PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT 5.1

Personality Development Objectives: What are the four main factors that affect the development of personality? How does isolation in childhood affect development?

Introduction Social scientists refer to: personality: as the sum total of behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and values that are characteristic of an individual Determines: how we adjust to our environment react in specific situations No two individuals have the same personality Each person: own way of interacting with others and with their social environment Own temperament, or emotional nature

Personality Development NATURE VS NUTURE Argument 1: Genetics (heredity)-Nature: transmission of genetic characteristics from parents to children Argument 2: Social environment- contact with other people- Nurture Genetics vs. Environment Nature vs Nurture

Personality Development NATURE ARGUEMENT Much of the nature viewpoint held through the 1800’s states that much of human behavior is instinct Instinct- unchanging, biologically inherited behavior pattern Often applied to animal behavior Humans are driven instinctually to: laugh, motherhood, warfare, religion, capitalism, and even creation of society 1900’s: social scientists claimed to have found over 10,000 human instincts

Personality Development NUTURE ARGUMENT Person’s behavior and personality are the result of his or her social environment and learning Pavlov and his dogs….. Sociobiology: systematic study of the biological basis of all social behavior Argue that most human social life is determined by biological factors Most social scientists assume that personality and social behavior result from a blending of hereditary and social environmental influences

Personality Development Four factors that influence personality and behavior: Heredity—physical traits, aptitudes, inherited characteristics, biological drives, limits Aptitude- capacity to learn a particular skill or acquire a particular body of knowledge Examples: sports, music, drawing etc Environmental factors: how parents responds to their children aptitudes; encourage or discourage or do nothing at all

Personality Development Sets limits on human in individuals- not good at music probably will not become a great musician; five feet tall wont play in the NBA Place limits on what a person can do but does not determine what a person will do

Personality Development 2) Birth Order—personalities are shaped by siblings and the order in which we are born Children have different views of the world as only children 1st born: more achievement oriented and responsible; defender of status quo Latter born: less responsible, tend to be better in social relationships and to be more affectionate and friendly; risk takers and social and intellectual rebels

Personality Development 3.) Parental Characteristics: influenced by parental characteristics, such as age, education, religion, and economic status Parents who have children in their twenties relate differently to parents who have their children in their thirties

Personality Development 4.) Cultural Environment: determines the basic personality types found in a society Culture gives rise to a series of personality traits: model personalities- typical for that society U.S. -competitiveness, assertiveness, and individualism

Personality Development Boys and girls are treated differently at the time of birth Nudged in different directions- clothing, toys, types of play, speech habits Family traditions: Italian, Polish, Chinese etc. and American

Personality Development Isolation in Childhood Raised without the influence of cultural environment Feral children- wild or untamed children- found living with animals Some children isolated in their homes by parents or family members so that no one knew of their existence

Personality Development Isolation in Childhood Both had few human characteristics No reasoning ability, no manners, and no ability to control their bodily functions Isolation can have severe consequences such as developmental disabilities (mental, physical, social, and psychological), malnutrition, and death