Personality Development

PERSONALITY
“individual differences in the tendency to behave,
think, and feel in certain consistent ways”
-Caspi,1998

“it includes the content of thought, skills, habits,

values, defenses, morals, beliefs, and social
cognition”
-Rothbart and
Bates
Development
Is an increase in the complexity of function
and skill progression
It is the capacity and skill of a person to
adapt to the environment
PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
is the development of the organized pattern
of behaviours and attitudes that makes a
person distinctive.
-Anonymous
Theory

- explains observations via concepts and ideas

that organize the confusing mass of
sensations that an individual encounter every
moment.

- an idea to explain something

A. Psychoanalytic Theory
-theory of human development that holds the
irrational, unconscious drives and motives,
often originating in childhood, underlie
human behavior.

-Inner drives, deep motives, and unconscious

needs rooted in childhood— especially the
first six years—are the focus of
psychoanalytic theory.
These unconscious forces are
thought to influence every aspect
of thinking and behavior, from the
smallest details of daily life to the
crucial choices of a lifetime.
Psychoanalytic theory originated with Sigmund
Freud (1856–1939), an Austrian physician who
treated patients suffering from mental illness.

Psychoanalytic theory divides the psyche into

three functions: the id—unconscious source of
primitive sexual, dependency, and aggressive
impulses; the superego—subconsciously
interjects societal mores, setting standards to
live by; and the ego—represents a sense of self
and mediates between realities of the moment.
According to Freud, development in the first
six years of life occurs in stages, each
characterized by sexual interest and pleasure
arising from a particular part of the body.
In infancy, the erotic body part is the mouth
(the oral stage);
 in early childhood, it is the anus (the anal
stage);
 in the preschool years, it is the penis (the
phallic stage), a source of pride and fear
among boys and a reason for sorrow and envy
among girls.
Then, after a quiet period (latency), the
genital stage arrives at puberty, lasting
throughout adulthood.
Freud’s Psychosexual Stages
Birth to 1 year Oral Stage
The lips, tongue, and gums
are the focus of pleasurable
sensations in the baby’s body,
and sucking and feeding are
the most stimulating
activities.
1-3 years Anal Stage
The anus is the focus of
pleasurable sensations in the
baby’s body, and toilet
training is the most important
activity.

3-6 years Phallic Stage

The phallus, or penis, is the
most important body part, and
pleasure is derived from
genital stimulation. Boys are
proud of their penises; girls
wonder why they don’t have
them.
6-11 years Latency
Not really a stage, latency is
an interlude. Sexual needs are
quiet; psychic energy flows
into sports, schoolwork, and
friendship.

Genital Stage
Adolescence The genitals are the focus of
pleasurable sensations, and
the young person seeks sexual
stimulation and satisfaction in
heterosexual relationships.
Adulthood Freud believed that the
genital stage lasts throughout
adulthood. He also said that
the goal of a healthy life is “to
love and to work.”
Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages
Birth to 1 year Trust vs. Mistrust
Babies either trust that others
will satisfy their basic needs,
including nourishment,
warmth, cleanliness, and
physical contact, or develop
mistrust about the care of
others.

1-3 years Autonomy vs. Shame and

Doubt Children either become
self-sufficient in many
activities, including toileting,
feeding, walking, exploring,
and talking, or doubt their
own abilities.
3-6 years Initiative vs. Guilt
Children either try to
undertake many adult-like
activities or internalize the
limits and prohibitions set by
parents. They feel either
adventurous or guilty.

6-11 years Industry vs. Inferiority

Children busily practice and
then master new skills or feel
inferior, unable to do anything
well.
Adolescence Identity vs. Role Confusion
Adolescents ask themselves
“Who am I?” They establish
sexual, political, religious,
and vocational identities or
are confused about their
roles.
Adulthood Intimacy vs. Isolation
Emerging adults seek
companionship and love or
become isolated from others,
fearing rejection.

Generatility vs. Stagnation

Adults contribute to future
generations through work,
creative activities, and
parenthood or they stagnate.

Integrity vs. Despair

Older adults try to make sense
of their lives, either seeing
life as a meaningful whole or
despairing at goals never
reached.
In his emphasis on childhood, Erikson agreed
with Freud. However, in two crucial aspects,
Erikson’s stages differ significantly from
those of his mentor.
 1. Erikson’s stages emphasized family and
culture, not sexual urges.
2. Erikson recognized adult development,
with three stages after adolescence
Basic divisions of childhood
stage Age period
Neonate First 28 days of life
Infant 1mo-1yr
Toddler 2-3yr
Preschooler 4-5
School age 6-12yr
Adolescent 12-18yr
Young adulthood 18-40yr
Middle adulthood 40-65yr
Late adulthood 65 years and over
 Sigmund Freud 5 Stages of Development
stag age characteristics implications
e
oral Birt Mouth is the center of Feeding produces pleasure and
h to pleasure. Security is sense of comfort and safety. Do
1½ primary need. Major not discourage thumb sucking.
yr conflict: weaning
anal 1½ Anus and bladder are the Controlling Expelling feces
to 3 sources of pleasure. provide pleasure and sense of
yrs Major conflict: toilet control. Toilet training should
training be pleasurable experience
phalli 4 to Child genitals are the The child identifies with the
c 6yrs center of pleasure. Major parent of the opposite sex and
conflict: Oedipus later takes on a love
complex-male child's relationship outside the family.
attraction for his mother.
Electra complex female
attraction to her father
latenc 6 Energy is directed to Help a child have a positive
y year physical and intellectual experiences so his/her self-
s to activities. esteem continues to grow and
pub the child prepares for the
Freud Psychoanalytic Theory
The Unconscious Mind is the part of a person’s
mental life that the person is unaware of.
ID resides in the unconscious and, operating on the
pleasurable principles, seeks immediate pleasure and
gratification.
Ego, the realistic part of the person, balances the
gratification demands of the ID with the limitations of
social and physical circumstances.
Superego develops last, and is based on morals and
judgments about right and wrong. Even though the
superego and the ego may reach the same decision
about something, the superego’s reason for that
decision is more based on moral values, while the
ego’s decision is based more on what others will think
or what the consequences of an action could be.
 Erickson Stage of Development
stage Central task Indication of + Indication of -
resolution resolution
infancy Trust vs Learning to trust Mistrust,
mistrust others withdrawal,
estrangement
toddler Autonomy vs Ability to cooperate Compulsive self
shame and and to express oneself restraint, defiance
doubt
preschoo Initiative vs Beginning ability to Lack of self
l guilt evaluate ones behavior confidence, fear of
wrong doing
School Industry vs Developing sense of Loss of hope,
age inferiority competence and withdrawal from
perseverance school and peers
adolesce Identity vs Coherent sense of self Feeling of confusion,
nt role antisocial
confusion
Young Intimacy vs Commitment to work Avoidance to
adult isolation and relationship commitment
Middle Generativity Creativity, productivity, Self-indulgence, self
B. Behaviorism Theory
theory of human development that studies
observable behavior.

Behaviorism is also called learning theory

because it describes the laws and processes
by which behavior is learned.
3 Types of learning
1. classical conditioning
-the learning process in which a meaningful
stimulus (such as the smell of food to a
hungry animal) is connected with a neutral
stimulus (such as the sound of a tone) that
had no special meaning before conditioning
- also called respondent conditioning
- Learning occurs through association
Result: Neutral stimulus becomes conditioned
response.
Example:
Infants learn to smile at their parents
because they associate them with food and
play;
 toddlers learn to fear busy streets if the
noise of traffic repeatedly frightens them;
students learn to enjoy—or hate—school,
depending on their kindergarten experience.
2. operant conditioning
- The learning process by which a particular action
is followed by something desired (which makes
the person or animal more likely to repeat the
action) or by something unwanted (which makes
the action less likely to be repeated)
- Also called instrumental conditioning
- Learning occurs through reinforcement and
punishment.
- Reinforcement is When a behavior is followed by
something desired, such as food for a hungry
animal or a welcoming smile for a lonely person.
Result: Weak or rare responses become strong and
frequent — or, with punishment, unwanted
responses become extinct.
Pleasant consequences are sometimes called
rewards, but behaviorists do not call them
that because they want to avoid the confusion
of the word “reward.”
3. social learning theory
- An extension of behaviorism that emphasizes
the influence that other people have over a
person’s behavior. Even without specific
reinforcement, every individual learns many
things through observation and imitation of
other people.
- Also called observational learning
- Learning occurs through modeling what
others do
Result: Observed behaviors become copied
C. Cognitive theory
 theory of human development that focuses
on changes in how people think over time.
According to this theory, our thoughts shape
our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
“the greatest developmental
psychologist”
Before Piaget, most scientists believed that
babies could not yet think. But Piaget used
scientific observation with his own three
infants. He took meticulous notes, finding
infants curious and thoughtful.
Later he studied hundreds of schoolchildren.
From this work emerged the central thesis of
cognitive theory: How children think changes
with time and experience, and their thought
processes affect behavior.
According to cognitive theory, to understand
people, one must understand their thinking
Piaget maintained that cognitive
development occurs in four age-related
periods, or stages: sensorimotor,
preoperational, concrete operational, and
formal operational
Each period fosters certain cognitive
processes:
Infants think via their senses;
preschoolers have language but not logic;
 school-age children have simple logic;
adolescents and adults can use formal,
Piaget’s Stages of Development
age Name of Period Characteristics of Major Gains
the Period During the Period

Birth Sensorimotor Infants use senses Infants learn that

to 2 and motor abilities objects still exist
years to understand the when out of sight
world. Learning is (object
active, without permanence) and
reflection. begin to think
through mental
actions.
2-6 Preoperation Children think The imagination
years al symbolically, with flourishes, and
language, yet language becomes
children are a significant
egocentric, means of self-
perceiving from expression and
their own social influence. (
perspective.
6-11 Concrete Children By applying logic,
Operational understand and children grasp
apply logic. concepts of
Thinking is limited conservation,
by direct number,
experience. classification, and
many other
scientific ideas.
12 years Formal Adolescents Ethics,
through operational and adults use politics, and
adulthood abstract and social and
hypothetical moral issues
concepts. They become
can use fascinating as
analysis, not adolescents
only emotion. and adults use
abstract,
theoretical
reasoning.
Piaget found that intellectual advancement occurs
because humans at every age seek cognitive
equilibrium —a state of mental balance in which
people are not confused because they can use
their existing thought processes to understand
current experiences and ideas.
The easiest way to achieve this balance is to
interpret new experiences through the lens of
preexisting ideas.
For example, infants grab new objects in the same
way that they grasp familiar objects; a child’s
concept of God as loving or punishing depends on
their experience with their own parents. That is
why people of many faiths call themselves “a child
of God.”
Carl Jung
COMPONENTS OF PERSONALITY
A. INTELLECTUAL
- refers not just how a person talks, but on what she
talks about; the quantity and quality of one’s
learning’s.
- a person should know what to say in different
situations.

B. SOCIAL
- refers to good manners, doing the right thing at the
right time, acting in the proper manner to get along
well with others. This is referring to the saying “No
man is an island.”
Cont.
C. EMOTIONAL
- These are the preferences of the person; what he/she likes and
dislikes.
- Whether he/she is outgoing or shy, calm or nervous, easily
angered or “keep his cool”.

D. VALUE SYSTEM
- refers to the attitudes, beliefs, values and philosophy in life.

E. TRAIT
- Regularities or irregularities or trends in a person’s behaviour.
- this approach to personality maintains that people behave the
way they do because of the strength of the traits they posses.
FACTORS AFFECTING PERSONALITY
DIFFERENCES:
HEREDITY – Every being has a genetic blueprint that
is totally unique from everyone else. We may
“inherit” certain features, diseases and
predispositions but still we are differently unique.

ENVIRONMENT – This is our family, friends,

relatives, community, school, church and other
organizations that we interact with.

EXPERIENCES – “Experience is the best teacher.”

This refers to past happenings in our lives and how
do we use those experiences in our present life.
BEHAVIOUR
Manner of behaving or conducting oneself.
It is the response of the system or organism to
various stimuli or inputs,
whether internal or external, conscious or subc
onscious, overt or covert,
and voluntary or involuntary.
refers to the actions of a system or organism,
usually in relation to its environment, which
includes the other systems or organisms
around as well as the physical environment.
FIVE FACTORS OF INTELLIGENT
BEHAVIOUR:
1. Heredity and environment determines the capacity to
learn. Heredity bringing in the broad limits and
environment as developer of these limits.
2. Capacity for abstract thinking is the capacity to think in
terms of concepts.
3. Mental alertness is the ability to observe quickly the
environment, grasp the meaning and reacting
appropriately.
4. Wisdom, common sense and careful decision making
skills are important to making sound judgement.
5. The ability to adapt means fitting successfully into many,
complicated situations.
ATTITUDE
Judgment
Is a hypothetical construct that represents an
individual's degree of like or dislike for
something.
Are generally positive or negative views of a
person, place, thing, or event
POSITIVE ATTITUDE
 It brings optimism into your life, and makes
it easier to avoid worry and negative
thinking.
With a positive attitude you see the bright
side of life, become optimistic and expect the
best to happen. It is certainly a state of mind
that is well worth developing and
strengthening.
Developing a positive attitude that will lead you to
happiness and success:
-Choose to be happy.
- Look at the bright side of life.
- Choose to be and stay optimistic.
- Find reasons to smile more often.
- Have faith in yourself and in the Power of the Universe.
- Contemplate upon the futility of negative thinking and
worries.
- Associate yourself with happy people.
- Read inspiring stories.
- Read inspiring quotes.
- Repeat affirmations that inspire and motivate you.
- Visualize only what you want to happen.
- Learn to master your thoughts.
- Learn concentration and meditation.
Positive attitude manifests in the following ways :
- Positive thinking.
- Constructive thinking.
- Creative thinking.
- Expecting success.
- Optimism.
- Motivation to accomplish your goals.
- Being inspired.
- Choosing happiness.
- Not giving up.
- Looking at failure and problems as blessings in disguise.
- Believing in yourself and in your abilities.
- Displaying self-esteem and confidence.
- Looking for solutions.
- Seeing opportunities.
The benefits of a positive attitude:
- Helps achieving goals and attaining success.
- Success achieved faster and more easily.
- More happiness.
- More energy.
- Greater inner power and strength.
- The ability to inspire and motivate yourself
and others.
- Fewer difficulties encountered along the way.
- The ability to surmount any difficulty.
- Life smiles at you.
- People respect you.
THREE COMPONENTS OF ATTITUDE
1. COGNITIVE COMPONENT
- It refers that's part of attitude which is related in general
know how of a person.

2. EFFECTIVE COMPONENT
- This part of attitude is related to the statement which
affects another person.

3. BEHAVIORAL COMPONENT
- The behavioral component refers to that part of attitude
which reflects the intension of a person in short run or
in long run.
Factors for Personality Improvement
1. Pleasing Physical Presentation.
2. Body Language.
3. Communication.
4. Maturity in Socio-Cultural Values.
5. Beneficial Interactions
6. Grasping & Understanding circumstances and environment.
7. Intelligence.
8. Outwitting Defensive Smartness.
9. Concentration and Devotion in duties with (developed)
liking/interest.
10. Taking care with responsibility as if own.
11. Accountable action without attracting negative reaction.
12. Will to achieve.
13. Convinced stand and inner-strength to withstand.
14. Analytical decision of choosing the best suitable of all the available
practical alternatives with maturity and in the interest of purpose.
15. Risk taking with accountability for calculations.
Cont.
16. Maturity of values.
17. Convincing nature.
18. Make them to dance to your tune without their knowledge.
19. Speak to them the language they understand.
20. Make them to realize your positive abilities without your
involvement.
21. Be the best for good and worst for the bad in managing.
22. Do not react but act sensibly.
23. Don’t suppress emotions, but eradicate them with positive thinking.
24. Yoga & Meditation.
25. Priorities in the order of advantages and time.
26. Health Care.
27. Voluntary Initiative for learning and helping.
28. Financial Management to beget more pleasure and happiness.
Pre-Requisites
1. Discipline
2. Growth/improvement/Solving oriented Positive thinking.
3. Helping tendency.
4. Zeal to grow.
5. Sincerity, integrity and gratitude.
6. Concentration and devotion.
7. Awareness and Alertness.
8. Sociability.
9. Will-Power.
10. Not hurting attitude
11. Interest in clean and neat appearance.
12. Command over language
13. Responsible output.
14. Accountable actions.
15. Utilizing Time Preciously.
16. Lack of: lies, laziness, jealousy, exploitation, action and words differing,
selfishness at other’s cost, arguments outside competition, revenge, lust,
hurting egoism, ignorance
OTHER TIPS TO IMPROVE ONE’S
PERSONALITY
 Do not laugh at people when they are in difficulty or trouble
otherwise you will lose your personality in a moment.
 Listen to everyone politely, even of their ideas are baseless or not
of your interest.
 Do not manipulate conversations. Show interest in what other
people are saying.
 Whenever somebody brings any gift for you, don’t forget to praise
it. It does not matter even if you were expecting something else.
 Make others feel welcome and that you love to be with them
 Keep your esteem high in case of defeat and be more polite and
kind if your are victorious.
 Solve your problems in a creative way. Do not let petty quarrels
spoil your relationships with friends.
 Try to remove the feeling of inferiority and insecurity in others by
loving other people and by maintaining good relations with them.
Cont.
 Be careful of what you say about others because others will
say the same thing opinion about us.
 Some people often have a favourite sentence which they
repeat frequently. We should try and get rid of such a habit.
 Try to be more independent – minded.
 Independent thinking and freedom to work is the only source
of progress and welfare.
 Maintain a positive outlook in life; when things go wrong,
change what you can and accept those we cannot change.
 We should learn to adjust to other people’s personality.
 When others complement us, just smile and say “thank you”
 Keep in mind that “Filipino time” means “on time”.