Conflict situations are common phenomena in everyday life, which sometimes cannot be avoided. The causes of conflicts are different, both objective and subjective. Psychologists have identified the main types of conflicting personalities, classifying the ways in which conflicts arise, their nature and course.
In the middle of the 20th century, the psychology of conflict emerged as an independent direction. The basis of this direction was two opposing points of view on the conflict, which arose in ancient times:
- The teachings of Plato and Aristotle, they view conflict exclusively as a negative phenomenon, which hinders the development of individuals and generations.
- The idea of Heraclitus is opposite in its meaning: he believes that the clash of opinions and interests acts as a source of development.
In modern psychology, these opinions find common ground. In the works of domestic psychologists, conflict is considered as a process that has both constructive and destructive functions at different stages of development and for different participants.
General description
The purpose of the article is to consider the types of conflicting personalities that generate and provoke controversial situations, and to provide recommendations for interacting with them.
What is conflict? These are personality traits that determine the likelihood of a person entering into a dispute situation, regardless of the objective reason.
The simplest typology of conflicting personalities describes conflicting people and the situations they provoke:
Situational conflict personalities. Conflict for people of this type is not a fundamental personality trait, but the consequences of a specific situation when there is no other choice but to enter into conflicting relationships - these are failures in life, troubles, disappointments, which increase the level of conflict as a means of internal defense. A situational-conflict personality is able to adequately assess the situation, control himself and hear those around him. Their level of conflict decreases when circumstances normalize.
For permanent-conflict personalities, conflict is a property of their character that manifests itself in the outside world. Such people’s behavior provokes disputes and clashes and spoils relationships. They are called “conflict personality”.
The level of their conflict is determined by the following parameters:
- psychological (temperament, tendency to aggression, mental stability, characteristics of the emotional state, attitudes and values, attitude towards the interlocutor);
- social (living conditions, characteristics of professional activity, cultural level, social environment).
In psychology, the following types of conflicting personalities are distinguished:
Demonstrative type
This type is characterized by a desire to be the center of attention; it is important to him what others think of him, how he looks in their eyes. How he treats others is determined by who he is to them. If someone admires him, this person is worthy of attention; if not, the rating drops. People of the demonstrative type are emotional and often act without thinking; planning is not their strong point.. They are prone to variety in their work; they cope poorly with painstaking work that requires focusing on details.
The demonstrative personality type is adaptive, easily adapts to new situations, and tends not to dwell on the past. Such people do not ignore conflict situations - participating in the process of sorting out relationships is a comfortable existence for them! At the same time, they do not consider themselves instigators and instigators of conflicts. Any opportunity to demonstrate their own importance is important to them.
Rigid type
The rigid type is characterized by thoroughness in everything he does. Before such a person draws conclusions, he will think about the problem and listen to his opponents, while on everything he has his own opinion, which does not require evidence. Such people have a high opinion of themselves - if they do not agree with him, they perceive it as a personal insult. They are not flexible, difficult to adapt to changes, and conservative.
A conflict-ridden personality of the rigid type is overly straightforward, which tends to cause pain and offense to loved ones, and to be the first to reconcile is equated to humiliation of one’s own dignity. People are often suspected of insincerity, and this creates additional problems in relationships. However, no one can handle analytical work better than this type - in any dispute or interaction, he will get the role of leading analyst.
Ultra-precise type
Most anxious people belong to this type - they are concerned that they may not meet the requirements of management, colleagues, and loved ones. These people may feel ashamed of others, they are worried about the “imperfectness” of the world. At the same time, emotions are restrained - not every person will understand what is hidden behind the external calm of the ultra-precise type. Their main advantage is their attention to detail, meticulousness in their work, “check seven times, cut once” - this is about them. Due to perfectionism, this type of conflict personality is more often susceptible to psychosomatic diseases than others.
Unmanaged type
It is difficult to predict the behavior of this personality type. They are impulsive and self-control is difficult. Inconsistent - the point of view changes several times during the dialogue. They can act aggressively, ignoring generally accepted norms of behavior in society. It is important that their opinion is valued. If they turn out to be wrong, they prefer to blame others. Planning your actions is a difficult task. Such a person acts according to the situation and intuitively.
Conflict-free type:
You rarely meet such people in a dispute - they do not like to be in the center of a showdown. And if they find themselves drawn into a controversial situation, they prefer to remain on the sidelines, watching the unfolding events from afar. They wait because the opinion of the majority is important to them; people of the conflict-free type are more comfortable following the crowd rather than defending their own opinion or the opinion of a minority. Inconsistent, poor perspective. However, no one else can cope better with finding a compromise in a dispute.
What to do if you are faced with a conflict personality?
When interacting with conflicting individuals, psychologists recommend adhering to the following basic principles:
- you need to understand that a conflicting person, through his actions, satisfies the needs and wants associated with personal losses and failures;
- manage your own emotions and avoid rudeness or insults;
- give the conflicted person the opportunity to express his emotions;
- Don’t take this person’s unpleasant words or misbehavior personally;
- remain calm and show genuine interest.
Basic principles of behavior
If you are familiar with the typology of conflicting personalities, you have knowledge about the specifics of thinking and perception of conflicting people, then it will be much easier to act in a conflict situation:
- For the demonstrative type, it is important to show that you admire him, give him a compliment or two, and listen carefully. Voice your point of view in such a way that you get the impression that this is his idea, and you only support it.
- For the rigid type, a depth of understanding of the problem is important - therefore, enter into dialogue with such people only armed with deep knowledge about the essence of the issue being discussed. In a conversation, pay attention to existing stereotypes - “this is how it is,” “this is what our ancestors used,” “it has been tested for centuries.” Be sincere and do not try to deceive - then it will be almost impossible to prove the purity of your thoughts.
- In a dispute with a person of the ultra-precise type, first of all, it is important
A person who decided to personally administer justice through extortion, coercion, and threats.
We all know that people differ significantly from each other in how they behave in a conflict situation. Some are easily drawn into conflict, others are extremely difficult. Some tend to often initiate conflicts, while others not only provoke them themselves, but also try to help resolve existing conflicts. That is why in high school they say about a person who provokes a conflict: “He is a conflict person” and, as a rule, they do not like to involve such a person in team work, where coordination and consistency of actions are required. Typically, a “conflict person” has such character traits as touchiness, irritability, he “gets boiling over any reason, is always preoccupied with himself and is demanding of others,” and is capricious.
People with conflict may have different temperaments. Thus, a choleric person with increased excitability is easily drawn into conflict, but quickly “cools down.”
A melancholic person remembers and experiences resentment for a long time.
A phlegmatic person is difficult to persuade, and therefore it is not easy for him to be drawn into conflict and taken out of conflict.
A sanguine person easily calms down, but it is not easy for him to restrain his feelings, so he often provokes the outbreak of conflict.
Conflict
Material http://www.psychologos.ru/articles/view/konflikt:...
Conflict is mutual hostile actions. Softer - hostile attitude. Hostile actions do not have to be intentional - conflicts often begin with conflict triggers, which people allow without any malicious intent. Growing, from random blows, the conflict often develops into protest, quarrel, hostility, lack of contact, and in more serious cases, into war...
Conflicts and conflict situations are studied by conflictology.
Don't rush to see conflict where there isn't one yet. The conflict behavior of one person is not yet a conflict. An objectively conflict situation is a strong precondition for conflict, but conflict in this situation may not take place.
Interpersonal conflicts are often provoked by feelings and emotions, but as long as there are no hostile actions, there is no conflict yet. However, for women, conflict is more a feeling than an object, and if a girl feels a negative attitude towards herself from another woman, she can easily say: “We are in conflict.” Increased sensitivity to the possibility of conflict with a good head is a blessing, but with a bad head it is a disaster.
Types of conflicts
There are conflicts in which we ourselves are involved, and there are conflicts of people around us. The main types of conflicts are danger conflict, obstacle conflict, power conflict and status conflict. For reasons that cause conflicts, there are conflicts of interest, conflicts due to misunderstanding, conflicts due to the conflicting behavior of the parties, conflict due to a conflicting personality, and many others. According to the areas of occurrence (this brings some specificity to their development and resolution), conflicts are distinguished between interpersonal, intrapersonal, economic, interstate and many others. According to the way they proceed, conflicts are distinguished between wild and civilized ones.
Conflicts in human life
Conflicts are a natural part of human life: people love to conflict, people grow stronger in conflicts, and few people know how to live without conflicts. On the other hand, civilized people want to live without unnecessary conflicts and have the right to do so. Where it is possible to agree, it is better to agree rather than conflict. Wise people learn to prevent unnecessary conflicts and extinguish those that have begun.
How to learn to be conflict-free
Strong people are not afraid of conflicts, but the ability to behave without conflict is worth learning. How?
Types of conflicts
Firstly, there are conflicts in which we ourselves are involved, and there are conflicts of people around us. How much we want and are able to participate in the conflicts around us is a completely separate question.
Secondly, when starting a conflict, people try to solve certain problems in this way. These tasks could be:
competition for something valuable, conflict of interests.
Who will get the last ticket? Two children want one toy. Two young men vie for a girl's attention. One free parking space, two cars drive up to it at the same time...
eliminating danger: something or someone threatens me, I want to avoid losses and other troubles.
“They started taking away my wallet, I started fighting back.”
removing an obstacle: I want to get something, another person or his opinion is an obstacle. The task is to remove the obstacle...
“I want to go to the Black Sea, but my husband wants to go to the White Sea. So what should I do with him if we go together?”
the solution to the issue of power: it should be in my opinion, as it is said, as I want.
“I said that on Saturday we are going to the dacha!”
respect for status: a person is affected by how he is treated, and his task is to achieve respect for his own status.
"I don't pretend to have my way, but I insist that my opinion be considered. We are equal!"
Thus, the main types of conflicts are danger conflict, obstacle conflict, power conflict and status conflict.
At the same time, not all people in a conflict understand their tasks; more often people are drawn into a conflict already started by other people, and only play out the roles that are assigned to them from the outside. Thus, there is a conflict of the author, and there is a conflict of the Victim.
For example, the conflict of close people is a typical conflict of the Victim. If we analyze the conflicts of the Victim for the reasons that cause them, we can identify a conflict of interests, conflicts due to misunderstanding, a conflict due to the conflicting behavior of the parties, a conflict due to a conflicting personality, and many others.
If we distinguish conflicts by areas of occurrence (this introduces some specificity into their development and resolution), then we distinguish interpersonal, intrapersonal, economic, interstate and many others.
According to the way they proceed, conflicts are distinguished between wild and civilized ones. Wild behavior and wild conflict are always passive, usually emotional, involvement in a conflict, followed by surrender (the consequence is humiliation) or retaliatory aggression, usually exceeding the level (the consequence is escalation of the conflict)
Civilized behavior in conflict and civilized conflict presuppose awareness, the possibility of both free entry into a conflict situation and exit from it (the consequence is the preservation of dignity and the cessation of conflict behavior).
A.P. Egides distinguishes the following methods of behavior in a conflict situation:
A wild, uncontrollable conflict - we rush straight into the attack, instantly escalate the conflict, skipping several steps in a row, ending in violent shouting or a fight.
cold containment - “the people were silent” - that’s what it’s about. The calm before the storm. I am silent and silent threateningly. And if, after all, my patience is not enough, an uncontrollable conflict will begin.
extension from below - pleas and bribes in order to stop conflict behavior.
avoidance - conscious withdrawal from contact (turned off mobile phone, regular “I’m not at home”)
continuation of syntonic behavior. Once upon a time, conflicting behavior can be ignored, missed, and one can continue to behave as before in a warm and syntonous manner. If constructiveness is simply added to syntony, the situation can be simply resolved without any showdowns.
soft confrontation is already a “civilized” conflict. In this case, attention is simply focused on the conflict trigger, a request is made to remove the conflict trigger, and the situation is resolved in a peaceful direction.
hard confrontation is an increasingly hard version of “soft confrontation”. Here it is no longer a request, but a demand, syntons are used to a minimum, relevant conflictogens are heard
controlled conflict - the conflict is promoted to a higher authority, rises one step up.
criticism skill.
So, take note of the simple rules! 1.
Praise in public, scold one-on-one.
2.
Show respect
3.
Consider the nuances of the event. In some circumstances it is easier to do a task well, in others it is more difficult.
4.
Ask what the employee thinks about the situation and how he plans to resolve it. And listen.
5.
Be specific. Phrases like: “You ruined everything again!” offensive, but completely incomprehensible.
6.
Speak to the point without getting personal.
7.
Give examples
8.
Talk more about what you want as a result, rather than about how wrong it is now.
9
. Master the “Plus-help-plus” rule of constructive criticism:
- Say what’s good now (This is an important point. It reinforces, records what you like about the result, action or behavior, and helps you get in touch)
- Tell me what to add (It’s important to be very specific here: tell me how to do it correctly, in your opinion. What and how to change?)
- Show what will happen as a result
10.
Don't shout. Some employees simply get scared and stop hearing you, while others begin their attack when you shout.
11.
Stay confident and calm. Criticism is better received from confident, calm people.
There are different definitions of the concept of “conflict,” but they all emphasize the presence of contradiction, which takes the form of disagreement when it comes to the interaction of people. A state of disharmony in relationships between people arises for any reason - due to a clash of ideas, interests, characters, opposing views . Words, actions, or inactions can lead to conflict.
There is an aphorism: “Women do not attach any importance to their words, but they attach great importance to what they hear themselves.” In fact, everyone is guilty of this, not just the fair sex. We are much more sensitive to the words of others than to our own.
How to recognize a brawler
Often, a conflicted person tries in an aggressive manner to force his colleagues to accept his own point of view at any cost. Such a person is not interested in the opinions and interests of others. With this in mind, there are five most common types of quarrelsome employees:1. Conflict personality of demonstrative type
Admires his own suffering and resilience, adapts well to different situations, wants to be the center of attention and likes to look good in the eyes of others. Such a person determines his attitude towards people by how they treat him. His rational behavior is weakly expressed and emotional behavior is evident. Plans its activities based on the current situation. Tries to avoid painstaking, systematic work and often turns out to be a source of conflict, but does not consider himself to be such.
2. Conflict personality of rigid type (reduced ability to change one's behavior in a dynamic situation)
Constantly requires confirmation of one's own importance. Suspicion, straightforwardness, inflexibility and inflated self-esteem do not allow such a person to timely take into account changes in the situation and circumstances. He has great difficulty accepting the point of view of others and does not really take such opinions into account. Being uncritical of his own actions, he perceives ill will on the part of others as a personal insult, and respect as a given. In relation to imaginary or real injustices, he is painfully touchy.
3. Conflict personality of an uncontrollable type
Usually he has a high level of unfounded claims, and therefore behaves defiantly and aggressively, often in the heat of the moment, not paying attention to generally accepted norms. Having reduced criticism, he lacks self-control, is impulsive in his actions and is therefore poorly predictable. He tends to blame others for many failures and troubles. Without the ability to correlate his actions with goals and circumstances, he cannot competently plan his own activities or consistently implement plans. Even from the bitter past experience he derives little benefit for the future.
4. Conflict personality of the ultra-precise type
He is scrupulous about his work and makes high demands on himself and others, doing it in such a way that people feel that he is finding fault. Possessing increased anxiety, he is overly sensitive to details and tends to attach undue importance to the comments of others. May break off relations with a partner because it seemed to him that he was offended. He experiences miscalculations and failures and suffers from this, sometimes paying with insomnia and headaches. Not feeling very well the real relationships in the group, he, as a rule, is restrained in external emotional manifestations.
5. Conflict-free personality
Does not have a strong enough will, suffers from internal contradictions due to instability in his assessments and easy suggestibility. The decisions of such people often depend on the opinions of others, especially leaders. They are characterized by inconsistent behavior. They do not see the future well enough and therefore do not think deeply about the consequences of their actions and the reasons for the actions of others, and therefore prefer to focus on momentary success in situations, always striving for a compromise.
Practice shows that conflict, which has become a basic personality trait, is difficult to overcome with self-control, willpower, or educational influence from the outside. Conflict is not the fault, but the misfortune of such people. And to solve the problem, they are recommended to have a specialist psychologist.
Secrets of communication
What to do if there is a conflicting personality in the team? It's good if you're alone. What if a whole community of complex characters has gathered? This happens especially often when a new leader comes to the team and brings his “team”.If the atmosphere in your team looks like a torn up anthill, don’t despair. Calm and once again calm. Under no circumstances should you succumb to provocations if you feel that you are being drawn into a conflict. There are five basic strategies for dealing with conflict: competition (or rivalry), cooperation, compromise, avoidance, and accommodation.
Competition style(rivalry) can be used by a person who has a strong will, significant authority, power, who is not very interested in cooperation with the other side and who seeks first of all to satisfy his own interests.
Such behavior is justified when you feel that you have no other choice and have nothing to lose, when the outcome of the conflict is very important to you and you are confident in the correctness of the decision. However, if your point of view differs from the opinion of the manager or you do not have sufficient power, then using such a strategy is inappropriate.
Collaboration style effective if, while defending your own interests, you are forced to take into account the needs and desires of the other party. This behavior strategy is the most difficult, as it requires longer work and is necessary for long-term mutually beneficial relationships.
This style of behavior requires the ability to explain one’s desires, listen to each other, and restrain emotions. Otherwise, cooperation will not work.
Compromise style, the essence of which is that the parties seek to resolve differences through mutual concessions. In this regard, it is somewhat reminiscent of the style of cooperation, but it is carried out on a more superficial level, since the parties are inferior to each other in some way. The conflicting parties have equally convincing arguments and occupy the same place in the official scale.
This style is most effective when both parties want the same thing, but know it can't be achieved at the same time. Compromising will allow you to gain something rather than lose everything.
Evasion style usually occurs when the issue at hand is not that important to you, you do not stand up for your rights, do not collaborate with anyone to develop a solution, and do not want to spend time and effort on solving it. This style is also recommended in cases where one of the parties has more power or feels that he is in the wrong, or believes that there are no serious reasons for continuing contact.
This behavior applies, say, to a situation where immediate resolution of a problem may be dangerous, since openly discussing the conflict risks making the situation worse. Or the source of irritation, your opponent, is trivial and not worth your attention. This is in no way an escape from a problem or an evasion of responsibility. This is a delay that will help you find the right way out.
Fixture style means that you act jointly with the other party, but do not try to defend your own interests in order to smooth the atmosphere and restore a normal working atmosphere. This style is believed to be most effective when the outcome of the case is extremely important to the other party and not very significant to you, or when you are sacrificing your own interests in favor of the other party.
This behavior may be appropriate if restoring calm is more important to you than resolving a conflict, or you feel that you do not have enough power, or you want to maintain good relationships rather than get bogged down in squabbles.
Most people believe that especially conflicting- This is a kind of aggressive, active comrade. In fact, there are more conflict types. They are not at all limited to simple aggression.
The most important essence of what is described here is the special, excessive expression of any character traits. They were classified by the German psychiatrist K. Leonhard. This is called accentuation.
Why do you need to know this? Well first of all these people selectively vulnerable. The notorious special character traits are their “hard” place. Secondly, these character traits are directly conflict orientation. Ignorance of which can then play a cruel joke on us... there are different conflicts... 
So, these are the ones character types accentuated personalities (do not forget, these qualities overly expressed)especially the first one... 😉
1) Demonstrativeness (demonstrative type). Increased ability to demonstrate behavior, liveliness, mobility, lightness.
2) Pedantry (pedantic type). People who are slow to move, slow in decisions and actions, and experience traumatic events for a long time. They rarely conflict, but react sharply to violations of order. Bureaucrat and formalist in general.
3) Stuck (stuck type). Prone to emotional outbursts (truthfulness, touchiness, suspicion, jealousy). Conflicting. Tenacious. They fiercely defend their interests.
4) Hyperthymia (hyperthymic type). Constantly in a heightened mood. Such an ebullient comrade. Thirst for activity, activity, enterprise. But it is difficult to endure strict discipline, monotonous activity, and loneliness.
5) Disthymic (dysthymic type). Serious, slow, weak willpower. Depressed mood. Low contact, silence, gloomy mood, heightened sense of justice.
6) Anxiety (anxious-fearful type). Tendency to fear, increased timidity and timidity, low contact, lack of self-confidence. They rarely enter into conflicts, are self-critical, friendly, and diligent.
7) Exaltation (affective-exalted type). They change their mood sharply - from delight to despair. High communication skills, talkativeness. They often argue, but do not lead to open conflict.
8′) Emotivity (emotive type). Sensitive and impressionable people. Everyone feels deeply. Humane, responsive. Heightened sense of duty, diligence.
9) Cyclothymic (cyclothymic type). Periodic mood swings, dependence on external events. In joy they are active and talkative, but in sadness they are depressed, their reaction and thinking are slow. They often change their communication style. For convenience, all this can be divided into groups accentuations:
1. By character(demonstrative, pedantic, stuck, excitable). Those. These are all stable behavior patterns. Statics.
2. By temperament(hyperthymic, dysthymic, anxious-fearful, cyclothymic, emotive, affective-exalted). Those. something that manifests itself in development, dynamics.
This topic was thoroughly studied in the work of E. N. Bogdanov and V. G. Zazykin “Personality Psychology in Conflict.” I will present in abbreviated form the corresponding results of these authors, following the indicated source:
“There are many psychological reasons for conflict behavior, but all of them, figuratively speaking, are “closed” to a specific system of internal conditions of the conflicting personality. It is because of this that she perceives any contradictions solely as posing a threat to her. Confrontation is seen as the only way to resolve the contradiction; others are simply not considered or are a priori assessed as ineffective.
What are the inner conditions of such conflictual individuals and those who often tend to get involved in conflicts?
Answers to these and other questions were obtained as a result of theoretical and applied research conducted by these authors together with E. V. Zaitseva, A. L. Khrustachev and others. These studies were methodologically very difficult, since the direct study of a conflict personality is associated with considerable ethical difficulties. In particular, the very fact that a particular person is considered conflict-prone is a strong incentive for him to develop a new conflict. During conversations with such individuals, it was found that all of them are deeply convinced that their conflict behavior is caused exclusively by objective reasons or the machinations of ill-wishers; they categorically deny their role in creating conflicts. Conflict-ridden individuals treat any psychological examination with distrust and suspicion, especially if it includes psychological testing.
In this regard, the main methods of direct study of a conflict personality were observation and expert assessments, although methods of psychological diagnostics were also used, in particular psychological testing.
In accordance with the existing requirements of the procedure for conducting expert assessments, expert specialists in the field of practical psychology, doctors and candidates of science (teachers and researchers of higher educational institutions and research institutions) were selected - a total of 15 people. The main method in expert assessment was individual questioning and interviews of experts (using the Delphi method technology). Data from individual expert assessments were summarized and systematized. They were then analyzed by experts. Let us dwell on the results of this expert assessment.
All experts noted that in reality there are people who have a strong psychological predisposition to conflict behavior, that is, conflict personalities (73% answered “true”, 27% - “perhaps”). Expert opinions regarding the emotional involvement of such individuals in conflicts and the fact that conflict behavior is caused by their existing needs are divided. And yet, as a result of the interview and the summation of positive responses, it became clear that experts consider the real existence of the need of some individuals for conflict behavior. Satisfying this need through participation (and even more so, victory) in the conflict leads to a temporary decrease in the level of conflict. But, like any human need, it is then actualized again and becomes the cause of conflict behavior. All experts associate a person’s conflict potential with its specific internal conditions, which influence the perception of reality and contradictions as exclusively threatening (82% – “true” and 18% – “perhaps”).
The vast majority of experts believe that people with strong intrapersonal conflict, in addition to some of its types, often create or are actively involved in interpersonal or individual-group conflicts.
According to experts, the system of internal conditions of a conflict personality includes natural factors, and primarily the type of temperament. Particularly highlighted is the choleric temperament, characteristic of many conflicting individuals and often manifested in a lack of self-control, which pushes to impulsive actions and assessments.
Persons with a “severe, conflictual character” are distinguished by the following indicators: low social ergicity (difficulty in communication, isolation), low social plasticity (difficulty in making contacts), high values of subject and social sensitivity (anxiety, uncertainty, anxiety, sensitivity to failures, feeling of inferiority, vulnerability).
The experts were unanimous in their opinion that the generalized system of internal conditions of a conflict personality includes strong and poorly controlled psychological accentuations, but their influence is not equal. Particularly noted were mania, paranoia, psychopathy, hysteria (including demonstrativeness and excitability), stuckness, psychoticism, tension, and some types of expansive schizoidism.
Experts noted that in the psychological structure of a personality there are a number of indicators and properties characteristic of a conflict personality: emotional coldness, dominance, a tendency to self-affirmation, tension, anxiety, irritability, intolerance, changeability, indiscipline (in terms of the Cattell test). This was subsequently confirmed by psychological testing data.
All experts noted that a conflicted person in current unpleasant situations tends to look for those to blame “on the side,” the subjective causality of errors is denied, and he almost never considers himself guilty.
A number of experts named other features inherent in a conflict personality: egocentrism, unrealism, inflated self-esteem, touchiness, emotional deafness, envy, gambling, rudeness, defiant behavior.
Experts gave many examples, mainly from school and university practice. In particular, it was noted that in schools and universities the very professional activity of teachers contributes to the emergence and progression of dangerous tendencies associated with professional personality deformation, and thereby stimulates the development of accentuations, especially hysteria. If conditions for the natural socially positive manifestation of these traits are not created for teachers and lecturers with hysterical traits, if communication with them takes place without taking into account these characteristics, they often enter into conflicts.
Analysis of such conflicts shows that they are mostly emotional, are most often based on psychological incompatibility, are rarely long-term and are capable of involving other team members. Other types of professional activity were also noted where professional deformation is inevitable and leads to accentuations: law enforcement officials may develop paranoia, politicians may develop demonstrativeness, persons performing control functions may develop pedantry, etc.
In this functional-dynamic system, the authors identified four levels:
biological (with substructures of temperament, gender, age, pathological and other properties);
mental processes (with substructures of will, feelings, perception, thinking, sensation, memory);
experience (with substructures of habits, abilities, skills, knowledge);
orientation (with substructures of beliefs, worldviews, ideals, inclinations, interests, desires).
This system examines the level-by-level relationships between the biological and the social; connections with reflection, consciousness, needs, activity; specific types of formation; necessary levels of analysis."
These authors summarize the results of theoretical and methodological analysis of the problem, empirical and applied research. In their opinion, “a systemic description of a conflict personality, as a kind of model diagram, looks like this.
1. Biological level of description of a conflict personality. The majority of conflict-ridden personalities have a choleric type of temperament; significantly fewer of them are sanguine or phlegmatic. Melancholic people, as a rule, are non-conflict people. According to the substructures of gender and age, no convincing data were found on the natural trends in the manifestations of conflict. Personality conflict at this level is determined mainly by the strength, mobility and imbalance of nervous processes.
A biologically determined need for such behavior has not been identified, although this may likely be due to a lack of relevant research. Conflict personality at this level must be studied with the primary use of psychophysiological and neuropsychological methods.
2. The level of mental properties in the description of a conflict personality. Conflict-ridden individuals have developed strong-willed qualities and perseverance, which allows them to wage long-term confrontation under conditions of strong mental tension, negative emotions and the high psychophysiological “price” of their actions.
Among conflicting individuals, manifestations of ambivalent emotional reactions are common: from violent negative emotions to firmness and restraint (“the ability to take a blow”). The same can be said about manifestations of emotional stability: from a high level of neuroticism to composure. It is important to note that the emotionality of a conflict personality is closely related to the predominance of extrapunitive forms of response (the reasons are exclusively external).
Perception and attention are directed mainly to the opponent, the object and subject of the conflict. At the same time, they focus on several cognitive areas: knowledge and understanding of the opponent; knowledge and understanding of the essence of existing relationships; self-knowledge. In the first case, attention is focused on the opponent’s style of activity, behavior and communication, his emotions, and mental states. It is noted that the least attention is paid to self-knowledge in conflict, which weakens the position of the conflict personality. Perception and attention are rigid, and forms of motivational rigidity predominate, manifested in “a slow-moving restructuring of the system of motives in circumstances requiring flexibility in changes in the nature of behavior” (A. V. Petrovsky).
The perception of another person’s personality is characterized by inconsistency and is characterized by less integrity and structure (it is perceived as separate, mainly associated with conflict confrontation), confusion, passivity and rigidity. The perception of oneself and one’s opponents is characterized by inadequacy: a conflicted person lacks a correct understanding of the strength and weakness of opponents and one’s own state.
The attention of a conflict personality is characterized by a focus on failures and one’s own experiences.
The characteristics of thinking and memory also differ in their focus on opponents, the object and subject of the conflict.
The imagination of conflicting individuals is characterized by the dominance of the “enemy image.” Opponents are presented by them exclusively as enemies, and not as individuals defending their points of view or pursuing their own goals that are not related to causing harm to others.
3. Level of experience of a conflict personality. Psychological studies of conflicting individuals, conversations with them, observations of their communication, behavior and activities indicate that they have significant experience in conflict confrontation. This experience consists of many components. In particular, good knowledge of current legislation, regulatory and legal documents. They are well acquainted with the rules of record keeping, the system of social institutions of power, the nature and degree of responsibility of officials, and the procedure for their consideration of complaints and appeals. This knowledge is supported by relevant skills. At the same time, conflicted individuals are more likely than others to experience cognitive dissonance.
It is necessary to note their psychological knowledge and skills. Many of them have perfectly mastered such specific forms of behavior as “flight into illness,” that is, feigning suffering in order to evoke the sympathy of others, attract new supporters, and “emphasis on aggression” in order to intimidate an opponent.
In communication, they often use various methods of psychological influence, including manipulation. Frequent recourse to psychological tricks in disputes has been noted (I.K. Melnik, L.G. Pavlova, etc.). Communication between conflicting personalities is distinguished by a variety of strategies - from pedantic dryness to pathos - and depends mainly on the situation, condition and characteristics of the opponent. Their main focus is to suppress the opponent or throw him off balance.
In open confrontation, conflicting individuals use a variety of tactics and techniques: reducing the opponent’s rank, false maneuvers (disinformation), escalating tension, coercion, demonstrating the strengthening of their own capabilities, provocation, threats. They are less inclined to negotiate or “bargain.”
Their behavior largely depends on the development of the conflict, changes in the range of significant factors, and at the same time is distinguished by a certain stereotypicality, a tendency to fixate on the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent.
A conflict personality is distinguished by the ability to seize psychological initiative and maintain it. Thus, it seeks to create relationships of the “dominance-subordination” type. The skills of conflicting individuals are also manifested in anticipating the actions and emotional reactions of opponents. Conflict-ridden personalities often use special pre-tuning techniques: discrediting, idealization, revaluation and stimulation, which helps them successfully carry out confrontation. At this level of personality there are significantly more manifestations of the social than the biological. Needs are manifested through habits, activity - through volitional skills.
4. Level of orientation of the conflict personality. The beliefs of a conflicted person can be varied, but they are characterized by one thing in common - an egocentric orientation. Such a person has clearly expressed motives for self-affirmation (although not all motives are recognized by them), self-expression through confrontation and a thirst for recognition. A high level of aspirations is noted, which often does not correspond to real possibilities, which leads to personality deformation, manifested in the “inadequacy effect.”
Conflict individuals, as a rule, have a low level of moral development and reflection, low moral normative behavior and relationships. Ideals are usually either absent or not clearly defined. Drives are mainly influenced by egocentricity.
In their relationships with others, conflicting individuals show competition and are bad partners. Intolerant of the shortcomings of others, uncompromising. In disputes and polemics, they are distinguished by their irreconcilable position and the desire to assert themselves at the expense of others. In relation to oneself, inflated self-esteem, conceit, and self-centeredness are noted. They tend to indulge their desires. They prefer to view their conflicting behavior as a manifestation of personal strength. In relation to the world, the influence of a high level of life aspirations is obvious, the desire to act through the constant resolution of contradictions that are perceived exclusively as threatening their personality. Here ambivalence (the coexistence of opposite states) is especially pronounced: from feeling like a victim of circumstances to the syndrome of a strong personality, a winner.
In a team, conflicting individuals often choose the most conflicting social roles: “rebel”, “critic”, “advocate of justice”, often they are disguised as socially approved ones: “guardian of traditions”, “generator of ideas” and “organizer”. In any case, conflicting individuals do not value the opinion of the group or team, and often behave separately or are defiantly tactless.
In the direction of a conflict personality, the social is significantly more manifested. The attitude towards reality is mainly based on personal experience. Unmet social needs are clearly visible.
This functional-dynamic structure of personality as a system was supplemented by its authors with two important subsystems - abilities and characterological characteristics. As for the abilities subsystem, no reliable data have been found on the connection between abilities and the level of personality conflict. The subsystem of characterological characteristics is a different matter: conflicting individuals can be either maladapted or integral, with stable character traits.
A generalization of the results of theoretical and empirical research presented above allowed the authors to identify common features of a conflict personality: purposefulness, persistence in achieving a goal, internal organization, assertiveness, independence, self-confidence, willfulness, intolerance, demonstrativeness, inconstancy, distrust, envy, hot temper, rudeness, unceremoniousness. If we proceed from the psychological essence of accentuations, then some of them can also be attributed to the characterological features of a conflict personality: psychopathy, hysteria, paranoia, mania, etc.
The authors supplement this structure of a conflict personality with another subsystem – professional. As professionals, conflicted individuals rarely achieve great success. This is also explained by the fact that the growth of professionalism is associated with extensive professional interactions and self-development. Due to conflict, effective professional interactions are difficult. Self-development is hampered by inadequate self-esteem. In addition, a conflicted person spends a lot of energy on conflict confrontation itself. Such professional failure, caused by subjective reasons, is perceived by a conflicted person as a manifestation of an exceptional negative attitude towards her. It turns out to be a kind of vicious circle.
This generalized systematic description of conflicting personalities usually makes a depressing impression on unprepared people, so it is necessary to emphasize that it contains almost all the properties of different conflicting personalities. It is most likely that you will hardly meet such people in life. Really existing conflict personalities have a significantly smaller “set” of negative qualities. The level and direction of their conflict depend on this “set”. The generalized systematic description of a conflict personality developed by the authors brings together all the possible properties of conflict personalities, which allow one to be prepared for one or another of their manifestations when solving practical problems.”
