The term personality expresses the physical and mental characteristics of a person. Personality and human behaviour are interrelated. Word "Personality" has evolved from the Latin word "Persona" that means a character that change his mask or dress or has some specific traits. In other words, the term personality refers to special traits or characteristics. The environment continuously influences personality. The impact of personality can always be seen on the behaviour, thoughts, conduct, actions and activities of the person. Freud has divided personality in three parts; namely Id, Ego and Super Ego. Many definitions of personality are in vogue. Some of these are given:-
"It is personality as the integration of those system of habits that represents one individual's adjustment to his environment." -Kemph
"Personality is a dynamic set of those psychosomatic traits of the person, which determine his adjustment with the environment" -Gordeon Allport
"Personality can be defined as a set or system of those habits of social importance, which are stable and resist change." -Gutheire
"Personality can be defined as the most characteristics combination of a person's constructive behaviour, interests, attitudes, aptitudes and skills." -M.N. Munn
"It is defined that personality is the integration of those systems of habits that represents one individuals characteristics adjustments to his environment." -Boring
"It defined that personality is the relatively stable organisation of a person's motivation disposition arising from the interaction between biological social, physical environment." -Ensenck
Types of Personality:-
No two people are alike in society, though they may be similiar in some subject or traits. It means, people differ in personality. Given below are types and basis of personality classification:-
HIPPOCRATE'S CLASSIFICATION:-
1. Phlegmatic:- Person, who is physically weak and lazy in behaviour.
2. Melancholic:- Person, who is physically healthy but pessimistic by nature.
3. Choleric:- Person, who is physically weak but easily becomes angry and excites.
4. Sanguine:- Person, who is healthy, skilled, happy and optimistic by nature.
Jung Classification:-
1. Extroverts:- Those people who take more interest in other and like to move with people and skilled. They are friendly and sociable and not easily upset by difficulties. They take decision quickly and act on them without delay. They are realistic and face the problem of life objectively.
2. Introvert:- Are those who are interested in themselves, their own feelings, emotions and reactions. They are busy in their own thoughts and self centred. They are reserved and like to work alone. They are very sensitive and are unable easily to social situation. They are inclined to worry and easily get embarrassed. Poets, philosophers, scientist and artist belongs to this group.
3. Endomorph:- Soft, fat and round-sociable and relaxed.
4. Mesomorph:- Heavy and muscular-physically active and noisy.
5. Ectomorph:- Tall, thin and flat-chested-self-conscious, shy and reserved.
Physiological or Kreshmer's Classification
1. Schizoid:- People who are tall, thin, emotional, shy and reserved.
2. Cycloid:- People who are fatty, materialistic, social, extrovert and happy, are included in this category.
People with aesthetic, athletic, byknic and dys-plastic qualities are included in the sub-classes of this classification.
Temperamental or Sheldon's Classification
1. Viscerotonic:- People who are easy going, like to eat and are carefree of nature, are included in this class.
2. Somatotonic:- People who are active, courageous and ready to face problems, straight forward and are competitive of nature.
3. Cerebrotonic:- People who have patience, shyness, repress the emotions and loves solitude.
Classification According to Indian Philosophy
As pr this classification people can be put into saatvic, Rajsic or Tamsic categories.
According to the nature of people, they can be categorized into elated, depressed, irritable and unstable.
It should be mentioned that many psychologists do not agree with these classification of personality.
Determinants of Personality:-
Personality is influenced by many factors, Given below are some constituents of personality:-
1. Biological Factors:-
a. Endocrine glands and hormones.
b. Build of the body (physique)
c. Chemical physiology
2. Parental Factors:-
a. Size of the family
b. Influence of parents
c. Relation with family members
d. Financial and educational standard of family
3. Genetic factors:-
a. Influence of Sex
b. Influence of intellect
c. Influence on embryo
4. Influence of school and friends:-
a. Influence of teacher and classmates
b. Influence of the environment of school
5. Social and culture factors:-
a. Influence of religious belief
b. Influence of social stratification
c. Influence of social tabboos
d. Influence of political system
e. Influence of social structure, caste system etc.
Physique
People differ in their physique in different ways. Some people have muscular, some bulky and other slim and short. This difference in physical appearance accounts in the development of different behavioural patterns. Sheldon has describe three types of personality on the basis of physique. Emdomorphic are individual with fatty and bulky round type body and are jolly in nature and comfort seeker. Mesomorphic are muscular and tough body. These are aggressive in nature. Ectomorphic are slim and short body. Individual, who are wise but sensitive people.
Traits
Refers to those behavioural patterns that consistently appear in wide variety of situation.
For example:- A person is observed loosing temper in wide variety of situation and with many different others tells that he has short tempered personality. Similarly a person observed in jolly and humour-ous mood at different places speaks about holly natural personality. Personality can be described as a construct of many traits. Many theories of personality like Allport's and Cattell's are trait theories of personality. Some psychologists describe that some traits always come to gether in clusters and thus can be classified in different types of personality. Various theories are type of personality Freud's Jung's and Eysenck.
Habit
These are similar to traits but learnt behaviours. Any behavioural reaction that results into some reward or benefit is repeated again and again and ultimately, it become habit. Various habits thus formed become important part of personality. Certain needs or motives drive the person to achieve a particular goal. Successful behaviour reactions become the habits, Hull's drive theory, skinner's Instrument Learning theories are based on such learning methods.
Heredity
It is another important construct of personality. Every person is born with certain innate disposition that are determined by heredity. Heredity determines certain personality pattern with individual. Although every individual is born with same biological system in the body but some functional variances are always present and that determine personality variance
For example:- Sensitivity of nervous system, arousal of brain, inborn biological disorder etc. Eysenck's theory of personality is based on such heredity determinants.
Emotionality
Although every individual experience same type of emotional feelings but people are found significantly varying in emotional temperaments. Some feel hurt very easily whereas other emotionally very stable. Eysenck in his personality theory describe emotionally unstable person as neurotic and other emotionally balanced as stable. This variance in emotionality becomes the personality patterns in person. Usually we see some people loose temper very easily and such people are avoided by others for their easily loosing emotional temperament.
Environment
It is very strong constituent of personality. Wide variety of environmental conditions can create wide variety of personality patterns. Even studies on twins also show that rearing twins in different environments do result certain change in personality patterns. A psychologist like watson has declared that you give me child from any race, religion or caste, I will make him as you desired by manipulating environmental conditions. Some accidental findings show that the abnormal environment conditions can strongly develop abnormal behavioural patterns. Ramu who was found from the jungles of UP was having all behavioural characteristic of wolf and was also called wolf boy. He was living for last many years with the woolves. Similarly leopard boy was found with characteristics of leopard. These studies clearly speak about the effects of environment on the personality.
Attitudes
These are mental predispositions to react in particular way to others. Attitudes also are important construct in the organisations of personality. Allport in his theory also included attitudes in the organizations of personality. These are the learned dispositions which an individual learns from environment environment. If the attitudes are recognized then the prediction of behaviour can be made.
PERSONALITY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Development of Personality
Surroundings or environment have an important place in development of personality. These always remains a possibility of improving the personality through efforts. It should be remembered that the process of development of personality is not always the same.
Personality of a person undergoes various changes at different stages. The growth and direction of the physical development of a person is different at different stages of life cycle. As at the some stages this change is fast while at some others it is comparatively less. Similarly the difference in the development of personality is not a stable condition. rather it is a dynamic process. It is always affected by factors determining the personality
CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSONALITY IN DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS
1. Childhood:- Childhood is considered to be school, where most of the characteristics of personality become apparent during the early years of life. Friendliness, activeness and tanacity can be seen in a child of 2-3 years of age.
The characteristics development in childhood continue even after the adolescence. Environment during childhood is the foundation of personality development. Beast feeding or weaning scolding beating, caressing, loving and socio-economic level of family have a direct effects on the personality of child. His family, friend circle, neighbourhood and school, influence a pre-adolescent child. He feels free and learns self-dependence. He adjusts with same age group and classmates.
The success or failure of adjustment he may develop some good bad habits. He recognizes the feelings of superiority and inferiority. He acquires the characteristics of adjustment, rebel or violence etc. According to the satisfaction, he gets from it.
2. Adolescence:- Physical growth of a child is very fast during this stage. This is period of gaining sexual maturity. Feeling of adulthood is also perceptiable in personality. Though this period is consisdered to be the period of turbulence but except generation gap, feeling of independence and attraction towards opposite sex, adolescents show responsible behaviour.
This stage is also marked by maximum intellectual development. Body takes a firm and definite shape due to the complete development of male and female organs. Education selection of profession, choosing a life partner, and the anxieties of future and career give a direction to the personality of individual during this stage.
3. Adult Stage:- This is a condition of balance in personality. This stage desires a balance in profession or service, married and social and family life. Person may get depression due to uncertainity of profession, quarrel between husband and wife, divorce, lack or excess of children or having too many girls as in Indian context, loss or death of child etc. Hence, stability in marriage, family and profession and proper adjustment and balance within, is needed for the development of personality. During adult stage, stability increase one's tolerance and social approach.
4. Old age:- At this stage the person is preoccupied with the worries of physical inability, financial dependence and social uselessness. Person may feel difficulty in adjustment due to failing of joint family system and neglect of son-daughter, daughter-in-law and relatives. Person may not show any significant change in personality. If the conditions are favourable and adjustment is easy on the other hand in the unfavourable environment and conditions of maladjustment, person any suffer from mental Imbalance.
The process of development of personality continue from childhood to adulthood. A successful personality develops due to balance and congruence of condition.
