greater extent mentally safe people and younger people, namely adolescents and young men.

According to the classification of A.E. Lichko, the following types of character accentuations can be distinguished:

Hyperthymic type a constant sign is a good mood. Energetic, hyperactive. Friendship is superficial, the soul of the company. Unforgettable. Conformist. Romantic. Loves sex. Straightforward. Fair. The family is entertainment partners. Get along easily with others. With money - a goof. Doesn't make a career. The organizer is not bad, but only temporarily. Hardworking as part of a team. Working professions. They drink. An out-of-home person. Speech is quick, slurred. Memory and erudition are mediocre. Reflection is weak or absent. Thinks in terms of axioms. Adventurer. Creativity is primitive, artless. Self-taught. The will is strong. Easily influenced. Dare. Angry. Authentic, does not seek to impress. The level of claims is low. The humor is greasy, rude. Not religious. Empathy is not well developed. Anarchy is inherent.

Cycloid type with the cycloid type of character accentuation, there are two phases - hyperthymic and subdepression. They are not expressed sharply, are usually short-lived (1-2 weeks) and can be interspersed with long breaks. A person with cycloid accentuation experiences cyclical mood changes when depression is replaced by an increased mood. With a decline in mood, such people show increased sensitivity to reproaches, they do not tolerate public humiliation. However, they are proactive, cheerful and sociable. Their hobbies are unstable; during a recession, they tend to abandon things. Sexual life is highly dependent on the ups and downs of their general condition. In an increased, hyperthymic phase, such people are extremely similar to hyperthymes.

​Labile type the main feature of the labile type is extreme mood variability, rapid and unpredictable switching of the emotional state ... A rich sensory sphere, high sensitivity to signs of attention. Severe mental pain with emotional rejection from loved ones, loss of loved ones and separation from those to whom they are attached. Sociability, good nature, sincere affection, social responsiveness. They are interested in communication, are drawn to their peers, are content with the role of the guardian.

Astheno-neurotic type the overall picture is of a thin man with narrow shoulders, thin arms and hands, a long and narrow chest, and a belly devoid of fat. The face of the asthenic is usually long, narrow and pale, in the profile there is a sharp discrepancy between the elongated nose and the small lower jaw, and therefore it is called angular in shape. The corresponding type of character is schizotim. Closed (the so-called autism), serious, prone to fluctuations of emotions from irritation to dryness, stubborn, not amenable to changes in attitudes and attitudes. Difficulty adapting to a new environment, inclined to abstraction.

Sensitive type excessive sensitivity, impressionability, high moral requirements in the first place for oneself, low self-esteem, shyness and shyness. Under the blows of fate, they easily become extremely cautious, suspicious and withdrawn. Tastefully dressed, in moderation. A good-natured and attentive facial expression. Is helpful and monitors the reactions of others. Executive and dedicated. Able to show kindness and mutual assistance. Very sociable, sociable. Social recognition is important. Interests in the intellectual and aesthetic sphere.

Psychasthenic type determines the tendency to introspection and reflection. Psychasthenics often hesitate when making decisions and do not tolerate high demands and the burden of responsibility for themselves and others. Such subjects demonstrate accuracy and prudence, a characteristic feature of them is self-criticism and reliability. They usually have an even mood without drastic changes. In sex, they are often afraid to make a mistake, but in general, their sex life is unremarkable.

Schizoid type Speech: "porridge in the mouth." Non-plastic. This is a human formula. Thinking original but inconsistent. In creativity, the process is important, not the result. In science, a generator of ideas. In religion, a theologian. Ideas are paradoxical and often premature. Schizoids are the mind of the earth. Intellectual aggression. Feels bad about the other. Creators of semantic humor (including black). Wooden mask on the face. Lack of image. Sex is speculative. The family is an application to intellectual being. There is a creative mess on the table. Gravitates towards theoretical research and calculations.

Epileptoid type the speech is intelligible. Thinking is standard. Discreet but explosive. Loves order. Ultimate. Legalist. Moralizer. Frivolous. Conservative. Esprit de corps. Conductor of ideology. Inquisitor. Career "graduated". Brings justice. Reliable. Sex is normal. Family man. My home is my castle. "Trench" friendship. He is an officer, teacher, doctor.

Hysteroid type - hysterical personality, hysteroid - consists of the following features. Firstly, this is the desire to stand out, to attract the attention of others, to be in the spotlight. Secondly, artistry, imagination, ease of getting used to any role and any invented truth. And thirdly, the lack of objectivity in relation to others and to oneself. Ease of self-justification, natural self-deception is characteristic. You probably learned that these are the most characteristic feminine traits. True, hysterics are more often women.

Unstable type- an unstable type of character accentuation determines laziness, unwillingness to carry out work or educational activities in a person. These people have a pronounced craving for entertainment, idle pastime, idleness. Their ideal is to be left without outside control and be on their own. They are sociable, open, helpful. They talk a lot. Sex for them is a source of entertainment, sex life begins early, the feeling of love is often unfamiliar to them. Are prone to alcohol and drug use.

Conformal type the conformal type is characterized by conformity to the environment, such people tend to "think like everyone else." They do not tolerate drastic changes, breaking the stereotype of life, deprivation of the familiar environment. Their perception is extremely rigid and highly constrained by their expectations. People with this type of accentuation are friendly, disciplined and non-conflicting. Their hobbies and sex life are determined by their social environment. Bad habits depend on the attitude towards them in the immediate social circle, which they are guided by when forming their values.

The Lichko system found further development as a typology of characters or psychotypes. They are described in the books of A.P. Egides, E.A.Nekrasova and V.V. Ponomarenko. A.P. Egides described healthy people and adult people, and in his classification paranoid, epileptoid, hysteroid, hyperthyroid and schizoid are distinguished. We emphasize once again that these psychotypes have nothing in common with such diseases as paranoia, epilepsy, hysteria and schizophrenia. These are the terms that define the normal "personality pattern".

Types of character accentuations describe not only the character itself, but also the personality. Personality is a broader concept than character, it includes intelligence, abilities, worldview ...

As in the case of psychopathies, different types can be combined, or mixed, in one person, although these combinations are not all.

In order to understand what is meant by character accentuations, it is necessary to analyze the concept of "character". In psychology, this term is understood as a set (or aggregate) of the most stable traits of a person, which leave an imprint on the entire life of a person and determine his relationship to people, to himself and to business. Character finds its manifestation both in human activity and in his interpersonal contacts, and, of course, he gives his behavior a peculiar shade characteristic only for him.

The very term character has been proposed Theophrastus, who was the first to give a broad description of the 31st type of human character ( read about), among which he singled out boring, boastful, insincere, talkative, etc. Later, many different classifications of character were proposed, but all of them were built on the basis of typical traits inherent in a certain group of people. But there are times when typical character traits are manifested more vividly and peculiarly, which makes them unique and original. Sometimes these traits can "sharpen", and most often they appear spontaneously, under the influence of certain factors and in appropriate conditions. This sharpening (or rather the intensity of features) in psychology is called character accentuation.

The concept of character accentuation: definition, essence and severity

Accentuation of character- excessive intensity (or strengthening) of individual traits of a person's character, which emphasizes the originality of a person's reactions to influencing factors or a specific situation. For example, anxiety as a character trait in its usual degree of manifestation is reflected in the behavior of most people who find themselves in extraordinary situations. But if anxiety acquires the features of accentuation of the character of the personality, then the behavior and actions of a person will be distinguished by the predominance of inadequate concern and nervousness. Such manifestations of traits are, as it were, on the border of norm and pathology, but, when exposed to negative factors, certain accentuations can turn into psychopathy or other deviations in a person's mental activity.

So, the accentuation of human character traits ( in the lane. from lat. accentus means stress, strengthening) inherently do not go beyond the boundaries of the norm, but in some situations they quite often prevent a person from building normal relationships with people around him. This is due to the fact that each type of accentuation has its own "Achilles heel" (the most vulnerable spot) and most often the impact of negative factors (or a traumatic situation) falls on it, which in the future can lead to mental disorders and inappropriate behavior person. But it is necessary to clarify that accentuations themselves are not mental deviations or disorders, although in the current International Classification of Diseases (10 revision) accentuations are all tact and are included in class 21 / item Z73 as a problem that is associated with certain difficulties in maintaining normal for a lifestyle person.

Despite the fact that the accentuation of certain traits in character, in terms of their strength and characteristics of manifestation, quite often go beyond the boundaries of a person's usual behavior, nevertheless, they cannot in themselves be attributed to pathological manifestations. But it must be remembered that under the influence of difficult life circumstances, traumatic factors and other stimuli that destroy the human psyche, the manifestation of accentuations increases and the frequency of their repetitions increases. And this can lead to various neurotic and hysterical reactions.

Itself the concept of "character accentuation" was introduced by a German psychiatrist Karl Leonhard(or rather, he used the terms "accentuated personality" and "accentuated personality trait"). He also owns the first attempt at their classification (it was presented to the scientific community in the second half of the last century). Subsequently, the term was refined A.E. Lichko, who understood by accentuations the extreme variants of the character norm, when there is an excessive strengthening of some of his features. According to the scientist, at the same time, there is a selective vulnerability, which is related to certain psychogenic influences (even in the case of good and high resistance). A.E. Lichko emphasized that, regardless of the fact that any accentuation, although it is an extreme option, is still a norm, and therefore it cannot be presented as a psychiatric diagnosis.

The severity of accentuations

Andrey Lichko singled out two degrees of manifestation of accentuated features, namely: explicit (the presence of clearly expressed features of a certain accentuated type) and hidden (under standard conditions, features of a particular type are manifested very weakly, or are not visible at all). Below, in the table, there are more detailed description these degrees.

Degrees of severity of accentuations

Dynamics of accentuation of personality character

In psychology, unfortunately, today the problems related to the development and dynamics of accentuations have not yet been sufficiently studied. The most significant contribution to the development of this issue was made by A.E. Lichko, who emphasized the following phenomena in the dynamics of types of accentuations (in stages):

• the formation of accentuations and the sharpening of their features in a person (this happens in puberty), and later they can be smoothed out and compensated (explicit accentuations are replaced by hidden ones);
• with hidden accentuations, the features of a particular accentuated type are revealed under the influence of traumatic factors (the blow is applied to the most vulnerable in the place, that is, where the least resistance is observed);
• against the background of a certain accentuation, certain disorders and deviations occur (deviant behavior, neurosis, acute affective reaction, etc.);
• types of accentuations undergo a certain transformation under the influence of the environment or due to mechanisms that were laid down constitutionally;
• the formation of acquired psychopathy occurs (accentuations were the basis for this, creating a vulnerability that is selective for the adverse effects of external factors).

Typology of character accentuations

As soon as scientists turned their attention to the features of the manifestation of a person's character and the presence of some similarity, their different typologies and classifications immediately began to appear. In the last century, the scientific searches of psychologists were focused on the features of the manifestation of accentuations - this is how the first typology of character accentuations appeared in psychology, which was proposed back in 1968 by Karl Leonhard. His typology became widely known, but the classification of types of accentuations developed by Andrei Lichko, who, when creating it, relied on the works of K. Leonhard and P. Gannushkin (he developed a classification of psychopathies), became even more popular. Each of these classifications is designed to describe certain types of character accentuation, some of which (both in Leonhard's typology and in Lichko's typology) have common features of their manifestations.

Character accentuations according to Leonhard

K. Leonhard divided his classification of character accentuations into three groups, which were allocated to him depending on the origin of accentuations, or rather, where they are localized (related to temperament, character or personality level). In total, K. Leonhard identified 12 types and they were distributed as follows:

• the temperament (natural education) included hyperthymic, dysthymic, affective-labile, affective-exalted, anxious and emotive types;
• the scientist attributed the demonstrative, pedantic, stuck and excitable types to the character (socially conditioned education);
• the personal level included two types - extra- and introverted.

Character accentuations according to Leonhard

K. Leonhard developed his typology of accentuations, based on the assessment of interpersonal communication of people. His classification is focused primarily on adults. Based on the concept of Leonhard, a characterological questionnaire was developed, the author of which is H. Schmiszek. This questionnaire allows you to determine the dominant type of accentuation in a person.

The types of accentuation of Shmishek's character are as follows: hyperthymic, anxious-fearful, dysthymic, pedantic, excitable, emotive, stuck, demonstrative, cyclomitic and affective-exalted. In the Shmishek questionnaire, the characteristics of these types are presented according to the Leonhard classification.

Accentuation of character according to Lichko

Basis of classification A. Lichko were accentuations of character in adolescents, because he directed all his research on the study of the characteristics of the manifestation of character in adolescence and the causes of the appearance of psychopathies in this period. As Lichko argued, in adolescence, pathological character traits are most clearly manifested and find their expression in all spheres of the adolescent's life (in the family, school, interpersonal contacts, etc.). Adolescent accentuations of character are manifested in a similar way, for example, a teenager with a hyperthymic type of accentuation splashes everywhere with his energy, with a hysterical one - attracts as much attention as possible, and with a schizoid type, on the contrary, he tries to protect himself from others.

According to Lichko, they are relatively stable in puberty, but speaking about this, the following features must be remembered:

• most types are sharpened precisely in adolescence, and this period is the most critical for the onset of psychopathies;
• all types of psychopathies are formed at a certain age (the schizoid type is determined from early years, psychosthenic traits are manifested in primary school, the hyperthymic type is most clearly visible in adolescents, cycloid mainly in youth (although in girls it can manifest itself at the beginning of puberty), and the sensitive type is mainly formed by the age of 19);
• the presence of a pattern of transformation of types in adolescence (for example, hyperthymic features can change to cycloid), under the influence of biological and social factors.

Many psychologists, including Lichko himself, argue that for the puberty period the term "character accentuation" is most ideal, because it is teenage character accentuations that manifest themselves as clearly as possible. By the time the adolescent period comes to an end, accentuations are mainly smoothed out or compensated, and some move from explicit to latent. But it should be remembered that adolescents who have obvious accentuations make up special group risk, since under the influence negative factor or traumatic situations, these traits can develop into psychopathy and affect their behavior (deviation, delinquency, suicidal behavior, etc.).

Lichko's character accentuations were identified on the basis of the classification of accentuated personalities by K. Leonhard and psychopathies by P. Gannushkin. Lichko's classification describes the following 11 types of character accentuations in adolescents: hyperthymic, cycloid, labile, asthenoneurotic, sensitive (or sensitive), psychasthenic (or anxious-suspicious), schizoid (or introverted), epileptoid (or inert-impulsive), hysteroid ( or demonstrative), volatile and conformal types. In addition, the scientist also called the mixed type, which combined some of the features different types accentuations.

Accentuation of character according to Lichko

Although A.E. Lichko studied mainly adolescent character accentuations, his typology is widely used to identify accentuations in adults.

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

Concept

The concept of "accentuated personality" was introduced by the German psychiatrist, psychopathologist Karl Leonhard. His classification of personalities had much in common with the concept of "latent psychopathies" proposed earlier by the Soviet scientist Peter Gannushkin. However, it was developed by Leonhard into an independent theory.

The scientist presented his reflections on the typology of character in the work "Accentuated Personalities". In the first part of the monograph, a classification and analysis of various accentuations is given, in the second, accentuated types are considered on the example of the heroes of classical works of world literature.

Although, according to the International Classification of Diseases 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 does not amount to a mental disorder!

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

Psychologists and psychotherapists around the world are actively interested in the issues of accentuation, since the disproportionate development of some 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, the accentuated personality, according to the Soviet psychiatrist, is too complex a concept, more in line with the idea of ​​psychopathy.

Correspondence table of accentuations according to Leonhard and Lichko.

Types of accentuations

The types of temperament and character accentuation according to Leonhard are distinguished into separate groups.

Temperament

The scientist attributed six types of accentuations to temperament as a biologically determined education. Let's briefly describe each of them.

1. Hypertensive (hypomanic) temperament. It is characterized by the predominance of an optimistic mood, a thirst for activity, a focus on success, and sociability. In the negative, superficiality develops, the inability to complete the matter. There is a violation of ethical standards, a waste of opportunities.
2. Dysthymic type (subdepressive). The opposite of hyperthymic. It is characterized by an orientation towards failure, pessimism, a serious ethical position, extreme passivity in actions, lethargy.
3. Affective-labile type (cyclomic). It is characterized by a frequent change in hyperthymic and dysthymic conditions.
4. Anxious. Characterized by the inability to defend their point of view in the dispute, fearfulness, timidity, alertness, submissiveness, humiliated position. Compensation is possible in the form of feigned self-confident or even impudent behavior.
5. The affective-exalted type is distinguished by the intensity of experiences, violent emotional reactions, a tendency to extreme manifestations of feelings (enthusiasm, despair). Easily recharged by the mood of others.
6. The emotive type is characterized by the ability to deeply feel and empathize. Differs in impressionability, kindness, compassion.

Character

Character classification according to Leonhard is represented by four types.

1. Demonstrative (hysterical) type. The peculiarity of accentuation is the hypertrophied propensity for repression. This explains the hysterics' ability to embellish reality. A person, as it were, enters the desired image, starting to believe his fantasies. Thanks to this trait, he easily adapts to the environment, instilling in himself a feeling of love, 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 supplant objective information about oneself. Have an ordinary person if you want to embellish the real state of affairs, the brakes are turned on. The hysteric is inclined to forget, 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 displace doubts, to discard insignificant details of the issue, therefore, they can hardly choose any solution. Hence the indecision, scrupulousness in work, hypochondria.
3. Stuck type. Differs in persistence of affective reactions. A penchant for ideas that completely overwhelm the thinking of a person. Stuck affect is most clearly manifested in the case when the personal interests of a person are affected. Affect in these cases turns out to be a response to wounded pride, as well as to various forms suppression, although objectively moral damage can be negligible. As a result, the stuck type develops traits such as suspicion, hostility, jealousy, painful ambition.
4. Excitable type (epileptoid). It is characterized by following lower instinctive urges and ignoring the voice of reason. As a result, impulsiveness, intemperance, exactingness, intolerance, irascibility, and conflict develops.

Extraversion / Introversion

Leongard's character types also include extroverted and introverted personality accentuations.

The psychiatrist's understanding of extra-, introversion differs from the popular definitions of these terms by 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.

The extraverted personality type according to Leonhard is a conformist, who does not subject to special analysis information coming from outside, and therefore is easily amenable to someone else's influence. An introvert, on the other hand, does not blindly succumb to the sensations of the present moment, focusing primarily on previous life experience and his own conclusions. Here Leonhard's opinion coincides with the point of view of Carl Jung, who ascribed features of mental types to introverts, and ethical (experiencing) types to extroverts.

Personality diagnostics techniques

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