Professional Development & Applied Ethics

Factors Affecting Development of Personality

Aristotle classified personality into three types:
1. Endomorph- Short,fat-built persons fall into this category.
[Link]- Those having long and thin physique have been put in this category.
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[Link] - To this third category belong the persons who are muscular and have a well-proportioned
body structure.
This classification is based on the apparent condition of the physique of a person. The condition of physique is
mainly the result ofheredity; it, generally, depends on genes.
To what they have reached, may be put in brief as under:
1. Genetic factors determine both the physical attributes and the other personality characteristics.
2. The individual's physical characteristics may affect his temperament and behaviour.
3. A thin, non-muscular, and poorly co-ordinated person in motor development, is less likely to achieve
success in
physical tasks; or, in athletic games-the activities that the school boys value highly; with the result that he
cannot enjoy
popularity with his peers.
Non-Genetic:
The physique of a person is dependent not only on the genetic factor, but there is one more prenatal factor
which affects it. It may be called non-genetic or biological factor. When the embryo/foetus is in the womb of
its mother, it is hardly affected by the external environment. It is fed through the umbilical chord, and its
feeding depends upon the food of the [Link] malnutrition of the mother, would affect the physique of
the unborn baby; and not only its physique but the temperamental or emotional build-up of the child is also
affected by it. The mental condition of the mother, though cannot directly affect the emotional conditions of
the child yet indirectly it does. The ailment of parent and the home environment of the prospective mother
also have their effect on the physique and emotional build-up of the child to be [Link] nature,through
genetic and non-genetic factors, affects the physique which led Aristotle to classify personality into three
categories:
[Link];
[Link] and
[Link];
And also classify temperamentally or emotionally into:
(i)Active-Lively,talkative,playful,creative,good physical co-ordination with greater strength and energy.
(ii) Inactive-Sluggish, passive and poorly coordinated.
(iii)Timid-Physically small in status,poorly coordinated,relatively weak and apathetic,shy,fearful,depending
more on others; such a child would remain more absent from his school than others.
Nurture:
All the factors that make the environment, and, affect the development of an individual into a personality,
may be put under the heading Nurture; Nurture includes all that are there in the environment, both physical
and social. At the first level is the “microsystem”-it is related to the individual experiences of the young child
that he has:
(i) In the home environment, living with his parents and
siblings; and
(ii) In the school environment, living with his teachersand peers.
At the second level is the“meso-system"-it refers to the
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links amongst settings where the individual child directly participates in. For example, the home and the
school are such settings; and the quality of the home environment may affect the child's performance in the
school, and his adjustment with the peers.
The third level is the“Exosystem”-this refers to the settings where the child does not directly participate in; the
father's or the mother's work environment is the example in which there is no direct participation of the child
but their work environment does affect the child-care that the parents take.
The fourth and the final level is the “macro-system”-it refers to the general pattern of ideology and
organization of the different social and the sub-cultural institutions. For example, the parents' stress at work is
affected by the number of working hours,rates of emoluments,perks provided, holidays and leave entitlement,
occupational status, or the view of the society regarding different occupations and others.
Social:
In comparison to an ectomorph, the mesomorph and also endomorph would be more social. These latter
types would be more acceptable by other members of the group; and they,too,would be more self-confident,
and would develop higher self-esteem in due course.
As mentioned above,their physique is such that they would be more inclined towards games,sports and other
physical activities, and would be able to perform there better. These abilities or skills of theirs would make
them more popular with their peers and others, and, they would grow more and more social.
Aristotle,Stanford et al., and also Glueck and Glueck have established a relationship between physical
structure or type of the physique and the psychological characteristics, and accordingly they have enumerated
the types of personalities. However,their findings cannot be said to have definiteness.
Family:
In a family, the greatest impact exerted is that of the mother, the loving care or the affectionate nurturance of
the mother goes a long way in building up, especially, the emotional aspect of personality. Whether the child
grows into a healthy adolescent or into aggressive or neurotic or otherwise a problematic one, to a great
extent, depends upon the treatment that he, as a child, has got at the hands of his mother.
School:
School provides a very important landmark in the process of the development of personality. Suddenly,the
child is shifted to an environment where he gets to see almost all faces to be new. The homely affectionate
environment is not there.
Peer-Group:
Generally, initiation has to be taken by the newcomer as he knows that now he will have to live with the
[Link] has to learn the cues and the responses which are likely to be rewarded by his peers.
The process of integration progresses only slowly because the peer-group is not exactly consisted of members
of the same type,and the socioeconomic status of their families also happen to be different,and then each
happens to be having its own "centre of gravity" or "central core” because of their having had different
prenatal impacts besides having heterogeneous family backgrounds.
Factors which affect following are the factors which affect peer acceptance:
1. Those who are bodily well-built and strong, are liked by their peers.
2. Those who are good looking, they become popular among the peer group.
3. Children better in physical activities or sports, win more friends.
4. Habits of tidy-living are also liked by the members of the group.
5. A happy child, friendly in nature, would naturally win more friends. The frequent laughter is a sign of
friendly invitation.
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6. Those who are good at studies, may attract some for friendship with them while at the same time some
may become envious of their class-achievements.
7. Rough and tumble, and having some aggressiveness also get favourable attention from many.
8. During the middle childhood, such children are befriended who are skilled and competent in the work
befitting their age and sex.
Profession:Personality is related to the whole life of a person even though its development is very rapid during
childhood. Personality, almost in its full bloom, is i subject related to adulthood. None the less, we have
included the topic in reference to child development because the personality is mainly the resultant of factors
which are most effective in childhood.
Community: Community is a very wide term which maybe made up of many social groups. Many entities, like
a family, and agencies like a school may be operative therein to bring about a collective and cumulative impact
on the individuals belonging to the community.
With the result that an Israelite may be easily distinguished from a Japanese, and an Indian from an African
because of some unique characteristics of each of [Link] can differentiate the one from the other because
of distinctive habits and attitudes of each of them. Each community has its own traditions, history and culture
influencing its people since centuries.
The geographic and climatic conditions of each of them may be very dissimilar; each factor affecting the
other,the interactions between so many different factors result in the development of a unique and complex
character of a community. And, community in its turn serves as a factor in developing each of its individual
members into a personality distinguishable from each other member of another community.
Culture: Culture represents the best product of human mind in the fields of arts and intellects. It is the result
of the cultivated human mind which has been making constant efforts for achieving perfection.
The stage up to which a particular community has reached by dint of its efforts, can be known through the
works of that community in the fields of architecture, fine arts, dance, music, different literary forms, styles of
living and values of life,consumer items that make life more comfortable, more secure; sanitary care (including
ways of disposing wastes), means of recreation and so on.

Chapter 4
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How Do Personalities Develop?

At the end of this chapter, the student shall be able to:
 Identify the main influences on personality development
 Identify the different stages of development
 Explain Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Multiple Theories in Psychology

There are three main influences on personality development that we are going to look at in this lesson. Those
are heredity, environment, and situation.
Heredity: This refers to the influences on your personality that you are born with. They are in your genes and
there is not much you can do to change these traits. They can include your temperament, which helps to
determine how you react to situations and how easygoing you are. Environment: Our environment is the
nurturing aspect of our lives. It is the type of environment in which we live and grow up. Environment would
include home, school, work, or other places that you spend a lot of time. Environmental factors also include
such things as languages, religion, etc.
Situations:These are the experiences that each individual person goes through. The various things that people
experience will leave imprints on and help to develop his or her personality. Everything from divorce, death,
trauma, and even happy times fit into the "situations" category of shaping one's personality.
Genes or Experiences?
Many people wonder if one's personality primarily comes down to nature versus nurture. This is a debate that
has waged for quite some time.
The Developing Personality
As you can see, how one's personality develops is not as simple as just saying that it is one thing; however,
there is one thing that most researchers seem to agree on: one's childhood lays the foundation for the
personality that one will have as an adult.
Stages of Development
While there are quite a few theories regarding development,some of them are more popularly known than
others, such as the Freudian stages of development, as well as Erik Erikson's stages of development. Here, we
will look at both of these different theories.
Sigmund Freud's Stages of Development
Stage Age Erogenous Zone/Activities
Oral O to 18 months, Mouth/sucking,biting,chewing,
Anal 18 to 36 months, Anus/bowel and bladder control,
Phallic 3 to 6 years, Genitals/masturbation,
Latency 6 years to puberty, -/repression of sexual feelings
Genital puberty+ Maturation of sexual orientation,

Freud's theory of personality development was that it was a result of a series of stages during childhood. He
believed that the development process involved a pleasure-seeking source that revolved around psychosexual
energy. His stages of development include:
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Oral stage. This is the first stage, which begins at birth. Calling it the "oral stage" makes sense because it is
often oral fixation that soothes babies, e.g., bottle, nipple, pacifier. The child seeks oral gratification in order to
gain pleasure. During this stage, if a child does not have its oral needs met, for example, not being fed when
crying, he or she learns to not trust. If children have those needs met, they learn to trust those around them.
Anal stage. This is the next stage in Freud's theory of child development. It focuses on learning to control
bowel movements and maintain bladder control. When children gain this ability, they feel independent and a
sense of accomplishment. This stage is affected by how parents approach potty training. If they punish and
ridicule or are very strict, the child can go on to be anal-retentive and have such personality traits as being
obsessive, rigid, etc. This stage lasts up until the child is around3 years old
Phallic stage. During this stage the focus is on the genitals. This is when males and females realize there is a
difference. Freud believed that the girls suffered from "penis envy" because they were not males and that
boys were in competition with their fathers to get their mothers' attention. This stage lasts until the child is
around 5.
Latent period. This was believed to be an important period in personality development, when children focus
on relationships with their peers, finding hobbies they enjoy, and pursuing interests. This stage takes place
from age 6 to about 12.
Genital [Link] final stage starts when the child is about 12 years old It is the period that children go
through puberty and start gaining sexual interest. In this stage,the child begins to establish an interest in other
people and,in turn,become well-balanced.
A Freudian slip is a slip of the tongue that is motivated by and reveals some unconscious aspect of the mind,
according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
Erik Erikson's Stages of Development
Another popular psychologist in the field was Erik Erikson. His stages of development focused on trying to
provide a theory on social [Link] was influenced by Sigmund Freud. Erikson's stages of development
did not stop when a child turned 18. He believed that the person continued to develop and have personality
outcomes into adulthood as well.
STAGES AGE PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUE RELATIONAL FOCUS

Infancy 0-1 TRUST vs Mistrust Mother &other caregiver(s)

Early Childhood 2-3 AUTONOMY vs Doubt,Shame Parents

Childhood(play) 4-6 INITIATIVE vs Guilt Basic Family

Childhood(school) 7-12 INDUSTRY vs Inferiority Neighborhood school

Adolescence 3-19 IDENTITY vs Role Confusion Peer groups

Young Adulthood 19-35 INTIMACY vs Isolation Partners in friendship

Adulthood 35-55 GENERATIVITY vs Stagnation Divided labor &shared household

Maturity 55+ ECO INTEGRITY vs Despair "Humankind”

Source:[Link]
Infancy. In this stage, the focus is trust versus mistrust. Hope is the virtue that comes out of this stage, as the
child learns to trust or mistrust his caretakers.
18 months to 3 years. In this autonomy versus shame stage, the virtues gained are self-control and courage. It
is the stage in which we learn to walk, talk, eat, and gain small motor control, as well as learning toilet training.
This is a vulnerable stage. If parents are harsh, especially during potty training, it may create a child with low
self-esteem.
3 to 5 years. This is the initiative versus guilt stage, in which children copy the adults around them. They also
take the initiative to play on their own. Children learn to do some things on their own, such as get dressed. If
children feel guilty about doing these things, they will have difficulties later.
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6 to 12 years. This is the industry versus inferiority stage, and the virtues gained are method and competence,
Children in this stage compare their own worth to those around them and may feel inferior if they do not
measure up.
12 to 18 years. Identity versus role confusion is the outcome of this stage, with the virtues being devotion and
fidelity. At this stage, peer relationships are most important and these teens question themselves. As they are
trying to figure out who they are and what their plans are, they can experience role confusion if their parents
are pushing a different version of themselves than they may feel.
18 to 35 years. The development outcome in this stage is intimacy and solidarity versus isolation. The basic
strengths are love and affiliation. It is the stage that we seek out a satisfying relationship and start a family. If
someone is not successful in this quest, he or she may turn to isolation.
35 to 55 years or so. This is the stage that people often feel they have a "mid-life crisis." It is the generativity
versus self- absorption or stagnation stage. This is the stage in which people often size up all they have done
thus far and measure to see if they feel they have accomplished enough.
55 or so until death. The basic strength in this stage is wisdom, and the ego outcome is integrity versus
despair. At this stage, if people look back upon their lives and experiences and are pleased, they feel
integrity,while those who are not feel despair.
Needs vs. Wants
When it comes to determining what needs are,it is important to distinguish them from [Link] are those
things that are necessities to someone, while wants are those things that people can do without, but they just
have a strong desire to have.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. To help put this all together 'we need to take a look at Abraham Maslow's
famous Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow was a psychologist who in 1943 proposed his idea of the hierarchy of
needs 'and how it affects who we [Link] Hierarchy of Needs is in a triangle shape , with the most important
things being at 'the bottom and then it works its way up, with needs narrowing as you go along. Here are the
layers of the hierarchy.
Source:[Link] [Link] Gyaw ortet
Physiological:These are the most important needs that must be met. They include
food,water,breathing,excretion, sleep,sex,etc.
Safety:Once your basic needs have been met,the next most important thing is [Link] this layer,you will
need security, employment,family,property,health,morality,etc.
Love and belonging. This layer in the hierarchy Is smaller but still important. It includes the love and social
relationships we have with people, including friends, family, and lovers.
Esteem: This is the layer that deals with your confidence. What matters here is that people respect you, your
self- esteem is high, you respect other people, experience personal growth and accomplishment,etc.
Self-actualization: This is the need at the top of the triangle. It represents the idea that people are self-aware.
The idea s that people focus on fulfilling their own potential and no longer worry so much about what others
think. At this point,people are concerned with their own personal growth.