stems from the Latin word persona, which referred to a theatrical mask worn by performers in order to either project different roles or disguise their identities
personality is made up of the characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that make a person unique. In addition to this, personality arises from within the individual and remains fairly consistent throughout life
“That which permits a prediction of what a person will do in a given situation.” -Raymond B. Cattell, 1950
“The dynamic organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his characteristic behavior and thought.” - Gordon W. Allport, 1961
“The distinctive patterns of behavior (including thoughts and well as ‘affects’, that is, feelings, and emotions and actions) that characterize each individual enduringly.” - Walter Mischel, 1999
“personality refers to individuals’ characteristic patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior, together with the psychological mechanisms — hidden or not — behind those patterns.” - Founder, 2001
“Although no single definition is acceptable to all personality theorists, we can say that personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior.” - Feist and Feist, 2009
Factors that Affect Personality
environment
parenting
culture
genetics
Components of Personality
consistency
generally have regularity and consistency
psychological and physiological
personality is a psychological construct, but researchers suggest that it is also influenced by biological processes and needs
impacts behavior and actions
multiple expressions
personality is expressed in:
behavior
thoughts
feelings
close relationships
other social interactions
Theories on Personality Development
type theories
early perspective on personality
these theories suggested that there are a limited number of “personality types” which are related to biological influences
trait theories
tend to view personality as the result of internal characteristics that are genetically based
psychodynamic theories of personality
heavily influenced by the work of Sigmund Freud and emphasize the influence of the unconscious mind on personality.
theories include:
psychosexual stage theory -
stages of psychosocial development -
behavioral theories
suggest that personality is a result of interaction between the individual and the environment. Study more on the observable and measurable behaviors while ignoring the role of mental thoughts and feelings.
behaviorists include:
B.F. Skinner
John B. Watson
humanist theories
emphasize the importance of free will and individual experience in developing a personality.