This paper was presented at the
National Seminar on
Indian Psychology: Theories and Models
SVYASA, Bangalore,
December 26 - 28, 2007
 

Personality types in Indian tradition and their relevance in contemporary period

Jitendra K. Singh — Defence Institute of Psychological Research, Delhi

Exploring the structure of personality has been one of the key concerns in the field of personality psychology. However, multiple theoretical models have yielded diverse views on personality. Also, they are informed by different culturally loaded ideological orientations. In recent years efforts have started to critically examine the cultural variations in conceptualizing personality in different traditions. This paper examines the diverse ways in which people have been classified in Indian texts. In particular, body and quality based (sharira and guna) typologies are examined. The implications of such typologies have been brought out in the contemporary analyses of personality constructs including temperament.

Email the author, Jitendra Singh, at jitendrasingh08@gmail.com