Question

In 3-4 paragraphs (or more if needed) define personality. Explain what developmental factors contribute to personality formation. In what ways does personality remain stable in adulthood, and in what ways might it change. Give an example from your own personality development.

Answer 1

• Personality refers to individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving. The study of personality focuses on two broad areas: One is understanding individual differences in particular personality characteristics, such as sociability or irritability. The other is understanding how the various parts of a person come together as a whole.
• In general, personality is a unique set of characteristics within a person that work to influence their beliefs, motivations, emotions, behaviors and even their environment.
• Biological factors of personality are very important for the formation of human personality. Children are born in a family; inherit many traits and features from their parents. Children get physical and psychological characteristics from their parents which becomes a part of their personalities. Some of the inherited traits are courage, coward, intelligence, weakness etc.It separates individuals from one another and their various physical characteristics except identical twins having the same physical qualities. So, biological factors of personality are responsible for the development of personality.
• When an individual interact with other persons in his/her group give and take relationship takes place and it affects the personality of an individual social factors of personality are responsible for the formation of personality, when an individual has group experience and contact with others personality of an individual is influenced by others may be bad or good but depends on the association in which he/she keeps. In a society every person plays a specific role and status. Many other social factors like environment, group life, family, media with which an individual interact in his/her society daily life mold their personalities.
• An individual living in his/her culture adopts the traits consciously or unconsciously and acts accordingly. Culture of any society determines the behaviors and personality of an individual and he/she is expected to act according to the culture. A person follows all the social norms of a culture which results in the formation of good personality while non-conformity to the cultural rules develops abnormal or bad personality. So, the culture in which an individual seeks satisfaction adjusts himself/herself and develops personality.
• Physical environment also determines the personality of an individual. For example, body structure, physique, color and health of the rural people are different from urban people. These people have different environment due to which they develop variety of personalities. The people living in cities have facilities and modern ways of life which creates to develop delicate bodies and minds as compare to the rural people who are deprived of these facilities.
• Personality changes can still occur depending on new life experiences. People who have experienced severe emotional trauma or life-changing events can experience significant personality changes as well. Even the kind of social roles we take on can change personality.
• First-time parents or people heavily invested in new jobs can find themselves becoming more conscientious as their new responsibilities force them to change how they think, feel, and behave in general. People in new romantic relationships can find themselves becoming more conscientious about their partners' well-being as their perspective on the world changes. As our lives change, so do our personalities.
• Growing more comfortable with our sense of self, our personality can change as well to match how we see ourselves.
• The new studies have shown that three basic aspects of personality change little throughout life: a person's anxiety level, friendliness and eagerness for novel experiences. But other traits, such as alienation, morale and feelings of satisfaction, can vary greatly as a person goes through life. These more changeable traits largely reflect such things as how a person sees himself and his life at a given point, rather than a basic underlying temperament.
• The greatest changes in core personality occur in childhood and from adolescence to early adulthood,what does change is one's role in life, and the situations that influence your temporary behavior one way or another.
• I was an extremely shy and introverted child all throughout my school life,but when I joined college and to do take up responsibilites of doing things myself,without any help from teachers or even family,those circumstances altered by personality and made me confident to face people and talk to them.Self confidence developed and communication skills became better,which made me less shy and coward.Though,I didnt become completely extroverted,I still talk less and dont like being center of attention,but these improvements did happen in my personality.I definitely talk more confidently with others now.