Individual Differences PDF

INTRODUCTION It is often said that no two individuals are exact duplicates; they differ from each other in some way or the other. Hence the job of the psychologist is to identify and understand this uniqueness in individuals. Such a similarity or difference between persons reveals individu...

INTRODUCTION It is often said that no two individuals are exact duplicates; they differ from each other in some way or the other. Hence the job of the psychologist is to identify and understand this uniqueness in individuals. Such a similarity or difference between persons reveals individual differences. It happens in our day-to-day life when we see people around us. For example when we think about their physical appearance, we often ask ourselves why some people have dark or fair complexions, why some people are tall and some are short. When we think about their psychological characteristics we often come across people who are very talkative or less talkative, some are very friendly whereas some prefer to be alone. In psychology, these are called individual differences referring to the extent and kind of variations or similarities among people on some of the important psychological aspects such as intelligence, personality, interest, and aptitude. It is also sometimes called Differential Psychology because researchers in this area study the ways in which individual people differ in their behavior. CONCEPT OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCE No two individuals are alike; not even identical twins. Individuals differ in their intelligence, aptitude, interests, attitude and other personality traits. The science of psychology studies people at three levels of focus captured by the well known quote: “Every man is in certain respects (a) like all other men, (b) like some other men, (c) like no other man” (Murray & Kluckhohn, 1953, p.53). Individual differences psychology focuses on this second level of study. These differences between individuals that separate them from one another and make one a unique individual in oneself are termed as individual differences. It is also sometimes called Differential Psychology because researchers in this area study the ways in which individual people differ in their behavior. According to Wints, the variation in the psycho-physical formation of individuals that make one a unique person is called individual differences. In short any relatively persistent unlikeness in structure or behaviour between persons are called individual differences. The terms involve any measurable aspects of total personality that makes an individual distinct and unique. Nature Of Individual Differences The nature of individual differences can be summarised as follows; 1. Individual differences are of one degree, not of any kind: All persons do have common human traits. But the amount and proportion of such traits differ from person to person leading to uniqueness of personality or behavior. So the concept of individual differences refers to quantitative differences found among individuals in respect of a specific trait or various traits. 2. Normal distribution of traits: All measures of traits that contribute to individual differences tend to distribute themselves according to the laws of normal probability curve. 3. There exist both inter-individual and intra-individual differences: Individuals not only differ among themselves with respect to a specific trait but differences may be also noticed within the same individual when he is studied in respect of various traits. 4. Individual differences occur due to interaction of genetic and environmental factors. We inherit certain characteristics from our parents through genetic codes. 5. The differences in psychological characteristics are often consistent and form a stable pattern. By "consistent", we mean that people tend to show regularity in their behavior and their patterns of behavior do not change very frequently. This consistency and stability in behavior is unique to every person. People develop their  unique traits/ characteristics and patterns of behavior due to their genetic make up and the environment in which they are brought up Areas Of Individual Differences Human beings are found to differ from each other and among themselves in the following important ways and dimensions. 1. Differences in physical traits: Individuals differ in height, weight, colour of skin, colour of eyes and hair, size of hand and legs, shape of body, nose, face, mannerism of speech and walk, etc. 2. Mental differences: People differ in intellectual abilities and capacities like reasoning and thinking powers, power of imagination, creative expression, concentration etc. People differ in their general intelligence and on the basis of their IQ difference they are usually classified as idiot, imbecile, moron, border line, normal, bright, very superior and genius. 3. Differences in motor ability: Individual differences can be seen in motor abilities such as reaction time, speed of action, steadiness, rate of muscular movement, resistance to fatigue etc. 4. Differences in interest and aptitude: People differ in their tastes and interests. Some take interest in meeting people, attending social functions and are very fond of group activities, others feel happy in solitude and avoid social gatherings. In the same way people are found to have different aptitudes. Some have mechanical aptitude, while the others have scholastics , musical or artistic aptitude. 5. Differences in attitudes: Individual differences can be observed in the beliefs, opinions and ideas of people. People are found to possess varying attitudes towards different people, groups, objects, political and religious philosophies etc.  6. Emotional differences: Individuals differ in the manner they express their emotion. In some individuals positive emotions like love, affection, amusement are more prevalent whereas in others negative emotions are more powerful. Some are emotionally stable in nature and mature while others are unstable and immature. CAUSES OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 1. Heredity Heredity is the sum total of the physical and mental qualities that an individual inherits from his parents. These qualities are transmitted to the person from his parents through genes and chromosomes. Heredity of an individual may be defined as what he gets from his ancestral stock through his parents. People belong to different heredity stock and are thus bound to differ in native endowments and characteristics. These native endowments, abilities and capacities provided by heredity decide the limit of one's growth and development in various dimensions and aspects of one's personality. Heredity is of two types - biological heredity and social heredity. Biological heredity involves all those physiological and psychological characteristics which a person inherits from his parents through genes in chromosomes. Social heredity refers to all that one generation gets from preceding generations in the form of social customs, traditions, ideals, values, beliefs, morals conventions and skills. When each generation transmits the acquired skills and knowledge to the succeeding generations it constitutes social inheritance. Every society is characterised by its cultural heritage which is transmitted from generation to generation in the form of social heredity. The hereditarians are of the view that the inborn nature is the chief factor in development of personality of an individual and it solely determines the possibilities to which the child can be educated. The argue heredity is the base on which the edifice of the personality is raised 2. Environment Environment is everything other than heredity that influences an individual's growth and development. The environment covers all the outside factors that have acted on the individual since they began life. It refers not only to the physical surroundings but even to the thoughts and attitudes of others which exert an influence on individuals. Education, training, experience, nourishment and all other simulations come under environmental influences. The environmentalists give credit to nurture. They are convinced that the personality of an individual may be developed to any level according to the environment. Watson, the behaviourist psychologist, declared: Give me any child, I will make him what you desire.He is of the opinion that by providing a favourable and positive environment, we can pave the way for the better development of behavioural patterns among the individuals. 3. Intelligence Intelligence is the global capacity of an individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with the environment. Wide individual differences exist among human beings with regard to intelligence. Intelligence seems to be distributed in the population in such a way that the majority of people are the average, a few very dull. Study of human intelligence shows that it is normally distributed in a random population: and that measures of intelligence are distributed according to the principles of normal probability curve. The number of individuals possessing above average intelligence is the same as those possessing below average intelligence and there is a maximum number of persons making average scores. 4. Aptitude Aptitude is a specific capacity that helps an individual to acquire a required degree of proficiency in a specific field. Individuals differ from one another in their aptitudes. There exist great variations among the individuals in relation to the area and extent of aptitude. People are found to have different aptitudes. Some have mechanical aptitudes, while the others hace scholastic, musical or artistic aptitudes. Like any other psychological trait, aptitudes also seem to be distributed in the population according to the principles of normal probability curve. That is, in a random population, the aptitude in any specific field is normally distributed with most people in a middle range of aptitude while only a few people make very high or vrl low scores. An individual's aptitude is not all equally strong. An individual may have good aptitude for one line of work and not for certain others. 5. Creativity Individual differences are found in the field of creativity also. Creativity is the capacity of a person to produce compositions, products or ideas that are essentially novel and previously unknown to the producer. All individuals are creative in diverse ways and to different degrees. Creativity is not restricted to a chosen few. Every mentally healthy individual disposes of a certain level of creativity. However, levels of creativity differ. Some people are endowed with high creative talents; while some others are very poor in their creative expression. Likewise, some people excel others in their creative talent in several areas of human ability; whereas some hardly have any area of excellence in creativity. Like any other area of human ability, in a randomly selected large population, creativity is also found normally distributed. CONCLUSION In conclusion, individual differences encompass a vast range of factors that shape who we are as individuals, from cognitive abilities and personality traits to emotional responses and cultural influences. These differences can be observed in how people think, feel, behave, and interact with the world around them. Understanding individual differences is crucial, as it not only helps in enhancing interpersonal relationships but also provides insight into diverse learning styles, social behaviors, and coping mechanisms. It acknowledges that no two individuals are the same, and these variations influence everything from academic achievement and professional success to emotional well-being and personal growth. By studying individual differences, we can better tailor educational, psychological, and social interventions to meet people's unique needs, fostering environments that encourage inclusivity and personal development. REFERENCE Kluckhohn, C., & Murray, H. A. (1953). Personality formation: The determinants. Personality in nature, society & culture (pp. 35-48). New York: Knopf. Nazimuddin, S.K. (July, 2014). A study of individual differences in educational situations. International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Research (IJSER), 3(7). pp. 180-184. https://www.ijser.in/archives/v3i7/IJSER15365.pdf. Arjunan, N.K. (2017). Psychological Bases of Education. Yuga Publications.