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MPC 003 UNIT 1 PERSONALITY AND PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

Personality and Personality Development

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What is Personality?

Personality refers to the unique patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that define who we are. It is influenced by:

  • Biology (e.g., being naturally calm or anxious).
  • Environment (e.g., how supportive your family is).
  • Choices (e.g., how you react to challenges).

Example: Sarah is known for her kindness and patience. Even when stressed, she handles situations calmly. This is a reflection of her personality.

Key Features of Personality

  1. Traits: These are consistent characteristics. For instance:

    • Outgoing people love social gatherings and meeting new friends.
    • Organized people plan their schedules carefully.

  2. Types: Personality can also be classified into types, such as:

    • Type A Personality: Competitive and always in a hurry.
      • Example: John gets anxious when he doesn’t finish his work on time.
    • Type B Personality: Relaxed and go-with-the-flow.
      • Example: Lisa enjoys her work but doesn’t stress about deadlines.

Theories of Personality

1. Psychoanalytic Theory (Freud)

  • Key Idea: Our unconscious mind and childhood experiences shape our personality.

  • Three Components:

    1. Id: The “I want it now” part of our mind.
      • Example: A child cries for candy in a store.
    2. Ego: The rational decision-maker.
      • Example: The same child waits until they get home for the candy.
    3. Superego: The moral part.
      • Example: The child decides not to eat candy because it’s unhealthy.

  • Defense Mechanisms: Strategies to deal with stress.

    • Example: Sarah blames her teacher for poor grades (projection).

2. Humanistic Theory (Rogers and Maslow)

  • Key Idea: Personality develops as we strive to grow and become better.
  • Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:
    1. Basic needs (food, water).
      • Example: A homeless person focuses on finding food, not personal growth.
    2. Safety (shelter, security).
    3. Belongingness (relationships).
      • Example: A teenager joins a club to feel accepted.
    4. Esteem (respect, achievement).
      • Example: A student works hard to earn an award.
    5. Self-actualization (fulfilling potential).
      • Example: An artist dedicates their life to creating meaningful paintings.

3. Trait Theory (Allport, Cattell, and Eysenck)

  • Key Idea: People have measurable traits that define their behavior.
  • Example Traits:
    • Kindness
    • Curiosity
    • Confidence
  • Eysenck’s Dimensions:
    • Extraversion vs. Introversion:
      • Example: Extroverts enjoy parties; introverts prefer reading.
    • Neuroticism: High neurotic people worry more.
      • Example: Mary gets nervous even about small tasks.
    • Psychoticism: High psychoticism relates to being tough-minded or non-conformist.

4. Behaviorist Theory (Skinner and Bandura)

  • Key Idea: Personality is shaped by what we learn.
  • Examples:
    • A child rewarded for politeness will continue to say "thank you" (Skinner).
    • A teenager copies their favorite celebrity's style (Bandura’s modeling).

5. Biological Perspective

  • Key Idea: Personality traits are partly genetic.
  • Example:
    • Twins often share similar traits, even if raised apart.
    • A child with a naturally cheerful temperament often smiles more, regardless of upbringing.

Personality Development

Personality development is the process of forming and improving our traits and behaviors over time.

Stages of Development

  1. Freud’s Psychosexual Stages:

    • Example: During the oral stage (birth-1 year), babies find comfort in sucking their thumb.

  2. Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages:

    • Example: In adolescence (identity vs. role confusion), teens explore hobbies and styles to figure out who they are.

Factors Influencing Personality

  1. Biological Factors:
    • Example: A child inherits shyness from their parents.
  2. Environmental Factors:
    • Example: Growing up in a loving home can lead to a confident personality.
  3. Social Factors:
    • Example: Friends in school teach sharing and teamwork.
  4. Cognitive Factors:
    • Example: Learning problem-solving helps in becoming more independent.

Assessing Personality

  1. Objective Tests:
    • Example: The Big Five Inventory measures traits like openness and conscientiousness.
  2. Projective Tests:
    • Example: In the Rorschach Test, a person looks at inkblots and says what they see.
  3. Behavioral Observations:
    • Example: Teachers note a student’s interactions in class to understand their personality.

Personality Disorders

When personality traits become extreme or unhealthy, they can lead to disorders:

  1. Borderline Personality Disorder:
    • Example: Sarah feels intense emotions and struggles to maintain stable relationships.
  2. Antisocial Personality Disorder:
    • Example: John often lies and breaks rules without feeling guilty.
  3. Narcissistic Personality Disorder:
    • Example: Lisa constantly seeks admiration and ignores others’ feelings.

Importance of Personality Studies

  1. Therapy: Helps psychologists understand and treat people.
    • Example: A counselor uses personality assessments to design a treatment plan.
  2. Education: Helps teachers adapt to different student needs.
    • Example: Extroverted students thrive in group activities, while introverted students prefer individual tasks.
  3. Workplace: Helps match roles to personalities.
    • Example: A highly organized person excels in project management.

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