Influences of Personality PDF

Influences of Personality Objective: Identify different Influences of pesonality  Two main factors 01 Heredity 02 Environment This refers to what we inherit from our The environment refers to our parents that is, our ge...

Influences of Personality Objective: Identify different Influences of pesonality  Two main factors 01 Heredity 02 Environment This refers to what we inherit from our The environment refers to our parents that is, our genetic make-up. We may background, the surrounding, location or be who we are because of our biological setting in which an individual is brought up nature that is, because of the biological in. features that we inherit from our parents. Heredity Some hereditary factors that influence personality development include: A. Physical abilities or appearance B. Mental capabilities and C. Health  A. Physical abilities or appearance Physical abilities or appearance for example motor skills or physical appearance can affect how others judge a person and also how a person behaves. An example is a girl may inherit a very beautiful face from her mother and this makes her always feel and act self-confident. On the other hand, another girl may inherit a physical characteristic that makes her feel unattractive. This will obviously make her feel less beautiful than other girls and she might as a result of this always prefer to be quiet hoping people will not notice her.  B. Mental capabilities Mental capabilities for example, learning disabilities or high levels of intelligence could either hinder or enhance activities requiring mental skills and affect how individuals view themselves and other people view them. For example people with high levels of intelligence may have a higher self concept of themselves than those with learning disabilities. Those with higher levels of intelligence may also be more popular than those with learning disabilities.  C. Health Health for example being weak, strong, normal or abnormal leads to thinking or acting in certain socially acceptable or deviant ways and this also influences the sort of personality that people have. For example, if a child is born with a heart defect, he will not be able to take part in certain activities and this health problem might make him quiet and to prefer activities which do not require a lot of physical activity. Environment The environment refers to our background, the surrounding, location or setting in which an individual is brought up in. Some environmental factors that influence personality development include: Our cultural background Social class Family Peers  How our culture may influence our personality development An example is that in some areas, culture may dictate that boys should be treated better than girls for example they are given better food such as the biggest and juiciest pieces of meat when a goat is slaughtered. This means girls in such societies may have a lower self-esteem than the boys and this will influence their personality development. Social class may also determine the way we behave. Rich people are usually referred to as high class or upper class while poor people are seen as lower class. Whether individuals are upper class or lower class will influence how they see themselves and how they respond to various situations. The family is another environmental factor that influences personality development especially through the way it brings up a child. The child learns many things from other family members that is, the other family members are role models that the child learns from. The child therefore observes and imitates what other family members are doing therefore these family members do influence the child’s personality development. Peer groups also socialize individuals into accepting new rules of behaviour and provide experiences that influence personality development. For example, a child who has friends or peers who are always engaging in anti-social behaviour such as fighting and taking drugs may also develop anti-social behaviour. Everything in our environment and everything that happens to us in our environment will therefore definitely impact on our personality.  Interaction between Hereditary and Environmental Factors It is important to note that heredity and environment do interact. This means that heredity alone or the environment alone do not influence a person’s personality development. An individuals’ personality development is influenced by both his genetic make-up or heredity and the environment in which he is brought up in. Genes and environment interact in several other ways for example a girl who as a result of her genes is very short may be laughed at by other girls and this mocking could have life long effects on her personality. These effects are partly due to her genes, but they came about only through an interaction with the social environment. Both the environment and the genes played a role in the sort of personality the girl has. Role of Individual Characteristics in Personality Development Apart from hereditary and environmental factors, individual factors such as a person’s sex will also influence personality development. This means that whether one is a man or woman will influence his or her personality development. Due to their biological differences, men and women usually have different tasks for example women become pregnant and breastfeed children. Since they face different problems and tasks, this has resulted in differences in the way men and women behave, feel and think. Biological make-up therefore causes differences between men and women and influences their personality development. Therefore, being a boy or a girl will influence a child’s personality development. We should therefore encourage adults and children to develop good, positive, socially acceptable and appropriate traits. Thank you very much!