To talk about the theory of temperament, to begin with, we will determine the understanding of this word. Temperamentum (Latin) - the normal ratio of several psychological characteristics or a combination of individual personality characteristics associated with behavioral, dynamic character properties. It characterizes the higher nervous activity of the body.
There are several studies of various authors on this subject, but all of them are somehow related or based on the theory of temperament developed by Hippocrates. He called it "humoral" (from the Latin. "Humor" - liquid). Hippocrates linked the properties of temperament with the biological fluid prevailing in the body:
- bile (chole): irritable, mobile, explosive, moods change quickly - this is choleric;
- mucus (phlegm): calm, phlegmatic, balanced, hardly switches attention - this is phlegmatic;
- blood (sanguine): easily tolerates difficulties, cheerful, optimistic, sociable - this is a sanguine person;
- black bile (melan chole): shy, prone to sadness, withdrawn, sensitive to troubles - this is a melancholic.
American and European view of science
Similar theories of temperament were created by the German E. Kretschmer and the American W. Sheldon. According to Kretschmer (constitutional theory), the nature and tendency to mental illness in humans are associated with the structure of the human body:
- Leptosomatic (fragile) is a schizotemic type. Prone to rapid change of emotions, closed and stubborn.
- Picnic (thick) - cyclotemic type (cyclotemia - manic-depressive psychosis). Easy to contact, realist, prone to a quick change of mood.
- Athletic (athletic) - Ixotemic type (Ixotemia - epilepsy). Calm, not flexible.
- Dysplastic (improperly formed) is a mixed type of temperament.
W. Sheldon identified three types of temperament depending on the structure of the body:
- cerebro-tonic: in Kretschmer it is a leptosomatic, and in Hippocrates - a melancholic;
- somatotonic: respectively, athletic, choleric;
- viscerotonic: picnic and sanguine.
Although this theory was popular among specialists in this field, in the future the connection between the structure of the body and mental illness was considered to be unproven.
Closer to reality
All theories of temperament in psychology, possessing sufficient accuracy in the definitions, still can not be considered one hundred percent dogma. Just because in real life mixes of types are possible, deviations from the approved norms.
Soviet look
A.I. When studying the types of the nervous system, Pavlov was guided by the fact that the processes of excitation and inhibition of it occur in each person according to an individual scenario. Depending on their speed, he identified four types:
- mobile: lively, strong (according to Hippocrates - choleric);
- weak: unbalanced (melancholic);
- quiet: sedentary (phlegmatic);
- unrestrained: strong, unbalanced (sanguine).
As you can see, all the basic theories of temperament in one way or another intersect with the theory of Hippocrates. The bottom line is one, only the names differ. It should be remembered that real life does not fit into any theory of temperament one hundred percent. We can only talk about patterns.