Introduction to Personality and Factors Affecting Personality

Subject: Behavioral Science

Overview

Personality can be described as the totality of an individual's distinguishing behavioral and mental features. Personality, in other terms, is an individual's distinct and relatively stable pattern of behavior, thoughts, and emotions. When psychologists describe personality, they typically refer to attributes that exist within a person, characteristics of a person's behavior, or both. Each person has an own personality. Personality is influenced by both inheritance and environment. Heredity, physiological, social/environmental, and psychological factors all influence personality.

Introduction/Definition

When psychologists describe personality, they typically refer to attributes that exist within a person, characteristics of a person's behavior, or both.

"Personality is the dynamic arrangement within the person of those psychophysical processes that define his particular adjustment to his environment," writes Allport.

There is no single definition of personality that all psychologists agree on. However, most people believe that personality comprises a person's behavior patterns across settings as well as the psychological factors that lead to those behavior patterns.

Each person has an own personality. Personality is influenced by both heredity and environment.

Factors Affecting Personality

Heredity

The heredity approach contends that the chemical structures of the genes are the ultimate explanation for an individual's personality. As a result, the physical structure,

Temperament, mental qualities, particular abilities, and biological cycles are often thought to be totally or significantly influenced by who their parents are: Several studies have found evidence that behaviors like shyness, fear, and distress are more likely caused by inherited genetic factors.

Physiological

Physiological factors include bodily glandular activities, the functioning of neurotransmitters, and various diseases and illnesses. Dullness and sluggishness might be symptoms of hypothyroidism. Hyperthyroidism can produce anxiety, excitement, and overactivity. Hormones from the adrenal gland and gonads influence aggressive, happy, and sexual behaviors. Men, for example, are physically more aggressive than women; men also conduct 90% of all violent crimes. This demonstrates the link between testosterone and violence. Different neurotransmitters, such as creatine, dopamine, and GABA, have different affects on an individual's personality. A condition such as encephalitis, meningitis, a head injury, a brain hemorrhage, or starvation can all result in an aberrant personality.

Social/ Environmental Factors

The environment is made up of both physical and social aspects. Individuals from high-temperature places are shown to be more aggressive than those from cold environments; the social environment also influences personality traits. This element includes the society in which we live, the cultural environment with which we interact on a daily basis, and the community with which we interact. Relationships, coordination, cooperation, interaction, home environment, organization, and workplaces all contribute to the development of a person's personality. Traditional behaviors, norms, customs, regulations, and values are also personality determinants. So everything from prenatal influences, how a person is raised, and outside influences such as location, schooling, friendships, trauma, religious instructions and experiences, political events, and so on has a significant impact on the individual's personality structure.

Psychological Factors

Motives, interests, attitudes, willpower, intelligence, reasoning abilities, perception, imagination, and a level of comprehension are examples of these. These elements influence personality. A person with strong willpower, for example, can make a swift decision that is required for better adjustment. Similarly, a wise individual will be able to make a happy adjustment and create a friendly relationship.

Things to remember

Personality can be described as the totality of an individual's distinguishing behavioral and mental features.
Personality, in other terms, is an individual's distinct and relatively stable pattern of behavior, thoughts, and emotions.
When psychologists describe personality, they typically refer to features within a person, aspects of a person's behavior, or both. Each individual's personality is unique.
Personality is influenced by both inheritance and environment.
Heredity, physiological, social/environmental, and psychological factors all influence personality.

Questions and Answers

Define personality .

Personality can be defined as the sum total of the behavioural and mental characteristics which are distinctive of an individual. In other words, Personality is an individual’s unique and relatively stable pattern of behavior, thoughts, and emotions.

When psychologist defines personality they tend to refer to qualities: within a person, characteristics of a person’s behavior or both.

What are the factors affecting personality ? Explain.

1) Heredity

The heredity approach argues that the ultimate explanation of an individual’s personality is the molecular structures of the genes. Hence, the physical structure,

Temperament, mental characteristics, special ability, biological rhythms generally considered to be either completely or substantially influenced by who their parents are: Different studies show the evidence that traits such as shyness, fear and distress are more likely caused by inherited genetics characteristics.

2) Physiological

Physiological factor constitutes physique glandular functions, a role of neurotransmitters and different illness and infections. Hypothyroidism may cause dullness and slowness. Hyperthyroidism may cause nervous tension, excitement, over-activity. Aggressive behaviours, happiness, sexual behaviours are controlled by hormones from adrenal gland and gonads. For eg; men are more physically aggressive than women, men also commit 90% of all violent crimes. This shows the relationship between testosterone and aggression. Different neurotransmitters like creatinine, dopamine, GABA etc effects on the individual’s personality. A disease like encephalitis, meningitis, head injury, brain haemorrhage, malnutrition can lead to abnormal personality.

3) Social/ Environmental Factors

The environment consists of physical and social factors. It is found that individual’s from high-temperature areas are more aggressive than those from a cold environment, social environment also influences the personality patterns. The society where we live in , the cultural environment that we face daily, the community we get interacted to, all are included in this factor. Relationships, co-ordination, co-operation, interaction, home environment, organization, workplaces, all contribute to the personality development. Traditional practices, norms,customs, rules, values are also determinants of personality. So everything from prenatal influences, the way a person is raised and the outside influences such as location, schooling, friendships, trauma, religious instructions and experiences, political events etc have a great influence on the personality structure of the individual.

4) Psychological factors

These include motives, interests, attitudes, willpower, intelligence, reasoning capacities, perception, imagination, a level of understanding etc. These factors personality. For e.g. a person with strong will power can make a quick decision which is needed for better adjustment . Similarly, an intelligent person will be able to make a happy adjustment and develop an understanding relationship.