Professional personality type: description, methods of determination

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Young people are constantly told: look for a profession to your liking. And these words will be confirmed by any mature person - only employment, for which there is an internal desire, allows you to get satisfaction from work, motivates you to new heights and professional self-development. But how to find it? The easiest and most affordable way is to determine the professional type of personality. To do this, you need to pass one of the simple tests available today in printed reference books, the Internet, and mobile applications. They can be used not only by a young person, but also by a specialist, for example, a school psychologist.

Personality and profession

Before we move on to professionally oriented personality types, let's consider what a profession is in psychological terms. Here, the judgments of the domestic scientist Gurevich K. M. are authoritative. He argued that a profession is an objective and regulated organization of an individual's activity. The requirements that she makes of a person impose a seal on the whole way of his life.

One professional type is characterized by common goals and objectives, conditionswork, life, ways of career advancement and self-realization. On this basis, similar manners of behavior and communication are developed, as well as interests and attitudes, values and traditions. What does this lead to in the end? People of similar professions form similar psychological traits and characteristics. The profession also influences the development of certain features of memory, attention, thinking patterns, etc.

Important Research by Scientists

Professional personality types have been the subject of research by many notable scientists. These include the following:

• K. M. Gurevich.
• M. Ya. Basov.
• A. F. Lazursky.
• J. Holland.
• E. Spranger.
• Le Senn.
• A. Ssondi.
• E. Ro.
• D. Guildford.
• A. A. Bodalev.
• E. S. Chugunov.

Some studies and classifications we will consider in detail.

Dutch test

The most common definition of a professional personality type is Holland (J. Holland), an American psychologist. The test helps to identify personal characteristics that will have a direct impact on future work activity, interaction with the team.

Professional personality types according to J. Holland are six varieties:

1. Realistic. This is a bright energetic personality. It is distinguished by aggressive behavior, unsociableness in the team. Strives to work on specific material objects. Is differentoutstanding mathematical abilities and motor dexterity. People in this category are wonderful engineers, builders, mechanics, agronomists.
2. Research. This personality is characterized by a fundamental cognitive spirit. This is a curious, creative, original, independent person with an analytical mindset. Theoretical values will dominate in his mind. Strives to solve problems that require advanced abstract thinking, intellectual efforts. J. Holland recommends that personal researchers devote themselves to biology, astronomy, physics, chemistry and other exact sciences.
3. Social. The aspirations of the individual are mainly directed to the external environment. More to her liking is emotional and sensual activity. Active social contacts are necessary for such a person. He does not hide his desire to teach and educate. The personality is characterized by developed verbal abilities. The desired field of activity for such people is medicine, education, social work.
4. Conventional. And this type of personality is characterized by a clear craving for clearly structured activities. The person is conservative, practical, loves specifics. He has developed mathematical abilities. Holland recommends that people of this type pay attention to the field of finance and accounting.
5. Artistic. This person most of all strives for self-expression. She has vivid emotions, developed imagination and intuition. This person is independent and original in his decisions. Public opinion never comes first. motor and verbalHis abilities are excellent. Naturally, creative activity is directly shown to such a person - music, cinema, theater, writing field, etc.
6. Enterprising. First of all, this personality is characterized by initiative behavior. She is only interested in those goals for which she can show her enthusiasm, impulsiveness, energy. This person most of all strives for dominance and power, reaching the heights. An enterprising person tries his hand at business. Also, social and political activities, management (leadership positions), jurisprudence are recommended for her.

That's all six of Holland's professional personality types. The scientist in his classification paid great attention to the environment of the person being tested at the future place of work. He believed that the surrounding group is a fundamental factor for a successful career. As you can see, the questionnaire allows you to determine the professional type of personality based on many factors. This is character, intellectual development, temperament, interests, as well as the degree of their severity.

Spranger classification

The German philosopher and psychologist E. Spranger proposed his professional personality types. The scientist also divided all workers into six categories:

1. A theoretical person. Individuals who gravitate toward theory rather than practice. They like to analyze problems, look for answers to questions.
2. Economic man. For the individual in the main place - usefulness andpracticality of work activity.
3. Aesthetic person. Cannot imagine everyday work without art, contemplation of beauty.
4. A social person. The main object of his attention is the people around him. Likes to help, advise, teach.
5. Political man. He sees the meaning of his life in constant struggle, the path to unconquered heights, gaining power.
6. Religious man. Finds himself in the spiritual life.

Ssondi classification

We continue to consider scientific views on the professional type of personality. The position of the Italian psychologist A. Ssondi is interesting here. In developing his classification, the scientist relied on the ideas of Sigmund Freud. When choosing a profession, he considered the subconscious impulses of the individual to be fundamental.

From this point of view, there are eight personality types:

1. Homosexual.
2. Sadistic.
3. Hysterical.
4. Epileptic.
5. Depressed.
6. Manic.
7. Catonic.
8. Paranoid.

Each type has its own characteristic, as well as professions recommended for it. For example, sadistic individuals are cruel, domineering, aggressive people, who also have impressive physical strength. For them, the work of a miner, trainer, veterinarian, surgeon is recommended.

This definition of a professional personality type is unpopular today. After all, here future work is considered a platform for demonstrating their far from the bestsubconscious characteristics.

Le Senne classification

What is the difference here from Holland's occupational personality type test? The division is based on the biological predetermined qualities of any individual. It can be said that Le Senne's professional types are kept on a gradation of temperament.

There are eight categories:

• phlegmatic;
• cholerics;
• sanguine etc.

Classification of Lazursky

Groups according to A. F. Lazursky are based on the division according to practicality, the material result of a particular activity. The scientist distinguishes the following professional types:

• Impractical idealists and theorists.
• Realist practitioners.
• Mixed types: artistic-practical, scientific-practical, etc.

Classification by E. Ro

One of the main "competitors" of Holland's test for determining the professional type of personality is the classification proposed by the American psychologist Ann Roe. It should be noted that in her research, she considers not education to be a profession, but the activity to which a person has devoted most of his life.

According to E. Ro, we can distinguish eight groups:

1. Service. Social workers working in the field of everyday life.
2. Business contacts. Businessmen, corporate agents.
3. Organizers. Directors, top managers.
4. Working outdoors. itforesters, fishermen, agricultural workers.
5. Technical professions. Mechanics, engineers, builders.
6. Scientific professions.
7. Cultural workers.
8. Artists.

Each group is characterized by features of character traits, psychological attitudes, manifestation of interest in communication, interaction in society.

Research D. Gilford

For professional self-determination, acquaintance with the research of the American psychologist Joan Gilford is very useful. She found outstanding representatives of several professions who built a brilliant career. Compiled by D. Gilford, a test of 653 questions for each respondent was aimed at determining what factors allowed these people to reach dizzying heights.

The psychologist found out that every profession has its own "secret of success". For example, journalists could not imagine their life without society, they valued aesthetic trends. Entrepreneurship, the exact sciences aroused antipathy in them. These are emotionally unstable, even irritable people. They do not like to clearly plan their lives, but prefer unexpected decisions.

Now you are familiar with the most famous classifications of professional personality types. The most popular of them is based on the test of J. Holland.