Characteristics of G. Eysenck's personality types
Introvert
- an individual whose mental energy is directed inward towards himself. His thoughts, interests and even actions are directed towards his own “I”. In this regard, introverts tend to be withdrawn and constantly analyze their own mental experiences. They are said to have a weak nervous system, specialized in arousal, but quickly depleted. The predominance of excitation over inhibition is characteristic of the behavior of introverts. Introverts are extremely excitable, and therefore highly sensitive to incoming stimulation.
Extrovert
- an individual whose thoughts, feelings, interests and actions are directed towards others, towards objects of the external world. He makes good and easy contact with other people and easily adapts to new situations.
Characterizing a typical extrovert, Eysenck notes his sociability and outward orientation of the individual, a wide circle of acquaintances, and the need for contacts. He acts under the influence of the moment, is impulsive, quick-tempered, carefree, optimistic, good-natured, and cheerful. Prefers movement and action, tends to be aggressive. Feelings and emotions are not strictly controlled, and he is prone to risky actions. You can't always rely on him.
A typical introvert is a quiet, shy, introjective person who is prone to introspection. Reserved and distant from everyone except close friends. Plans and thinks about his actions in advance, does not trust sudden impulses, takes decisions seriously, loves order in everything. He controls his feelings and is not easily angered. He is pessimistic and highly values moral standards.
The second factor in Eysenck's stability-neuroticism model is associated with the activity of the limbic system and the strength of the autonomic nervous system's response to a stimulus.
Neuroticism characterizes emotional stability or instability (emotional stability or instability). Neuroticism, according to some data, is associated with indicators of nervous system lability. Emotional stability is a trait that expresses the preservation of organized behavior and situational focus in normal and stressful situations. Characterized by maturity, excellent adaptation, lack of great tension, anxiety, as well as a tendency to leadership and sociability. Neuroticism is expressed in extreme nervousness, instability, poor adaptation, a tendency to quickly change moods (lability), feelings of guilt and anxiety, preoccupation, depressive reactions, absent-mindedness, instability in stressful situations. Neuroticism corresponds to emotionality and impulsiveness; unevenness in contacts with people, variability of interests, self-doubt, pronounced sensitivity, impressionability, tendency to irritability. A neurotic personality is characterized by inappropriately strong reactions in relation to the stimuli that cause them. Individuals with high scores on the neuroticism scale may develop neurosis in unfavorable stressful situations.
Based on the research obtained, Hans Eysenck created what is known to everyone as a personality questionnaire consisting of 57 questions.
The results of the Eysenck test on the extraversion and neuroticism scales are presented using a coordinate system. The interpretation of the results obtained is carried out on the basis of the psychological characteristics of the individual corresponding to one or another square of the coordinate model, taking into account the degree of expression of individual psychological properties and the degree of reliability of the data obtained (Fig. 3).
Rice. 3. G. Eysenck’s Extraversion and Neuroticism Scale
These two factors are statistically independent of each other, and therefore Eysenck distinguishes 4 groups of people:
1. stable introvert (phlegmatic);
2. neurotic introvert (melancholic);
3. stable extrovert (sanguine);
4. neurotic extrovert (choleric).
These four categories of people represent some combination of a high or low score in one type range along with a high or low score in another type range. Each type is associated with characteristics whose names resemble descriptions of personality traits.
A choleric person is a fast, impetuous person, capable of devoting himself to a task with exceptional passion, but not balanced, prone to violent emotional outbursts and sudden changes in mood. Extrovert, emotionally unstable.
A sanguine person is a lively, active person, quickly responding to surrounding events, and relatively easily experiencing failures and troubles. Extrovert, emotionally stable.
A phlegmatic person is a slow, imperturbable person, with stable aspirations and a more or less constant mood, with a weak external expression of mental states. Introvert, emotionally stable.
A melancholic person is an easily vulnerable person, inclined to deeply experience even minor failures, but outwardly reacts sluggishly to his surroundings. Introvert, emotionally unstable.
Most people are closer to the middle point - in both ranges of types, and therefore do not receive such extreme variants of characteristics as presented above.
Eysenck believed that no combination of these types could be preferable to another, they were simply different.
Hans Eysenck
Hans Jürgen Eysenck (March 4, 1916, Berlin - September 4, 1997) - English scientist-psychologist, one of the leaders of the biological direction in psychology, creator of the factor theory of personality, author of a popular intelligence test.
Biography
In his youth, Eysenck was interested in astrology and even sent horoscopes to the leaders of the Nazi Party. Soon after the Nazis came to power, he emigrated to England. He planned to enter the Faculty of Physics, but the requirements for admission there turned out to be different than in Germany, and as a result he chose psychology. Educated at the University of London (Doctor of Philosophy and Sociology). From 1939 to 1945 he worked as an experimental psychologist at the Mill Hill Emergency Hospital, from 1946 to 1955 - head of the department of psychology he founded at the Institute of Psychiatry at Maudsley and Bethlem Hospitals, from 1955 to 1983. - Professor at the Institute of Psychology at the University of London, and since 1983 - Honorary Professor of Psychology.
Research
A number of Eysenck's studies were perceived as "shocking"; their themes, quite normal for Nazi Germany, seemed unacceptable in Europe. In particular, he examined psychological differences between representatives of different races.
Founder and editor of the journals Personality and Individual Differences and Behavior Research and Therapy. He began his research on basic personality traits with an analysis of the results of a psychiatric examination, including descriptions of psychiatric symptoms, of a contingent of soldiers - groups of healthy people and those recognized as neurotic. As a result of this analysis, 39 variables were identified in which these groups turned out to be significantly different and factor analysis of which allowed us to obtain four factors, including the factors of extraversion-introversion and neuroticism (“Dimensions of Personality”, L. 1947). As a methodological basis, Eysenck focused on understanding the psychodynamic properties of personality as determined genetically and ultimately determined by biochemical processes (“The Scientific Study of Personality”, L., 1952). Initially, he interpreted extraversion-introversion on the basis of the relationship between the processes of excitation and inhibition: extroverts are characterized by the slow formation of excitation, its weakness and the rapid formation of reactive inhibition, its strength and stability, while introverts are characterized by the rapid formation of excitation, its strength (this is due to better education they have conditioned reflexes and their training) and the slow formation of reactive inhibition, weakness and low stability.
It should be noted that Eysenck rethought the terms extrovert and introvert, introduced by C. G. Jung - initially they had a different content. For more details, see Extrovert and Introvert according to Eysenck
As for neuroticism, Eysenck believed that neurotic symptoms are conditioned reflexes, and behavior that is the avoidance of a conditioned reflex stimulus (danger signal) and thereby eliminating anxiety is valuable in itself.
Based on the “three-factor model of personality,” Eysenck created the psychodiagnostic methods EPI (“Manual of the Eysenck Personality Inventory” (jointly with Eysenck BG), L., 1964) and EPQ, which continued a number of previously created ones - MMQ, MPI (“Manual of the Maudsley Personality Inventory", L., 1959).
Eysenck is one of the authors of the “three-phase theory of the emergence of neurosis” - a conceptual model that describes the development of neurosis as a system of learned behavioral reactions (“The Causes and Cures of Neuroses” (together with Rachmann S.), L., 1965); Based on this behavioral model, methods of psychotherapeutic personality correction were developed, in particular, one of the variations of aversive psychotherapy and neurosis, constitution and personality.
Links
- Psychological Dictionary
