The development and formation of the personality is influenced by society and vice versa. The leading role in this interaction is assigned to the orientation of the personality. What is it – I propose to figure it out.
The essence of personality orientation
The orientation of the personality is a set of stable motives. They direct the activities of the individual and are relatively independent of the situation.
- Interests, like motives, follow from needs. Interest is a person’s desire to know a specific object, sphere. Like needs, interests can be material and spiritual.
- Long-term and stable interests are transformed into beliefs, becoming a necessary condition for the formation of a personality.
- Worldview, that is, ideals, beliefs and values - the basis of the orientation of the personality. Worldview – an expanded system of views on the surrounding reality, nature, society and consciousness, their development.
VN Myasishchev devoted much effort to the study of the problem of personality orientation. He identified 2 axes of development of the orientation of the personality:
- Individual-personal – collective-public.
- Ideological and moral – instinctive and physiological.
In simple terms, we are talking about the struggle of collectivism-individualism in the individual and rational (social) – emotional (natural). That is, it is possible to single out the focus on people, on oneself, on business.
In a broad sense, directionality can be characterized as a generalized leading motive of the individual. The orientation of the personality determines its behavior, attitude to the world and oneself, affects the structure of the personality.
Directional structure
The structure of the orientation of the personality includes needs, motives, interests, value orientations, ideals, beliefs, worldview, and purpose.
Needs
The feeling that a person needs something to achieve comfort, harmony and health. Need is a desire, the fulfillment of which is necessary for the well-being of the individual.
Motives
These are rooted, objectified needs that encourage their satisfaction, that is, activity. Motives are closely related to needs. There can be a semantic or external connection between them. The external is characterized by the influence of stereotypes, that is, society. If there is a discrepancy between the inner feeling of needs and motives and the external connection, then a personality crisis occurs.
Sometimes motives come into confrontation, and then as if several directions are formed. Competition of directions or their subordination is dangerous by intrapersonal conflicts, disharmony.
Interests
This is a selective attitude towards an object due to its significance or value for an individual. It can be something material or spiritual.
Value orientations
They are characterized as a system of attitudes towards the established norms of society. A person may or may not accept the social, political and moral values of society.
Ideals
These are samples, examples that a person is guided by, on which he relies when performing any activity or in life itself.
Beliefs
Theses, provisions, facts, ideas about the structure of the world and society, to which a person unquestioningly believes and subordinates his activities to them. These are the provisions that are a kind of guide to life.
Worldview
A system of stable views of the world, nature and oneself. The activity and specificity of relations with the environment is a manifestation of the personality’s worldview. Beliefs and ideals both flow from the worldview and influence its formation.
Target
The image of the anticipated result of activity. These are objectified needs.
Personality orientation classifications
There are several classifications of personality orientation.
By openness
There is a true and hidden focus. The latter becomes visible only in crisis, dangerous, non-standard situations for the individual.
By structure
Intrapersonal components are distinguished:
- emotional focus;
- cognitive focus (locus of control);
- focus of the area of interest;
- orientation of value orientations;
- direction of activity.
About the personal position of a person
Based on the assessment of personality as a source of activity, there are:
- humanistic;
- selfish;
- depressive;
- suicidal personality.
By the scope of the implementation of the activity
There are the following types of focus:
- research;
- cultural;
- sports;
- professional and others.
Personality orientation elements
The orientation of the personality is reflected in the following forms:
- attraction,
- desires,
- aspirations,
- interests,
- inclinations,
- worldview,
- beliefs.
They are closely related to stereotypical models of personality interaction, or dispositions. This is the nature of human behavior in typical situations for him. Dispositions depend on the situation or on the expressed characteristics of the personality.
Dispositions, in turn, are closely related to attitudes – the subject’s readiness for a certain activity in specific ways that ensure a stable course of activity. Attitudes are a component of personality orientation.
Motives as a factor in the formation of direction
Orientation is associated with the motivational-need and cognitive sphere of the individual. The orientation of the personality, on the one hand, is determined by environmental conditions, and on the other hand, it itself determines the behavior of the personality.
In the motivational aspect, the following types of personality orientations can be distinguished:
- Ideological and spiritual. Striving for knowledge of the universe, solving issues of a universal scale, thinking in the direction of preserving and developing all of humanity.
- Individual and personal. Striving to meet the needs of your “I”, self-expression, maintaining individuality.
- Instinctive physiological. Striving to satisfy bodily needs to preserve the species and the individual.
Based on the consideration of several approaches to the theory of personality orientation (Myasishchev and the one described above), 9 types of orientation can be distinguished (figure below).
Epilogue
Thus, the orientation of the personality is a psychological property that implies a set of internal attitudes, aspirations and life goals. Someone sees the purpose of life in creativity, someone in work, someone in crime. The orientation of the personality arises from beliefs and determines the actions of a person.
Direction reflects the content of a person as a participant in social life. Reflects what and how a person does, how he relates to responsibilities, what value and usefulness it represents for society.
