Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development

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Definition and Concept of
Personality and Personality Development
M S Ahluwalia

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Personality: Theories and Assessment

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Contents
1.Personality –General use of the Term
2.Personality –Definition and Concept
3.Personality -Determinants
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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Contents

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Personality –General use of the Term
1. Personality –General use of the Term
•Generally, the term personality is used as a synonym for good looking, attractive
etc. referring to the impression created by the person concerned.
−Factors such as ability to interact pleasantly, get on well with others and being
good lookingcreate the impression that an individual has a good personality.
•Defining personality in terms of social attractiveness, as done above, is inadequate
for two reasons:
−it limits the number and types of behaviours considered important and worthy for
incorporation into the study of personality
−it carries the absurd implication that people with unique abilities and temperament
traits are devoid of a personality.

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Contents
1.Personality –General use of the Term
2.Personality –Definition and Concept
3.Personality -Determinants
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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Contents

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Personality –Definition and Concept
2. Personality –Definition and Concept (1/2)
Individuality•People differ a great deal in the way they think, feel and act in different or even same
situations. This distinctive pattern of behaviour helps one to define one’s identity.
•Each of us in certain respects is like all other persons, like some other persons
and like no other person who has been in the past or will be existing in future
(Kluckhohn & Murray, 1953).
Consistency•Individuals behave consistently in different situations over a period of time.
•This observation of perceived consistency leads us to the notion of personality traits
that determine the way of responding to one’s world.
Psychologists explain the concept of personality in terms of individuality and consistency.
Personality•The distinctive and unique ways in which each individual thinks, feels and acts,
which characterise a person’s response throughout life.
•Personality, therefore, refers to all those relatively permanent traits, dispositions or
characteristics within the person that give some measure of consistency to the
person’s behaviour. These traits may be unique, common to some groups or shared
by the entire species but their pattern will be different from individual to individual.
Based on the above, personality can be defined.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Personality –Definition and Concept
2. Personality –Definition and Concept (2/2)
Characteristics of the thoughts, feelings and actions which reflect an individual’s personality:
1. Behaviours
•Thoughts, feelings and actions are
behavioural components of
identity which differentiate
individuals
•Behaviours of an individual fit
together in a meaningful way
2. Internal
•These behaviours are primarily
caused by internal rather than
environmental factors
3. Structured
•These behaviours have
organisation and structure
•However, behaviours are dynamic
therefore, changes may occur in
the organisation and structure of
behaviours over a period of time
Character •It refers to the value judgements, which are made about a person’s moral values or
ethical behaviour.
Temperament •It refers to the inborn enduring characteristics such as adaptability, irritability etc.
Character and temperament form two vital parts of personality:
Personality •Allport (1937, 1961) analysed 50 definitions before putting forward his own definition.
•He defined personality as the dynamic organisation within the person of the
psychophysical systems that determine the unique adjustments to one’s
environment.
•This suggests that there is an inner personality which guides and directs individual’s
behaviour..

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Contents
1.Personality –General use of the Term
2.Personality –Definition and Concept
3.Personality -Determinants
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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Contents

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Personality -Determinants
3. Personality -Determinants
Factors influencing the development of personalitytend to determine the way personality develops,
therefore, they are also called determinants of personality.
They are grouped into three general categories:
Determinants of Personality
Physical Factors
•Body Build
•Physical Attractiveness
•Homeostasis
•Physical Defects
•Health Conditions
Psychological Factors
•Intellectual Determinants
•Emotional Determinants
•Self-Disclosure
•Aspiration and
achievements
Environmental Factors
•Social Acceptance
•Social Deprivation
•Educational Factors
•Family Determinants
Some psychologists emphasised upon one factor ignoring the role of other factors in development of
personality. There is little support for such statements. Personality psychologists agree that physical
factors provide a boundary within which personality develops or shapes under the influence of
various psychological and environmental factors.Therefore, development of personality can be
explained in the form of an equation:
Personality Development=
Physical determinants ×Psychological determinants ×Environmental determinants

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Physical Factors
3.1. Physical Factors
Physical factors emphasise that physique and body functioning are directly responsible for
personality development.
(Also known as Biological factors, Physiological Factors)
Types of Physical Factors
Body Build
•Factors like
height, weight
and muscularity
of body.
Physical
Attractiveness
•Factors such as
appearance
Homeostasis
•Factors such as
disturbed blood
sugar, vitamin,
or oxygen levels
Physical
Defects
•Factors like
obesity,
handicap etc.
Health
Conditions
•Factors like
illnesses and
physical
disturbances

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Physical Factors
3.1.1. Body Build
Types of Body builds
Endomorphs
•Persons who are round and soft.
Ectomorphs
•Persons who are tall and thin.
•Superior to Endomorphs
especially in speed and
endurance.
Mesomorphs
•Persons who are strong and
muscular.
•Superior to both ectomorphs and
endomorphs in activities like
speed, endurance and agility.
•Influences personality directly
•It determines:
•what an individual can and cannot do
•the individual’s reaction to those with other body builds (superior or inferior)
•It can affect the person’s self-concept favourably or unfavourably
•Favourable if the body build allows the person to do things that are socially desirable
and prestigious, better than others –leads to positive self concept.
•Unfavourable if person fails in performing socially desirable and prestigious activities
due to body build -leads to poor or negative self concept.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Physical Factors
3.1.2. Physical Attractiveness
•An attractive person of any age is more appealing than a person who is
unattractive.
•It is very rewarding to be with someone who is physically attractive. (Brislin&
Lewis, 1968)
•People tend to be more tolerant in their attitudes and judgements of an
attractive person.
−Therefore, a pretty child is less likely to be punished or criticised for troublesome
behaviour than a simple looking homely child
−In office, an attractive worker may be less efficient and less conscientious than an
unattractive worker and yet likely to get promotion sooner than the unattractive one.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Physical Factors
3.1.3. Homeostasis
Impact of Homeostasis (or disturbances in it) upon personality
Direct Impact
•Effect of homeostasis is seen in relaxed, controlled and
socially acceptable behaviour patterns -person is feeling
well physically and psychologically.
•When the level of homeostasis is disturbed, behaviours
like irritability, indigestion, insomnia and other
uncomfortable states often result. Studies have shown:
•when the blood sugar goes above the normal range,
depressive mental states tend to follow.
•Severe deficiency in vitamin B complex results in
increased level of emotionality and depression.
•High blood pressure frequently produces neuroticism.
•Anoxia or reduction in the amount of oxygen in the air
taken in, as in asthma, causes emotional outbursts,
mental confusion and self-criticism.
Indirect Impact
•Homeostasis affects personality through the reaction of
a person to what he thinks and believes to be the
attitudes of the significant people in his life. For
example: a person who is above average in physical
stature in comparison to his age and sex group, because
of excessive hormonal discharge will respond to his
superior size in one of the two ways:
•If his superior size is viewed favourably by others, his
reaction will be positive and therefore, disturbance in
homeostasis will have a favourable impact upon the
development of personality.
•If his size proves to be a social handicap and others
ridicule it, his reactions will be negative and the effect in
the disturbance of homeostasis will be unfavourable.
Homeostasis•It refers to the maintenance of a stable internal environment through relatively
having normal temperature, normal level of blood sugar, normal level of blood
pressure, proper water balance, etc.
•When any of these conditions is upset, there is disequilibrium resulting in disturbance
in homeostasis

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Physical Factors
3.1.4. Physical Defects
•Alfred Adler’s Theory of Organ Inferiority formed the basis of the first
scientific study showing the impact of physical defect upon personality
•Several studies were thereafter conducted to examine the direct and indirect
impact of physical defects upon personality.
•Obesity is one of the most prevalent physical defects.
Impact of Obesity upon personality
Direct Impact
•It becomes a handicap in social relationship
because the obese person is unable to keep up
with his contemporaries.
Indirect Impact
•Awareness of unfavourable attitude towards
obesity makes a person feel inferior
•They develop a feeling of being socially
scorned.
•Researchers indicate that significantly obese
individuals become more disturbed because of
low self-satisfaction and lots of adverse
comments from others.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Physical Factors
3.1.5. Health Conditions
•Personality changes result from poor health conditions and tend to continue
even after the illness has been curedor its severity lessened, especially if this
happens during childhood when the personality is in the formative stages.
•Many personality changes and disturbances in adolescents and adults have
their root in illnesses during the early years of childhood (Martin & Vincent,
1960).
•Illnesses like diabetes cause tension and anxiety, which causes frustrationin
dealing with the demands of social environments. As a result of this frustration,
individuals become aggressive and often turn their aggression towards others.
•Physical disturbances like irregular menstrual cycles in femalesoften lead to
emotional instability accompanied by a tendency to be irritable and
depressed. This increases their level of emotionality and the heightened
emotionality is reflected in poor social adjustment and decrease in social
activities, ultimately affecting women’s self-concept and the attitudes
towards other people.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Psychological Factors
3.2. Psychological Factors
Psychological Determinants of Personality
Intellectual
Determinants
•Factors like high or very high
intelligence
Emotional
Determinants
•Factors like dominant
emotions, emotional balance,
emotional deprivation,
excessive love and affection,
emotional expressions, and
emotional catharsis and
stress.
Self-Disclosure
•Disclosing information
related to oneself
Aspirations,
Achievements, and
Goals
•Factors like reasonable and
unreasonable aspirations
and goals, success and
failure etc.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Psychological Factors
3.2.1. Intellectual Determinants
Impact of Intellectual Determinants upon personality
Direct Impact
•Intellectually bright people make better personal and social adjustments
than those with average or below average intelligence.
•Studies indicate that bright people are generally introspective, thoughtful,
creative, adventuresome and have strong concern with problems,
meanings and values. They show a wider interest especially in the
theoretical and aesthetic areas.
•Since they have greater and stronger mental ability, they have better
control over themselves.
•Having ‘very high/genius’ level intelligence affects personality
development unfavourably
•it creates special problems not encountered the merely bright ones
•These problems result in development of a personality pattern
characterised by traits like negativism, intolerance, habits of chicanery,
emotional conflicts, solitary pursuit, self-sufficiency, dominance, etc.
•There is evidence that intellectual capacities also influence development of
values, morality and humanity
Indirect Impact
•Through the judgments of
other peoplebased on an
individual’s intellectual
achievements. This judgment
affects the evaluation and
consequently the
development of personality.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Psychological Factors
3.2.2. Emotional Determinants (1/3)
•Research indicates that several aspects of emotions like dominant emotions, emotional balance,
emotional deprivation, excessive love and affection, emotional expressions, emotional
catharsis and emotional stress directly and indirectly affect the development of personality.
•Emotions affect personal and social adjustment.
1. Dominant Emotions
Some individuals experience predominance of pleasant emotions while others experience a
predominance of unpleasant emotions. The nature and level of predominance affect the
development of personality.
•Predominance of Pleasant Emotions
•Cheerful individuals can see the brighter side of things even in a depressing situation.
•Predominance of Unpleasant Emotions:
•When an individual encounters unpleasant experiences like obstacles and problems,
negative emotions like fear, anger, and envy are aroused.
•Since apprehensive persons are full of fear, they feel depressed or afraid even in a happy
or enjoyable situation, As a consequence, the person’s adjustments are adversely affected.
•In the long run this may result in development of pathological traits in the person.
2. Emotional Balance
•A condition in which pleasant emotions outweigh the unpleasant emotions
•It is considered essential for good social and personal adjustment.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Psychological Factors
3.2.2. Emotional Determinants (2/3)
3. Emotional Deprivation
•Deprivation of pleasant emotions like love,
happiness and curiosity impacts an
individual, gradually leading to poor
personal and social adjustment.
•Research indicates that the level of impact
depends on:
•extent of emotional deprivation
•duration of emotional deprivation
•age at which it occurs.
•Effect of deprivation of love and affection:
•Development of emotional insecurity-
adolescent and adult rebellion against
authority stems from emotional insecurity
which has its origin in unstable affectional
relationship with parents and other
members of family during early childhood
years.
4. Excessive Love and Affection
•Also has psychologically negative effect.
•Sigmund Freud cautioned that too much
parental love and affection awakens a
disposition for neurotic disorders, spoils
the child and makes the individual a
problematic adolescent.
•Strecker (1956) pointed out that excessive
mothering, that is, overprotective mothers
turn their children into immature and
dependent adults.
vs.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Psychological Factors
3.2.2. Emotional Determinants (3/3)
5. Emotional expression
•Refers to how an individual expresses emotion
•If an individual is able to express emotions in a socially approved manner, he/she is judged
favourably. This provides a good mirror image of the self. Such emotional expression produces a
better feeling both physically and mentallybecause homeostasis can be restored.
•Sanctions, i.e., control over the overt expression of emotions is necessary to avoid social disapproval.
However, repression of emotions like anger, fear, jealousy, and envy makes the individual gloomy
and morbid which ultimately produces behaviour like extreme laziness, lack of interest in people,
vacillation of mood etc.
6. Emotional Catharsis
•Refers to release of unexpressed emotions
•Emotional catharsis also contributes to the development of good adjustment. Release of pent up
emotions allows for physical and mental homeostasis to be restored. As a consequence, the person
can judge oneself more realistically.
7. Emotional Stress
•Expressed in the form of anxiety, frustration, jealousy and envy.
•An individual suffering from emotional stress makes good personal and social adjustments.
•However, intense emotional stress may lead to excesses in hope of getting relief. The individual may
resort to overeating or using drugs to dull the intense feeling of insecurity caused by it.
•Women experiencing high emotional stress during menstruation may develop depressive tendencies
•People with low self-esteem are more adversely affected by emotional stress than ones with high
self-esteem

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Psychological Factors
3.2.3. Self-Disclosure
Refers to disclosing information about self to others.
Impact
•It brings about a healthy personality pattern ensuring socially desirable
behaviours
•This results in favourable reactions from others.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Psychological Factors
3.2.4. Aspirations, Achievements and Goals (1/3)
Forms of Aspirations
•Positive aspiration -to
achieve success, vs.
Negative aspiration -
to avoid failure
•Realistic aspiration -
an achievable
aspiration given the
individual’s capacity, vs.
Unrealistic Aspirations
-beyond the
individual’s capacity
•Remote aspirations -a
goal set in the remote
future vs.
•Immediate Aspirations
-a goal in the near
future
Aspirations•Refer to a longing for and striving for something higher than one’s present status.
Aspirations are the ego-involved goals that individuals set for themselves.
•The more ego-involved the aspirations are, greater the impact upon behaviour, and
therefore, greater the impact upon personality.
Impact on Personality
•Discrepancy between the goal an individual met (achievement) and
the goal he/she hoped to meet (aspiration), affects the personality
in terms of the size of the discrepancy.
•When an individual fails to achieve the goals with a large
discrepancy the person’s self-concept is severely damaged. The
individual judges self as failure, even others aware of the failure to
achieve the aspiration judge the person as a failure.
•Research studies indicate that high aspirations are not necessarily
a source of damage to the self-concept. They may be a source of
motivation and pleasure.
•Aspirations may also serve as wishful thinking harmless to
personality, if they remain a form of fun and play.
Motivating Power of Aspiration
•Remote and realistic aspirationsprovide stronger motivation than
immediate and unrealistic ones
•Positive aspirations providing stronger motivation than negative.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Psychological Factors
3.2.4. Aspirations, Achievements and Goals (2/3)
Goal Setting
•Refers to the translation of aspirations into goals, thus helping an individual to interpret one’s
achievements
•Importantbecauseitultimatelydefines success andfailure for an individual
•Achievable but difficult goals act as motivators that lead a person to do well in life
•Unreasonable, impossible to achieve goals mightleavethepersonfeelinglikeafailure.
Achievements
•Achievement can be evaluated in two ways:
−Objectively, by comparing one’s performance with those of one’s peers, and
−subjectively, by comparing one’s achievement with the level of aspiration.
•Success and failure are the two different attitudes of the person towards achievement.
−Success:If a person is pleased with own achievement, the achievement is considered success.
−Failure: If the person is not pleased with own achievement, then it is considered failure.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Psychological Factors
3.2.4. Aspirations, Achievements and Goals (3/3)
Impact of Achievements upon Personality
Direct Impact
•Success has a favourable impact upon the self-concept. Successful people remain satisfied with
themselves and appear to be happy. Achievement raises self-esteem and level of self-confidence, so
that the individual can solve many new problems in the future successfully.
•It is directly related with being realistic about goal setting which indicates that the individual is intelligent
and well-adjusted.
•Achievement ensures that an individual acts appropriately, which has a stabilising impact upon the
behaviour -a successful person tends to be more relaxed than one who feels like a failure
•Early Success
•To achieve success, recognition and prestige earlier than anticipated and earlier than one’s competitors
is a great source of satisfaction.
•However, it may lead to delusions of grandeur and superiority complex which, in the long term, may
counteract favourable social judgement and prove damaging to the self-concept.
•Extraordinary success early in life may weaken an individual’s motivation to do one’s best.
•Failure
•Self concept is adversely affected -Failure is ego-deflating –it undermines self-confidence and self-
esteem.It gradually destroys an individual’s belief regarding capability to achieveand, thus,
weakens the motivation to achieve even those things which are within one’s limits.
•Such persons will feel dissatisfied and miserable
•Severe and repeated failure causes stress, anxiety and tension. It may also lead to psychosomatic
illnesses or a defeatist attitude and intensifies the poor personal and social adjustment.
•Sense of dissatisfaction is intensified by the realisation that competitors have achieved success much
earlier. This impacts the self concept highly unfavourably.
Indirect Impact
•Success increases
the individual’s
prestigein the
eyes of others.
•This enhances
one’s social
acceptance and
strengthens
his/her self-
concept.
•Extraordinary
achievement
might arouse
jealousy and
resentment
amongst those
socially related to
the individual but
somehow less
successful, thus
harming social
relationships.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Environmental Factors
3.3. Environmental Factors
Environmental Determinants of Personality
Social Acceptance
•Factors such as
acceptance in social
groups and social
isolation
Social Deprivation
•Factors such as
deprivation from love
and affection
Educational
Factors
•Factors such as
climate of educational
institutions and
relationship with
teachers
Family
Determinants
•Factors such as
emotional climate of
home, ordinal position
and family size

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Environmental Factors
3.3.1. Social Acceptance (1/2)
•Every individual lives in some social group. This social group judges the individual’s behaviour in
terms of conformity to group expectations regarding proper performance behaviour and
appropriate role playing.
•This social judgement serves as basis for self-evaluation. In this way, the social group influences
the development of self-concept.
Degree of Influence
•Degree of influence of the social group on personality development, that is influence of social
acceptance on behaviour, depends on two conditions:
1.How much security a person has in his/her status in the group (how well accepted the
individual is in the group): If the person feels fully secure in the status, which would make the
person free to act as he/she wishes and will not be greatly influenced by suggestions from others.
•Persons who are widely accepted and liked by the group, are likely to respond in a congenial
and friendly spirit than those who experience hostility, disregard and rejection in the group.
2.What importance he/she attaches to the social acceptance:Likewise, if the person attaches
more value to the social acceptance, he/she will also be more susceptible to be in line with the
group members-more willing to be influenced by the group.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Environmental Factors
3.3.1. Social Acceptance (2/2)
Impact on Personality
•High Social Acceptance
•Individuals are generally more outgoing, more flexible, more active and daring than those
who are only moderately socially accepted or moderately popular.
•Such individuals often fail to establish close relationships with people. They fail to show
emotional warmth which is considered essential to close and intimate personal relationship.
•This sense of aloofness usually comes from a feeling of superiority.
•Social Isolation
•If an individual develops feelings of rejection (due to social isolation) at a time when they want
to be accepted, they might develop the feeling of resentment against those who have
rejected them.
•Such individuals are often depressed, sad and unhappy.
•They may develop sour-grapes attitude towards social activities.
•Such social rejection may lead the persons to become juvenile delinquents or criminals in the
long run.
•Research indicates that:
−if early social experiences of individuals are favourable, they are likely to become social;
−if early social experiences are unfavourable, they are likely to develop an asocial or antisocial
personality.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Environmental Factors
3.3.2. Social Deprivation
•Refers to deprivation of opportunities for various types of social contacts including love and
affection.
•It causes social isolation which has an adverse effect on personality.
Impact of Social Deprivation
•Social deprivation is most damaging for two age groups
−Very young: young children who are deprived of contacts with parents/guardians fail to develop
healthy and normal personality. Their behaviour is socially disapproved and they are also
unfavourably judged by others.
−Elderly: Social deprivation makes elderly people self-bound and selfish, which gradually leads to
unfavourable social and self judgements.
•Social deprivation is far more damaging to people who want and also need social contacts for
happiness than those who are self-sufficient or who voluntarily withdraw.
−For example, when elderly persons voluntarily decide on their own to withdraw from social
activities, they are far happier and relatively well adjusted in comparison to those whose
withdrawal is involuntary.
•If social deprivation is extensive and prolonged, it gradually leads to unhealthy social attitudes
and mental illness.

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Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Environmental Factors
3.3.3. Educational Factors
Educational Institutions
Impact
•The impact is largely determined by the students’
attitude towards schools and colleges, peers, teachers
and the value of education.
•Favourable Attitude: Students usually enjoy their
academic activities, have warm and friendly relations with
teachers and their peers. This has a favourable impact
upon the development of personality by producing a
stronger sense of self-confidence and self-esteem.
•Unfavourable Attitude: has the reverse impact.
•The emotional climate of the educational institution
affects the students’ behavioural patterns such as
motivation, classroom behaviour which affect self-
evaluation and the evaluation others make of them.
Factors determining favourable or unfavourableattitude
towards the institution
•Research indicates that if students are physically and
psychologically readyto enter the school or colleges,
their attitude tend to be far more favourable.
•Attitude is also influenced by emotional climate of the
institution, which affects students’ level of motivation,
classroom behaviour and general emotional reactions.
Student Teacher Relationship
•It is largely dependent upon:
•teacher’s treatment of students,
•students’ attitude towards
particular teachers
•teaching as well as the
disciplinary techniques used by
teachers including the cultural
stereotypes of teachers as a group.
Impact
•The above attitudes affect the
motivation for academic
achievement and quality of student’s
academic work -when students see
that their relationship with the
teacher is warm and friendly, their
achievements are far better than
when they perceive the relationship
as hostile, punitive and rejecting.
•The achievements become the basis
of their self and social evaluation
boosting self-concept by enhancing
self confidence and self esteem.

32. Psychology Super-NotesPsychoTech Services Psychology Learners 32
Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Environmental Factors
3.3.4. Family Determinants (1/3)
The influence of family on personality development is maximal at all ages.
Impact of Family Upon Personality
Direct Impact
•Chiefly through different child-training methods
which are used to mould the personality pattern,
and the communication of interest, attitude
and values between members of the family.
•For example: strict, demanding, punitive and
inhibiting parents/guardians tend to encourage
their children to depend upon external controls
to guide their behaviour.
•As a result, when the children are outside the
direct control of their parents/guardian, they
tend to show impulsiveness in their behaviour.
Indirect Impact
•Through identification with parents, children
develop a personality pattern similar to that of
their parents.
•Research suggests that imitation also causes
development of certain personality pattern.
•For example, living with parents who are
anxious, nervous and lacking sense of humour
produces in the children a sense of nervousness
and frequent outburst of temper.
•Likewise, living with warm, affectionate, loving
and interested parents generally produces
social and gregarious persons. Such persons
develop an interest of welfare and affection for
persons outside home as well.

33. Psychology Super-NotesPsychoTech Services Psychology Learners 33
Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Environmental Factors
3.3.4. Family Determinants (2/3)
Ordinal Position
It refers to the eldest or youngest or middle or 2nd or 3rd child in the family.
•First-Born
−Research indicates that first-borns tend to be more conforming and dependent than later-
borns. They are more affiliative, susceptible to group pressures and introverted.
−Those who achieve greater success than siblings tend to be selfish and self-centered. They show
their feeling of superiority about their achievements by criticising others.
−Despite feelings of superiority, they suffer from a feeling of insecurity which developed when
they were replaced by younger siblings who started getting more of parents’ attention, love and
affection. This feeling is responsible for poor personal and social adjustment of the firstborns.
•Middle/Second Borns
−They are generally less family oriented and more peer oriented.
−From their peer relationships, they develop personality traits which produce better personal and
social adjustment. As a result, they are more popular amongst the peers compared to the first or
last-born.
•Last-Born
−Research indicates that personality-wise last-bornstend to have higher dependency, affiliative
need, lack of self-confidence, lack of frustration tolerance, defiance of authority, etc.
−Comparison to firstborns, they have relatively weak achievement motivation. They are not
pressurised by family members to achieve more, nor are they provided with such opportunities.

34. Psychology Super-NotesPsychoTech Services Psychology Learners 34
Definition and Concept of Personality and Personality Development >> Determinants of Personality >> Environmental Factors
3.3.4. Family Determinants (3/3)
Emotional Climate of Home
•Favourable Climate:the individual will react to personal problems and frustrations calmly, and be
tolerant and cooperative with people.
•Emotional climate of home is full of friction and conflicts: the individual is more likely to develop a
sense of hostility and may often react to people aggressively.
Size of the Family
•Larger Families
−Parents have little time to protect any child, therefore, children learn to be independent and show
maturity in their behaviour at an earlier age
−They encourage certain personality characteristics that may hamper good personal and social
adjustments. For keeping the home environment calm, parents generally adopt authoritarian
method of control, which produces a strong sense of resentment and rebellion among children.
•Small Families
−Parents devote enough time to care and provide proper guidance to each child, this produces
self-confidence, self-assurance and eliminates any feeling of inadequacy which may come
when the child is left to meet the problem alone.
−Due to competition for getting parental attention, affection and approval in small families,
jealousy and envy especially against the firstborns who are perceived to be parents’ favourite,
damages the self-concept of the concerned individual.

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