Personality
Personalit
y
refers to individual differences in characteristic
patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving.
study of personality focuses on two broad areas:
understanding individual differences in particular
personality characteristics, such as sociability or
irritability and understanding how the various parts
of a person come together as a whole.
Personality
Trait Theory - understand individuals by breaking
Theories
down behavior patterns into observable traits Attempt to
learn what traits make up personality and how they
relate to actual behavior
Psychodynamic Theory - emphasizes the
unconscious determinants of behavior Focus on the
inner workings of personality, especially internal
conflicts and struggles
Humanistic Theory - emphasizes individual growth and improvement Focus on
private, subjective experience and personal growth
TRAIT THEORY
trait theory (also called dispositional theory) is an approach to the
study of human personality. Trait theorists are primarily interested
in the measurement of traits, which can be defined as habitual
patterns of behaviour, thought, and emotion
According to this perspective, traits are aspects of personality that
are relatively stable over time, differ across individuals (e.g. some
people are outgoing whereas others are not), are relatively
consistent over situations, and influence behaviour. Traits are in
contrast to states, which are more transitory dispositions.
Social-Cognitive Theories: Attribute difference in
personality to socialization, expectations, and
mental processes
Factors Influencing
Personality
Biological/ Heredity factors
Ductless Glands
Physique
Body Chemistry
Socialfactors
Psychological factors
Biological
factors
Heredity:
provides the child with certain endowments
Typesconstitutional, and
biological factors: physiological
Constitutional Factors
Physical constitution of an individual
short and stout
tall and thin
muscular and well Proportioned
impressed by an individual who has a muscular
and a well proportioned body
Height, Weight, physical defects, health
and strength affect Personality
3. Intelligence
mainly hereditary
Intelligent Persons make better adjustment in
home, school and society
4. Sex Differences
Boys- more and vigorous, prefer
assertive adventures
Girls-quieter and more injured by
personal, emotional and social problems
Environment
personalityof the individual develops in
a social environment
social environment gives moral
ideas, social attitudes and interests
enables him to develop a social
self which is another term for
personality
Physical Environment
includes the influence of climatic conditions of
a particular area or country on man and his
living
Social Environment
learns and lives
social environment has an important say in the
personality development of the child
Family Environment
Family = cradle of all social virtues
first environment of child =home
comes in contact with his parents and other
family member
likes, dislikes, stereotypes about people,
expectancies of security and emotional responses
all are shaped in early childhood
type of training and early childhood experiences=
important role in personality development
Socio-economic condition of the family
type of relations between the parents
Cultural Environment
refers to certain cultural traditions, ideals, and
values etc., which are accepted in a particular
society
All these factors leave a permanent impression
on the child’s personality
School Environment
Plays important role because a significant part
of a child’s life is spent in school between the
ages of 6 and 20 years
teacher substitutes the parents
poses new problems to be solved, new taboos
to be accepted into the superego and new
models for imitation and identification, all of
which contribute their share in molding
personality
Social Role
has to play several roles like son, brother student, officer,
husband, father, etc., throughout his life at different stages of his
development
Social roles= process by which the co-operative behaviour and
communications among the society members are facilitated
Self Concept
(1) If other people hold high positive “ergative enhances our
self and
(2) If others hold may us, it creates feelings of worthlessness
and to self-defense or withdrawal from social situation
Identification
important mechanism by which we try to imitate the physical,
social and mental characteristics of our model
important in relationship with others
Inter-personal Relations
help in the development of certain social
personality characteristics like attraction towards
others, concept of friendship, love, sympathy,
hostility
also isolation which is a negative orientation
Psychological Factors
include our motives, acquired interests, our
attitudes, our will and character, our intellectual
capacities such as intelligence i.e., the abilities to
perceive, to observe, to imagine, to think and to
reason
determine our reactions in various situations
and thus affect our personality, growth and
direction
individual with will power able to make
decisions more quickly than others
Intelligence and mental functioning
Interests and attitudes
Level of aspiration and achievement
motivation
Will power
Emotional and temperamental make
up
Language and personality
play a crucial role in honing one’s personality
Communication helps individuals to express
themselves in the most convincing way.
Communication skills help to express thoughts,
feelings and knowledge to pass to others in the
most desirable manner and effective manner
no mastery in art of expressing ourselves= no one
would take seriously
communication skills acquired the with time and
practice
People with great communication skills tend to
have a better and impressive personality than
those who have problems in communicating as
interacting with others
Individuals with effective communication skills
can easily converse with other people around be it
their fellow workers, peers, family etc.
Effective communication skills strengthen the
bond among individuals. It is also said to
improve the interpersonal relationships with other
people.
Speak convincingly so that the other person
understands what is intended to be
communicated (Slow/fast)
Speaking confidently
body language
particular about the pronunciation of words
no need to speak with a fake accent
to prove excellent communication skills
important to be a good and patient listener
Ascent, words tones and manners
Culture and
personality
[Link] distance= degree to which less powerful parts of a
society "accept and expect that power is distributed unequally“
Some cultures see all their members as equal in value, even
despite clear differences in wealth, power, education
considerable dissatisfaction or even class warfare
High power distance is also associated with violent politics
and income inequality
large power distance= there is a great distance between the
haves and the have-nots, and many people are very dissatisfied
with that gap power distance high for Latin American, Asian,
and African countries, and smaller for Germanic countries
2. Individualism vs. collectivism
Individualism found in societies where "ties between
individuals are loose" and "everyone is expected to look
after him/herself and his/her immediate family“
Collectivist societies are those wherein "people from
birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in-
groups, often extended families which continue protecting
them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty“
Most western countries are individualistic, while less
developed countries and most Asian countries are
collectivistic.
3. Masculinity vs. femininity
In some societies, both men and women tend to be
rather modest and peaceful, and show considerable
caring for others - i.e. feminine values
In other societies, assertive and competitive - even
aggressive - values are the most admired - i.e.
masculine values
In those societies, women tend to still remain
relatively modest and caring, but can often show a
degree of assertiveness and competitive qualities as
well
4. Uncertainty avoidance vs. tolerance for uncertainty
some cultures see uncertainty and ambiguity as painful and to be
avoided at all costs
Other cultures seem to find uncertainty and ambiguity quite
tolerable, even pleasurable
Uncertainty avoiding societies rely on "strict laws and rules, safety
and security measures, and... a belief in absolute Truth.“
People in these cultures tend to be more emotional and nervous
In other societies, people are "more tolerant of opinions different
from what they are used to; they try to have as few rules as possible,
and... are relativist and allow many currents to flow side by side.“
In these societies, people tend to be more contemplative and tend
not to express emotion openly
5. Long-term vs. short-term orientation
Long-term societies value perseverance and
thrift. Short-term societies value tradition, social
obligations, and protecting "face.”
6. Heroes and desirable behaviours
7. Admiration of values: Head hunters
Biographies on
personality
Improves language: communication and expression
of ideas refined thoughts and activities
Widens our mental horizons: travel mentally, explore
places, views and emotions through words, individuals,
customs, traditions, laws, and a lot more of characters.
The more we read, the more we know. The more things
we know, we try to achieve more out of life.
great personalities have drawn inspiration from
books
Improves our character: Reading is like exercise
for your brain. makes you think creatively. You
draw up visuals and imagine scenes from lines of
words written in a prose. And most often, whether
we like it or not, we compare ourselves to the
characters in a book. So be assured a good book
with virtuous characters is going turn you into a
better person sooner or later.
Converse with the author: Each time we read
a book it is the author himself who is speaking to
us through his words.
Even years, decades and centuries after their
deaths they still continue to live and teach
lessons of life through their writings. Books are
immortal
They survive the tests of time to enlighten our
minds.
Makes us feel good: Books are the source of
knowledge. With knowledge comes confidence.
And so reading makes us feel more confident.
We feel expertise in a subject from continuous
reading. Doesn't matter if you have read only
novels or short stories. Your grammar and
vocabulary would have improved even without
your knowledge.
shapes your thoughts and beliefs. Whether
you’re conscious of it or not, chances are your
belief system is based on social norms that
have evolved through centuries of history.
What you think are independent ideas may
very well be philosophies created by the great
thinkers of previous generations.
Consider thoughts on romantic love, truth,
democracy, and freedom.
Are your ideas your own? Or are your thoughts
dominated by an outside cultural influence?
ideas developed over time and awareness of how
they affect us
may choose to accept or reject the current way of
thinking
will become cognizant, ability make a decision
for ourselves
8. Influence of genius The great books were
written by some of the best minds in history. By
reading them, your own mind can expand and
your thoughts reach a higher plane
Reading the great books may not turn us into
Platos and Einsteins. But, their words can bring
out our strengths.
9. Reading the classics can give you a better
understanding of the world
10. Escape from the narrow box of
specialization. Focusing your expertise on just one
subject may be a smart way to earn a living. But, by
shutting yourself off from a more extensive world of
knowledge, you limit your ability to excel. In order
to truly thrive in any field, people need a broad
understanding of the world and how it works.
11. Learn from past mistakes. By ignoring
the discoveries recorded in the great books, we
are bound to make the same mistakes – both on a
societal level and in our own lives.
Everyone has to forge his own path in this life.
But, why not see how others conquered the same
challenges? There’s no point to wander lost in a
wilderness when dozens of guidebooks are
freely available.
12. Improve your ability to comprehend.
Although the great books weren’t written for
specialists and experts, they can be a tough read.
Reading comfort-zone can do wonders for your
comprehension.
14. Find your own answers to life’s big questions. By
following themes in the great books, you’ll realize that
certain topics are discussed over and over again
throughout history: “What is our destiny? What is a good
life? How can we achieve a good society? What can we
learn to guide us through the mazes of the future from
history, philosophy and religion, literature, and the fine
arts?”
won’t give you an ultimate answer to the big questions.
But, will offer diverse views and possibilities. By
understanding the conclusions that great thinkers have
come to about these questions, you’ll come closer to
settling on answers that works for you.
15. Develop a spirit of inquiry. Too many
people are satisfied about their lives, not
concerning themselves with the ideas that have
made the world what it is today. Reading the
great books can help you foster your natural
curiosity and desire to learn even more about the
world.
All the discoveries, thoughts, and ideas of the
people who came before us are meaningless
unless we care enough to explore them.
Technology and
personality
Thinking: The capacity to reflect, reason, and
draw conclusions based on our experiences,
knowledge, and insights makes us human. It has
enabled us to communicate, create, build,
advance, and become civilized.
All new technologies are shaping the way we
think. value and cost of these advancements in
terms of how it influences our children’s ability
to think.
Technology can be both beneficial and harmful to
different ways in which children think.
technology is actually wiring the brain in ways
very different than in previous generations.
Reading encouraged our brains to be focused and
imaginative. In contrast, the rise of the Internet is
strengthening our ability to scan information rapidly
and efficiently.
Effects of technology on children are complicated,
with both benefits and costs. technology helps/hurts
= specific technology use and frequency
Attention: Attention is the gateway to thinking. Without it,
other aspects of thinking can’t occur.
In past generations children directed considerable amounts of
their time to reading, which offered few distractions and required
intense and sustained attention, imagination, and memory.
The advent of television altered that attention by offering
children visual stimuli, fragmented attention, and little need for
imagination. Then the Internet was invented and children were
thrust into a vastly different environment in which, because
distraction is the norm, consistent attention is impossible,
imagination is unnecessary, and memory is inhibited.
Assertions: Internet use reduces the deep thinking that
leads to true creativity.
Hyperlinks and overstimulation means that the brain
must give most of its attention to short-term decisions.
vast availability of information on the World Wide Web
overwhelms the brain and hurts long-term memory.
Availability of stimuli leads to a very large cognitive
load, which makes it difficult to remember anything.
Internet users are impatient and are likely to get more
impatient with time, people become less patient and less
able to delay gratification and work towards longer-term
rewards.
Brain power: Internet helps boost brain power for
middle-aged and older people.
Productivity: One of the most widely debated effects of
social networking has been its influence on productivity.
In many schools and workplaces, Facebook and MySpace
are blocked because employers believe their employees
will be distracted and unfocused on the sites.
Effects of social networking and behavior: Social
networking could be potentially harmful to people. They
can destroy privacy, Internet also makes people more self-
satisfied and risk averse.
Effects of anonymity: Interacting on the Internet
mostly does involve "physical" interactions
not
another person andwiththerefore easily leads to a person
feeling free to act differently online, as well as unrestraint
in civility and minimization of authority, etc.
People who are socially anxious are more likely to use
electronic communication as their only means of
communication
Escapism: Ease of access to the Internet can increase
escapism in which a user uses the Internet as an "escape"
from the perceived unpleasant or banal aspects of
daily/real life.