Usually, character is understood as a set of various stable personality traits that influence all aspects of an individual's behavior. It is the character that is the factor that determines the stable attitude of a person to the world, the originality of his personality, which manifests itself in the style of activity and in the process of communication.
Factors affecting the development of character traits in the framework of various theories
In general, the process of forming the character of a person is influenced by various factors of an internal and external nature - these are heredity, personality activity, environment, and upbringing. Each of these factors contributes to the formation of personality, and at the same time, these conditions influence each other. In different theories, the concept of character is different. There are various concepts of the formation of personality traits, in each of which the leading role is assigned to one or another factor. In modern Western psychology, in relation to this problem, several different approaches can be distinguished.sets:
- Constitutional-biological. E. Kretschmer is traditionally considered its founder. According to this theory, the nature and manifestations of a person's temperament directly depend on his physical constitution. Within the framework of this direction, asthenic, picnic and athletic types of character are distinguished.
- Typology E. Fromm. It is based on the relationship of a person, as well as his moral qualities. Fromm considered human needs in the context of the current political and economic situation, which has a leading influence on the process of forming personality traits.
- Psychoanalytic. Its founders are Z. Freud, K. G. Jung, A. Adler. The formation of character occurs on the basis of unconscious drives.
- Otto Rank's concept. In the process of formation of character traits, the willpower of a person plays a leading role. The volitional process is a kind of oppositional force that arises in response to coercion from outside. In addition to the will, the personality is formed under the influence of sensory experiences, emotions.
Influence of temperament
Temperament is often confused with character, while these concepts have significant differences. Character has a social nature (in other words, it is formed under the influence of society), while temperament is biologically determined. If the character can, albeit with difficulty, change throughout life, then the temperament remains stable.
Temperament has a significant impact on the severity of character traits. There are such properties of temperament that will contribute to the manifestation of certain qualities; there are those that will slow them down. For example, irritability will be much more pronounced in a choleric person than in a sanguine person. On the other hand, with the help of the qualities of character, the properties of temperament can be restrained. For example, with the help of tact and restraint, a choleric person can restrain the manifestations of this type of temperament.
What defines character?
The formation of character occurs throughout the life path. A person's lifestyle affects his way of thinking, emotional experiences, feelings, motivation in all their unity. That is why, as the way of life that a person adheres to is formed, his character is also formed. A significant role in a person's life is played by social attitudes, specific life circumstances through which a person has to go. Character is largely formed under the influence of the actions and deeds of the individual.
At the same time, character formation itself takes place in various social groups (family, work team, classroom, sports team). Depending on which particular group will be a reference for a person, certain qualities of character will be formed in him. In many ways, they will depend on the place of the person in the team. Personal development takes place in a team; in turn, the individual influences the group.
There are different ways of character formation. This process can be compared with pumping up muscles, formingwell built figure. If a person makes efforts, exercises regularly, muscles grow. And vice versa - the lack of the necessary loads causes muscle atrophy. This is well observed when the muscles are without movement for a long time - for example, in a cast. This principle also works for the process of personality formation. Honesty, integrity, optimism, confidence, sociability are all traits that require hard training to develop. Right actions always lead to independence, the ability to make the right decisions. A person with a strong character stops being led by society, he finds himself.
The influence of adults on the formation of a child's personality
A sensitive period in the formation of character is the age from 2-3 to 9-10 years, when children spend a lot of time in communication with surrounding adults. During this period of time, the child is open to interaction with the world, he readily accepts external influences, imitating adults. They, in turn, enjoy great confidence on the part of the baby, and therefore can influence the child's psyche with words and actions, which creates favorable conditions for consolidating the necessary forms of behavior.
In the event that the elders caring for the child communicate with him in a positive way, and the basic needs of the baby are fully satisfied, then positive character traits begin to form in him from an early age - for example, openness to other people and trust. When parents and other adultsrelatives do not pay enough attention to the baby, do not care for him, do not show positive emotions or do not communicate at all - this leads to the development of such traits as isolation and distrust.
The role of parenting
The formation of character traits occurs under the influence of social interaction, a person's mastery of knowledge, skills, and ideas about the world around him. Although education is aimed at shaping the character of a person, this process can occur in the absence of it. Education is not omnipotent - it cannot eliminate the action of many factors in the formation of character, which, in principle, do not depend on people. However, it can affect the overall physical development, since with the help of special training it is possible to strengthen both the willpower and the he alth of the child. And this will affect his activity, his ability to know the world.
The inclinations laid down by nature can turn into abilities only under the influence of upbringing, in the process of introducing the child to one or another type of activity. Indeed, for the development of inclinations, great diligence and high efficiency are necessary. These qualities develop in the process of education.
When does the foundation of personality begin to be laid?
It is believed that before other character traits, such qualities as kindness, sociability and responsiveness are laid, as well as the opposite negative qualities - selfishness, callousness and indifference. Scientists suggest that these qualities are laid at an early age anddetermined by the attitude of the mother to the child in the first months of life. In the process of child development, the reward and punishment system used in the process of education gradually becomes a decisive factor.
Heredity is the basis of character formation
Heredity is the repetition of similar types of characteristics of a living organism over several generations. With the help of heredity, the survival of man as a biological species is ensured. Genes play an important role in the process of personality formation, its character. Character traits, character formation - all this is largely due to the "baggage" that a person receives from his parents.
The predisposition to a certain type of activity is also inherited. It is believed that a child by nature has three types of inclinations - intellectual, artistic, and social. The inclinations are the basis on which the abilities of the child subsequently develop. Separately, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of the intellectual inclinations of the child. Each person by nature receives great opportunities for the development of his intellectual abilities. Scientists believe that the differences in the features of higher nervous activity in children can affect the course of thought processes, but do not change the quality of mental activity itself. However, teachers and psychologists note that an environment unfavorable for the development of thinking can still be created - for example, sluggish neurons in childrenalcohol-dependent parents, broken connections between nerve cells in drug addicts, the presence of mental illness, inherited.
In domestic psychology, one of the most important questions was whether the moral qualities of a person, his character, are inherited. Character traits, character formation are not subject to the influence of genetics - this is what domestic teachers thought. Personality is formed in the process of interaction with the environment; a person cannot be born initially evil or kind, generous or stingy.
In Western psychology, on the contrary, the assertion dominates that character traits are inherited, and a child is born honest or deceitful, modest or greedy, kind or aggressive. This opinion was shared by M. Montessori, K. Lorentz, E. Fromm and other researchers.
Character formations and crises
At different stages of the formation of psychological science, the theory came to the fore, according to which the formation of a personality's character is largely determined by upbringing and its social activity. Also, one of the most important provisions in Russian psychology was that obstacles on the path of life play a decisive role in the maturation of a person, the formation of his character. In science, they are called crises. As a result of passing through these obstacles, a person receives a certain psychological neoplasm, as well as the ability to move to a new stage of his personal development.
The outstanding Russian psychologist L. S. Vygotsky. It was he who introduced the concept of "zone of proximal development" into science, substantiated the importance of age-related crises for the formation of a personality's character. In order for this process to occur harmoniously, the surrounding people must know the characteristics of each age period, and also be able to track deviations in the development of the child in time. After all, often the psychological age does not coincide with the calendar.
Play and character development
At preschool age, one of the most important factors influencing the formation of character is the game. At first, the baby needs the help of an adult. During this period, one of the most important mechanisms of the process of growing up is manifested - imitation. The child seeks to copy the behavior of others in everything, both positive and negative actions. Invisibly through their daily activities, parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts have a direct influence on the development and formation of a child's character.
Personal development at school age
At primary school age, children are already more independent. They can distinguish bad from good, mark negative manifestations in the behavior of an adult. Also at this stage of development, the formation of the child's ability to think critically plays an important role.
In adolescence, the most important condition for the formation of character is cognitive activity. It reaches its maximum performance along with the progressive development of thinking. At this stage, it is important that the child has a large numberpositive examples of development. Indeed, otherwise, an impressive negative experience can become a decisive factor in shaping the character of a teenager.
At the stage of youth, friendships have a great influence on personality. At this age, a young man is characterized by persistent strong-willed qualities. He seeks to learn a profession, to meet a life partner.
Activity and character building
An important role in the formation of character is played by work - and it can be both intellectual and physical. The development of character begins already in the process of mastering the child with various tools of activity. The knowledge that a person acquires as a result of professional development has a significant impact on his worldview.
The success of labor activity depends on several indicators. The main ones are the involvement of the individual in the work, as well as its ability to social interaction. It is also important to have a mentor who will lead the young person along the path of personal development.
In domestic psychology, the formation of character is directly associated with labor activity. The involvement of a person in the work process contributes to a change in his worldview. A person begins to see himself in a new image, and the whole world around him begins to take on a new meaning.
The role of communication in the process of activity
The formation of a social character is largely due to the communicative component of labor activity. She influencesemotional-sensory sphere of personality. In a work collective, a person can manifest himself differently than in a school class or student group, use behavior patterns that are unusual for him. Gradually expanding the circle of communication through new activities, a person goes through new stages of his socialization.
Influence of society
One of the main features of the formation of character in a child is that his personality traits are formed as a result of the approval or disapproval of an adult. The desire to hear from a significant adult - primarily from a parent - praise leads to the fact that the child begins to do things that were previously unusual for him. Thus, from a very early age, the social environment of the child has a direct influence on the process of development of the child's character traits.
By the end of primary school age, this desire is transferred to peers - now the student needs to hear approval from his comrades. While studying at school, the child has more rights and obligations, he actively interacts with society. The teacher's opinion also plays a big role, and the desire for approval from mother and father is no longer evident.
In adolescence, the character is largely formed under the influence of the group. One of the most important aspirations of a teenager is to occupy a certain niche among his own kind, to gain some authority among his comrades. Therefore, adolescents strive to meet the requirements thatestablished in a social group. Communication with peers leads to the fact that a teenager begins to know himself. He becomes interested in his personality, the features of his character and the possibilities to correct these features.
