Three Types of Personalities

 

Three Type Theories of Personalities

 Theories adopting the type approach advocate that human personality can be classified into a few clearly defined types and each person belongs to a certain type according to his behavioural characteristics. The following are few type theories of personality:

 (A) Kretschmer’s classification

Kretschmer classified all human beings into certain biological types according to their physical structure and has alloted following definite personality characterisitcs associated with each physical make-up.

(i) Pyknic (having fat bodies) – Their personality traits are that such people are sociable, jolly, easy-going and good-natured.

(ii) Athletic (balanced body) – Such people are energetic, optimistic and adjustable.

(iii) Leptosomatic (lean and thin) – Such people are unsociable, reserved, shy, sensitive and pessimistic.

 

(B) Sheldon’s classification

Sheldon too like Kretschmer, classified human beings into types according to their physical structures and attached certain temperamental characteristics to them as shown below:

(i) Endomorphic – Persons having hightly developed viscera but weak somatic structure (like Kretschmer’s Pyknic type). Such persons are easy-going, sociable and affectionate.

(ii) Mesomorphic – Balanced development of viscera and somatic structure (like Kretschmer’s athletic type). Such persons are craving for  muscular activity, self-assertive, love risk and adventure.

(iii) Ectomorphic – Weak somatic structure as well as undeveloped viscera (like Kretschmer’s Leptosomatic) characteristics such people. They are pessimistic, unsociable and reserved.

 

(C) Jung’s classification

Jung divided all human beings basically into two distinct types – introvert and extrovert – according to their social participation and the interest which they take in social  activities. Later on he further sharpened his two fold division by giving sub-types. In this process, he took into consideration the four psychological functions – thinking, feeling sensation and intuition – in relation to his previous extrovert and introvert types. This division can be criticized on the ground that in general the different types or classes as suggested by Jung do not exist.