We understand the causes of emotional instability or neuroticism. Eysenck test (extroversion - introversion; neuroticism)

neuroticism- This is a personality trait of a person, which manifests itself in anxiety, anxiety and emotional instability. Neuroticism in psychology is an individual variable that expresses the characteristics nervous system(lability and reactivity). Those people who have a high level of neuroticism, under the external expression of complete well-being, hide internal dissatisfaction and personal conflicts. They react to everything that happens too emotionally and not always adequately to the situation.

A high level of neuroticism is characterized by a strong susceptibility of a person to outwardly occurring events. Negative, unpleasant sensations arise in connection with negatively colored events, a pessimistic mood and an unadapted personality.

High level of neuroticism manifested by complaints of headaches, bad dream, mood swings and anxiety.

A neurotic person can be recognized by the way she behaves, for example, she is always worried about whether electrical appliances are turned off, how securely the door is locked, she is afraid of public transport, a large crowd of people. The neurotic personality exaggerates too much worries about his appearance, especially about attractiveness, she has obsessive thoughts about marital infidelity or possible material difficulties.

neuroticism in psychology a sign of dissatisfaction of personal needs, biological and social. Especially often there is a dissatisfaction with the need for dominance (success, power, superiority). Therefore, often neurotic symptoms occur in children who find it especially difficult to gain power.

A small child feels defenseless and helpless compared to adults, and this experience can only be strengthened in the future, then such a person, being mature, continues to experience inferiority compared to others. It is this neuroticism in psychology that is the cause of the possible manifestation of an inferiority complex.

Because of the feeling of guilt, the level of neuroticism rises. Such symptoms of neuroticism at first seem insignificant, or they are not paid attention at all. If the necessary measures are not taken in time, for example, corrective measures for neuroticism, the condition of the person will worsen, as will the quality of his life.

A high level of neuroticism leads to the fact that life becomes unbearably painful for him, he is haunted by empty and constant anxieties that take away all his strength, which causes various ailments, mostly psychosomatic.

A person with an increased level of neuroticism feels personal inner discomfort, which calls into question his pleasant and calm pastime with other people. A neurotic personality can complicate life, both for himself and for those around him.

Neuroticism is not a mental disorder at all, but one of the features of the psyche. Anxiety, uncertainty, inherent in many people in a stressful situation. To find out about the presence of an exceeded indicator of neuroticism, it is necessary to pass a special test together with a psychologist.

Treatment of neuroticism necessary in situations where increased emotionality significantly complicates life, relationships with others, leads to feelings for no reason. If some forms of behavior prevent a person from fully acting and living, they need to be worked on.

Treatment of neuroticism should be carried out with the help of an experienced psychologist or psychotherapist.

A person with a neurotic character experiences stress much more intensely than others and reacts to external stressful stimuli. In a stressful situation, he behaves restlessly, he is anxious, irritable. He reacts to such trifles that individuals with a different type would not even pay attention to.

Neuroticism is a personality trait that makes it difficult for the human psyche to return to a calm and adequate state.

Neuroticism has a close relationship with the emotionality of a person, so there is a tendency to tend to be very emotional people to the emergence of various fears, phobias, fears or.

Neuroticism according to Eysenck

The British psychologist G. Eysenck is the creator of the two-factor theory of the personality model. In his author's questionnaire, he used neuroticism as indicators of basic personality traits. A little later, the psychologist added another personal dimension - psychotism, which he defined as a person's tendency to aggressive behavior, cruelty, closeness, extravagance and demonstrativeness.

In short, extraversion is a personal focus on the world around, events, people; introversion is a focus on inner world.

Neuroticism is a synonym for "anxiety", which manifests itself in a person's emotional instability, tension, depression or emotional excitability.

At one pole of neuroticism, people with a predominance of high scores on the questionnaire are neurotics, characterized by instability and imbalance of nervous mental processes, emotional instability and lability of the autonomic nervous system. Therefore, such people are quite easily excited, they are characterized by mood variability, sensitivity, anxiety, slowness and indecision.

At the other extreme of neuroticism, people with a predominance of low scores on the questionnaire tend to be calm, balanced, determined, and confident.

Neuroticism describes the emotional stability or instability of mental processes. Emotional stability ensures the preservation of collected behavior, situational focus and adequacy in a normal or stressful situation. An emotionally stable person is more mature, he easily adapts to conditions, does not tense up and does not worry about trifles, he is prone to leadership and high sociability.

Emotional instability manifests itself in extreme nervousness, bad mood, lability (frequent changes) in mood, anxiety, guilt for minor reasons, anxiety, depressive reactions, instability of reactions in stressful situations and absent-mindedness.

Neuroticism responds to impulsiveness, emotionality, frequent changes of interests, inconstancy in relationships with people, very pronounced sensitivity and impressionability, inadequately strong reactions to challenging stimuli, and neurosis can develop under adverse circumstances.

Researchers involved in testing Eysenck's theory of neuroticism classify highly emotional individuals as neurotics, and their antipodes as stable personalities. The extraversion-introversion score correlates with the central nervous system (NS), measuring stability neuroticism along with the autonomic NS, which is divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the NS.

The sympathetic system is expressed as follows: it activates the human body in stressful and critical situations, in connection with which the heart rate increases, breathing becomes more frequent, pupils dilate, sweating increases.

The parasympathetic nervous system is the opposite of the sympathetic, it is able to return the body to the optimal level of arousal. According to Eysenck's theory, differences in emotionality are caused by different sensitivity of the parasympathetic and sympathetic parts of the nervous system, which are controlled by the limbic system. Typically, neurotic individuals have a very sensitive limbic system, so that emotional arousal occurs faster and lasts longer.

In general terms, this process can be described as follows: the sympathetic nervous system is activated, while the parasympathetic does not have time to balance the state. For example, phlegmatic personalities may have a weakly active sympathetic nervous system and vice versa, an overactive parasympathetic system.

Activation of the autonomic nervous system causes excitation of the whole organism, activates the general state, which is common to all people. But we can assume that each individual has his own reaction to stress. Some people, when excited, tense the muscles of the forehead, back or neck, someone begins to breathe harder, someone's heartbeat accelerates. Neurotic behavior of a person can be manifested by various specific reactions to stressful stimuli. Some people get headaches, digestive problems, or sharp back pain, but it's important to understand that not everyone with back pain is neurotic.

Eysenck suggested that highly emotional people have a stronger propensity for criminal activity than people with weak emotions. Since habits are not as strongly ingrained in young people as in adults, it can be concluded that the level of neuroticism will be very important for experienced adult offenders, less important for adolescents, and will not matter at all for juvenile offenders. The psychologist was based on data from a study that argued that the emotional state can become a stimulus that pushes the individual to more habitual forms of behavior. A person with increased emotionality (with a strong stimulus) has a higher propensity for certain habits. That is, if a person has antisocial habits, he will more quickly resort to them with a strong stimulus than with a weak one. It turns out that neuroticism can support every unconscious or habitual form of behavior that an individual owns.

The fact that all people are different is a common truth, obvious, perhaps, to most of the population of the Earth. However, the human inclination to systematize everything that is possible and impossible, called this fact into question - this is how typologies of human characters, inner worlds, temperaments, etc. were created. Many of the invented typologies are not as good as we would like; at the same time, there are really worthy examples, for example, the division of people into extroverts-introverts. In the most basic, everyday view, this is a division into sociable-unsociable people, but in fact this is not entirely true. It is also about how people work, what pace of work is most acceptable for them, and so on - in any case, according to Eysenck's typology, which (along with the test) is presented here.

According to Eysenck extrovert, compared with an introvert, it is more difficult to develop conditioned reflexes, has a greater tolerance for pain, but less tolerance for sensory deprivation, as a result of which it does not tolerate monotony, is more often distracted during work, etc. Typical behavioral manifestations of an extrovert are sociability, impulsiveness, and insufficient self-control, good adaptability to the environment, openness in feelings. He is sympathetic, cheerful, self-confident, seeks leadership, has many friends, unrestrained, seeks entertainment, likes to take risks, witty, not always obligatory.

At introvert the following features of behavior prevail: he is often immersed in himself, has difficulty establishing contacts with people and adapting to reality. In most cases, the introvert is calm, balanced, peaceful, his actions are thoughtful and rational. His circle of friends is small. An introvert highly values ​​ethical norms, likes to plan the future, thinks about what and how he will do, does not give in to instant impulses, is pessimistic. An introvert does not like unrest, adheres to a routine life order. He strictly controls his feelings and rarely behaves aggressively, is mandatory.

Also, in his questionnaire, Eysenck singled out another school - neuroticism, that is anxiety. At one extreme of neuroticism (high marks) are the so-called neurotics, who are characterized by instability, imbalance of neuropsychic processes, emotional instability, and also the lability of the autonomic nervous system. Therefore, they are easily excitable, they are characterized by mood variability, sensitivity, as well as anxiety, suspiciousness, slowness, indecision. The other pole of neuroticism (low scores) is emotionally stable individuals, characterized by calmness, balance, confidence, and determination.

Knowing what type a person belongs to in the extraversion-introversion dichotomy is really very important, because thanks to this you can choose the best approach to him and develop the best activity structure for him. Knowing the level of anxiety is necessary for the same purpose.

We offer you a series of questions that will help you better understand your own model of interaction with yourself and the world (and someone else's model - in case you offer this test to someone else). Answering these questions should be the first thing that comes to your mind. The answers to all questions are either yes or no. Through this test, personal abilities are examined, therefore it is important to understand that there CANNOT be right or wrong answers.

1. Do you often feel cravings for new experiences, to shake things up, to get excited?

2. Do you often need friends who understand you, who can encourage or console you?

3. Are you a careless person?

4. Do you find it very difficult to say "no" to you?

5. Do you think before doing anything?

6. If you promise to do something, do you always keep your promises (regardless of whether it is convenient for you or not)?

7. Do you often have ups and downs in your mood?

8. Do you usually act and speak quickly without thinking?

9. Do you often feel like an unhappy person for no good reason?

10. Would you do almost anything for a dare?

11. Do you feel shy and ashamed when you want to start a conversation with a pretty stranger?

12. Do you sometimes lose your temper, get angry?

13. Do you often act under the influence of a momentary mood?

14. Do you often feel anxious because you have done or said something that you shouldn't have done or said?

15. Do you usually prefer books to meeting people?

16. Are you easily offended?

17. Do you like to be in the company often?

18. Do you sometimes have thoughts that you would like to hide from others?

19. Is it true that sometimes you are full of energy so that everything burns in your hands, and sometimes you are completely lethargic?

20. Do you prefer to have fewer friends, but especially those close to you?

21. Do you often daydream?

22. When someone yells at you, do you respond in kind?

23. Do you often feel guilty?

24. Are all your habits good and desirable?

25. Are you able to give free rein to your feelings and have fun in the company with might and main?

26. Do you consider yourself an excitable and sensitive person?

27. Are you considered a lively and cheerful person?

28. After doing something important, do you often feel like you could do it better?

29. Are you more silent when you are in the company of other people?

30. Do you gossip sometimes?

31. Does it happen that you can’t sleep because different thoughts come into your head?

32. If you want to know about something, do you prefer to read about it in a book than to ask?

33. Do you have palpitations?

34. Do you like work that requires constant attention from you?

35. Do you have bouts of trembling?

36. Would you always pay for baggage on transport if you were not afraid of checking?

37. Do you find it unpleasant to be in a society where they make fun of each other?

38. Are you irritable?

39. Do you like work that requires quick action?

40. Do you worry about some unpleasant events that might happen?

41. Do you walk slowly and leisurely?

42. Have you ever been late for a date or work?

43. Do you often have nightmares?

44. Is it true that you love to talk so much that you never miss an opportunity to talk with a stranger?

45. Do you suffer from any pain?

46. ​​Would you feel very unhappy if you were deprived of wide communication with people for a long time?

47. Can you call yourself a nervous person?

48. Are there people among your acquaintances that you clearly do not like?

49. Can you say that you are a very confident person?

50. Are you easily offended when people point out your mistakes at work or your personal mistakes?

51. Do you find it hard to really enjoy a party?

52. Are you bothered by the feeling that you are somehow worse than others?

53. Is it easy for you to spice up a rather boring company?

54. Do you sometimes talk about things you don't understand?

55. Do you worry about your health?

56. Do you like to play pranks on others?

57. Do you suffer from insomnia?

Processing of results.

For each answer in the corresponding scale that matches the key, the testee receives 1 point (if the answer does not match the key, no points are deducted). Then the scores obtained are summed up and the values ​​are determined according to the following algorithm:

Extraversion: 12 - average, >15 (greater than or equal) - extrovert, >19 (greater than or equal) - bright extrovert,

Neuroticism: 9-13 - average value of neuroticism, >15 (greater than or equal) - high level of neuroticism, >19 (greater than or equal) - very high level of neuroticism,

Lie: 4 - insincerity in the answers, also indicating some demonstrative behavior and orientation of the subject to social approval.

Key.

Many, seeing a word unfamiliar to them in the title of this article, thought: "What is neuroticism?". So, this is a personal property, which is characterized by excessive excitability, a constant feeling of insecurity, as well as excessive emotionality.

Neuroticism in biology

In the human brain and intestines, a special substance is produced - serotonin, which is often called the "hormone of happiness". Its amount affects mood. An excess of serotonin causes a feeling of happiness and immense joy. A deficiency is a state of anxiety, depression. Thus, neuroticism is considered from a biological point of view. But psychology is capable of more clearly explaining the parameters of this personality trait.

Symptoms

Emotionally unstable people, with a weak psyche, who are called "neurotic" are subject to neuroticism. They are constantly excited, they are haunted by a feeling of anxiety and even fear. They are characterized by a tendency to the appearance of phobias, there may be inferiority complex low self-esteem, guilt. The actions they perform may be absolutely inadequate and devoid of any meaning. Also, in addition to all this, there are many somatic complaints: insomnia, various digestive problems, headaches.

Response to stress

When a person is in a difficult life situation and experiences difficulty in making various kinds of decisions, then his emotional sphere subjected to excessive stress. During such periods, the risk of stress increases. The reaction of the neurotic to it is distinguished by particular irritability, restlessness, high level of anxiety. It is longer and is much more difficult than in people who have a different type of character. Also, neurotics are more prone to stress, as they deeply experience the smallest trouble.

Causes

The main cause of neuroticism is the dissatisfaction of social needs. For example, the need to be heard, understood in society. If, instead of approval and acceptance, the individual receives condemnation, then there is a fear of expressing one's opinion, self-esteem goes down, an inferiority complex appears. The person closes in on himself. Deterioration of the situation, in turn, can lead to neuroticism.

Treatment

There are times when excessive emotionality begins to have a detrimental effect on a person's life. For example, others may refuse to communicate with such people, as it becomes unbearable to be with them, their behavior is repulsive. Then the neurotic needs treatment and the help of a qualified psychologist or psychotherapist.

Eysenck test

Many theories have been put forward about neuroticism. The most famous and significant of them were made by: Sigmund Freud, Hans Eysenck, Alfred Adler, Fritz Perls, Karen Horney. Hans Jurgen Eysenck is a British psychologist who is known to everyone not only as the creator of the IQ test, but also a questionnaire for the type of temperament.

History of creation

Its original version was proposed in 1947, containing 40 statements and only one scale - "neuroticism". After 9 years, the technique was somewhat improved, Eysenck added 8 more statements. The next stage in the creation of the test was completed in 1963. The survey already consisted of 57 items, 9 of which were aimed at revealing lies, a person's desire to "embellish reality." After 6 years, another version of the test was proposed, as a diagnostic of which another scale was added - "psychoticism". The test contained 101 questions. Currently latest version not in demand, as the results are often false.

Eysenck's theory

In his two-factor theory of personality model, Eysenck used extraversion, introversion, neuroticism, psychotism.

neuroticism related to the autonomic nervous system, divided into two departments: sympathetic, parasympathetic. Sympathetic activates the human body during a period of depression or a stressful situation, as a result, the pupils dilate, sweating increases, and the heart rate increases. Parasympathetic, in turn, returns the body to normal. According to Eysenck's theory, differences in emotionality are explained different levels sensitivity of the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems.

Determining the type of temperament using the test

According to the Eysenck method it is possible to determine your type of temperament:

With the help of psychology, a person is able to unravel the secrets of the most secret bowels of his soul. Understand what caused this or that condition, and most importantly, learn the methods of treatment, help your loved ones or yourself. Eysenck test for determination of the type of temperament it can also be useful in order to determine the qualities of your character and understand your inner world. Psychology is interesting science which can help a person in various difficult life situations.

Eysenck personality questionnaire- a series of several author's questionnaires, according to Eysenck, aimed at diagnosing personality, although in fact the questionnaire reveals temperamental characteristics. By classification Q-L-T refer to Q-data.

History of creation

First MMQ Personality Questionnaire

MMQ(Maudsley Medical Questionnaire, from the name of the clinic where Eysenck worked) is a technique proposed in 1947. It was intended to diagnose neuroticism. The questionnaire consists of 40 statements with which the subject is asked to agree (yes) or disagree (no).

Statements were selected from questionnaires already known by that time, while the author relied on clinical descriptions neurotic disorders. MMQ was standardized on the material of the survey of two groups: "neurotic" (1 thousand people) and "normal" (1 thousand people). A detailed analysis of the responses received for each MMQ statement (taking into account differences in psychiatric diagnoses) showed that two types of neurotic disorders can be differentiated using the questionnaire - hysterical and dysthymic. Based on these results, G. Eysenck suggested that the answers to the MMQ statements would also make it possible to draw a conclusion about the position of the subject on the scale of another personality dimension postulated by this researcher - extraversion - introversion. This was the beginning of work on the construction of a new personality questionnaire. As a result, MMQ was not used in psychodiagnostic studies.

Second MPI personality questionnaire

MPI(Maudsley Personality Inventory) is a personality questionnaire published in 1956. It consists of two internal scales: extraversion-introversion and neuroticism, each scale has 24 questions. Later, 2 empty "masking questions" and 20 questions were also added to form the scale of the sincerity of the subject. There are three response options: Yes (2 points), Don't know (1 point) and No (0 points). The practical use of MPI showed significant discrepancies between the obtained data and the theoretical predictions of the author (especially in clinical groups).

Third Personality Inventory EPI

EPI(Eysenck Personality Inventory) was published in 1963 and contains 57 questions, 24 of which are aimed at identifying extraversion-introversion, 24 others - at assessing emotional stability-instability (neuroticism), the remaining 9 form a control group of questions designed to assess the sincerity of the subject , its relationship to the survey and the reliability of the results.

G. Eysenck developed two versions of this technique (A and B), which differ only in the text of the questionnaire. Instruction, key and data processing are duplicated. The presence of two forms allows the psychologist to conduct a re-examination.

Adapted in Russia by A.G. Shmelev.

Fourth EPQ Personality Questionnaire

EPQ(Eysenck Personality Questionnaire) is the result of a further research work Hans and Sibylla Eysenck. EPQ was created in 1968 on the basis of the PEN (Psychoticism, Extraversion, and Neuroticism) model proposed by the authors. Thus, the third factor "psychoticism" was added to the two-dimensional structure of the previous questionnaires, which does not change the original "two-axis concept.

The EPQ consists of 91 statements, to which 10 more "blank" statements can be added (items 92 to 101).

Theoretical basis

G. Eysenck, after analyzing the survey materials of 700 neurotic soldiers, came to the conclusion that the entire set of traits describing a person can be represented by 2 main factors: extraversion (introversion) and neuroticism.

The first of these factors is biopolar and represents a characteristic of a person's individual psychological make-up, the extreme poles of which correspond to the personality's orientation either to the world of external objects (extraversion) or to the subjective inner world (introversion). It is generally accepted that extroverts are characterized by sociability, impulsiveness, flexibility of behavior, great initiative (but little perseverance) and high social adaptability. Introverts, on the contrary, are characterized by lack of communication, isolation, social passivity (with sufficiently high perseverance), a tendency to introspection and difficulties in social adaptation.

The second factor - neuroticism (or neuroticism) - describes some property-state that characterizes a person in terms of emotional stability, anxiety, self-esteem level and possible autonomic disorders. This factor is also bipolar and forms a scale, on one pole of which there are people who are characterized by extreme stability, maturity and excellent adaptation, and on the other - an extremely nervous, unstable and poorly adapted type. Most of people are located between these poles, closer to the middle (according to the normal distribution).

The intersection of these 2 bipolar characteristics allows you to get an unexpected and rather curious result - a fairly clear assignment of a person to one of the four 4 temperaments.

The third factor - psychotism - was added in the fourth version of the questionnaire and is a characteristic of a tendency to antisocial behavior and inadequacy of emotional reactions. This factor is not bipolar, its high values may indicate a difficulty in social adaptation, although there is no clear justification for the legitimacy of distinguishing this category, and it is disputed by many foreign researchers.

Results processing

MPI Key

Answers that match the key are scored 2 points, “I don’t know” - 1 point, and those that do not match - 0 points.

EPI Key

EPQ key

Answers matching the key are worth 1 point.

Interpretation of results

MPI

Extraversion:

• from 32 to 48 - "pure" extrovert
• from 16 to 32 - ambivalence, uncertainty
• from 0 to 16 - "pure" introvert

Neuroticism:

• from 32 to 48 - pronounced neuroticism
• from 16 to 32 - average score
• from 0 to 16 - emotional stability

Lie:

• more than 20 - absolute unreliability of the results
• from 16 to 20 - a dubious result
• from 5 to 15 points - reliable result
• 4 points or less - questionable result

EPI

Extraversion:

• more than 19 - a bright extrovert,
• more than 15 - extrovert
• 12 - average value,
• less than 9 - introvert,
• less than 5 - a deep introvert.

Neuroticism:

• more than 19 - a very high level of neuroticism,
• more than 14 - a high level of neuroticism,
• 9 - 13 - average value,
• less than 7 - low level of neuroticism.

Lie:

• more than 4 - insincerity in the answers, also indicating some demonstrative behavior and orientation of the subject to social approval,
• less than 4 is normal.

EPQ

Extraversion:

• more than 15 - "pure" extrovert
• from 7 to 15 - ambivalence, uncertainty
• from 0 to 6 - "pure" introvert

Neuroticism:

• more than 16 - pronounced neuroticism
• from 8 to 16 - average score
• from 0 to 7 - emotional stability

Psychoticism:

• more than 10 - work with people is contraindicated
• from 6 to 10 - there is a tendency to emotional inadequacy
• from 0 to 5 - none

Lie:

• more than 10 - unreliable result

Description of scales

Extraversion - introversion

Describing a typical extrovert, the author notes his sociability and outward orientation of the individual, a wide circle of acquaintances, the need for contacts. He acts on the spur of the moment, impulsive, quick-tempered, carefree, optimistic, good-natured, cheerful. Prefers movement and action, tends to be aggressive. Feelings and emotions do not have strict control, prone to risky actions. You can't always rely on him.

The typical introvert is quiet, shy, introspective and introspective. Restrained and distant from everyone except close friends. Plans and considers his actions in advance, does not trust sudden impulses, takes decisions seriously, loves order in everything. Controls his feelings, he is not easily pissed off. Possesses pessimism, highly appreciates moral norms.

neuroticism

Characterizes emotional stability or instability (emotional stability or instability). Neuroticism, according to some reports, is associated with indicators of the lability of the nervous system. Emotional stability is a trait that expresses the preservation of organized behavior, situational focus in normal and stressful situations. It is characterized by maturity, excellent adaptation, lack of great tension, anxiety, as well as a tendency to leadership, sociability. Neuroticism is expressed in extreme nervousness, instability, poor adaptation, a tendency to quickly change moods (lability), feelings of guilt and anxiety, anxiety, depressive reactions, absent-mindedness, instability in stressful situations. Neuroticism corresponds to emotionality, impulsivity; unevenness in contacts with people, variability of interests, self-doubt, pronounced sensitivity, impressionability, a tendency to irritability. The neurotic personality is characterized by inadequately strong reactions to the stimuli that cause them. Individuals with high scores on the neuroticism scale in adverse stressful situations may develop neurosis.

The presentation of the results on the scales of extraversion and neuroticism is carried out using a coordinate system. The interpretation of the obtained results 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 severity of individual psychological properties and the degree of reliability of the data obtained.

psychoticism

This scale indicates a tendency to antisocial behavior, pretentiousness, inadequacy of emotional reactions, high conflict, lack of contact, self-centeredness, selfishness, indifference. According to Eysenck, high scores on extraversion and neuroticism are consistent with a psychiatric diagnosis of hysteria, and high scores on introversion and neuroticism are consistent with anxiety or reactive depression. Neuroticism and psychotism in the case of the severity of these indicators are understood as a "predisposition" to the corresponding types of pathology.

Typology of personality

According to Eysenck

Drawing on data from the physiology of higher nervous activity, Eysenck hypothesizes that the strong and weak types, according to Pavlov, are very close to the extraverted and introverted personality types. The nature of introversion and extraversion is seen in the innate properties of the central nervous system, which ensure the balance of the processes of excitation and inhibition.

Thus, using the survey data on the scales of extraversion, introversion and neuroticism, it is possible to derive personality temperament indicators according to Pavlov’s classification, who described four classical types: sanguine (according to the main properties of the central nervous system, it is characterized as strong, balanced, mobile), choleric (strong, unbalanced, mobile), phlegmatic (strong, balanced, inert), melancholic (weak, unbalanced, inert).

"Clean" sanguine quickly adapts to new conditions, quickly converges with people, sociable. Feelings easily arise and change, emotional experiences, as a rule, are shallow. Facial expressions are rich, mobile, expressive. He is somewhat restless, needs new impressions, regulates his impulses insufficiently, does not know how to strictly adhere to the established routine, life, and work system. In this regard, he cannot successfully carry out a task that requires an equal expenditure of effort, a long and methodical effort, perseverance, stability of attention, and patience. In the absence of serious goals, deep thoughts, creative activity, superficiality and inconstancy are developed.

Choleric characterized by increased excitability, actions are intermittent. He is characterized by sharpness and swiftness of movements, strength, impulsiveness, vivid expression of emotional experiences. Due to imbalance, carried away by business, he is inclined to act with all his might, to be exhausted more than he should. Having public interests, temperament manifests in initiative, energy, adherence to principles. In the absence of spiritual life, the choleric temperament often manifests itself in irritability, efficiency, intemperance, irascibility, inability to self-control under emotional circumstances.

Phlegmatic person characterized relatively low level activity of behavior, new forms of which are developed slowly, but are persistent. It has slowness and calmness in actions, facial expressions and speech, evenness, constancy, depth of feelings and moods. Persistent and stubborn "worker of life", he rarely loses his temper, is not prone to affects, having calculated his strength, brings the matter to the end, is even in relationships, moderately sociable, does not like to chat in vain. Saves energy, does not waste it. Depending on the conditions, in some cases, a phlegmatic person can be characterized by “positive” traits - endurance, depth of thought, constancy, thoroughness, etc., in others - lethargy, indifference to the environment, laziness and lack of will, poverty and weakness of emotions, a tendency to fulfill just habitual actions.

Melancholic. His reaction often does not correspond to the strength of the stimulus, there is a depth and stability of feelings with their weak expression. It is difficult for him to concentrate on something for a long time. Strong influences often cause a prolonged inhibitory reaction in a melancholic (hands down). He is characterized by restraint and muffled motor skills and speech, shyness, timidity, indecision. Under normal conditions, a melancholic is a deep, meaningful person, can be a good worker, successfully cope with life's tasks. Under adverse conditions, it can turn into a closed, timid, anxious, vulnerable person, prone to severe inner experiences life circumstances that do not deserve it at all.

According to Sukhodolsky

On the other hand, as a rule, one should talk about the predominance of certain traits of temperament, since they are rare in life in their pure form. That is why G.V. Sukhodolsky believes that it is necessary to single out not four ("pure" types - this is an abstraction), but nine personality types: a norm and eight accentuations. In addition to the four "pure" types of G.V. Sukhodolsky proposed four "intermediate" ones:

• choleric-sanguine (i.e. "pure" extraverted combined with an average neuroticism score)
• sanguine-phlegmatic, (i.e. "steady" type combined with extraversion-introversion ambivalence)
• phlegmatic-melancholic, (i.e. "pure" introverted in combination with an average score of neuroticism)
• melancholic-choleric, (i.e. "neurotic" type combined with extraversion-introversion ambivalence)
• normal type.

According to G.V. Sukhodolsky, the typology of G. Eysenck, can be represented as a matrix, the rows of which characterize the orientation (introversion; average values; extraversion), the columns correspond to the levels of emotional stability (neuroticism; average values; stability), and the elements - statistically normal and deviating from it types .

Each type of personality corresponds to the following external manifestations:

• Choleric (X)- Aggressive, short-tempered, changing his views / impulsive.
• Choleric-sanguine (CS) type- optimistic, active, extroverted, sociable, accessible.
• Sanguine (C)- Loquacious, quick to react, laid-back, lively.
• Sanguine-phlegmatic (SF) type- carefree, leading "stable, calm, balanced.
• Phlegmatic (F)- reliable, self-controlled, peaceful, reasonable.
• Phlegmatic-melancholic (FM) type- diligent, passive, introvert, quiet, unsociable.
• Melancholic (M)- restrained, pessimistic, sober, rigid.
• Melancholic-choleric (MX) type- conscientious, capricious, neurotic, touchy, restless.
• EPI personality questionnaire (G. Eysenck's method) / Almanac psychological tests- M., 1995. S.217-224.

How many people, so many characters. What is specific to you? Do you often laugh, try to help people around you, often joke or, on the contrary, tend to lead a secluded lifestyle, often worry and fall into depression? Why are you the way you are?

Do you think that all the pluses and minuses, advantages and disadvantages of your character were formed because of your parents, environment, upbringing, past, traumatic childhood or providence? The answer is simple: it's all about hormones. What hormones, such behavior.

This article was written by reading the book Oddities of Behavior by Hannah Holmes. Journalist and writer Hannah Holmes, driven to despair by her panic conditions in the past and at some point ended up in a psychotherapist's office because of this, is looking for an answer to the question "why does humanity need anxiety and depression." Are they so causeless and useless, as it might seem at first glance? And in parallel lays out other types of personal manifestations.

The book considers the so-called five-factor model, according to which a certain set of personality traits is attributed to each factor: neuroticism (manifestation aspects: depression, anxiety), extraversion (manifestation aspects: impulsiveness, cheerfulness, confidence), conformity (aspects: trust, cooperation, altruism), conscientiousness (aspects: self-discipline, organization), openness (intelligence, imagination, creativity).

Of course, each person is too complex a structure to be measured by his personality only with a model of five factors. Each of us has certain character traits from each model. And all together - the whole compote of our emotions, reactions, memories, experiences and manifestations with all the most subtle nuances and shades and makes up all the richness and complexity of the human personality, and not a single doctor, researcher and psychotherapist, no matter how fanatic he may be in his field , it will not be possible to fully study, describe and predict at least one human individual. But when it comes to certain personality traits that are too prominent, at least you can at least try to do something.

And again and again the curious person wonders "why?"

Factor One: Neuroticism

For a pronounced neurotic personality, the glass is half empty, and all life is a struggle. More neurotic people have a harder time coping with stress than less neurotic people. They are more likely to get upset, more emotional and easily succumb to mood swings - this is at best. In the worst case, it is neurotics who are at risk of slipping into a pronounced anxiety disorder or depression.

It turns out that serotonin is responsible for conditions like anxiety. If it is not enough or, on the contrary, too much, a person is prone to neuroticism. Also in our brain there is a so-called amygdala. In a neurotic personality, it is super-sensitive. It is the amygdala that identifies and defines an urgent situation and dictates what should be done. In fact, than more stressful situations you expose the neurotic amygdala to, the more alert it becomes.

Of the minuses of a neurotic personality - the danger of moving into the category of "anxiety disorder or depression", as well as a high probability of developing mental disorders. On the plus side, neurotic kids don't get hit by cars, don't break their legs on skateboards or in trees, and are less likely to die from stupid accidents. In addition, neurotic personalities have exactly the kind of intelligence that helps to avoid unpleasant surprises.

To find the answer to the question “why anxiety and depression are needed”, the author goes to Germany to Professor Klaus-Peter Lesch.

Mr. Lesh breeds special mice in the laboratory, with a genetically modified content of hormones, and as a result with a tendency to depression and anxiety more than their counterparts. We think that we humans are very complex creatures, but it turns out that everything that is inherent in us can be fully inherent in ordinary mice. Therefore, in the tiny head of a small animal there is a full-fledged personality that controls the behavior of the animal.

Thus, it turns out that people have no more going on in life than mice. Our behavior is subject to certain laws - the laws that our body dictates to us.

There is nothing personal in the features of character - it is connected with biology.

Aspect of manifestation: Anxiety

Anxiety is the most essential emotion of avoidance. Anxiety is always avoidance, the desire to take a step back in case dangerous situation and, consequently, unwillingness to take risks.

The brain of any person keeps track of danger. But some people do not pay attention to the signs everywhere, and someone "blows on the water" and is looking for a catch in everything.

As mentioned above, the key to solving anxiety states lies in serotonin. In the right amount, it gives a calm personality, tolerant of others. In case of imbalance, a person is at risk of negative emotions: anxiety, depression, aggression, obsession. How effectively the gene that affects the production of serotonin works depends on the parents - it is they who pass on two copies of the gene to the child. Therefore, it would be possible to treat anxious and depressed people with drugs that regulate the amount of serotonin, but while these studies are under development and tested only in mice, such tests are prohibited in humans.

It should also be noted that the amygdala plays an important role in the development of phobias. The hypersensitive amygdala, once remembering an unpleasant situation, will again and again plunge a person into a state of panic at the slightest hint of danger. But, fortunately, there is also the prefrontal cortex, which weighs the information coming from the amygdala and forms a rational opinion about it. Simply put, if the amygdala says that the spider is going to kill us, then the memory struggles with this statement - because this has never happened before, and the amygdala recedes into the background.

What strengths anxious person? What is the use of a person in anxiety? Why didn't this eerie feeling disappear in the course of evolution? As mentioned above, anxious children are more cautious, anxious people are more cautious, also anxious people have excellent planning memory, they can take consistent, right decisions even in distracting conditions. In terms of keeping offspring, the anxious people holed up in the cave seemed to be more likely to take care of the offspring than the risk-averse ones in the fight for the mammoth. Of the minuses - whoever does not take risks does not have dinner - it is difficult to live on reserves in a cave for a long time. Also, anxious children can grow into heart attack-prone, suspicious adults suffering from various phobias.

Aspect of Manifestation: Depression

Depressed people tend to see the dark side of everything. A depressed person feels hopeless, lifeless, and spiritually empty.

What does Dr. Lesh say to this? Depression is a set of disorders. Two different people cannot have the same depression. Pills will help someone and his life will sparkle with bright colors again, while someone does not get out of therapeutic conversations, evenly absorbs pills, but still cannot “get out”. Obviously, there is no clear understanding of this violation.

To study this complex phenomenon, scientists have bred depressed mice. The very ability to intentionally lower the energy level of an animal's brain cells tells us two things. First, such a condition may be common in animals. Secondly, if this is true, then probably in this case it is not worth talking about a nightmarish fate.

On the this moment the study of such a condition as depression leads to the conclusion that the secret lies in the amygdala of the brain. Lesh suggests that the neurotic's amygdala is initially hyperactive. The amygdala of people with the short version of the gene is always on guard for danger. When a reaction to an already existing excitation is added to common problem, the amygdala goes into a panic. Apparently, the amygdala of such people tirelessly searches the outside world for signs of problems. In addition, depression always goes hand in hand with anxiety - read above about serotonin.

Society has a negative attitude towards depressed people. In many cultures, a depressed person is viewed as being frustrated or lazy. In a culture that respects social interaction, a depressed person may appear unfriendly. And when the society of a depressed person mocks him, and his friends do not want to pull him out of the house so as not to listen to gloomy comments, he resigns himself to the label “loser”, falling even more into the abyss of depression. But what does evolution have to say about this?

When a person is very sick, for example, with the flu, he lies and does nothing, restoring his strength. The body at such moments maintains only vital functions and fights the disease. Some animals, active and brisk in summer, fall into hibernation in winter to wait out difficult times. In both cases, the body automatically turns off. Only vital systems are supported. And when conditions improve, the return to life will come.

Outwardly, a person with depression can be mistaken for a cold. He is physically inhibited, closed from communication, indifferent to the joys of life. Many depressed people actually walk much more slowly and take shorter steps than cheerful people. So it is likely that depression, whether mild or severe, is an energy-saving state that people fall into when the environment becomes unbearable. It allows you to save resources until conditions change. Terms environment that cause depression are quite unbearable. For example, the death of a family member is a powerful indicator that the environment has become unbearable. Or the loss of a job you love, or a divorce from your beloved partner. Children are at high risk of developing depression if the environment they grow up in is unpredictable or hostile.

Thus, depression is a protective reaction of the body and appears with the goal of getting through difficult times, keeping the body on autopilot and saving energy for the future.

What should a neurotic person do? How to avoid anxiety, so as not to slide into depression? The answer is so simple that it may seem banal.

If we can force ourselves to exercise, diet, and manage stress to calm the brain, we can lower our personality neuroticism score by a decent number of points.

"Balance work - life, correct image life and a lot exercise"- notes Dr. Lesh.

Well, and somehow the conclusion involuntarily suggests itself - does your body react with depression to the conditions of your life? Change conditions.

Yana Venevskaya