types of accents. Personal character accentuations

Leonhard's theory of accentuated personalities quickly proved its validity and usefulness. However, its use was limited by the age of the subjects - the questionnaire for determining accentuation is designed for adult subjects. Children and adolescents, having no relevant life experience, could not answer a number of test questions, so it turned out to be difficult to determine their accentuations.

The solution of this problem was taken up by the domestic psychiatrist Andrey Evgenievich Lichko. He modified it for use in childhood and adolescence, revised the descriptions of the types of accentuation, changed the names for some of them and introduced new types. A. E. Lichko considered it more expedient to study accentuations in adolescents, since most of them are formed before adolescence and are most clearly manifested during this period. He expanded the descriptions of accentuated characters with information about the manifestations of accentuations in children and adolescents, and the change in these manifestations as they grow up. Peru A.E. Lichko owns the fundamental monographs “Adolescent Psychiatry”, “Psychopathies and Accentuations of Character in Adolescents”, “Adolescent Narcology”.

Accentuations of character from the point of view of A. E. Lichko

A. E. Lichko was the first to suggest replacing the term “personality accentuations” with “character accentuations”, arguing that it is impossible to combine all the personal characteristics of a person with the definition of only accentuation. Personality is a much broader concept, including worldview, features of upbringing, education, and response to external events. The character, being an external reflection of the type of the nervous system, serves as a narrow characteristic of the characteristics of human behavior.

Accentuations of character according to Lichko are temporary changes in character that change or disappear in the process of growth and development of the child. However, many of them can turn into psychopathy or persist for life. The path of development of accentuation is determined by its severity, the social environment and the type (hidden or explicit) of accentuation.

Like Karl Leonhard, A.E. Lichko considered accentuations to be a variant of character deformation, in which some of its features become excessively pronounced. This increases the sensitivity of the individual to certain types of influences and makes it difficult to adapt in some cases. At the same time, in general, the ability to adapt remains at a high level, and with some types of influences (which do not affect the “places of least resistance”), accentuated personalities cope more easily with ordinary ones.

A.E. Lichko considered accentuations as borderline states between the norm and psychopathy. Accordingly, their classification is based on the typology of psychopathy.

A. E. Lichko identified the following types of accentuations: hyperthymic, cycloid, sensitive, schizoid, hysteroid, conformal, psychasthenic, paranoid, unstable, emotionally labile, epileptoid.

Hyperthymic type

People with this accentuation are great tacticians and bad strategists. Resourceful, enterprising, active, easily oriented in rapidly changing situations. Thanks to this, they can quickly improve their official and social position. However, in remote time they often lose their position due to the inability to think through the consequences of their actions, participation in adventures and the wrong choice of comrades.

Active, sociable, enterprising, the mood is always good. Children of this type are mobile, restless, often play pranks. Inattentive and poorly disciplined, teenagers of this type study in an unstable way. Often there are conflicts with adults. They have many superficial hobbies. They often overestimate themselves, strive to stand out, earn praise.

Cycloid character accentuation according to Lichko is characterized by high irritability and apathy. Children prefer to be alone at home instead of playing with their peers. Hardly experiencing any troubles, irritated in response to comments. The mood changes from good, upbeat, to depressed with a frequency of several weeks.

When growing up, the manifestations of this accentuation usually smooth out, but in a number of individuals they may persist or get stuck for a long time in one stage, more often oppressed melancholy. Sometimes there is a connection of mood changes with the seasons.

sensitive type

It is highly sensitive to both joyful and frightening or sad events. Teenagers do not like active, outdoor games, they do not play pranks, they avoid big companies. They are timid and bashful with strangers, give the impression of being closed. With close friends can be good comrades. They prefer to communicate with people younger or older than them. Obedient, love parents.

Perhaps the development of an inferiority complex or difficulty with adaptation in a team. They make high moral demands on themselves and the team. They have a developed sense of responsibility. Assiduous, prefer complex activities. They are very careful in choosing friends, they prefer older ones.

Schizoid type

Adolescents of this type are closed, they prefer loneliness or the company of elders to communicate with their peers. Defiantly indifferent and not interested in communicating with other people. They do not understand the feelings, experiences, the state of others, do not show sympathy. They also prefer not to show their own feelings. Peers often do not understand them, and therefore are hostile to schizoids.

Hysteroids are distinguished by a high need for attention to themselves, egocentrism. Demonstrative, artistic. They do not like it when in their presence they pay attention to someone else or praise others. There is a high need for admiration from others. Adolescents of the hysterical type tend to occupy an exceptional position among their peers, draw attention to themselves, and influence others. Often they become the initiators of various events. At the same time, hysteroids are unable to organize those around them, cannot become an informal leader, or earn authority from their peers.

Conmorphic type

Children and adolescents of the conformal type are distinguished by the lack of their own opinion, initiative, and criticality. They willingly submit to a group or authority. Their attitude to life can be characterized by the words "be like everyone else." At the same time, such teenagers are prone to moralizing and are very conservative. In order to protect their interests, representatives of this type are ready for the most unseemly acts, and all these acts find an explanation and justification in the eyes of a conforming personality.

Psychasthenic type

Adolescents of this type are characterized by a tendency to reflection, introspection, evaluation of the behavior of others. Their intellectual development is ahead of their peers. Their indecisiveness is combined with self-confidence, judgments and views are categorical. In moments when special care and attention are needed, they are prone to impulsive actions. With age, this type changes little. Often they have obsessions that serve as a means of overcoming anxiety. It is also possible to use alcohol or drugs. In relationships, they are petty and despotic, which interferes with normal communication.

paranoid type

The types of character accentuation according to Lichko do not always include this variant of accentuation due to its late development. The main manifestations of the paranoid type appear by the age of 30-40. In childhood and adolescence, such individuals are characterized by epileptoid or schizoid accentuation. Their main feature is an overestimation of their personality, and, accordingly, the presence of overvalued ideas about their exclusivity. These ideas differ from delusional ones in that they are perceived by others as real, albeit exaggerated.

Adolescents show an increased craving for entertainment, idleness. There are no interests, life goals, they do not care about the future. Often they are characterized as "going with the flow".

Emotionally labile type

Children are unpredictable, with frequent and violent mood swings. The reasons for these differences are minor trifles (an oblique look or an unfriendly phrase). During periods of bad mood, they require the support of loved ones. They feel good about themselves around them.

epileptoid type

At an early age, such children are often whiny. In the older one, they offend the younger ones, torture animals, mock those who cannot fight back. They are characterized by dominance, cruelty, pride. In the company of other children, they strive to be not just the main, but the ruler. The groups they manage are brutal, autocratic. However, their power rests to a large extent on the voluntary submission of other children. They prefer the conditions of strict discipline, they know how to please the leadership, to seize prestigious positions that make it possible to exercise power, to establish their own rules.

Many have heard about such a psychological term as “character accentuations” and even read the classification of each of them, determining what is closer to them. But in order to understand accentuations more deeply, you must first understand what character is and how it is formed.

Today we will talk in detail about these concepts and analyze the classification of character accentuations according to psychiatrist Andrei Lychko.

Person's character

What is character? Psychology under this concept provides for a set of traits most characteristic of a person, which in one way or another form his attitude to the world around him and determine his life activity and all his actions. Personality features are:

it affects the lifestyle and activities of a person;
helps to form interpersonal relationships with others;
forms the behavior of a person, which is inherent only to him.

Personality accentuation theories

The first theory of character accentuations was developed by Karl Leohard, it became incredibly useful and corresponded to the definition of a person's character as much as possible. But its use was limited by the fact that only adults could answer the questions. Since a child or teenager, due to their lack of necessary experience, cannot answer them, it is extremely difficult to determine their accentuation.

The domestic psychiatrist Andrei Lichko began to solve the problem. He was able to modify the Leogarde test to determine the character of a person, regardless of his age. In addition, Lichko somewhat reworked the characteristics of the types of accentuations, renamed some of them and introduced several new types.

Lichko believed that it was very important to study character accentuations in adolescents, since they are formed in childhood and at this age they manifest themselves especially brightly. The specialist expanded the characteristics of certain accentuations due to certain manifestations in childhood and adolescence, as well as how they change with age. The psychiatrist devoted such works to this as:

"Teenage Addiction";
"Adolescent Psychiatry";
"Psychopathies and character accentuations in adolescents".

Character accentuations according to Lichko and their features

Andrey Personally proposed to replace the previously existing term “personality accentuations” with “character accentuations”. He motivated the decision by the fact that all the features of a person's personality cannot be united under the concept of accentuation. After all, personality, in his opinion, is a broad concept that includes such things as:

worldview of a person;
education;
features of education;
reaction to events.

But the psychiatrist calls the external manifestations of a person to certain events by character, connects him with the nervous system and refers to the narrow characteristics of behavioral characteristics.

According to Lichko, character traits are temporary changes that may develop or disappear in the process of growth and development, some may develop into psychopathy. Accentuation develops in connection with such factors:

expressiveness;
type of accentuation;
the social environment of the person.

Both Lichko and Leohard believed that accentuation is a type of character deformation when its individual components become strongly pronounced. Due to this, sensitivity to certain types of influence increases, in some cases it is difficult to adapt to certain conditions. However, the ability to adapt is predominantly preserved, but accented people can cope with a number of influences easier than others.

According to Lichko, accentuations are borderline states between the norm and psychopathy, the classification depends on the typologies of psychopathy.

Accentuations of character and their degree of severity

The psychiatrist noted two degrees of manifestation of the accentuated characteristic features of a person - explicit and hidden.

Explicit Degree- this is a state when the accentuated traits of a person's character have excellent severity and can manifest themselves throughout life. At the same time, such traits are mostly well compensated even in the absence of mental trauma. Adolescents sometimes experience disadaptation.

But with a hidden degree most often manifested after a particular mental trauma or in a particular stressful situation. Accentuated features mostly do not disrupt adaptation, but short-term maladjustment is sometimes observed.

Accentuation of personality character in dynamics

In psychological science, the problems associated with the development or dynamics of character accentuations have not yet been thoroughly studied. Andrey Lichko made the most significant contribution to the study of this problem and noted such phenomena of the development of accentuations:

they are formed and sharpened to some extent at puberty, then they are smoothed out or compensated, obvious accentuations can change and become hidden;
against the background of hidden accentuations, the features of a particular type of character are revealed under psychotraumatic circumstances;
with one or another accentuation, certain disorders or disorders in the form of neuroses, an acute effective reaction or deviant behavior may appear;
one or another of their species can be transformed under the influence of the environment or mechanisms that were laid down by the human constitution;
acquired psychopathy.

How character accentuations are correctly formed according to Andrey Lichko

The classification of character traits according to Andrey Lichko is based on teenage accentuation. The scientist directed all his research to a detailed study of the characteristics of manifestations of character at this age, as well as the reasons that lead to the development of psychopathy in this period. According to the scientist, in adolescents, pathological character traits begin to manifest themselves as clearly as possible and are reflected in all areas of their life:

in communication with parents;
in friendly relations with peers;
in interpersonal contacts with strangers.

Thus, it is possible to unmistakably identify a teenager with a hyperthymic type of behavior, which is literally torn from the ejected energy, with a hysteroid type who tries to draw maximum attention to himself or a schizoid one, who, unlike the previous one, tries to isolate himself from the outside world.

At puberty, according to the scientist, character traits are relatively stable, but there are some nuances:

almost all types are sharpened in adolescence, this age is the most critical for the appearance of psychopathy;
All types of psychopathy begin to form at one age or another. So, schizoid is formed almost from birth, psychosthenics can be determined already from the age of 7, but a child with a hyperthymic type of accentuation is determined already at senior school age. The cycloid type is determined already from the age of 16-17, and the sensitive type - already from the age of 20 and older;
there are patterns of development of different types in adolescents, so the hyperthymic type can be replaced by a cycloid type under the influence of a social or biological factor.

Lichko and other experts believe that this term is most appropriately applicable to adolescents, since it is at this age that they manifest themselves most clearly. But by the time of the end of puberty, they begin to smooth out or compensate, some go from an explicit form to an acute one.

We must not forget that adolescents with obvious accentuations are at risk, because under the influence of traumatic or negative factors, their traits develop into psychopathy and in one way or another affect behavior in the form of delinquency, deviation or suicidal impulses.

Classification of character accentuations

Character accentuations according to Andrey Lichko are based on the classification of personality according to Leonhard and psychopathy according to Gannushkin. The classification under consideration is represented by the following types:

cycloid;
hyperthymic;
labile;
sensitive (sensitive);
asthenoneurotic;
schizoid (introvertive);
epileptoid (inert-impulsive);
unstable;
conforming;
hysterical (demonstrative);
psychasthenic (anxious and suspicious).

There is also a mixed type, which combines the features of various other types of accentuations.

At hyperthymic type a person is prone to a good mood, sometimes he is quick-tempered or irritable, is distinguished by increased activity, energy and high efficiency, has good health.

sensitive type accentuations are a high level of responsibility and sensitivity, self-esteem is unstable, a person is timid, shy and impressionable.

At cycloid type character, there is a frequent change of mood, depression and irritation can be abruptly replaced by calmness and high spirits.

Increased, even anxious suspiciousness is characteristic of people with psychasthenic type character, he is pedantic, reasonable and indecisive.

It is distinguished by an increased change in a person’s mood even for minor reasons, he has an increased affectivity, needs empathy and communication, is infantile and fragile in terms of emotions.

Person belonging to asthenoneurotic type, often irritable, capricious, gets tired quickly, has a low concentration of attention, is often suspicious, has a high level of pretension and is physically weak.

People with schizoid type personalities rarely show empathy and emotions, they are closed and introverted.

People conformal type able to adapt well to the norms of behavior characteristic of a particular social group, they are conservative, stereotyped and banal in reasoning.

Representatives hysteroid type are characterized by increased emotionality, require maximum attention and have unstable self-esteem. And those who belong to the unstable type have a weak will and cannot fight back negative influences from outside.

At epileptoid type impulsive and inert manifestations are combined, such as suspicion, irritability, hostility, conflict, painstaking, purposefulness and accuracy.

Despite the fact that Andrei Lichko developed his character accentuations based on the behavior of adolescents, his classification is often used to determine character types in adults.

It is often much easier for psychologists to communicate with patients by knowing their key character traits. Such classifications help to identify key patterns of human behavior and understand it better.

Character - an individual combination of stable, essential psychological characteristics of a person, which determine the way of behavior typical for a given subject in certain living conditions and circumstances (Asmolov).

Character- the framework of the personality, which includes only the most pronounced and closely interconnected personality traits, clearly manifested in various activities

Character- a set of stable properties of the individual, in which the ways of his behavior and emotional response are expressed. The character of a person is an alloy of innate properties of higher nervous activity with individual traits acquired during life, it consists in the individualization of personality traits and these properties are used in order to socialize (adapt) in the world. Character is the result of individualization and socialization of the properties of the individual.

Character defines content. It is formed on the basis of temperament in the process of education and socialization. Character is formed under the influence of both biological and social factors. The ability to influence its formation becomes the central distinguishing point in comparison with temperament (modern approach). But there were also opposite opinions.

Lazursky: X-r is formed on an anatomical and physiological basis and it is impossible to “re-educate” nature. The given features can only be sharpened or smoothed out, but they already exist from birth.

Today it is generally accepted that environmental and genetic factors are equivalent in the formation of character, character is formed throughout life. Changes in character appear in critical, stressful, difficult, painful conditions.

Character traits:

· The traits of x-ra are manifested only in socially significant conditions that are of particular importance for a person.

X-r differs from psychological states and processes in its stability.

Formed on the basis of temperament

Due to the peculiarities of education

· Of particular importance in the formation of x-ra is the volitional component (without the will, x-r is not formed). In order for the character to be stable, a stable attitude of the individual to his characteristics is necessary. Will is the force that allows insufficiently motivated behavior to be carried out.

Character functions:

1. adaptive: any feature of x-ra helps a person to interact effectively with the world. It is maladaptive only in its extreme manifestation.

2. defensive: xp is formed in the environment due to the conflict between personality substructures.

3. facilitating (facilitating): according to Asmolov, x-r determines the mode of action in relation to the outside world. We behave in accordance with the traits, without thinking that this saves energy. Manifestations of x-ra without thinking, contrary to consciousness - this is impulsiveness (increased caution, pretentiousness). Impulsivity is a form of character automatism (habit).

4. expressive: expressions of the qualitative attitude of the individual to what is happening, i.e. expression (politeness, sharpness, negligence), speech style (oral, written).

Through the functions of x-ra, one can speak about volitional, emotional, intellectual properties of character. Character properties- these are such individually peculiar personality traits that appear only in typical situations (socially significant) depending on the socially typical (significant) relations of the individual on the one hand and on the properties of the individual on the other.

x-ra structure:

Character traits exist in its structure not chaotically, but harmoniously organized. So, by the presence of some features, we can judge the presence / absence of others. Some authors single out contradictory (a combination of opposite traits) and non-contradictory x-ry.

Character structure - a holistic organization of individual character properties that depend on each other, are connected with each other.

The structure can be divided into:

1. - leading (main): set the general orientation of the personality, practically do not change.

Secondary: determined by the main ones. You can change thanks to the will factor.

2. X-r manifests itself in 3 areas: - emotional (passion, sentimentality, jealousy)

Strong-willed (persistence, determination, laziness)

Cognitive (practicality, criticality, curiosity, analyticity, etc.)

3. All traits x-ra express attitude:

To oneself (self-satisfaction, self-sufficiency)

To others (aggressiveness, contempt, greed, hospitality)

To the cause, goal, work (dutifulness, prudence, dedication, purposefulness).

X-ra types:

Receptive: Corresponds to Freud's oral x. Passive absorption of resources. The environment is a source of resources -> it is necessary to keep in touch with nature.

Exploitative: Desire to get something from outside. He does it actively and aggressively. Prone to theft, kleptomania, plagiarism. Rarely considers his own ideas worthwhile, so he takes them from others. This type of x-ra becomes an obstacle to creativity. Characteristic: envy, jealousy, cynicism, suspicion, sarcasm, causticity, black humor.

Cumulative: Propensity to accumulate, save. The main thing is not to receive, but to keep. In the emotional sphere - containment of feelings. Own-but: suspiciousness, suspicion, stinginess, greed, a tendency to litigiousness.

Market: Corresponds to Freud's neurotic x. The whole world, in their opinion, is "buying and selling." It cultivates in itself the qualities necessary for society, which can be sold more profitably (I myself am an object of sale). Weak volitional sphere, love is based on the exchange of something. The desire to do what they think is useful in life, and not what they want.

Productive: Learns the world around, other people. Productivity is the ability to use your strengths to the fullest and realize your potential. It is important to develop those qualities that you already possess. "-" traits must be transformed: stubbornness into perseverance, a tendency to exploitation into initiative. This is the only type that is capable of true love and is not afraid of intimacy.

Accentuation x-ra (according to Lichko):

The concept of “accentuation” was introduced by K. Leonhard (50s): A. is a cranial version of the x-ra norm, which provides a person’s resistance to one life event and increases sensitivity to others.

According to the well-known psychiatrist K. Leonhard, in 20-30% of people some character traits are so pointed (accentuated) that under certain circumstances this leads to the same type of conflicts and nervous breakdowns.

Usually accentuations develop during the formation of character and smooth out with growing up. Character traits with accentuations may not appear constantly, but only in certain situations, in a certain situation, and almost not be detected under normal conditions. Social maladaptation with accentuations is either completely absent or is short-lived.

Accentuation of character exaggerated development of individual character traits to the detriment of others, as a result, interaction with other people worsens. The severity of accentuation can be different - from mild, noticeable only to the immediate environment, to extreme options, when you have to think about whether there is a disease - psychopathy (a painful ugliness of character, as a result, relations with people deteriorate sharply, total, irreversible, leads to social maladaptation) . But unlike psychopathy, accentuations appear inconsistently, over the years they can significantly smooth out, approach the norm.

Ganushkin: Normal personality - incompatible concepts. Because personality is individuality, and the norm is the average, not outstanding.

A.E.Lichko (80s): it is not necessary to separate the accentuations of x-ra and the accentuations of temperament (as is done by Leonhard). Any accentuations of personality are accentuations of x-ra.

Type of accentuated personality according to K. Leonhard (1976)	Type of character accentuation according to our classification
Demonstrative	hysterical
Pedantic	Psychasthenic
stuck
Excitable	epileptoid
Hyperthymic	Hyperthymic
dysthymic
Affectively labile	Cycloid
Affectively exalted	Labile
emotive	Labile
Anxious (fearful)	sensitive
extroverted	Hyperthymically conformal
introverted	Schizoid
Same	sensitive
	Unstable
	Conformal
	Asthenoneurotic

Hyperthymic type:

Hyperthymic adolescents are distinguished by great mobility, sociability, talkativeness, excessive independence, a penchant for mischief, and a lack of a sense of distance in relation to adults. From the first years of life, they make a lot of noise everywhere, love the company of their peers and strive to command them. The main feature of hyperthymic adolescents is almost always a very good, even high spirits. Only occasionally and for a short time this sunshine is overshadowed by outbursts of irritation, anger, aggression.

The good mood of hyperthymic adolescents is harmoniously combined with good health, high vitality, often blooming appearance. They always have a good appetite and healthy sleep... The reaction of emancipation is especially distinct. An irrepressible interest in everything around makes hyperthymic teenagers illegible in choosing acquaintances. Always a good mood and high vitality create favorable conditions for reassessing one's abilities and capabilities. Excessive self-confidence encourages "to show oneself", to appear before others in a favorable light, to brag.

Hyperthymically unstable the variant of psychopathization is the most frequent. Here, the thirst for entertainment, fun, risky adventures comes to the fore more and more and pushes to the neglect of occupations and work, to alcoholism and drug use, to sexual excesses and delinquency - in the end it can lead to an asocial lifestyle ...

Hyperthymia-hysteroid option is much less common. Against the background of hyperthymia, hysteroid features gradually emerge. When faced with life's difficulties, in failures, in desperate situations and with the threat of serious punishments, there is also a desire to pity others (up to demonstrative suicidal actions), and to impress with one's originality, and to brag, "splurge".

Hyperthymno-affective the variant of psychopathization is characterized by an increase in the features of affective explosiveness, which creates a resemblance to explosive psychopathy. Outbursts of irritation and anger, often characteristic of hyperthyms, when they meet resistance or fail, here they become especially violent and arise at the slightest provocation. At the height of affect, control over oneself is often lost.

Cycloid type:

In adolescence, two variants of cycloid accentuation can be seen: typical to labile cycloids.

Typical cycloids in childhood are no different from their peers or more often give the impression of hyperthyms. With the onset of puberty, the first subdepressive phase occurs. It is distinguished by a tendency to apathy and irritability. What used to be easy and simple, now requires incredible effort. It becomes harder to learn. Human society begins to weigh down, the company of peers is avoided, adventure and risk lose all appeal. Minor troubles and failures, which usually begin to crumble due to a drop in efficiency, are extremely hard to experience. Serious failures and complaints from others can deepen the subdepressive state or cause an acute affective reaction with suicidal attempts. In typical cycloids, the phases are usually short, lasting two to three weeks...

Adolescent behavioral responses in cycloids, both typical and labile, are usually moderate. Hobbies are characterized by instability - during subdepressive periods they are abandoned, during the period of upsurge they find new ones or return to the old abandoned ones. Self-assessment of character in cycloids is formed gradually, as the experience of "good" and "bad" periods accumulates. Adolescents do not yet have this experience, and therefore self-assessment can still be very inaccurate ...

labile type.

The main feature of the labile type is extreme mood variability. We can talk about the emerging formation of a labile type in cases where the mood changes too often and too abruptly, and the reasons for these radical changes are insignificant. The mood is characterized not only by frequent and abrupt changes, but also by their significant depth. Well-being, appetite, sleep, and ability to work depend on the mood of the moment. Representatives of the labile type are capable of deep feelings, of great and sincere affection. Labile adolescents are very sensitive to all kinds of signs of attention, gratitude, praise and encouragement - all this gives them sincere joy, but does not at all induce arrogance or conceit. The reaction of emancipation in labile adolescents is expressed very moderately. Self-esteem is sincere.

Astheno-neurotic type

The main features of astheno-neurotic accentuation are increased fatigue, irritability and a tendency to hypochondria. Fatigue is especially evident in mental activities. The irritability of neurasthenics is most similar to affective outbursts in adolescents of the labile type. The tendency to hypochondriasis is a particularly typical feature. Delinquency, running away from home, alcoholism and other behavioral disorders are not characteristic of adolescents of the astheno-neurotic type. Self-assessment of astheno-neurotic adolescents usually reflects their hypochondriacal attitudes. They note the dependence of a bad mood on feeling unwell, poor sleep at night and drowsiness during the day, weakness in the morning. In thinking about the future, the central place is occupied by concerns about one's own health.

sensitive type

Since childhood, fearfulness and timidity are manifested. Such children are often afraid of the dark, avoid animals, are afraid to be alone, feel timid and shy among strangers, in a new environment, and are generally not inclined to easy communication with strangers. All this sometimes gives the impression of isolation, isolation from the environment and makes one suspect autistic tendencies inherent in schizoids. The early interest in abstract knowledge, "children's encyclopedia", characteristic of schizoids, also does not appear. The beginning of puberty usually passes without any complications. Difficulties in adaptation often occur at the age of 16-19. It is at this age that both main qualities of the sensitive type, noted by P. B. Gannushkin, appear - "extreme impressionability" and "a pronounced sense of one's own insufficiency." The reaction of emancipation in sensitive adolescents is rather weakly expressed. The feeling of inferiority in sensitive adolescents makes the reaction of hypercompensation especially pronounced. Due to the same reaction of hypercompensation, sensitive adolescents find themselves in public positions (headmen, etc.). They are put forward by educators attracted by obedience and diligence. However, they are only enough to fulfill the formal side of the function entrusted to them with great personal responsibility, but informal leadership in such teams goes to others. Unlike schizoids, sensitive teenagers do not shut themselves off from comrades, do not live in imaginary fantastic groups, and are not able to be a "black sheep" in a normal teenage environment. Self-assessment of sensitive adolescents is characterized by a rather high level of objectivity. The weak link of sensitive personalities is the attitude of others around them. Unbearable for them is the situation where they become the object of ridicule or suspicion of unseemly acts, when the slightest shadow falls on their reputation or when they are subjected to unfair accusations ...

Psychasthenic type

Psychasthenic manifestations in childhood are insignificant and are limited to timidity, fearfulness, motor awkwardness, a tendency to reasoning and early "intellectual interests" ... ease of formation of obsessions - obsessive fears, fears, actions, rituals, thoughts, ideas. The fears of the psychasthenic are entirely addressed to the possible, even to the unlikely future (futuristic orientation). The dangers are real and the hardships that have already happened are much less frightening. Specially invented signs and rituals become protection from constant anxiety for the future. Another defense is a specially developed pedantry and formalism. Indecision and reasoning in a psychasthenic teenager go hand in hand. Any independent choice, no matter how insignificant it may be - for example, which movie to go to see on Sunday - can become the subject of long and painful hesitation. However, the decision already made must be immediately implemented. Psychasthenics do not know how to wait, showing amazing impatience. The tendency to self-analysis most of all extends to thinking about the motives of one's actions and actions, manifests itself in the company in one's feelings and experiences. Self-esteem, despite the tendency to introspection, is not always correct. Often there is a tendency to find in oneself a wide variety of character traits, including completely unusual ones.

Schizoid type

The most significant feature of this type is isolation (Kahn; 1926), isolation from the environment, inability or unwillingness to establish contacts, reduced need for communication ... Sometimes spiritual loneliness does not even bother a schizoid teenager who lives in his own world. But more often, schizoids themselves suffer from their isolation, loneliness, inability to communicate, and the inability to find a friend to their liking. The lack of empathy is the inability to share the joy and sadness of another, to understand resentment, to feel someone else's excitement and anxiety. This is sometimes referred to as a weakness of emotional resonance. To the range of schizoid features, one can add the inability to convince others in one's own words. The inner world is almost always closed from prying eyes. The entrainment reaction in schizoid adolescents is usually more pronounced than all other specific behavioral reactions of this age. Hobbies are often distinguished by unusualness, strength and stability. Most often you have to meet intellectual and aesthetic hobbies. Self-esteem of schizoids is distinguished by a statement of what is associated with isolation, loneliness, difficulty in contacts, misunderstanding on the part of others. The attitude to other problems is estimated much worse. Inconsistencies in their behavior, they usually do not notice or do not attach importance to it. They like to emphasize their independence and independence.

epileptoid type

The main features of the epileptoid type are a tendency to dysphoria, and the affective explosiveness closely associated with them, a tense state of the instinctive sphere, sometimes reaching an anomaly of drives, as well as viscosity, stiffness, heaviness, inertia, leaving an imprint on the entire psyche, from motor skills and emotionality to thinking and personal values. Affective discharges can be the result of dysphoria - adolescents in these states often themselves look for a reason for a scandal. But affects can also be the fruit of those conflicts that easily arise in epileptoid adolescents due to their dominance, intransigence, cruelty and selfishness. Love among representatives of this type is almost always colored by gloomy tones of jealousy. The reaction of emancipation in epileptoid adolescents is often very difficult. The case can reach a complete break with relatives, in relation to which extreme anger and vindictiveness act. The reaction of enthusiasm is usually expressed quite clearly. Almost all epileptoids pay tribute to gambling.

hysteroid type

His main feature is boundless egocentrism, an insatiable thirst for constant attention to his person, admiration, surprise, reverence, sympathy. At worst, even indignation or hatred directed at oneself is preferred, but not indifference and indifference. All other qualities of the hysteroid feed on this trait. Among the behavioral manifestations of hysteria in adolescents, suicidality should be put in the first place. We are talking about frivolous attempts, demonstrations, "pseudo-suicides", "suicidal blackmail". The reaction of emancipation can have violent external manifestations: runaways from home, conflicts with relatives and elders, loud demands for freedom and independence, etc. However, in fact, the real need for freedom and independence is not at all characteristic of adolescents of this type - they don't want to get rid of it at all. Hobbies are almost entirely concentrated in the field of the egocentric type of hobby. Self-esteem of hysteroid adolescents is far from objectivity. Those character traits that can impress at the moment are emphasized.

Unstable type

Kraepelin (1915) called representatives of this type unrestrained, unstable (With the similarity of the names "labile" and "unstable", it should be pointed out that the first refers to the emotional sphere, and the second to behavior). Schneider (1923) and Stutte (1960) emphasized their lack of will ("weak-willed", "weak-willed") more in their names. Their lack of will is clearly visible when it comes to study, work, the fulfillment of duties and duty, the achievement of goals that their relatives, elders, and society set for them. However, in the search for entertainment, representatives of this type also do not show assertiveness, but rather go with the flow. Indifference to their future, they do not make plans, do not dream of any profession or any position for themselves. They live entirely in the present, wanting to get the most out of it for entertainment and pleasure. Weakness of will is, apparently, one of the main features of the unstable. It is weakness of will that makes it possible to keep them in an environment of a harsh and strictly regulated regime. The self-assessment of unstable adolescents is often distinguished by the fact that they attribute to themselves either hyperthymic or conformal traits.

Conformal type

P. B. Gannushkin (1933) aptly outlined some features of this type - a constant readiness to obey the voice of the majority, stereotyped, banal, a tendency to walking morality, good manners, conservatism. The main character trait of this type is a constant and excessive conformity to their immediate familiar environment. These individuals are characterized by distrust and a wary attitude towards strangers. Representatives of the conformal type are people of their environment. Their main quality, the main life rule is to think “like everyone else”, act “like everyone else”, try to make everything “like everyone else” for them. In an effort to always be in accordance with their environment, they are completely unable to resist it. Therefore, a conforming personality is entirely a product of its microenvironment. Conformity is combined with striking uncriticality. Everything that the environment familiar to them says, everything that they learn through the channel of information familiar to them, is the truth for them. To all this, conformal subjects are conservatives by nature. They do not like the new, because they cannot quickly adapt to it, it is difficult to master in a new situation. They are non-initiative.

mixed types. These types make up almost half of the cases of explicit accentuations. Their features are not difficult to imagine based on the previous descriptions. The combinations that occur are not random. They follow certain rules. Features of some types are combined with each other quite often, while others - almost never. There are two kinds of combinations.

Intermediate types are due to endogenous patterns, primarily genetic factors, and also, possibly, developmental features in early childhood. These include the already described labile-cycloid and conformally hyperthymic types, as well as combinations of the labile type with astheno-neurotic and sensitive, astheno-neurotic with sensitive and psychasthenic. This can also include such intermediate types as schizoid-sensitive, schizoid-psychasthenic, schizoid-epileptoid, schizoid-hysteroid, hysteroid-epileptoid. Due to endogenous patterns, the transformation of the hyperthymic type into the cycloid type is possible.

Amalgam types are also mixed types, but of a different kind. They are formed as a result of the stratification of traits of one type on the endogenous core of another due to improper upbringing or other chronically acting psychogenic factors. Here, too, far from everything is possible, but only some stratifications of one type on another. These phenomena are considered in more detail in the chapter on psychopathic developments. It should also be noted here that the hyperthymic-unstable and hyperthymic-hysteroid types represent the addition of unstable or hysteroid traits to the hyperthymic basis. The labile-hysteroid type is usually the result of layering and hysteria on emotional lability, and the schizoid-unstable and epileptoid-unstable type is the result of instability on a schizoid or epileptoid basis. The latter combination is characterized by increased criminogenic danger. With the hysteroid-unstable type, instability is only a form of expression of hysteroid traits. The conformally unstable type arises as a result of the upbringing of a conformal teenager in an antisocial environment. The development of conformity-based epileptoid traits is possible when an adolescent grows up in an environment of rigid relationships. Other combinations are practically non-existent.

Similar information.

Plan.

1. Introduction.

2. Hyperthymic type

3. Cycloid type

4. labile type

5. Astheno-neurotic type

6. sensitive type

7. Psychasthenic type

8. Schizoid type

9. epileptoid type

10. hysteroid type

11. Unstable type

12. Conformal type

13. mixed types.

14. On the dynamics of character accentuations

15. Literature

Introduction.

Character is a set of stable personality traits that determine the attitude of a person to people, to the work performed. Character is manifested in activity and communication and includes what gives a person’s behavior a specific, characteristic shade for him.

In the period of character formation, its typological features, not yet being smoothed and obscured by life experience, come to light so clearly that they sometimes resemble psychopathy, i.e., pathological anomalies of character. With maturation, the features of accentuations are usually smoothed out. This allowed us to talk about “transient adolescent character accentuations” [Lichko A.E., 1977].

Depending on the degree of severity, we identified two degrees of character accentuation: explicit and hidden (Lichko; Aleksandrov; 1973).

obvious accentuation. This degree of accentuation refers to the extreme variants of the norm. It is distinguished by the presence of fairly constant traits of a certain type of character.

In adolescence, character traits are often sharpened, and under the influence of psychogenic factors that address the "place of least resistance", temporary disturbances in adaptation and deviations in behavior may occur. When growing up, character traits remain quite pronounced, but they are compensated and usually do not interfere with adaptation.

Hidden accent. This degree, apparently, should be attributed not to the extreme, but to the usual variants of the norm. In ordinary, familiar conditions, the traits of a certain type of character are weakly expressed or do not appear at all. Even with prolonged observation, versatile contacts and detailed acquaintance with the biography, it is difficult to get a clear picture of a certain type of character. However, traits of this type can be clearly, sometimes unexpectedly, revealed under the influence of those situations and mental traumas that place increased demands on the "place of least resistance." Psychogenic factors of a different kind, even severe ones, not only do not cause mental disorders, but may not even reveal the type of character. If such features are revealed, this, as a rule, does not lead to noticeable social maladaptation.

Psychopathies are such anomalies of character that, according to P. B. Gannushkin (1933), “determine the entire mental appearance of the individual, imposing their imperious imprint on his entire mental warehouse”, “during life ... they are not exposed to any abrupt changes", "prevent ... adapt to the environment". These three criteria were designated by O. V. Kerbikov (1962) as the totality and relative stability of pathological character traits and their severity to a degree that violates social adaptation.

Adjustment disorders, or, more precisely, social maladaptation, in cases of psychopathy usually go through the entire adolescent period.

These are the three criteria - totality, relative stability of character and social maladjustment - that make it possible to distinguish psychopathy.

The types of character accentuations are very similar and partially coincide with the types of psychopathy.

There are two classifications of character accentuation types. The first was proposed by K. Leongard (1968) and the second by A. E. Lichko (1977). We present a comparison of these classifications made by VV Yustitsky (1977).

Accentuated personality type according to K. Leonhard	Type of character accentuation, according to A.E. Lichko
Labile (affectively labile and affectively exalted)	labile cycloid
super mobile emotive	Labile
Demonstrative	hysterical
Over-punctual (pedantic)	Psychasthenic
Rigid affective uncontrollable (excitable)	epileptoid
introverted	Schizoid
Fearful (anxious)	sensitive
Unconcentrated or neurasthenic	Astheno-neurotic
extrovert	Conformal
Weak-willed	Unstable
-	Hyperthymic
-	Cycloid

Hyperthymic type

This type of psychopathy is described in detail by Schneider (1923) and P.B. Gannushkin (1933) in adults and G.E. Sukhareva (1959) in children and adolescents. P.B. Gannushkin gave this type the name "constitutionally excited" and included it in the group of cycloids.

Information from relatives indicates that since childhood, hyperthymic adolescents are distinguished by great mobility, sociability, talkativeness, excessive independence, a tendency to mischief, and a lack of a sense of distance in relation to adults. From the first years of life, they make a lot of noise everywhere, love the company of their peers and strive to command them. Kindergarten teachers complain about their restlessness.

The main feature of hyperthymic adolescents is almost always a very good, even high spirits. Only occasionally and for a short time this sunshine is overshadowed by outbursts of irritation, anger, aggression.

The reaction of emancipation is especially pronounced. Because of this, conflicts easily arise with parents, teachers, educators.

As a rule, a tendency to unauthorized absences, sometimes prolonged, is found. True escapes from the house in hyperthyms are rare.

An irrepressible interest in everything around makes hyperthymic teenagers illegible in choosing acquaintances. Alcoholization is a serious danger for hyperthyms from adolescence. They drink in companies with friends.

The reaction of passion differs in hyperthymic adolescents by the richness and variety of manifestations, but most importantly, by the extreme inconsistency of the hobby.

Always a good mood and high vitality create favorable conditions for reassessing one's abilities and capabilities. Excessive self-confidence encourages "to show oneself", to appear before others in a favorable light, to brag. But the self-assessment of hyperthymic adolescents is quite sincere.

Hyperthymia-unstable variant of psychopathization is the most frequent. The decisive role in the fact that hyperthymic-unstable psychopathy grows on hyperthymic accentuation is usually played by the family. Both excessive guardianship - hyperprotection, petty control and cruel dictatorship, and even combined with the dysfunction of intra-family relations, and hypo-custody, neglect can serve as incentives for the development of hyperthymic-unstable psychopathy.

The hyperthymic-hysteroid variant is much less common. Against the background of hyperthymia, hysteroid features gradually emerge.

The hyperthymno-affective variant of psychopathization is characterized by an increase in the features of affective explosiveness, which creates a resemblance to explosive psychopathy. Outbursts of irritation and anger, often characteristic of hyperthyms, when they meet resistance or fail, here they become especially violent and arise at the slightest provocation.

CYCLODY TYPE

As is known, this type was described in 1921 by Kretschmer and first became widely used in psychiatric research. P.B. Gannushkin (1933) included four types of psychopaths in the "group of cycloids": "constitutionally depressive", "constitutionally excited" (hyperthymic), cyclothymic and emotively labile. Cyclothymia was considered by him as a type of psychopathy.

In adolescence, two variants of cycloid accentuation can be seen: typical and labile cycloids.

Typical cycloids in childhood are no different from their peers or more often give the impression of hyperthyms. With the onset of puberty (in girls, this may coincide with menarche), the first subdepressive phase occurs. It is distinguished by a tendency to apathy and irritability. In the morning, one feels lethargy and loss of strength, everything falls out of hand.

Previously noisy and lively teenagers during these periods become lethargic homebodies.

Serious failures and complaints from others can deepen the subdepressive state or cause an acute affective reaction with suicidal attempts.

In typical cycloids, the phases are usually short, lasting two to three weeks.

Cycloid teenagers have their "places of least resistance." The most important of them, probably, is the instability To radically break the stereotype of life.

Labile cycloids, unlike typical ones, in many respects approach the labile (emotionally labile or reactively labile) type. The phases here are much shorter - several "good" days are followed by several "bad" ones. "Bad" days are more marked by bad mood than by lethargy, loss of energy or poor health. Within one period, short mood swings are possible, caused by relevant news or events. But, unlike the labile type described below, there is no excessive emotional reactivity, the constant readiness of the mood to change easily and abruptly from minor causes.

Adolescent behavioral responses in cycloids, both typical and labile, are usually moderate. Emancipatory aspirations and grouping reactions with peers are intensified during the upswing period. Hobbies are unstable.

Self-assessment of character in cycloids is formed gradually, as the experience of "good" and "bad" periods accumulates. Adolescents do not yet have this experience, and therefore self-assessment can still be very inaccurate.

LABILE TYPE

This type is most fully described under various names "emotionally labile" (Schneider, 1923), "reactively labile" (P.B. Gannushkin, 1933) or "emotionally labile" (Leongard, 1964, 1968), etc.

In addition to the classification of K. Leonhard, in the practice of psychologists and psychiatrists are used accentuation of Lichko's character.

He expanded and supplemented this concept, deduced his own typology of characteristics of pointed personality traits.

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Brief background

A. Lichko derived his systematics of character accentuations, based on, G.E. Sukhareva and P. B. Gannushkin.

However, she slightly different.

The classification is primarily for studying adolescence, covers not only accentuations, but also psychopathological deviations of character.

Lichko suggested replacing the term "personality accentuations" with "character accentuations", explaining that personality is a broader concept and cannot be assessed only in terms of accentuations.

Attention in the studies was directed to adolescence, because during this period, various psychopathy begin to manifest itself most clearly.

Types of character accentuation according to Lichko:

Accentuations of character from the point of view of A. E. Lichko

According to Lichko's theory, accentuation is temporary. In the process they may appear and disappear. These changes and personality traits sometimes turn into psychopathy and persist into adulthood.

The direction of development of pointed personality traits is determined by the social environment and the type of accentuation. She happens overt and covert.

According to psychiatrist A. Lichko, accentuations are borderline states between norm and pathology.

Therefore, he built his classification on the basis of the types of psychopathy.

Character accentuations - examples:

Classification

The following types of accentuations were distinguished:

Hyperthymic type. Active, restless, poorly controlled by teachers. Flexible, easily adapts to changing situations. Teenagers are prone to conflicts with adults, including teachers. Change is not afraid. The mood is predominantly positive. tend to overestimate their capabilities, so they are able to take risks without hesitation.
For them, excitement, noisy, active companies and entertainment are acceptable. There are many hobbies, they are superficial.
Cycloid. Characterized by frequent mood swings - from good to bad. They prefer loneliness, being at home, than active entertainment in the company. Adversity is hard to bear. Painfully reacts to criticism and remarks. There is a tendency to, apathy, easily irritated. Change of mood can be tied to the time of year.
In the process of growing up, the pronounced features of accentuation can be smoothed out, but sometimes it gets stuck at the oppressive-melancholic stage. During the period of recovery, when the mood is good, there is cheerfulness, optimism, high activity, sociability, initiative. In the opposite state - a bad mood - they show increased sensitivity, react sharply to criticism.
sensitive. People of this type are highly sensitive. Adolescents give the impression of being closed, they do not strive for joint games, they are timid. They treat their parents well, behave obediently. Difficulties in adapting in a team are possible. An inferiority complex may develop.
People of this type have a developed sense of responsibility, make high moral demands on themselves and others.

Perseverance allows you to successfully engage in painstaking work and complex activities. choose carefully. They prefer to communicate with those who are older.
schizoid type. There is isolation, the desire to spend time alone, fenced off from the world. They are indifferent to other people and communication with them, which can manifest itself in a defiant avoidance of contact. They lack such a quality as sympathy, they do not show interest in the people around them, there is no empathy and understanding of the feelings of others. do not seek to show people their feelings, so their peers do not understand them, considering them strange.
hysterical. They have a high degree of egocentrism. They need the attention of other people, and they do everything to get it. Demonstrative and artistic. They worry if attention is paid not to them, but to someone else. They should be admired - one of the important needs of the individual. Hysteroids become the initiator of events and events, but they themselves are not able to clearly organize them. It is also problematic for them to earn authority among their peers, despite the fact that they strive for leadership. They need praise in their address, but criticism is perceived painfully. Feelings are shallow.
Prone to deceit, fantasies, pretense. Often they show a demonstrative type of suicide in an attempt to attract attention and earn the sympathy of others.
Conformal type. Teenagers with a similar accentuation easily obey the will of other people. They do not have their own opinion, they follow the group. The basic principle is to be, to act like everyone else. At the same time, they are conservative. If they need to protect their interests, they will do anything, finding an excuse for them. prone to betrayal. Finds a way to survive in the team, adapting to it and adapting to the leader.
psychasthenic type. Differs in indecision, unwillingness to take responsibility. They are prone to introspection, they are critical in evaluating their personality and actions. They have high mental abilities, ahead of their peers. In behavior, impulsiveness and thoughtlessness of actions can be observed. Accurate and prudent, calm enough, but at the same time indecisive and not capable of active actions, where risk and responsibility are required.
To relieve tension, they tend to use alcohol or drugs. Psychasthenics manifest themselves arbitrarily in personal relationships, which can ultimately lead to their destruction. They are also prone to pettiness.
Unstable. They show little interest in learning, which causes a lot of excitement for parents and teachers. They have a penchant for entertainment. There are no life goals, they live one day, they are not interested in anything. The main features are frivolity, laziness, idleness. They are not interested in work. They do not like to be controlled, they strive for complete freedom. Open to communication, communicative, love to talk. They are prone to different types of addictions. Often fall into dangerous companies.
Emotionally labile type. Abrupt, unpredictable mood swings. Any trifle, up to an incorrectly thrown glance or a spoken word, can serve as a reason for changes in the emotional state.
The type is sensitive, needs support, especially during periods of bad mood.

Treats peers well. It has sensitivity, understands the attitude and mood of others. Strongly attached to people.
epileptoid type. One of the pronounced character traits is cruelty, they tend to offend the younger and weaker animals. He prefers to make friends and communicate with adults, the need to establish communication with peers causes discomfort. At an early age, they show traits of capriciousness, tearfulness, and require attention.
They have self-esteem and a desire for power. If they become the boss, subordinates are kept in fear. Of all the accentuations, it is considered the most dangerous personality type, as it has a high degree of cruelty. If it is necessary to make a career and achieve a high position, they are able to please the top management, adapt to its requirements, while not forgetting their own interests.
Asthenoneurotic type. Show discipline and responsibility. However, they have a high degree of fatigue, this is especially noticeable during monotonous activities or the need to participate in competitive work. Drowsiness, fatigue can occur for no apparent reason. In manifestations of accentuation, irritability, increased suspiciousness, and hypochondria are noticeable.
There is a possibility of emotional breakdowns, especially if events do not happen the way asthenics want. Irritability is replaced by remorse.

In addition to pronounced types, there can also be observed mixed characters.

Table of character accentuations:

Where is the technique used?

Lichko test expanded to 143 questions. Focused more on children and teenagers.

used to identify obvious problems and accentuations in character, allows you to predict the appearance of psychopathy, start correcting negative states in a timely manner, and identify dangerous personalities.

Lichko believed that it was important to study accentuations already in adolescence, since the majority during this period manifests itself most clearly and is formed. up to adolescence.

The use of methods of diagnosing, testing, conversation allows identify the problem in a timely manner and develop a corrective program.

How to identify character accentuations? Psychologist's comment: