MODULE ON

PERSONALITY
DEVELOPMENT
Submitted to
Submitted by:
Miss Rohini Muhammed Ameen Thaj
Lecturer Sifna
College of nursing moulana hospital Shibla V P
Muhammed Mubashir
Vasundhara D K
Sivani E S
Swathy M P
Sona jaslin
Thasreefa sherin
Vinya K
Vyshnavi K A
INTRODUCTION

Personality development refers to

the dynamic and life flow process
through which an individual unique
pattern of thoughts, emotional and
behaviours emerged and evolve. It is
shaped by a complex, India, play of
biological, psychological and sexual
influences, including genetics,
environment, expression, and
cognitive process.
Definitions

The personality disorder reflects

adaptive failure, involve sense of self
identification or failure to develop
affective interpersonal functioning.

*Personality development refers to

the process of enhancing and
refining an individual's character,
behavior, attitude, and traits to
improve their overall persona and
interaction with others.

*Personality development is the

growth and development of the
psychological patterns of an
individual—thoughts, emotions, and
behaviors—that make them unique
over time.
COMPONENTS

The components of personality refer

to the key elements that make up an
individual's personality. These
components work together to shape
how a person thinks, feels, and
behaves. The major components
include:

1. Biological Component

*Genetics: Inherited traits from

parents (e.g., temperament).
*Brain structure and function: Affects
behavior and thought processes.
*Neurochemistry: Hormones and
neurotransmitters influence mood
and personality traits
2. Psychological Component

*Cognition: Thought patterns,

intelligence, and perception.
*Emotions: How a person feels and
responds emotionally.
*Motivation: Drives behind behavior
and actions (e.g., needs, desires).

3. Social Component

*Family: Early relationships shape

behavior and personality.
*Peers: Friendships and peer
interactions influence attitudes and
values.
*Culture and Society: Norms, values,
and expectations shape personality
development.
4. Behavioral Component
*Habits and Actions: Repeated
behaviors that become part of
personality.
*Conditioning: Learning through
reinforcement and punishment.
*Observation: Learning by watching
others (social learning).

5. Moral or Ethical Component

*Values and Beliefs: What a person

believes to be right or wrong.
*Conscience: Internal sense of
morality and responsibility.

*Self-Control: Ability to manage

impulses and act in a socially
acceptable way.
MPORTANCE OF PERSONALITY IN
ACHIEVING

GOALS AND SULLESS IN LIFE

Personality plays a vital role in

shaping how in dividuals set goals,
respond to challenges, interact with
others, and persist through
difficultis.

1) Goal setting and Motivation

* People with personalities high in
conscientiousness tend to set
realistic and clear goals.
*Ambitious, focused and determined
individual, are more likely to plan
their actions and stay motivated.
2) Perlistance and Resilience
*Traits like emotional stability and
Optimism help
individuals bounce back from failure.

3) Decision making and problem

solving
*Open minded individuals explore
new ideas and make Grative
decisiory Critical thinkers analyze
options carefully.

4) Interpersonal relationships
Goodteamwork,communication and
leadership skills areinfluencedby
personality.

5) Time management and Discipline

* Conscientious individuals are
organized, Punctual and
selfdisciplined traits that strongly
predict carers and academic
Success.

6) Stress management and

emotional intelligence
Emotionally stable people manage
pressure better and maintain mental
balance during stress time.
managing emotions wisely prevents
burnout and keeps individuals focus
on goals.

7) Leadership and influence

Leaders often have charismatic,
confident and inspiringpesonalitic
that influence others and drive
collective success. A strong
personality Can lead others, Geste a
vision and motivate teams to
achieve Shared goods.

8) Persistence and Grit

Personalities high in preservance are
less likely to be discouraged by
failure.

FACTORSINFLUENCING
PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
1) BIOLOGICAL FACTORS

Biological factor plays a role in the

formation of personality to some
extent through genetic,
neurobiological and hormonal
influence.

a) Genetic effects
Studies shows that certain genes are
related to particular qualities such as
temperament, emotional stability,
sociability and many [Link] mean
that basically who we are is on our
genes.

b) Neurobiological factors
Neurobiological factors like
dopamine,sextorin, testosterone,
cortiol
these affect personality.

c) Brain structure and function

Different areas of the brain are
linked to specific personality traits.
* Amygdala - associated with
emotions like fear and aggression.
* Prefrontal cortex - Contals decision
making, impulse control and social
behaviour.

d) Temperament
It refers to the basic emotional and
behavioral tendencies that appear
early in life.

e) physical health and disabilities

Chronic illness or physical disability
can percieves themselves and
interact with others.
influence how a person.

f) prental factors
Conditions that in the womb, such as
nutrition, exposure to
toxins ,Maternal stress can affect
brain development and later
behavior.

2) ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
Environmental factors influence how
individual, think, feel and behaviour
throughout their lives.

a) Family environment
* Parenting style inflenes taits like
self esteem, independence and
discipline
* Parential relationship
*Birth order affects traits like
leadership, responsibility .

b) Education and schooling

* Teacher student relationship help
build confidence and intellectual
curriculum.
* Peer interactions contribute
development of social skills, self
[Link] environment
influences motivation, resilience,
future goals.

c) culture and society

* Cultural values shape beliefs,
behavior and personality traits.
* Social norms and expectations
influence how individual, express
emotions and interact with others.

d) Socio-economic status
* Acces to resources such as
nutrition, edvection and healthcare
affect Cognitive and emotional
development.
* Children from higher SES
background experience greater
opportunities for
Growth and expression.

е) Peer groups
* peer pressure and friend, influence
behavior, identity formation and
decision making skills.
f) media and technology
*Exposure to media affect beliefs
attitude / social behavious.
* Excessive screen time Social
interactions may
hinder emotional regulation and real
life social interactions.

g) Life experience
*Traumatic events, success/failure
can shape personality.
* experiences that require coping
and adaptation foster maturity.

h) Neighborhood and Community

* A safe, supportive community
encourge, the social behaviors.
* High crime or unstable
environments can lead to anxiety,
mistrust or aggression.
STAGES AND THEORIES OF
PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

Development of personality
from infancy to late adulthood

1. Infancy (0-2 years)

Trust vs.
Mistrust (Erikson)
* Infants rely on caregivers for basic
needs.
* Consistent, responsive care builds
trust, the foundation of a secure
personality.
* Attachment styles (secure/
insecure) begin forming and
influence later relationships.

2. Early Childhood (2-6 years)

 Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt;
Initiative vs.
Guilt
* Children begin asserting
independence ("I can do it myself").
* Personality traits like confidence,
curiosity, and initiative emerge.
* Over-controlling or neglectful
environments can cause shame or
fearfulness.

3. Middle Childhood (6-12 years)4.

Industry vs.
Inferiority
* Children start school, develop
competence, and compare
themselves with peers.
* Success leads to a sense of
industry (capable and confident);
failure can create feelings of
inferiority.
* Traits like responsibility,
perseverance, and work ethic
develop.

4. Adolescence (12-18 years)

Identity vs.
Role Confusion
* Adolescents explore values, beliefs,
goals, and roles.
* Development of a stable self-
concept and personal identity.
* Peer relationships, self-esteem,
and experimentation shape
personality significantly.

5. Early Adulthood (18-40 years)

Intimacy vs. Isolation
* Focus shifts to forming close,
meaningful relationships and
pursuing life goals.
* Successful navigation leads to
emotional intimacy, while failure
may result in loneliness.
* Personality becomes more stable,
though experiences like work and
relationships can refine it.

6. Middle Adulthood (40-65 years)

Generativity vs. Stagnation
* Concern for guiding the next
generation, contributing to society,
and achieving long-term goals.
* People may reinvent themselves or
deepen existing personality traits.
* A lack of purpose can lead to
stagnation or a midlife crisis.7. Late
Adulthood (65+ years)
Integrity vs.
Despair
* Reflection on life leads to either
integrity (a sense of fulfillment) or
despair (regret and dissatisfaction).
* Personality traits like wisdom,
acceptance, and resilience often
emerge.
* Some may become more inward-
focused and emotionally regulated.
THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
DEVELOPMENT

PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY

•Sigmund freud, an austrian

neurologist is considered as the
father of psychoanalytic theory
•freud categorized his personality
theory according to structure,
dynamics, development
•freuds components of personality
Id, ego, super ego
Id: contains all our biologically based
drives and operates according to the
pleasure principle
Ego: functions on the basis of reality
principle
Super ego: referred to as perfection
principle
•Freuds main belief is that abnormal
behavior result from ineffective
personality development and
unconscious processes

freuds stages of personality

development
Oral :birth to 18 month
- Infant achieves gratification
through oral activities such as
feeding, thumb sucking and babbling
Anal: 18 month to 3 year
-The child learns to respond to
some of the demands of society
(such as bowel and bladder control)
Phallic:3 years to 6 year
-The child learns to realize the
differences between males and
females and become aware of
sexuality
Latency:6 to 12 year
-The child continues his or her
development, but sexual urges are
relatively quiet
Genital : 12 years to adulthood
-The growing adolescent shakes
off old dependencies and learns to
deal maturely with the opposite sex

Psychosocial Theory:
Erik Brikson (1902-199ed Was
a German psychoanalyst who
extended Freida work on personality
development across the lifespan
while focusing on social and
psychological development in the life
stages.
In his view psychosocial growth
occurs in sequential phases and
each stage is dependent on the
completion of previous stage and life
task.

Ericsson’s Eight stages of

psychological Development

Infant : Trust vs Mistrust

Birth - 18 months
Toddler : Autonomy vs shame and
Doubt
1-3 years
Preschooler: initiative vs Guilt
3-6 years
School Age : Industry vs Inferiority
6-12 years
Adolescent : identity vs Role
Confusion
12-18 years
Young Adult : intimacy vs isolation
18 - 25 years
Middle Adult : generativity vs
Stagnation
25-45 years
Maturity : Ego integrity vs Despair
45 years – death
IV. Trait and Type Theories of
Personality

Personality is the dynamic

organization within the individual of
those psychophysical systems that
determine his unique adjustments to
his environment.
-Gordon Allport (1937)
Two major themes and type
theories of personality are:
>No two individuals are alike.
>People possess broad
predispositions or traits to respond in
certain ways in diverse situations.
1. Gordon Allport's Theory (1937)
Theorist state that no two
individuals are alike and
distinguished between common
traits and individual traits. Common
traits are shared by several people
within a given culture. Individual
traits are peculiar to the person and
do not permit comparisons among
people. They guide, direct and
motivate an individual's adjustment.
Allport was deeply committed to
the study of individual traits. He
started calling them as 'personal'
dispositions.

All port proposed three types of

personal disposition
a) cardinal traits : Trait that
dominates personality
 b) central traits :main traits that
form personality
c)secondary Traits : variable
traits which differ based on
situations

1. Cardinal disposition: A cardinal

disposition is so dominant that all
actions of the person are guided by
it to the point that the person
becomes known specifically for these
traits.
Very few people possess cardinal
dispositions.

2. Central disposition: These are

not as dominant as cardinal
dispositions.
However they influence the person's
behavior in a very prominent way
and thus called the building blocks of
personality.

[Link] disposition: These are

not very consistent and are thus
less relevant in reflecting the
personality of the individual. These
are sometimes related to attitudes
or preferences and often appear
only in certain situations or under
specific circumstances.

2. Raymond Cattell's Theory (1965)

* Raymond Cattell (1905-1998)
spoke of the multiple traits that
comprise the personality, the extent
to which these traits are genetically
and environmentally determined and
the ways in which genetic and
environmental factors interact to
influence behavior.
 According to Cattell,
personality is that which permits us
to predict what a person will do in a
given situation. In line with his
mathematical analysis of personality,
prediction of behavior can be made
by means of a specification equation:
R = f(S, P)
According to this formula the
response
(R) of the person is a function (f) of
the stimulus (S) at a given point of
time and of the existing personality
structure (P). This equation conveys
Cattell's strong belief that human
behavior is determined and can be
predicted
Cattell divided traits into
surface traits and source traits.
Surface traits are not consistent over
time and do not have much value in
accounting for the individual's
personality. Source traits are the
basic building blocks of personality
which determine the consistencies of
each person's behavior over an
extended period of time
Basing on extensive
research, Cattell identified sixteen
source traits that constitute the
underlying structure of personality.
He constructed a scale to measure
these source traits which came to be
known as 'Sixteen Personality Factor
Questionnaire'

3. Hans Eysenck's Theory

(Trait-type Theory of Personality)
 Personality is more or less
a stable and enduring organization
of a person's character,
temperament, intellect and physique
which determine the unique
adjustment to the environment.
-Eysenck
* The essence of Eysenck's theory is
that the elements of personality can
be arranged hierarchically. In this
scheme, certain super traits and
types such as extroversion exerta
powerful influence over behavior.
> Accordingly Eysenck's focus has
been on a small number of
personaisy types defined by two
major dimensions: introversion-
extroversion, stability-instability
(neuroticism)
 > Later, he added a third type of
dimension to personality called the
psychoticism-superego strength.
People else no this category are
selfish, impulsive and opposed to
social customs.
> Basing on his categorization of
personality types, Eysenck
constructed an inventory called
Eysenck Personality Questionnaire
(EPQ). It covers items from each of
the personality types identified by
him.
> Throughout his writings Eysenck
consistently emphasized the role of
genetic factors and
neurophysiological factors, role of
the cerebral cortex, autonomous
nervous system, limbic system,
reticular activating system (RAS) in
explaining individual differences in
behavior.
 > Cattell and Eysenck have been
called as factor analytic trait
theorists.

HUMANISTIC APPROACH

The humanistic approach

optimistically argues that people
have enormous upon development
of self, it is called humanism.
Humanistic theories
emphasizes importance of people's
subjective attitude, feelings and
belief especially with regard to self.
Carl Roger's theory focuses on
impact of disparity between a person
ideals,self and perceived real self .
Maskow focus on significance of self
actualisation.
1) Roger's person - centred Approach
(1980)
∆ Self actualisation
Carl Roger's used the term self
actualisation to capture the nature
underlying tendency of humans to
move forward and fulfill their true
potential. He argued that people
strive towards growth even in less
favourable surroundings.
An unconditional positive regard help
to develop More realistic self concept
. If response is conditional it leads to
frustration and anxiety.

∆ Personality development
Carl Roger's proposed that
even young children need to be
highly regard by other people.
Children also need positive self
regard to be esteemed by self as
well as others. Rogers believed that
everyone should be given
unconditional positive regard. It
should be non judgemental and
genuine love without any strings
attached.

2) Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs

* One of basic themes underlying

maslow's theory is that motivation
affects person as a whole rather than
just in part. Maslow believed that
people are motivated to seek
personal goals which make their
lives rewarding and meaningful.
* Abraham Maslow suggest five basic
classes of needs or motives influence
human behaviour. According to
maslow's needs at lowest level of
hierarchy must be satisfied before
people can be motivated by higher
level goals.

LEARNING THEORIES OF
PERSONALITY
These theories emphasizes
importance of learning and
objectivity to understand personality.

1) Dollard and Miller's learning

theory of personality
This theory emphasize
development of personality on basis
of responses and behaviour learnt
through process of motivation and
reward. It stresses on habit
formation through learning as key
factor in development of personality.
Habit are formed by stimulus
response connections through
learning. As one's fondness for
learning grows on basis of
experiences and interaction with
one's environment,habits are
reorganized, new habits are learned
and consequently the personality is
modified and developed in terms of
learning new behaviour and picking
up new threads or styles of life.

2) Bandura and Walter's social

learning theory
Albert Bandura and Richard Walter
(1963) came out with an innovative
approach to personality in form of
their social learning theory. They
advanced the view that what an
individual presents to world at large
as his personality as acquired
through a continuous process of
structuring and restructuring of
experiences gathered by means of
social learning and later imitated in
corresponding situations.
Assessment of personality

Types of Personality
Personalities are classified based on
individuals who share a common
collection of traits.

1) Hippocrates clasification

i)Sanguine (Blood)
Personality characteristics:-
Optimistic, happy, hopeful,
accommodating and light hearted.

ii) Phlegmatic (Phlegm)

Personality characteristics: - cold,
calm,slow and indifferent.

iii) melancholic (Black bile)

Personelity characteristics:- Sad,
depressed, Pessimistic, dejected,
deplorable and self involved.
iv) choleric (Yellow bile)
Personality characteristics: Strong,
active,imaginative,Irritable,
Passionate.

2) Kretschmer's classification

i) Pyknic (Having fat body)

Sociable, Jolly, easy going and good
natured
ii) Athletic (Having balanced body)
Energetic, optimistic and adjustable

iii) Leptosomatic (Having lean and

thin body)
Unsociable, reserved,shy, sensitive
and Pessimistic
3) Sheldon's classification

i) Endomorphic (like pyknic type)

Easy going, sociable, affectionate
and fond of eating.

ii) Mesomorphic (like athletic tyре)

Craving for muscular activity, self-
assertive, loves risk and adventure,
energetic, assertive and bold
tempered.

iii) Ectomorphic (like leptosomatic

type)
Pessimistic, unsociable, reserved,
brainy, artistic and introvert.

4) Jung's classification
1) Extrovert
*Interested in the world around
them.
*They are sociable, friendly not
easily upset by difficulties.

*They are men of action rather than

reflection.
*Politicians, Social workers, lawyers,
insurance agents, salesmen etc. fall
in this category.

ii) Introvert
*Introverts are interested in
themselves, their own feelings,
emotions and are unable to adjust
easily to social situations.
*Socially they are aloof, withdrawn,
shy and reserved.
*Philosophers, scientists, writers, etc
fall in this Category.

5) Allport classification

i) Ascendant
>The ascendant type tends to
dominate a situation.
>He is outgoing and is interested in
the world of around him.

ii) Descendant

>The Person is inclined to be self-

critical, self analytical and indecisive.
>He is day dreaming and withdraws
from social or competitive situations.

6) Type A and Type B Personality

*Highly competitive.
*Time-conscious and impatient.
*Ambitious and goal drives.
*Easily frustrated or angry.
*Always in a hurry.
*High Stress levels.
*Work oriented.

i) Type B Personality
*Relaxed and easy-going.
*More tolerant and Patient.
*Not Strongly competitive.
*Less driven by time pressures.
*Low Stress levels.
*Can be more creative and
reflective.

Personality changes due to

illness

Illness is a highly personal state in

which the Person's physical,
emotional, intellectual, social,
developmental or spiritual
functioning is thought to be
diminished or impaired compared to
the previous experience.

*withdrawn behavior

Illness particularly long term or

severe may cause Patients to
withdraw. Regardless of whether
patients are in a hospital or at home
they may avoid interaction, remain
in their rooms or resort to solitary
activities.

*changes in self-concept, Body

image and Lifestyle

Certain illness can be change the

patient's body image or physical
appearance especially severe
scarring or loss of a limb or a special
sense organ. These patient's self
esteem and self-concept may also be
affected.

*Self Centeredness

An individual experiencing illness

gets too personal.
The threat posed by illness typically
causes the patient to become
preoccupied with himself and his
health.

*Demanding and dependent

behavior

Many Patients tend to regress to a

more childish level of behavior as a
reaction to illness. This is reflected in
the behavior of adult patients who
are highly demanding or anxious or
excessively dependent on others.

*Non-cooperativesess

Individuals react to illness in many

different [Link] patients are
non-cooperative and show
reluctance towards healthcare.
*Hostility

Hostility is a type of aggression

oriented to cause purposeful harm
because of anger or
[Link] may be angry
about the helplessness of the
situation, unfair fate, etc.

*Shame and guilt feelings

When a Patient believes his illness is

a punishment for sin or wrong doing
(either imagined or real), he may
react with feelings of shame and
guilt.

Personality Assessment
The personality assessment provides
a means for studying personality.
They are often helpful, e.g., to be
able to assess personality for the
purpose of employment or selection
for education.
It is also helpful for an individual to
assess his own personality so that he
can better understand himself and
others, choose a career wisely and
therefore find greater happiness in
life.

Methods of Personality Assessment

* Interview Method
* Observation Method
* Self report techniques /personality
inventories
* Projective Test
* Situational judgement Tests
(Situational Judgement Tests - SJTs)

1) Interview Method
Interview can be defined as a face-
to-face conversation carried on with
some basic goals. Two broad types
of interview are:

1)Structured Interview:
 Predetermined questions are asked
for which answers are also highly
specific.

2)Unstructured Interview:
An open interrogation. Here the
interviewer questions or lets the
individual speak freely so as to get a
clear picture of the individual. From
what he says, the interviewer learns
about his interests, problems,
causes, and limitations.
2) Observation Method
In this method, the individual is
observed in various situations (such
as observing a person at work or
play) for several days before coming
to certain conclusions. We mainly
using tape recorders, camera,
telescope for observing. Direct
observation is most accurate if the
observers are well trained in this
activity.

3) Self report techniques

A personality inventory is a printed
form containing statements,
questions, or adjectives which apply
to human behaviour. The subject
indicates his reactions to the various
items, and then the test is scored
and evaluated.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality

Inventory (MMPI)

It is a self-report inventory, meaning

individuals respond to a series of
true or false questions and is
primarily used to help professionals
diagnose and understand mental
health conditions.
Examples:
1. Do you adapt yourself easily to
new conditions?
Answer: Yes or No
2. Do you have frequent ups and
downs in mood?
Answer: Yes or No

4) Projective Test
Projective techniques are based on
the principle that responses to
unstructured stimuli reveal a
subject's underlying motives,
attitudes, fears, and aspirations.
In projective tests, an individual is
presented with a relatively
unstructured or ambiguous task like
a picture, inkblot, or incomplete
sentence.

Types of Projective Techniques:

1,Rorschach Inkblot Test
2,Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
3,Word Association Test
4,Sentence Completion Test
5,Situational Tests

---

A) Rorschach Inkblot Test

Developed by Swiss psychiatrist
Hermann Rorschach in 1921. This
test consists of ten abstract inkblots
(5 black and white, 2 black & red, 3
multicoloured) shown to the subject
one at a time in a prescribed order.
The subject reports what is seen or
whatever comes to mind. The
subject's statements yield a great
deal of information about personality
style, structure, quality of thinking,
affect, and diagnostic issues.

B) Thematic Apperception Test

(TAT)
Developed by CD Morgan and Henry
A. Murray in 1935. The assumption
underlying the TAT is that the
meaning we see in a picture reveals
something of our past experiences,
feelings, attitudes, and motives.

C) Word Association Test

In this test, the examiner utters a
series of words, one word at a time,
and the subject immediately utters
the first word that comes to mind.
There are no right or wrong answers.
The examiner records the reply,
reaction time, and any speech or
behavioural manifestations. Based
on the subject's response, the
examiner evaluates the individual's
personality.

D) Sentence Completion Test

In this test, a set of incomplete
sentences are given, and the subject
is required to complete them.

Example: "I often feel I am”

Feelings and responses are analysed
for indications of one's personality.
The sentence completion test is
considered superior to word
association tests as the subject has
the liberty to respond in more than
one word, allowing for flexibility and
depth in responses.
 E) Situational judgement Tests
(SJTs)
These tests involve real-life
situations where the subjects
perform certain activities. The
subject's performance and behaviour
with respect to these situations helps
in understanding personality.
In these tests, the subject's
behaviour is evaluated by trained
judges.

Example: A child's aggressiveness

can be measured by letting them
play with dolls and observing the
number of times they act
aggressively or destructively.
PERSONALITY AND CAREER
SUCCESS

ROLE OF PERSONALITY AND CAREER

SUCCESS

Personality traits can significantly

influence career success.

*conscientiousness; Being organized,

reliable, and responsible.

*Resilience: Adapting to challenges

and bouncing back from setbacks.

*openness to experience: Embracing

new ideas, learning, and growth.
*Emotional intelligence:
understanding and managing
emotions, and empathizing with
others.

*confidence: Believing in oneself and

one's abilities.

These traits can help individuals

build strong relationships, make
informed decisions and navigate
complex work environments.

METHODS OF CHANGING
PERSONALITY TRAITS
changing personality traits requires
self-awareness, effort and practice.

*Self-reflection and journaling to

identify areas for chance.

*Mindfulness and meditation to

increase emotional awareness.

*Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

to challenge negative thoughts.

*Practicing new skills and behaviors.

*Seeking feedback from trusted

ones.

*Setting realistic goals and tracking

progress.
PERSONAL GROWTH AND SELF
EFFICACY

*Setting achievable goals and

celebrating successes.

*Learning from failures and

reframing challenges.

*Practicing self-compassion and

positive self talk.

*Developing problem solving skills.

*Seeking supportive relationships

and mentorship.
PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS
REQUIRED FOR A NURSE

Nursing requires a unique set of

personality traits, including:

* Empathy: Understanding and

caring for patients emotional and
physical needs.

*Compassion: Providing kind and

gentle care.

*Communication skills: effectively

interacting with patients, families,
and healthcare teams.
*Adaptability: Handling high -
pressure situation and changing
circumstances.

*Attention to detail: Accurately

administering
medications and treatments.

*Emotional stability: managing stress

and maintaining a calm demeanor.

*Teamwork:- Collaborating with

other health care professionals.

*Patience :- working with patients

who may have varying levels of
understanding on mobility.
NURSING IMPLICATION OF
PERSONALITY

* Patient Care:- Nurse's personalities

can impact patient satisfaction, trust
and outcomes.
* * Team dynamics: Personality traits
like communication style and
empathy can affect teamwork and
collaboration
* * stress management:Nurse's
ability to manage stress and
maintain emotional stability can
impact job performance and
burnout.
*Patient education:- Nurses
personalities can influence how
effectively they educate patient and
families.

*Therapeutic relationship: Nurse's

personalities can shape the
therapeutic relationship and patient
engagement.
Personality Disorders

Definition
An abnormal personality is one in
which there are deeply ingrained
maladaptive patterns of behavior
recognizable by the time of
adolescence or earlier and
continuing through most of adult life.
Because of this, the patient suffers
or others have to suffer, and there is
an adverse effect on the individual or
society.
– ICD 9 classification

OR

Personality disorders are group of

mental health conditions that are
characterized by inflexible and
atypical patterns of thinking, feeling
and behaving.
DSM-5 Classification

DSM-5-TR organizes the 10 types of

personality disorders into three main
clusters (A, B, and C) based on
similar characteristics (Figure 10.1).

a. Cluster A is characterized by
appearing odd and eccentric. It
includes paranoid, schizoid,
schizotypal personality disorders.
b. Cluster B is characterized by
appearing dramatic, emotional and
erratic. It includes antisocial,
borderline, histrionic, narcissistic
personality disorders.

c. Cluster C is characterized by
appearing anxious and fearful. It
includes avoidant, dependent and
obsessive-compulsive personality
disorders.

Types of Personality Disorders

Cluster A

Paranoid personality disorder

Schizoid personality disorder
Schizotypal personality disorder
Cluster B

Antisocial personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder
Histrionic personality disorder
Narcissistic personality disorder

Cluster C

Avoidant personality disorder

Obsessive-compulsive personality
disorder
Dependent personality disorder

Types
Paranoid Personality Disorders
(Mistrust and suspicion)

This disorder is marked by a distrust

of other people and a constant
unwarranted suspicion that others
have sinister motives. Persons with
paranoid personality disorders
search for hidden meanings and
hostile intentions in everything
others say and do.

Signs and Symptoms

Suspicious
Mistrustful
Sensitive
Argumentive
Stubborn
Self important
Hypersensitive, jealous and volatile

Schizoid Personality Disorder

(Disinterest in others)

Schizoid personality disorders is

characterized by detachment and
social withdrawal. People with this
disorder are commonly described as
loners, with solitary interests and
occupations and no close
relationships.

Signs and Symptoms

Emotionally cold
Aloof
Detached
Humorless
Introspective
No desire for enjoyment of close
relationship
Inability to experience pleasure

Schizotypal Disorder (Eccentric

Ideas and Behavior)

This disorder is marked by odd

thinking and behavior, a pervasive
pattern of social and interpersonal
deficits and acute discomfort with
others.

Signs and Symptoms

Inappropriate affect
Odd beliefs or magical thinking
Social withdrawal
Odd, eccentric or peculiar behavior
Lack of close relationships
Social isolation
No fitting easily with others

Schizoid Personality Disorder

(Disinterest in others)

Schizoid personality disorders is

characterized by detachment and
social withdrawal. People with this
disorder are commonly described as
loners, with solitary interests and
occupations and no close
relationships.

Signs and Symptoms

Emotionally cold
Aloof
Detached
Humorless
Introspective

No desire for enjoyment of close

relationship
Inability to experience pleasure

Schizotypal Disorder (Eccentric

Ideas and Behavior)

This disorder is marked by odd

thinking and behavior, a pervasive
pattern of social and interpersonal
deficits and acute discomfort with
others.

Signs and Symptoms

Inappropriate affect
Odd beliefs or magical thinking
Social withdrawal

Odd, eccentric or peculiar behavior

Lack of close relationships
Social isolation
No fitting easily with others

ANTISOCIAL(dissocial)PERSONAL
ITY DISORDER

Antisocial personality disorder is

characterized by chronic antisocial
behavior that violates others rights
or social norms which predisposes
the affected person to criminal
behavior. The person is unable to
maintain consistent, responsible
functioning at work, school or as a
parent.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

•Failure to sustain relationship

•Disregard for feelings of others
•impulsive actions
•Low tolerance to frustration
•Tendency to cause violence
•Lack of guilt
•Failure to learn from experience
•Reckless disregard for ownor others
safety
•Impulsivity and failure to plan
ahead
* Manipulative behaviour for self
gratification
* Inability to maintain close personal
or sexual relationship

HISTRIONIC PERSONALITY
DISORDER(attention seeking and
excessive emotionality)

Patient with this disorder

characteristically have a pervasive
pattern of excessive emotionality
and attention seeking behavior and
are drown to momentary
excitements and fleeting adventures.
This disorder is more common in
females

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

•Dramatic emotionality( emotional

blackmail, angry scenes,
demonstrative suicide attempt etc)
•Craving for novelty and excitment
•Shallow and labile affectively
•Attention seeking behavior
•Overconcern with physical
attractiveness
•Exaggerated, vague speech
•Self dramatization
•Impulsivity
•Suggestibility
•Ego centricity, self indulgence and
lack of consideration for others

NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY
DISORDER (self grandiosity and
lack of empathy)

Patient with narcissistic personality

disorder is self centered, self
absorbed and lacking in empathy for
others. He typically takes
advantages of people to achieve his
own ends, and uses them without
regard to their feelings.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

•Inflated sense of self imporatance

•Attention seeking, dramatic
behaviour
•Unable to face criticism
•Lack of empathy
•Exploitative behaviour
* Arrogance

BORDERLINE PERSONALITY
DISORDER (Inner emptiness and
emotinal dysregulation)

Borderline personality disorder is

marked by a pattern of instability in
interpersonal relationships, mood,
behaviour and self image.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

•Unstable relationships
•Unstable self image
•Unstable emotions
•Impulsivity

OTHER SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:-

•Lack of control on anger
* recurrent suicidal threats or
behaviour
* Uncertainty about personal identity
•Chronic feelings of emptiness
•Efferts to avoid abandonment
ANXIOUS
(avoidant)PERSONALITY
DISORDER (avoidance of
interpersonal contact)

Anxious personality disorder is

marked by feelings of inadequacy,
extreme social anxiety, social
withdrawal and hypersensitivity to
others opinions. People with this
disorder have low self esteem and
poor self confidence.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

•Persistent feeling of tension and

apprehension
•Inferiority complex
•Fear of criticism, disapproval or
rejection
* Unwillingness to become involved
with people

DEPENDENT PERSONALITY
(submissiveness)

This disorder is characterized by an

extreme need to be taken care of,
which leads to submissive, clinging
behaviour and fear of separation or
rejection. People with this disorder
let others make important decisions
for them and have a strong need for
constant reassurance and support

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

•Subordination of one's own needs

•Unwillingness to make even
reasonable demands on people
•Inability to take decision
•Feeling uncomfortable or helpless
when alone
•Hypersensitivity to criticism
•Low self esteem and lack of self
confidence

Obsessive-Compulsive
(Anankastic) Personality Disorder
(Predilection for rigidity and
obstinacy)

This disorder is marked by a

pervasive desire for perfection and
order at the expense of openness,
flexibility and efficiency.
The individual places a great deal of
pressure on himself and others not
to make mistakes.

Signs and Symptoms

Feeling of excessive doubt and

caution
Pre-occupation with details / rules /
lists / or order or schedule
Perfectionism
Rigidity and stubbornness
High standards

Treatment Modalities

Personality disorder is often difficult

to treat. Drug treatment has a very
limited role and may be if associated
mental illness like depression or
psychosis is present. Individual and
group therapy, therapeutic
community and behavioural therapy
may be beneficial.

Medical Management

Medication is rarely necessary to

treat personality disorder.
Medications are in no way curable
for any personality disorder. They
should be viewed as an adjunct to
psychotherapy so that the patient
may productively engage in psycho
therapy.

Medications used based on

symptoms are :
Medications

1. Antidepressants
Antidepressants are most often
prescribed for a limited time in
patients with serious depressive
episodes lasting longer than a few
weeks.

Selective:
Examples: Sertraline, Paroxetine,
Fluoxetine, Escitalopram,
Nefazodone, Mirtazapine

2. Anticonvulsants
They have some demonstrated
efficacy in suppressing impulsive and
potentially aggressive behavior in
patients with personality disorders.
Example: Valproic acid, Divalproex
sodium

3. Antipsychotics
Some personality disorders
(especially borderline personality
disorder) produce transient psychotic
periods.
Examples: Risperidone, Olanzapine,
Quetiapine.

Nursing Management of Personality

Disorders

The nursing management of a

patient with a personality disorder
includes the following:
Nursing Assessment

Assessment of the patient includes:

History:
Many of these clients report
disturbed early relationships with
their parents that often begin at 18
to 30 months of age; 50% of these
clients have experienced childhood
sexual abuse; others have
experienced physical and verbal
abuse and parental alcoholism.

Mood and affect:

The pervasive mood is dysphoric,
involving unhappiness, restlessness,
and malaise; clients often report
intense loneliness, boredom,
frustration, and feeling “empty”.

Thought process and content:

Thinking about self and
others is often polarized and
extreme, which is sometimes
referred to as splitting; clients tend
to adore and idealize other people
even after a brief acquaintance but
then quickly devalue them if these
others do not meet their
expectations in some way.

Sensorium and intellectual process:

Intellectual capacities are intact,
and clients are fully oriented to
reality.
Nursing Diagnosis

Nursing diagnoses for clients with

personality disorders include the
following:

>Risk for suicide related to low

frustration tolerance.
>Risk for self-mutilation related to
impulsive behavior.
>Risk for other-directed violence
related to lack of feelings of
remorse.
>Ineffective coping related to failure
to learn or change behavior based
on past experience or punishment.
>Social isolation related to
ineffective interpersonal
relationships.

Nursing Care Planning and Goals

Main Article: 4 Personality Disorders

Nursing Care Plans

Nursing care plan goals for

personality disorders may include:

#The client will be safe and free of

significant injury.
#The client will not harm others or
destroy property.
#The client will demonstrate
increased control of impulsive
behavior.
#The client will take appropriate
steps to meet his or her own needs.
#The client will demonstrate
problem-solving skills.
#The client will verbalize greater
satisfaction with relationships.

Nursing Interventions

Clients with personality disorders

often are involved in long-term
psychotherapy to address issues of
family dysfunction and abuse.

Promoting patient safety:

The nurse must always
seriously consider suicidal ideation
with the presence of a plan, access
to means for enacting the plan, and
self-harm behaviors and institute
appropriate interventions.

Promoting therapeutic
relationships:
Regardless of the clinical
setting, the nurse must provide
structure and limit setting in the
therapeutic relationship; in a clinical
setting, this may mean seeing the
client for scheduled appointments of
a predetermined length rather than
whenever the client appears and
demands the nurse’s immediate
attention.

Establishing boundaries in
relationships:
The nurse must be quite
clear about establishing the
boundaries of the therapeutic
relationship to ensure that neither
the client’s nor the nurse’s
boundaries are violated.

Teaching effective communication

skills:
It is important to teach
basic communication skills such as
eye contact, active listening, taking
turns talking, validating the meaning
of another’s communication, and
using “I” statements.

Helping clients to cope and control

emotions:
The nurse can help the
clients to identify their feelings and
learn to tolerate them without
exaggerated responses such as
destruction of property or self-harm;
keeping a journal often helps clients
gain awareness of feelings.

Reshaping thinking patterns:

Cognitive restructuring is
a technique useful in changing
patterns of thinking by helping
clients to recognize negative
thoughts and feelings and to replace
them with positive patterns of
thinking; thought stopping is a
technique to alter the process of
negative or self-critical thought
patterns.

Structuring the client’s daily

activities:
Minimizing unstructured
time by planning activities can help
clients to manage time alone; clients
can make a written schedule that
includes appointments, shopping,
reading the paper, and going for a
walk.

CONCLUSION

Personality development is a
continuous and dynamic process
that shapes an individuals character,
behaviour and attitude throughout
life. It is influenced by a combination
of biological, psychological and
environmental factors. A well
developed personality helps
individuals communicate effectively,
build strong relationships, face
challenges confidently and achieve
personal and professional success.
By focusing on self awarness,
emotional intelligence, positive
thinking and consistent self
improvement, anyone can enhance
this personality and leads to a more
fulfilling and purposeful life.

BIBILOGRAPHY

1)R. sreevani, A guide to mental

health and psychiatric nursing, 5th
edition, jaypee publishers, page
no:281-285

2)Fortinash, holoday -worret,

psychiatric mental health nursing,
Elsevier publications, page no:319-
323

3)Norman L. Keltner, Debble steele,

psychiatric Nursing,8th edition,
Elsevier publications, page no:351-
361

4)Sheilo L. Videbeck, psychiatric

mental health nursing, 7th edition,
coolters kiawer publications, page
no:42-51

5)R. Sreevani, Applied psychology

for nurses, 4th edition, jaypee
publications, page no:70-80