A Non-evolutionary View on Scientist’s Behavior

The problem of professional motivations of scientists’ activity, their style of behavior in science and the preceding choice of a life path is discussed from the perspective of the concept of invariance of psychobiological bases of behavior. The author substantiates the assertion that the nature of the scientist (their personality type, behavior style and motivational structure) is immutable and hereditarily determined. The article presents data based on empirical studies of behavior strategies and styles of academic researchers of several professional generations. A typology of the scientist’s personality is proposed. It is built on the grounds of (a) a motivation for scientific activity – “guild workers”, “presenters” or “superfluous people”, (b) psychophysiological traits inherent in the ideal scientist – “polymath” or “specialist”. An attempt is made to empirically substantiate the phenomenon of the involuntary choice of “path to science”, conditioned by the manifestation of certain traits of temperament and character.

scientist, types of scientists, social portrait, motivation, polymaths, gelehrters, “superfluous people”, “guild workers”, “presenters”