personality psychology.

Psychological Types and Temperament Theories

Introduction to Psychological Typologies

  • Typologies are among the oldest psychological theories originating from ancient civilizations (e.g., India circa BC 3000).

  • These theories aim to reduce the vast diversity of human personality characteristics into a limited set of discrete categories.

  • They are closely tied to what can be referred to as "naive psychology," wherein types are defined by distinctive borders without much overlap, thus leading to the creation of clearly defined categories.

Classical Typologies of Temperament

Hippocrates (BC 460–377)

  • Proposed that physical illnesses stem from an imbalance of four bodily humors:

    • Blood

    • Yellow bile

    • Black bile

    • Phlegm

  • Each humor was thought to represent core elements essential for maintaining health in the organism.

Galen's Typology (Around AC 150)

  • Sanguine

    • Humor: Blood

    • Element: Air

    • Characteristic: Hopeful, weak sensibility, great impulsivity.

    • Description: Typically jovial, friendly, and quick. Movement and comprehension are rapid, but emotions may flash in the pan.

  • Choleric

    • Humor: Yellow bile

    • Element: Fire

    • Characteristic: Short-tempered, strong, great impulsivity.

    • Description: Typically dynamic with a firm posture and a yellowish face. Emotional reactions are fast and strong but can lead to quick temper.

  • Melancholic

    • Humor: Black bile

    • Element: Earth

    • Characteristic: Introverted, strong with a tendency for small reactions.

    • Description: Display negative emotions that develop slowly but are deep and enduring; often indecisive.

  • Phlegmatic

    • Humor: Phlegm

    • Element: Water

    • Characteristic: Weak, small, unemotional.

    • Description: Characterized by a slow development of emotions and a calm demeanor; tends to be stolid.

Typologies in the 20th Century

Kretschmer's Types (1925)

  • Examined the relationship between physique and mental illness.

  • Introduced three body types and associated them with psychiatric illness:

    • Pyknic:

    • Physique: Short, squat, rounded, barrel-chested.

    • Temperament: Jovial, kind, social; tends to prefer external sensations and experiences. Characterized by fluctuating mood between energetic and melancholic.

    • Associated Illness: Manic-depressive disorder.

    • Asthenic/Leptosom:

    • Physique: Thin, cylindrical, with a small head and little body hair.

    • Temperament: Introverted; often oversensitive and drawn back from social interaction; characterized by coldness and intelligence.

    • Associated Illness: Schizophrenia.

    • Athletic:

    • Physique: Muscular build, broad shoulders, narrow hips, and tight muscles.

    • Temperament: Rarely expressed passions, but can show explosive anger; possesses patience and loyalty.

    • Associated Illness: Epilepsy.

Sheldon's Types (1940)

  • Researched the correlation between personality aspects and body types based on 15 anthropometric indicators.

  • Types were derived from the notion of germ layer predominance:

    • Viscerotonic (Endomorph): Predominant digestive track formation, generally sociable.

    • Somatotonic (Mesomorph): Focus on muscle development, typically assertive.

    • Cerebrotonic (Ectomorph): Dominated by brain development, often introspective.

Matching Sheldon and Kretschmer's Types

  • Pyknic aligns with Viscerotonic.

  • Asthenic aligns with Cerebrotonic.

  • Athletic aligns with Somatotonic.

Jung's Typology (1928)

  • Proposed a new understanding of personality based on attitudes towards the environment.

  • Identified two main attitudes:

    • Extraversion: An 'outward-turning' attitude; quick adaptation to new stimuli; more influenced by the external environment than one's inner world.

    • Introversion: An 'inward-turning' attitude; careful of new stimuli; reflects a preference for internal thoughts and feelings.

  • Recognized four psychological functions:

    • Sensation

    • Intuition

    • Thinking

    • Feeling

Modern Temperament Theories

Thomas and Chess (1950)

  • Conducted the New York Longitudinal Study tracking children over 30 years.

  • Evaluated behavior against nine criteria:

    • Activity level

    • Intensity of reactions

    • Rhythmicity of biological functions

    • Adaptability

    • Mood

    • Approach/Withdrawal responses

    • Persistence/Attention span

    • Distractibility

    • Threshold of responsiveness

  • Identified three temperament patterns:

    • Easy Temperament: Regular biological rhythms, positive mood, and adaptability to new situations.

    • Difficult Temperament: Irregular biological rhythms, negative mood tendencies, and avoidance of new experiences.

    • Slow to Warm Up Temperament: Moderate biological regulation and gradual adaptation to new stimuli.

Additional Theories on Temperament

  • Buss and Plomin (1975): Defined temperament as "early developing personality traits" inherited and identifiable within the first two years of life, encompassing emotionality, activity level, and sociability.

  • Kagan (1984): Focused on children's responses to unfamiliar stimuli, distinguishing between inhibited and uninhibited temperaments.

Conclusion: The Dichotomy of People

  • A provocative thought suggests that there are two types of people:

    • Those who think there are only two types of people.

    • Those who do not subscribe to this categorical view.