Understanding Personality: Traits, Theories, and Development
Understanding Personality
Etymology of “Person”
The term “person” has evolved with several underlying meanings:
- The image we present to others.
- Our role in life’s events.
- The interaction of individual qualities and actions (the basis of psychological definitions).
- Prestige and dignity (the dominant meaning today).
Personality is often linked to social attractiveness, with qualities others admire or praise.
Defining Personality
Personality is the characteristic and habitual way a person thinks, feels, and behaves. It begins in childhood and develops into stable, consistent behavior. It’s important to distinguish personality from related terms:
Temperament
Temperament is our biological heritage, the influence of our physical nature, and is difficult to change.
Character
Character comprises traits acquired during development, reflecting conformity to social norms. It forms from childhood and remains open to external influences. Character defines who we are, were, and aspire to be. Everyone has a unique character; no two people are psychologically identical.
Personality
Personality combines temperament and character. It’s a set of psychological characteristics expressed in all our actions. Personality traits are patterns of cognition, emotion, and behavior that persist and resist change.
Characteristics of Personality
Studying personality involves three elements: person, situation, and behavior. Personality is a complex organization of cognitions, emotions, and behaviors that provides guidance and consistency to a person’s life. It’s shaped by both nature (genes) and nurture (experience), encompassing past influences and future development. Personality is the set of qualities and flaws that make us unique.
Key Features:
- Personality is a psychological construct, not a physical entity, essential for understanding human behavior.
- It represents a person’s usual behavior patterns.
- It arises from heredity, environment, social learning, and personal experiences.
- Personality develops and changes throughout life.
- It involves individual, social, and cultural development. We are similar yet different, and balancing these aspects is crucial.
- Personal autonomy, the ability to direct one’s own life, is a key aspiration. We shape our own selves.
Theories of Personality
A theory is a set of assumptions and models that explain empirical data and predict future behavior. Personality theories differ in their philosophical assumptions and explanations of origin, evolution, and change.
Key Questions in Personality Research:
- What defines people and how are these characteristics organized?
- How do genetic and environmental factors interact?
- Why do people behave differently in the same situation, and how do we explain behavioral changes and abnormal behavior?
Major Personality Theories:
- Psychodynamic Theory: Focuses on the unconscious and internal conflicts.
- Trait Theories: Identify and analyze personality traits and their relation to behavior.
- Humanistic Theories: Emphasize subjective experience and personal growth.
- Behavioral Theories: Focus on the external environment, conditioning, and learning.