Negativism is negative. The essence and types of negativism

The basis for the appearance of a negative attitude towards others can be improper family upbringing, character accentuations, psycho-emotional experiences and age characteristics. Negativism often develops in envious, hot-tempered, emotionally stingy individuals.

The concept of negativism and its relationship with age

A negative attitude towards the surrounding reality manifests itself in three main features:

There are also three types of negative manifestations:

The passive type is characterized by ignoring, non-participation, inactivity, in other words, a person simply does not respond to the requests and comments of other people.

Active negativism manifests itself in verbal and physical aggression, defiance, demonstrative behavior, antisocial acts and deviant behavior. This type of negative response is often observed during adolescence.

Children's negativism is a kind of rebellion, a protest against parents, peers, and teachers. This phenomenon is often observed during age-related crises, and, as is known, childhood is rich in them like no other stage. In general, from birth to adolescence, there are 5 ages in which the crisis manifests itself:

newborn period;
one year old;
3 years of age - “I myself” crisis;
7 years of age;
adolescence (departure).

The age crisis is understood as the transition from one age to another, which is characterized by changes in the cognitive sphere, sudden changes in mood, aggressiveness, a tendency to conflict, decreased ability to work and decline in intellectual activity. Negativism is not present in all age periods of child development; it is more often observed at the age of three years and in adolescents. Thus, we can distinguish 2 phases of children's negativism:

Phase 1 – period of 3 years;
Phase 2 – adolescence.

With prolonged dissatisfaction of life's needs, frustration develops, which causes psychological discomfort of the individual. To compensate for this condition, a person resorts to negative emotional manifestations, physical and verbal aggression, especially in adolescence.

The very first age period in which a negative attitude towards others arises is the age of 3 years, junior preschool age. The crisis of this age has another name - “I myself,” which implies the child’s desire to act independently and choose what he wants. At the age of three, a new cognitive process begins to form - will. The child wants to perform independent actions, without the participation of adults, but most often the desires do not coincide with real possibilities, which leads to the appearance of negativism in children. The baby resists, rebels, and flatly refuses to fulfill requests, much less orders from adults. At this age, it is strictly forbidden to oppose autonomy; adults need to give the child the opportunity to be alone with his thoughts and try to act independently, taking into account common sense. If parents often oppose their child’s independent steps, this threatens that the child will stop striving to do anything on his own. The manifestation of a negative attitude towards adults is by no means a necessary phenomenon in early childhood, and in most cases depends on the characteristics of family upbringing and on the competence of parents in this matter.

At the age of 7 years, the phenomenon of negativism can also manifest itself, however, the likelihood of its occurrence is much less than at the age of 3 years and adolescence.

Adolescence itself is a very sensitive period in the life of every child; for some, the age crisis manifests itself excessively, while others hardly notice the negative aspects. Negativism in adolescents largely depends on the environment in which the child lives, on the style of family education and on the behavior of parents that children imitate. If a child is raised in a family with constant conflicts, bad habits, aggression and disrespect, then a negative attitude towards the surrounding reality will sooner or later show itself.

The crisis of adolescence manifests itself in a decrease in intellectual activity, poor concentration, decreased ability to work, sudden changes in mood, increased anxiety and aggressiveness. The negativism phase in girls may develop earlier than in boys, however, it is shorter in duration. According to the research of the famous psychologist L. S. Vygotsky, negativism in teenage girls more often manifests itself in the premenstrual period, and is often passive in nature with possible manifestations of verbal aggression. Boys themselves are by nature more aggressive, and the nature of this behavior is often physical in nature, manifested in fights. The teenager is changeable in everything: both in behavior and in emotional manifestations; some time ago he behaved demonstratively and was in high spirits, but five minutes later his mood dropped and the desire to communicate with anyone disappeared. Such children fail at school, are rude to teachers and parents, and ignore comments and requests. Negativism in adolescents lasts from several months to a year or does not appear at all; the duration depends on individual personality characteristics.

It should be noted that adolescence changes the child not only psychologically, but also physiologically. Internal processes are actively transformed, the skeleton and muscles grow, and the genitals change. Physiological transformations in a teenager’s body occur unevenly, which is why frequent dizziness, increased blood pressure and fatigue are possible. The nervous system does not have time to process all the changes that occur in a growing body, which largely justify nervousness, increased excitement and irritability. This age period is very difficult in a person’s life, so it is no wonder that a teenager becomes aggressive, hot-tempered and shows negativism, in this way he defends himself.

Psychological correction of children's negativism

The most effective in the psychotherapy of children's negativism is play, since this type of activity is the main one at this age. In adolescence, cognitive behavioral therapy can be used, since it is rich in a variety of trainings and, in addition to eliminating negativism itself as a phenomenon, explains the reasons for its occurrence.

For young children and preschoolers, the following types of psychotherapy are quite effective: fairy tale therapy, art therapy, sand therapy, play therapy.

Psychologists have outlined several techniques that parents can use. Let's consider the basic rules for correcting negativism in children:

condemn not the child himself, but his bad behavior, explain why this should not be done;
invite the child to take the place of another person;
tell your child what to do in a conflict or unpleasant situation, what to say and how to behave;
Teach your child to ask for forgiveness to those he has offended.

Negativism as a symptom of an age crisis and as a psychiatric diagnosis

In psychology, negativism means a person’s resistance to any external influence, devoid of rational premises, even contrary to his own well-being.

In a more general sense, this concept denotes a generally negative perception of the world around us, the desire to do everything contrary to requests and expectations.

In pedagogy, the term “negativism” is applied to children who are characterized by an oppositional manner of behavior with people who should be an authority for them (teachers, parents).

Active and passive form of resistance

It is customary to distinguish two main forms of negativism: active and passive. Passive negativism is expressed in absolute ignorance of demands and requests.

In the active form, a person shows aggression and sharply resists any attempts to influence him. As one of the subtypes of active negativism, we can distinguish paradoxical, when a person does everything intentionally the opposite, even if it is at odds with his real desires.

Separately, there are purely physiological manifestations of this condition, when a person refuses to eat, practically does not move, and does not speak.

Related concepts

Negativism is one of the trio of manifestations of a child’s complex of protest behavior.

The second component is stubbornness, which can be considered a form of negativism, with the only amendment that stubbornness in any matter has its own specific reasons, while negativism is resistance that is not motivated by anything. What unites these phenomena is that both arise on the basis of purely subjective human sensations.

One of the closest phenomena to negativism (as a psychiatric term) is mutism. This is a condition in which a person avoids all communication, both through speech and gestures. But, unlike negativism, mutism is mainly the result of a strong shock.

The third component is obstinacy, the difference from stubbornness is that it is not directed at a specific person, but in general at the educational system, the development of events, and so on.

Complex of reasons and factors

As a psychiatric diagnosis, negativism is most often observed with the development of catatonic syndrome (schizophrenia, agitation and stupor), autism, dementia (including senile) and some types of depression.

When negativism is meant in a broader context, then among the reasons for its occurrence it is customary to primarily name frustration caused by long-term and very strong dissatisfaction with life circumstances and the environment surrounding a person. In turn, this frustration creates severe psychological discomfort, to compensate for which the person resorts to negativistic behavior.

Another possible reason for resistance may be difficulties with communication in a person. In this case, such a state arises as a hypercompensatory reaction to one’s own communication problems.

In the form of violent stubbornness, negativism arises as a response to attempts at external influence that are at odds with the person’s personal needs and desires. This reaction is due to a person’s need for his own opinion, self-expression, and control over his own life.

Relationship with age

Age-related crises that characterize the transition from one life period to another are often accompanied by changes in character and thinking, and frequent mood swings.

At this time, a person becomes conflicted and even aggressive to a certain extent, and a pessimistic view of the world around him prevails. Negativism is almost always a symptom of such a crisis, which manifests itself in stressful situations, when a person is most vulnerable and defenseless.

Critical ages

Throughout life, a person experiences several age-related crises, most of which occur before the age of 20:

newborn crisis;
crisis of the 1st year of life;
crisis 3 years;
crisis 6-7 years (“school crisis”);
adolescence crisis (from about 12 to 17 years).

In adult life, a person faces only two critical periods associated with the transition from one age to another:

midlife crisis;
stress associated with retirement.

Pathological resistance in children 3 years old

Naturally, negativism is not characteristic of the first two periods, but already at the age of three, when children begin to show a desire for independence, parents are faced with the first manifestations of children's stubbornness and categoricalness.

That is why this period is often called “I myself,” since this name best describes the state of a child at three years old. The child wants to perform most of the actions on his own, but his desires do not coincide with his capabilities, which leads to frustration, which, as mentioned above, is one of the main causes of this condition.

At the same time, one should not confuse negativism with simple disobedience of a child. When a baby refuses to do something he doesn't want, that's normal. Negativism manifests itself in situations when a child refuses to perform some action precisely when adults have suggested it to him.

View from the outside

If we talk about a psychiatric term, then in this case negativism itself acts as a symptom of a certain number of diseases. Moreover, depending on the form (active or passive), it can manifest itself both in demonstrative insubordination and in passive resistance to any requests of the doctor, which is its most important feature in this case.

As for negativism from a pedagogical or general psychological point of view, the main external manifestations in this case will be speech and behavioral signs:

difficulties with communication, interaction with others, even the closest people;
conflict;
refusal to compromise;
skepticism and mistrust bordering on paranoia.

How does it feel from the inside

The feelings of the person himself are quite difficult to describe, primarily because such people rarely recognize their condition as abnormal.

The internal state will be characterized by an extreme degree of confusion in one’s own desires and needs, conflicts with oneself, and sometimes self-aggression.

The passive form in this case can be felt as inhibition of consciousness, an extreme degree of indifference towards all surrounding things and people.

What to do if this affects your family?

If it seems to you that one of your loved ones has signs of negativism in behavior, then, first of all, you should contact a psychologist or psychotherapist to resolve the internal problems that caused such a condition, since such pathological stubbornness in itself is only a consequence , therefore, in order to overcome it, it is necessary to work with the root cause.

Among the methods of psychotherapy, play therapy, art therapy, fairy tale therapy, etc. are most suitable for preschoolers and primary schoolchildren.

For negative adolescents and adults, cognitive behavioral therapy has proven itself to be the best treatment. It is also important not to forget about your own attitude towards your loved ones. Psychotherapy will only be most successful if you work on this problem as a team.

In order to correct negativistic behavior and, if possible, avoid any conflicts, it is necessary to be creative. This is especially true for children.

It is necessary to exclude any psychological pressure on the child; in no case should there be threats or physical punishment - this will only aggravate the situation. You will have to use so-called “soft power” - negotiate, adapt, make compromises.

It is advisable to generally avoid situations in which conflict may arise.

Your main goal is to ensure that your child begins to follow positive patterns of communication and interaction with others. Don't forget to praise him every time he does something good, makes concessions, helps you, or communicates calmly with other people. In overcoming negativism, the mechanism of positive reinforcement plays a crucial role.

Preventing it is the best, but sometimes difficult way out

In order to prevent the development of such a condition in children and the elderly, it is first necessary to surround them with care and attention.

It is important to ensure that the socialization and integration of children into society is as successful and problem-free as possible, and that the elderly do not lose communication skills.

You cannot put pressure on people (of any age) and impose your point of view on something on them, force them to do something they do not want.

It is necessary to ensure that there is no feeling of frustration; you must especially carefully monitor your own condition. Frustration is the first step towards negativism.

The most important thing to remember about all of the above is that negativism is not a cause, but a consequence. You can get rid of it only by getting rid of the problem that caused it.

It is also important to remember and not confuse the term, which in psychology and pedagogy denotes irrational resistance to any influence with simple stubbornness and disobedience characteristic of all children.

The behavior of a person with negativism can be successfully corrected. In this case, it is advisable to consult a professional doctor.

This section was created to take care of those who need a qualified specialist, without disturbing the usual rhythm of their own lives.

What is negativism

The concept of “negativism” refers to a specific form of human behavior when, without obvious reasons, he demonstrates resistance in response to any external factors of influence. In psychology, this term is used to denote the inconsistency of a subject who acts contrary to the expectations of others, even contrary to personal gain.

In the broadest sense of the word, negativism refers to a person’s negative perception of his environment as a whole. What it is, and in what cases this designation is used, we will describe in more detail below.

Specific behavior and the main reasons for its manifestation

Negativism as a form of human behavioral activity can be a character trait or a situational quality. It can manifest itself in the form of demonstrably expressed dissatisfaction, in a tendency to negative thinking and statements, in seeing only their shortcomings in those around them, in an unfriendly attitude.

If we assume that a person is a programmable being, then it becomes clear what is the factor that provokes negativism. From the moment of birth and throughout childhood, an individual receives many different attitudes from the outside. In this way, his consciousness is formed and certain reactions are developed.

It is worth noting that in this entire “set of attitudes” there are always negative preconditions that are developed in the child when he is told something with which he does not agree. It is this disagreement that is placed in a distant “box” of the subconscious and can manifest itself over time in the form of such complexes or specific character traits as:

Timidity.
Self-doubt.
Feelings of guilt or loneliness.
Inability to be independent.
Excessive suspicion.
Stealth and many others.

Examples of phrases that predispose to the development of negativism, which a child may hear in childhood, can be: “don’t mess around,” “don’t interfere,” “don’t scream,” “don’t do that,” “don’t trust anyone,” etc. It would seem that the harmless words that parents use in order to protect their child from mistakes are absorbed by him on an unconscious level and in the future simply begin to poison his life.

The most dangerous thing is that once a negative attitude arises, it does not disappear. It begins to manifest itself in almost everything through emotions, feelings or behavior.

Forms of behavioral activity

The term "negativism" is often used in pedagogy. It is used in relation to children who are characterized by an oppositional manner of activity in relations with older people and those who should be an authority for them (parents, grandparents, educators, teachers, instructors).

In psychology, in connection with the concept of negativism, two main forms of behavioral activity of the subject are considered:

1. Active negativism is a form of individual behavior in which he sharply and quite zealously expresses his resistance in response to any attempts at external influence on him. Subtypes of this form of negativism are physiological (a person’s protest is expressed in refusal to eat, unwillingness to do or say something) and paradoxical (intentional desire to do something the opposite) manifestations.

2. Passive negativism is a form of behavior expressed in the individual’s absolute ignoring of requests or demands. In a child in everyday life, this form manifests itself in the form of a refusal to do what was asked, even if the denial goes against his own desires. For example, when a child is offered food, but he stubbornly refuses.

The negativism observed in children deserves special attention. This is due to the fact that the child often uses this form of resistance, opposing it to an imaginary or actually existing negative attitude towards him on the part of adults. In such situations, negative attitudes become permanent and manifest themselves in the form of whims, aggression, isolation, rudeness, etc.

The reasons for the negativism manifested in children include, first of all, dissatisfaction with certain of their needs and desires. Expressing his need for approval or communication and not receiving a response, the child becomes immersed in his experiences. As a result, psychological irritation begins to develop, against the background of which negativism manifests itself.

As the child grows up, he will become aware of the nature of his experiences, and this, in turn, will allow negative emotions to manifest themselves much more often. Prolonged blocking and ignoring of a child's needs by adults and parents can lead to denial becoming a permanent feature of his character.

Cause and effect

Such situations in psychology are considered difficult, but not critical. Timely professional techniques will help identify, eliminate and prevent negative trends in the subject’s behavior.

At the same time, you should not think that negativism is a trait characteristic only of children. Negativism often manifests itself in adolescents, adults and even older people. The reasons for the manifestation of negative attitudes in response to external stimuli can be changes in the social life of an individual, psychological trauma, stressful situations and periods of crisis. However, in any of the cases, the main reason for the expressed negativism is defects in upbringing and attitude towards life, which was formed in certain conditions.

To identify formed negative attitudes and prevent their development in the future, a psychological diagnosis of a potential patient should be carried out. Next comes work to eliminate or mitigate the subject’s negative manifestations. First, the original problem that provoked the development of a negative attitude is eradicated.

In addition, pressure on the individual is eliminated so that he can “unblock” and assess the real situation. Adults will be helped by the technique of self-knowledge, when, while working with a psychologist, a person is immersed in his own memories and can find the reason for his dissatisfaction in order to eliminate the consequences.

Although negativism is a fairly common phenomenon for modern people, it can be easily corrected. If you turn to a specialist for help in a timely manner, a person will be able to get rid of denial and stop seeing only negativity in others.

And the most important advice

The concept of negativism: symptoms and features of manifestation in children and adults

Negativism is a state of rejection, rejection, a negative attitude towards the world, towards life, towards a specific person, and is a typical sign of a destructive position. May manifest as a personality trait or situational reaction. The term is used in psychiatry and psychology. In psychiatry it is described in connection with the development of catatonic stupor and catatonic agitation. In addition, coupled with other manifestations, it is a sign of schizophrenia, including catatonic.

In psychology, this concept is used as a characteristic of the characteristics of the manifestation of age-related crises. It is most often observed in children three years of age and adolescents. The opposite of this state is: cooperation, support, understanding. The famous psychotherapist S. Freud explained this phenomenon as a variant of primitive psychological defense.

The concept of negativism has some similarities with the concept of nonconformism (disagreement), which means the active rejection of generally accepted norms, established order, values, traditions, laws. The opposite state is conformism, in which a person is guided by the attitude of “being like everyone else.” In everyday life, nonconformists usually experience pressure and aggressive behavior from conformists who represent the “silent majority.”

From the point of view of science, both conformism and non-conformism are elements of childish, immature behavior. Mature behavior is characterized by independence. More adult manifestations of behavior are love and care, when a person evaluates his freedom not as the fact that one can not do something, but, on the contrary, one can do something worthy.

Negativism can manifest itself in the perception of life, when a person sees complete negativity in life. This mood is called a negative worldview - when a person perceives the world in dark and gloomy colors, he notices only the bad in everything.

Reasons for negativism

Negativism, as a character trait, can be formed under the influence of various factors. The most common are the influence of hormonal levels and genetic predisposition. At the same time, experts consider it necessary to take into account a number of the following psychological factors:

helplessness;
lack of strength and skills to overcome life's difficulties;
self-affirmation;
expression of revenge and hostility;
lack of attention.

Signs

A person can independently determine the presence of this condition by the presence of the following symptoms:

thoughts about the imperfection of the world;
tendency to worry;
hostile attitude towards people with a positive worldview;
ingratitude;
the habit of living through a problem instead of looking for a way to solve it;
motivation through negative information;
focusing on the negative.

Research by psychologists has made it possible to establish several factors on which negative motivation is based, among them:

fear of running into trouble;
guilt;
fear of losing what you have;
dissatisfaction with your results;
lack of personal life;
the desire to prove something to others.

When communicating with a person who shows signs of this condition, you should be careful and not openly point out to them the presence of this pathology, as they may display a defensive reaction, which will further strengthen their negative perception.

At the same time, each person is able to independently analyze his condition and not allow himself to “fall into negativism.”

Types of negativism

Negative perception can manifest itself in both active and passive forms. Active negativism is characterized by open rejection of requests; such people do the opposite, no matter what they are asked for. It is typical for children three years old. Speech negativism occurs quite often at this time.

Little stubborn people refuse to fulfill any requests from adults and do the opposite. In adults, this type of pathology manifests itself in schizophrenia, so patients are asked to turn their face, they turn in the opposite direction.

At the same time, negativism must be distinguished from stubbornness, since stubbornness has certain reasons, and negativism is unmotivated resistance.

Passive negativism is characterized by complete disregard for demands and requests. It is usually present in the catatonic form of schizophrenia. When trying to change the position of the patient's body, he encounters strong resistance, which arises as a result of increased muscle tone.

In addition, behavioral, communicative and deep negativism are distinguished. Behavioral is characterized by refusal to fulfill requests or acting contrary. Communicative or superficial is manifested in the outward manifestation of rejection of someone's position, but when it comes to a specific matter, such people are quite constructive, sociable and positive.

Deep negativism is an internal rejection of demands without external manifestations, which is characterized by the fact that no matter how a person behaves externally, he has a negative prejudice inside

Negativism and age

Childhood negativism first appears in children three years old. It was during this period that one of the age-related crises occurred, which was called “I myself.” Children of three years old begin to fight for their independence for the first time; they strive to prove their maturation. The age of three is characterized by such signs as whims and active rejection of parental help. Children often express objections to any proposals. In three-year-old children, a manifestation of negativism is the desire for revenge. Gradually, with the correct reaction from adults, children's negativism in a preschooler disappears.

A frequent manifestation of this condition in a preschooler is mutism - speech negativism, which is characterized by refusal of verbal communication. In this case, you should pay attention to the child’s development in order to exclude the presence of serious health problems, both mental and physical. Speech negativism is a frequent manifestation of the three-year crisis. Rarely, but it is possible for a similar condition to manifest itself at 7 years of age.

Children's negativism may indicate the presence of mental pathology or personality problems. Prolonged negativism in a preschooler requires correction and special attention from adults. Reactions of protest behavior are characteristic of adolescence. It is at this time that negativism in children becomes the cause of frequent conflicts at school and at home. Adolescent negativism has a brighter color and manifests itself in adulthood. Gradually, as they grow older, these manifestations disappear with the competent approach of parents. In some cases, behavior correction is required. For this purpose, parents of a rebellious child can seek help from a psychologist.

Currently, experts note a shift in the boundaries of age-related crises among younger generations. In this regard, the phenomena of negativism become typical for young people of age, which undoubtedly leaves an imprint on their socialization. Negativism can manifest itself in later life, and in older people during periods of exacerbation of personal failures. In addition, it occurs in dementia and progressive paralysis.

The concept of negativism: symptoms, ways to overcome

Negativism is a fairly common condition of every person. In this case, the patient rejects, does not accept the world, and constantly has a negative attitude towards life. Negativism can be a personality trait or a situational reaction. Psychiatrists often associate negativism with catatonia and schizophrenia. Some believe that a person changes his attitude towards life when he experiences an age crisis. It can be observed in adolescence, as well as in children 3 years old. How does negativity ruin your life? What caused it? How dangerous is this condition?

Description

Sigmund Freud believed that negativism is a kind of psychological defense. Some associate the concept of negativism and nonconformism, when a person completely opposes the world, does not accept it as it is, refuses to recognize established orders, traditions, values, laws. The opposite and not very pleasant state is conformism, when a person adapts to everyone else.

Psychologists associate two types of behavior with childhood. But a mature person already becomes independent. A person is considered an adult when he begins to use his freedom for very useful purposes - he loves and cares for someone, and performs worthy deeds.

Negativism is a peculiar perception of life, it seems gray, scary, all events are tragic, gloomy. This condition must be dealt with in a timely manner, otherwise it will negatively affect your lifestyle.

Reasons for negativism

For each person, this character trait is formed due to various external and internal factors. Most often, these are hormonal imbalances and heredity. The following points may also affect:

Physical helplessness.
There are no skills or strength to overcome difficulties.
Self-affirmation.

Symptoms

It is not difficult to find out about a person’s serious condition; it is immediately visible:

The appearance of thoughts that the world is imperfect.
Prone to constant worries.
Doesn't like people with positive thinking.
Instead of solving the problem, the patient lives through it.
Only negative information motivates the patient.
A person focuses only on the negative.

Psychologists were able to identify the factors that caused negative thinking:

Feelings of guilt appear.
Fear of failure, trouble.
Fear of losing everything you have.
No personal life.

When communicating with a person who has negative thinking, you need to be extremely careful and under no circumstances speak directly about his pathology. Everything can end in an unpredictable reaction. Each person must understand for himself what state he is in.

Types of Negative Perceptions

People do everything out of spite on purpose. Negativism worries 3-year-old children the most. Speech negativism is most often observed. The kids refuse to comply with any request. In adults, pathology occurs during schizophrenia. When the patient is asked to turn around, he deliberately turns in the other direction. Here it is important to distinguish a negative attitude towards life from stubbornness.

The patient completely ignores requests and demands. This form accompanies catatonic schizophrenia. In this case, when a person wants to turn around, he experiences resistance and muscle tone increases.

Additionally, deep, communicative, behavioral negativism is distinguished. In the case of behavioral negativism, a person does everything in defiance. Superficial, communicative is expressed in the form of non-acceptance of the surrounding world, as well as a specific matter. With deep negativism, a person is outwardly positive, smiles, enjoys life, but inside he has a “storm of negative emotions” that sooner or later can break out.

Features of children's negativism

A child first encounters negative thinking at the age of 3. During this period, he realizes that, independent of his mother, he can do everything on his own. It is at this age that children become very capricious and do not accept parental help. If measures are not taken in a timely manner, negativism will also be observed in preschoolers.

In some schoolchildren, negativism is accompanied by mutism, in which children refuse to communicate. What to do? Pay attention to how the child develops, to rule out serious problems with somatic and mental development. During a three-year crisis, speech negativism is a frequent manifestation. Sometimes this condition is also typical for children as young as 7 years old.

Attention! Children's negative thinking may be the first sign of mental pathology or personal trauma. If negativism persists during preschool age, it is necessary to urgently contact a specialist. It is at this time that various conflict situations can arise at home and at school.

The teenage type of negativism occurs more clearly at the age of 16. As the child grows up, the symptoms disappear. If a teenager is very rebellious, you need to consult a psychologist.

Modern psychotherapists talk about age shifts in adolescents. There are cases when young people at the age of 22 begin to have a pessimistic attitude towards life. Sometimes negativism makes itself felt for the first time in old age or in case of constant failures. Some people acquire negative thinking due to paralysis or dementia.

How to get rid of the problem?

To learn to think positively, you need to eliminate the cause of what torments you from the inside. If you can’t do it on your own, you need to consult a psychotherapist. He will cleanse your thoughts and help you learn to perceive the situation completely differently.

Remember, negativity spoils life, it destroys everything good in a person. Don't drive yourself into a corner, solve your problem. Can't handle it on your own? Don't hesitate to ask for help. Turn into an optimist, then life will improve, it will become much easier for you. Finally, you will begin to notice bright colors, and not gray everyday life. Learn to be happy!

Levels of negativism

Woody Allen once wrote that two elderly ladies were vacationing at a resort in the Catskills, and one said: “The food here is so bad.” And the second added: “And don’t talk! The portions are also small.” Allen wrote that he felt about the same about life. Negativism, as a manifestation of a negative attitude, manifests itself both totally and selectively - at different levels - communicative, behavioral or deep (without external manifestations).

Negativism is communicative (superficial): at the level of words, people swear, object and blame. At the same time, with regard to relationships and affairs, this can be a “negative” person, or a positive one, or a loving one, or a constructive one.

Behavioral negativism: a person refuses or does the opposite, contrary to demands and requests.

Passive negativism: a person ignores requests and demands.

Active negativism (protest) - a person does everything exactly the opposite, no matter what is asked of him.

Negativism can also manifest itself in relation to society or to a group: a person feels that these people suppress his individuality, and he tries to do everything “differently from others.”

If you know the symptoms of negativism, you may not allow it to develop in you.

So, the symptoms of negativism include:

Tendency to worry and whine.
Dislike for a person with a positive outlook.
Philosophical thoughtfulness about how imperfect the world is.

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The concept of negativism is very broad. Most often they talk about it within the framework of the topic of children and adolescents. But this symptom manifests itself in problems of all ages: crises, depression, mental disorders. Alcoholics and drug addicts often suffer from it. What is child negativism? This is when you give a child a toy, smile, and he immediately breaks it and rains down curses. Z. Freud also defined negativism as a primitive psychological defense. Since the symptom is related to age, it seems impossible to do anything about it. But children's negativism is overcome before its first manifestations begin.

Causes of children's negativism

Negativism can develop as a character trait due to genetic predisposition and hormonal levels.

Author of three scientific works on child psychology T.P. Kleinikova believes that the main reason is the connivance of adults in matters of education. Then it is not clear why this psychological problem occurs even in families of believers and military personnel. The child protests against two things: life circumstances and the negative attitude of different people towards him.

The teenager may also experience a feeling of helplessness and a need for self-affirmation. He may feel that he is not loved enough. With this behavior he tries to attract more attention to himself.

Symptom Signs

Teenage negativism can manifest itself in different ways. In children it is clearer. For an accurate determination, it is necessary for the child to open up and allow him to “look inside himself.” But more often you have to focus on an external factor:

Frequent statements about the imperfection of the world.
A negativist wants to denigrate everything around him and equalize the external with the internal darkness.
Excessive sensitivity. Tendency to worry and complain instead of finding a solution to the problem.
Rejection of positive people. Happy people become a thorn in the side.
A negativist believes that everyone should be unhappy.
Ingratitude. Gratitude comes from an abundance of love. Hidden awareness of your baseness and self-rejection will not help you love someone or something.
Concentrating on the bad. All events are seen in dark colors.

At what age does a child stop listening?

Psychologists talk about the first manifestation at the age of three years. Child psychologist and TV presenter Natalya Barlozhetskaya believes that the first signs are possible even at two years old. The first age crisis was called “myself.” The child refuses help, is capricious, and often takes revenge. This is how the desire to prove one’s maturity is manifested.

The next exacerbation occurs at the age of seven years. It has no special distinctive features. Manifestations of verbal negativism—refusal to communicate—are rare. Teenage negativity begins at age 15. Hormones are boiling, the world has gone crazy, life is rubbish, everyone around is a scoundrel - a common life position of a teenage negativist.

At this time, two things happen to a teenager: the level of intellectual and work activity decreases, and mood often changes.

The guru of Soviet psychology L. S. Vygotsky noted that teenage girls are more prone to passive negativism.

The most they will do is be rude. Boys are naturally more aggressive. The result is constant fights. Experts note a shift in age-related crises. Because of this, negativism can manifest itself at 20-22 years of age. It is also possible in adulthood after a personal failure. But the three-year and teenage periods are considered the main ones.

When negativism is dangerous

When behavior crosses appropriate boundaries. For example, a teenager has not learned to behave in society. The attitude of permissiveness has become entrenched in the mind. At first he will be rejected by his peers. In the adult world, he will not be taken into account. This will lead to isolation and withdrawal. Violations of the law are possible in order to give vent to their subconscious aggression.

How to help a negative person

Natalya Barlozhetskaya gives the following advice to parents:

Clear boundaries of behavior. It is necessary to arrange all the “possible” and all the “impossible” situations. Their balance is very important. When there are too many restrictions, rebellion will follow.
Subsequence. The requirements must be mandatory for everyone: children and adults. Injustice exacerbates the child’s negativism.
Daily routine. Its importance lies in instilling a sense of order and security. When you know what will happen next, you feel more comfortable.
Encouragement. With the abundance of responsibilities, we must not forget about the rights of the child. Encouraging a positive attitude and leading by example is the key to success.
Chip. A little trick can be keeping a diary. Psychologist Louise Sundararajan from the Rochester Psychiatric Center has experimentally proven that journaling is calming and healing. And the creator of the expressive writing method, James Pannebaker, claims that such pastime even strengthens the immune system, improves sleep and normalizes blood pressure.

Correction of children's negativism

For children, it is better to use the play method. Most often, three methods are used in psychological assistance centers for children: fairy tale therapy, art therapy and sand therapy.

In adolescence, it is recommended to use cognitive behavioral therapy. This is a set of trainings that helps eliminate the cause of aggression, fear and other negative emotions.

Rules for parents

To easily survive age-related negativism, parents must raise their child correctly:

Unconditional love. The child should feel that he is loved not for his merits, but just like that.
Actions. It is not the child himself who needs to be condemned, but his actions. At the same time, it is always easy to explain why this cannot be done.
Example. Children perceive “live” information better. Leading by example will be the most effective way of healthy behavior.
Good conquers evil. A child must learn this rule in childhood. When he gets angry, you need to hug him, calm him down, turn the situation around.
No pressure. Under no circumstances should you suppress a child. Suppressed aggression goes deeper and only gets stronger over time.

Negativism is a fairly common condition of every person. In this case, the patient rejects, does not accept the world, and constantly has a negative attitude towards life. Negativism can be a personality trait or a situational reaction. Psychiatrists often associate negativism with schizophrenia. Some believe that a person changes his attitude towards life when he experiences an age crisis. It can be observed in adolescence, as well as in children 3 years old. How does negativity ruin your life? What caused it? How dangerous is this condition?

Description

Reasons for negativism

For each person, this character trait is formed due to various external and internal factors. Most often, these are hormonal imbalances and heredity. The following points may also affect:

Physical helplessness.
There are no skills or strength to overcome difficulties.
Self-affirmation.
Revenge and hostility.

Symptoms

It is not difficult to find out about a person’s serious condition; it is immediately visible:

The appearance of thoughts that the world is imperfect.
Prone to constant worries.
Doesn't like people with positive thinking.
Instead of solving the problem, the patient lives through it.
Only negative information motivates the patient.
A person focuses only on the negative.

Psychologists were able to identify the factors that caused negative thinking:

Feelings of guilt appear.
, troubles.
Fear of losing everything you have.
No personal life.

Types of Negative Perceptions

Active form

People do everything out of spite on purpose. Negativism worries 3-year-old children the most. Speech negativism is most often observed. The kids refuse to comply with any request. In an adult, pathology occurs during... When the patient is asked to turn around, he deliberately turns in the other direction. Here it is important to distinguish a negative attitude towards life from stubbornness.

Passive form

Features of children's negativism

For some schoolchildren, negativity is accompanied by negativity, in which children refuse to communicate. What to do? Pay attention to how the child develops, to rule out serious problems with somatic and mental development. During a three-year crisis, speech negativism is a frequent manifestation. Sometimes this condition is also typical for children as young as 7 years old.

Attention! Children's negative thinking may be the first sign of mental pathology or personal trauma. If negativism persists during preschool age, it is necessary to urgently contact a specialist. It is at this time that various conflict situations can arise at home and at school.

The teenage type of negativism occurs more clearly at the age of 16. As the child grows up, the symptoms disappear. If a teenager is very rebellious, you need to consult a psychologist.

How to get rid of the problem?

Crisis of three years

Basic phenomena crisis three years

By the age of three, the child begins to develop his own desires that do not directly coincide with the desires of adults. At an early age, there were no particular discrepancies between the desires of the child and the adults. If a child wanted something prohibited, adults quickly switched his attention to another attractive object. By the age of three, the child’s desires become definite and stable, which is confirmed by the persistent words “I want.”

The sharply increased desire towards the end of early childhood sa independence And independence from an adult, both in the actions and desires of the child, leads to significant complications in the relationship between the child and the adult. This period in psychology was called crisis three years . This age is critical because over the course of just a few months the child’s behavior and his relationships with other people change significantly.

L. S. Vygotsky described the following symptoms of the crisis of three years. The first one is negativism . This is not just disobedience or unwillingness to follow the instructions of an adult, but the desire to do everything the other way around, contrary to the requests or demands of elders. With negativism, a child does not do something just because he was asked to do it. Moreover, such a desire often harms the child’s own interests.

For example, a child who really likes to walk refuses to go for a walk because his mother suggests it to him. As soon as his mother stops persuading him, he insists: “Go for a walk! Walk!"

With a strong form of negativism, the child denies everything that the adult tells him. He may insist that cheese is butter, blue is green, and a lion is a dog, etc. But as soon as an adult agrees with him, his “opinion” changes dramatically to the opposite. A child who acts and speaks contrary to an adult acts and speaks contrary to his own feelings. Here the child’s behavior not only does not depend on perceived circumstances, but also contradicts the evidence. This behavior is caused not by the objective situation, but by the attitude towards the person. The child acts contrary to his desires and evidence in order to express his attitude towards another.

The second symptom of the three-year crisis is stubbornness , which should be distinguished from persistence. For example, if a child wants an item and persistently strives for it, this is not stubbornness. But when a child insists on his own not because he really wants it, but because He demanded this, this is already a manifestation of stubbornness. The motive behind stubbornness is that the child is bound by his original decision and does not want to deviate from it under any circumstances. Here again one can observe the exact opposite picture of the situational behavior and desires of a 1-2 year old child.

The third symptom of this age is obstinacy . This symptom is central to the crisis of three years, which is why this age is sometimes called the age of obstinacy. Obstinacy differs from negativism in that it is impersonal. The child’s protest is not directed against a specific adult, but against a way of life. The child begins to deny everything that he calmly did before. He doesn’t like anything, he doesn’t want to go hand in hand with his mother, he refuses to brush his teeth, put on slippers, etc. It’s as if he’s rebelling against everything he’s dealt with before.

The fourth symptom is self-will . The child wants to do everything himself, refuses the help of adults and achieves independence where he still knows little.

The remaining three symptoms are less common and are of secondary importance, although parents sometimes note their presence in children. The first one is riot against those around . The child seems to be in a state of severe conflict with the people around him, constantly quarrels with them, and behaves very aggressively. Another symptom is depreciation child personalities near wow . So, the baby may begin to call his mother or father swear words that he has never used before. In the same way, he suddenly suddenly changes his attitude towards his toys, swings at them as if they were alive, and refuses to play with them. And finally, in families with an only child, there is a desire for despotic suppression those around ; the whole family must satisfy any desire of the child, otherwise adults will experience hysterical attacks with beating their heads on the floor, tears, screams, etc. If there are several children in the family, this symptom manifests itself in jealousy or aggressiveness towards the youngest child, in demands for constant attention to to yourself.

At the same time, a number of psychological observations show that 3-year-old children do not always display such acute negative forms of behavior or quickly overcome them. At the same time, their personal development occurs normally. In this regard, M.I. Lisina proposed to distinguish between an objective and a subjective crisis. Subjective crisis - this is a specific picture of the child’s behavior and his relationships with close adults, which depends on private subjective factors. Objective crisis - a mandatory and natural stage in the development of a child’s personality, at which new personal formations appear. Outwardly, according to its subjective picture, it is not always accompanied by negative behavior.

Personal neoplasms V period crisis three years

It is easy to see that all the symptoms described reflect significant changes in the child’s relationships with close adults and with himself. The child is psychologically separated from close adults with whom he was previously inextricably linked, and is opposed to them in everything. The child’s own self is emancipated from adults and becomes the subject of his experiences. The feeling “I myself”, “I want”, “I can”, “I do” appears. It is characteristic that it was during this period that many children begin to use the pronoun “I” (before this they spoke about themselves in the third person: “Sasha is playing”, “Katya wants”). D. B. Elkonin defines the new formation of the three-year crisis as personal action and consciousness “I myself.” But the child’s own self can stand out and be recognized only by pushing away and contrasting with another self, different from his own. Separation (and distance) of oneself from an adult leads to the fact that the child begins to see and perceive the adult differently. Previously, the child was primarily interested in objects; he himself was directly absorbed in his objective actions and seemed to coincide with them. All his affects and desires lay precisely in this area. Objective actions covered the figure of the adult and the child’s own self. In the crisis of three years, with the separation of oneself from one’s action and from the adult, a new discovery of oneself and the adult occurs. Adults with their attitude towards the child seem to appear for the first time in the inner world of a child’s life. From a world limited by objects, the child moves into the world of adults, where his I takes a new place. Having separated from the adult, he enters into a new relationship with him. L.I. Bozhovich connects the new formations of the 3-year crisis with the emergence of the “I system”, in which the need for the realization and approval of one’s own Self dominates. As a consequence of the emergence of the “I system”, other new formations appear, the most significant of which is self-esteem and the desire associated with it "to be good." The emergence of this desire at the end of the third year of life leads to a significant complication of the child’s inner life: on the one hand, he wants to act at his own discretion, on the other, to meet the requirements of significant adults. This strengthens ambivalent tendencies in behavior, and new relationships with adults are formed.

What is the positive value of a new relationship with an adult? This issue was investigated in the work of T.V. Guskova (Ermolova).

During the observation of 3-year-old children, a very peculiar complex of behavior clearly emerged. Firstly, the desire to achieve the result of their activity: children do not just manipulate objects, but persistently search for the right way to solve a problem. Failure, as a rule, does not lead to abandonment of the plan - children do not change their intentions and ultimate goal.

Secondly, having achieved what they want, they immediately strive to demonstrate their successes to an adult, without whose approval these successes largely lose their value. An adult’s negative or indifferent attitude towards their result causes affective experiences.

Thirdly, children have a heightened sense of self-esteem, which is expressed in increased sensitivity and sensitivity to recognition of their achievements, emotional outbursts over trifles, bragging and exaggeration of their own successes.

The described behavioral complex was called “pride in achievements.” This complex simultaneously covers three main spheres of the child’s relationship - to the objective world, other people and himself. In the work of T.V. Ermolova, it was suggested that “pride in achievements” is a behavioral correlate of the main personal neoplasm of the three-year crisis. The essence of this new formation is that the child begins to see himself through the prism of his achievements, recognized and appreciated by other people.

To test this assumption, an experiment was conducted in which children were offered various tasks (assembling a complex pyramid-dog, building a truck or a house from construction kit parts, etc.), and an adult assessed the results they achieved. Children of three age groups took part in the experiments: from 2 years 6 months to 2 years 10 months; from 2 l. 10 months Up to 3 years 2 months. And from 3 l. 2 months Up to 3 l. 6 months During the experiments, indicators of children’s objective activity were recorded (acceptance and understanding of the task, persistence, involvement, independence) and indicators of attitude towards an adult (search for an adult’s assessment, attitude towards this assessment, assessment of one’s result).

The results of the experiment showed that despite the small age interval (only 4-5 months), statistically significant differences are observed between the younger and middle age groups. Indicators of perseverance, independence and response to an adult’s assessment approximately double. When moving from the middle to the older group, the rate of change decreases (all these indicators increase by only 1.2 times).

The materials of this study showed that at the age of 3, the effective side of activity becomes significant for children, and recording of their successes by adults is a necessary moment of its implementation. Accordingly, the subjective value of one’s own achievements also increases, which causes new, affective forms of behavior, exaggeration of one’s merits, and attempts to devalue one’s failures. Children's activity in seeking adult approval also increases.

So, the data obtained in this study show that during the crisis period of 3 years, a personal new formation arises, manifesting itself in the form pride in achievements .

It integrates the objective attitude that children have developed during early childhood towards reality, an adult as a model, and the attitude towards themselves, mediated by their achievement. The child has a new vision of the world and himself in it. The new vision of oneself consists in the fact that the child for the first time opens a material projection of his Self, which can now be embodied outside, and its own specific capabilities and achievements can serve as its measure. The objective world becomes for the child not only the world of practical action and cognition, but the sphere where he tries their possibilities , rea licks And asserts myself . Therefore, each result of activity is also a statement of one’s Self, which should be assessed not in general, but through its specific, material embodiment, that is, through its achievements in objective activity. The main source of such assessment is an adult. Therefore, the child begins to perceive the adult’s attitude with particular predilection, seek and demand recognition of his achievements and thereby assert himself. OK And praise adult give birth feeling pride And own dignity . Recognition from others rearranges the child’s feelings experienced when achieving a result: from joy or sadness that something worked out or did not work out, these feelings turn into experiences of success or failure. He begins to look at himself through the eyes of another - an adult. After all, success (or failure) is always a result noticed and appreciated by someone, it is recognition or non-recognition in someone’s eyes, in the face of someone else. When a child experiences success, he imagines how his achievements will be appreciated by others. Experiencing feelings such as pride, shame, confidence or self-doubt indicates that the child appropriated (interiorized) attitude others people To to myself . This “alien” attitude became his own property and his own attitude towards himself.

A new vision of the Self through the prism of one’s achievements marks the beginning of the rapid development of children’s self-awareness. The child’s self, “objectified” as a result of activity, appears before him as an object that does not coincide with him. This means that the child is already able to carry out elementary reflection, which does not unfold on the internal, ideal plane as an act of introspection, but has an externally deployed character of assessing his achievement and comparing his assessment with the assessment of others, and thereby himself with other people.

The formation of such a “self-system”, where the starting point is an achievement appreciated by others, marks the transition to preschool childhood.

RESULTS

The main age-related feature of early childhood is situationality, which consists in the dependence of the child’s behavior and psyche on the perceived situation. Situationalism is associated with the affective nature of perception of young children.

By the age of three, the desire for independence and independence from an adult sharply increases, which finds expression in the crisis of three years. The main symptoms of this crisis are negativism, stubbornness, obstinacy and self-will of the child, rebellion against others. Behind these negative symptoms are new personal formations: the “I system”, personal action, the consciousness “I myself”, a sense of pride in one’s achievements.

A new vision of oneself through the prism of one’s achievements marks the beginning of a rapid growth of self-awareness: The self of a child, “objectified” in the results of its activities, appears as an object that does not coincide with it. The child becomes able to carry out elementary reflection, which does not unfold internally, but has an externally deployed character of assessing his achievement, i.e., elementary self-esteem.

The formation of the “I system” and self-esteem marks the transition to a new stage of development - preschool childhood.