CLICK HERE FOR MPC 003 QUESTIONS ✅ SECTION A 1-3 SECTION A 4-6 SECTION A 7-11 SECTION B 1-5 SECTION B 6-11 SECTION C
Environmental / Psychological Factors Affecting Personality Development
(6 Marks
– Detailed Short Essay)
Personality
does not develop from heredity alone; it is shaped continuously by environmental
influences and psychological processes. The interaction between the
child and surroundings forms habits, emotional patterns, and social behaviour.
1. Family Environment
Family is
the earliest and most influential context. Parenting style, affection,
discipline, and communication determine emotional security.
Neglectful or harsh parents → anxiety, aggression, low confidence.
Sibling relationships and family stress also influence personality.
2. School and Peer Group
Teachers
shape discipline, achievement motivation, cooperation, and social
responsibility.
Peers influence communication style, self-image, identity, conformity, and
leadership.
Positive peer acceptance builds confidence; rejection may lead to withdrawal or
antisocial tendencies.
3. Cultural and Social Factors
Culture
determines values, roles, beliefs, gender expectations, and emotional
expression.
Collectivistic cultures encourage cooperation and group harmony.
Religion, media, social class, and community norms also guide attitudes and behaviour.
4. Socio-Economic and Physical Conditions
Poverty,
nutrition, housing, and neighbourhood safety influence opportunities and
emotional stability. A stimulating environment promotes creativity and
curiosity; deprivation restricts growth.
5. Psychological Factors
Self-concept,
self-esteem, motivation, attitudes, and emotional maturity determine how
individuals interpret experiences.
Cognitive processes such as perception and problem-solving also shape
responses.
Conclusion
Personality
develops through a biopsychosocial interaction, where environment
provides experiences and psychological factors shape interpretation. Together
they form stable personality patterns.
✅ SECTION B – QUESTION 2
Freud’s Stages of Psychosexual Development
(6 Marks
– Detailed Short Essay)
Freud
believed that personality develops through five psychosexual stages,
each dominated by pleasure from a specific erogenous zone. Successful
resolution at each stage results in healthy development; fixation causes maladaptive
traits.
1. Oral Stage (0–1½ years)
Pleasure
centers on the mouth—sucking, eating.
If needs are over/under-gratified, fixation leads to dependency, smoking,
overeating, nail-biting, etc.
2. Anal Stage (1½–3 years)
Pleasure
shifts to the anus; toilet training becomes central.
Lax training → anal-expulsive traits (careless, messy).
3. Phallic Stage (3–6 years)
Focus on genitals.
Child experiences Oedipus/Electra complex and identifies with the same-sex
parent, forming the Superego.
Fixation results in vanity, pride, or sexual confusion.
4. Latency Stage (6–12 years)
Sexual
impulses become dormant; energy is redirected into school, peers, and skills.
Social development, discipline, and learning dominate.
5. Genital Stage (12+ years)
Mature
sexual interests reappear.
Adolescent integrates earlier experiences and develops the capacity for intimate
relationships, love, and work.
Success indicates a well-balanced personality.
Conclusion
Freud
emphasized that early childhood conflicts shape adult personality. Fixations at
any stage create long-lasting behavioural problems. Thus, psychosexual
development acts as the foundation for understanding emotional and personality
disturbances.
(6 Marks – Detailed Short Essay)
Carl
Rogers, a major figure in Humanistic Psychology, proposed the Person-Centred
Theory, which views humans as inherently good, rational, and driven toward self-actualization.
His theory emphasizes subjective experience and the central role of the Self.
1. The Self / Self-Concept
The
nucleus of Rogers’ theory. It includes all perceptions, values, and beliefs a
person holds about themselves (“Who I am”).
Two key components:
Ideal Self – who one wants to be.
Congruence between the two leads to psychological health; incongruence causes anxiety.
2. Actualizing Tendency
A
fundamental human drive to grow, develop, and enhance one’s abilities. It
motivates creativity, learning, and emotional growth.
3. Need for Positive Regard
People
desire acceptance, approval, and love from important others.
When given unconditionally, development is healthy.
When given conditionally, the child develops conditions of worth,
distorting experience to gain approval.
4. Fully Functioning Person
A mature,
psychologically healthy person who is:
Spontaneous and creative
Self-accepting
Trusting of own feelings
Living in the present moment
5. Therapeutic Core Conditions
Rogers
believed personality change occurs when the client receives:
Empathy
Genuineness (Congruence)
Conclusion
Rogers’
theory highlights growth, authenticity, and self-awareness as central to
personality, influencing modern counselling and humanistic psychology.
(6 Marks – Detailed Short Essay)
Psychological
tests must be scientifically sound. Two essential qualities are reliability
(consistency) and validity (accuracy).
1. Reliability – Consistency of Measurement
A test is
reliable when it yields stable and consistent scores over time or across
raters.
Types of Reliability
Split-Half/Internal Consistency: Correlation between two halves of the same test.
Parallel Forms Reliability: Two equivalent forms yield similar scores.
Inter-Rater Reliability: Agreement among different scorers.
High
reliability reduces measurement errors.
2. Validity – Accuracy of Measurement
A test is
valid if it measures what it claims to measure.
Types of Validity
Criterion-Related Validity: Test correlates with an external outcome (predictive or concurrent).
Construct Validity: Test truly reflects the theoretical construct (e.g., introversion).
3. Relationship Between Reliability and Validity
Validity requires
reliability, but reliability does not guarantee validity.
A test can be consistently wrong (reliable but invalid).
4. Importance
Reliability
and validity ensure that tests are:
Standardized
Predictive
Useful in clinical, educational, and organizational settings
Conclusion
Reliability
ensures consistency, and validity ensures accuracy.
Together, they determine the quality, usefulness, and credibility of any
psychological test.
(6 Marks
– Detailed Short Essay)
Projective
techniques are indirect personality assessment methods based on the idea
that individuals project their unconscious thoughts, motives, and conflicts
onto ambiguous stimuli. They help uncover deeper emotional and motivational
layers that objective tests may miss.
1. Ink-Blot Methods
(a) Rorschach Inkblot Test
Developed
by Hermann Rorschach, this test includes 10 inkblots (five
black-white, five coloured).
The person describes what each blot looks like, and responses are analysed for:
Emotional functioning
Thought disorder
Personality dynamics
It
reveals hidden conflicts, coping style, and inner motivations.
2. Picture Interpretation Techniques
(a) TAT (Thematic Apperception Test)
Developed
by Murray & Morgan. Contains 30 cards + 1 blank card.
The subject creates stories about each picture (what led to it, what is
happening, feelings, and outcome).
Themes reveal:
Conflicts
Interpersonal style
Fears and aspirations
(b) CAT (Children’s Apperception Test)
Similar
to TAT but uses animal pictures suitable for children aged 3–10.
3. Verbal Projective Tests
Word Association Tests
These reveal underlying attitudes, worries, and emotional blocks.
4. Drawing Tests
House-Tree-Person Test
Used to study self-image, emotional conflicts, and family dynamics.
5. Merits
Difficult to fake
Rich qualitative insight
6. Limitations
Interpretation is subjective
Requires trained examiners
Conclusion
Projective
techniques are essential clinical tools to explore hidden dynamics of
personality, complementing objective tests for a holistic understanding.
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