Question

As an exercise in your human development class, your teacher proposes a new theory of personality development. She states that personality is markedly different in adulthood than in childhood, is completely determined by the environment, and develops pretty much the same across cultures. Describe the three recurring issues in human development and where this new theory stands in relationship to these three issues.

Answer 1

Personality development is relative enduring pattern of thoughts, feeling and behavior that distinguish individual from each other.

Personality development is the development of the organized pattern of behaviors and attitudes that makes a person distinctive. Personality development occurs by the ongoing interaction of temperament , character, and environment.

Reccuring issues in development -

1.Natures.vs Nurture. degree to which genetic influences (nature) or experience influences (nurture) determine the kind of person you are.

Degree to which human behavior is determined i.e genetics (nature) and learned through interaction (nurture).

And so environment plays a important role in this as surrounding around play a major role in nurturing.

2.Continuity vs Discontinuity development occurs in a smooth progression (continuity) or in abrupt shifts (discontinuity)

This describe how people changes throughout their life.

Continuity theory explains that someone changes in life along a smooth course.

Discontinuity states that people change abruptly.

3. Stability versus discontinuity

This theory studies that whether personality traits present during birth are constant throughout lifespan or not.

Fir example whether a extrovert baby remains same during his lifespan or he changes. Thus age also play a role in development.

Influencing factors -

Research found that personality develop during childhood and stabilize in adolescent and become stable in adulthood but in old age due to factor can change a little.

The weakness of shared environmental effects in shaping personality.

Our culture greatly contributes to the development of our beliefs and values. For this reason, both cultural psychologists and social anthropologists believe that culture affects one's personality. In addition, gender differences also influence the personality traits a person possesses.

Thus theory for human development is linked with all the factors and issues.