Personality

Personality is a unique set of traits and characteristics, relatively stable over time.
Clearly, personality is unique so far as each of us has our own personality, different
from any other person's. Personality does not change from day to day. Over the short-
term, our personalities are relatively set or stable. However, personality is somehow
rigid, unchangeable, and cast in concrete. But over a longer term, personality may
change.

“Personality is a pattern of stable states and characteristics of a person that

influences his behaviour towards goal achievement. Each person has
unique ways of protecting these states”.

“Personality is the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and

interacts with others. This is most often described in terms of measurable
personality traits that a person exhibits”.

In the words of Fred Luthans “ Personality means how a person affects

others and how he understands and views himself as well as the pattern of
 DETERMINANTS OF PERSONALITY

Several factors influence the shaping of our personality. Major factors

are categorized as:
• Cultural factors,
• Family and social factors,
• Situational Factors,
• Biological Factors.

Cultural factors: The culture and the values we are surrounded by

significantly tend to shape our personal values and inclination. Thus,
people born in different cultures tend to develop different types of
personalities which in turn significantly influence their behaviours.

For example, we have seen that people in Gujarat are more

enterprising than people from other states, Punjabees are more
diligent and hardworking, people from Bengal are more creative and
with an intellectual bend and the likes.
 DETERMINANTS OF PERSONALITY

Family and social factors: The socio-economic status of the family, the
number of children in the family and birth order, and the background
and education of the parents and extended members of the family
such as uncles and aunts, influence the shaping of personality to a
considerable extent.

First-borns usually have different experiences, during childhood than

those born later; Members in the family mould the character of all
children, almost from birth, in several ways -by expressing and
expecting their children to conform to their own values, through role
modeling, and through various reinforcement strategies such as
rewards and punishments which are judiciously dispensed.
 DETERMINANTS OF PERSONALITY

Categorically two types of processes are used:

Socialization Process: The contribution of family and social group in

combination with the culture is known as socialization. It initially starts
with the contact with the mother and later on the other members of
the family. Social groups plays influential role in shaping an individual’s
personality.

Identification Process: Identification starts when a person begins to

identify himself with some other family members. A child tries to
behave as father or mother. He tries to emulate certain actions of his
parents.
 DETERMINANTS OF PERSONALITY

c) Situational Factors: The effect of environment is quite strong.

Knowledge, skill and language are acquired and represent important
modifications of the behaviour. Learned modifications in behaviour are
not passed on to the children, they must be acquired by them through
their own personal experience, through interaction with the
environment.

d) Biological Factors: These are categorized into three broad heads:

i) Physical Features: Physical stature is the most important factor that

contributes to personality. An individual’s external appearance is
proved to be having a tremendous effect on his personality. For
example, the fact a person as short or tall, fat or skinny, handsome or
ugly, black or whitish will undoubtedly influence the person’s effect on
others and thus will affect the self concept.
 DETERMINANTS OF PERSONALITY

Biological Factors:
ii) Brain: It is another biological factor which influences the
personality. It is well accepted that better understanding of human
personality and behaviour might come from the study of brain.

iii) Heredity: Certain characteristics primarily physical in nature are

inherited from one’s parents, transmitted by genes in the
chromosomes contributed by each parent. The importance of heredity
varies from one person to another. For instance, heredity is generally
more important in determining a person’s temperament than values
and ideas.
 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY

Trait Theory

A personality trait can be defined as

“An enduring attribute of a person that appears constantly in variety
of situations”.
i. Individual can be described in terms of traits such as affiliation,
achievement, anxiety, aggression and dependency.
ii. Trait distinguishes one personality from another.
iii. The traits and the amount of each trait that a person has is
assumed to be stable fairly and the differences in personality and
behavior between two individuals is assumed to be the result of
the differences in the amount of each that each person has.
 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
Trait Theory
Also Norman provided the different objective pairs of words for the
same kind of traits.

Descriptive objective pairs for trait dimension

Trait Dimension Descriptive Objective Pairs

Extroversion Talkative- silent, Open- Secretive, Adventures- Cautious

Good natured – Irritable, Gentle – Headstrong, Cooperative -

Agreeableness
Negativist
Tidy – Careless, Responsible – Undependable, Preserving –
Conscientiousness
Quitting
Calm – Anxious, Poised – Nervous, Artistically sensitive –
Emotional Stability
insensitive

Culture Refined – Boorish, Intellectual - Unreflective.

 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
Freud Psychoanalytic Theory
Psychoanalytic theory is based on the notion that man is motivated
more by unforeseen forces than he is controlled by conscious rational
thought. Freud contributed significantly towards the understanding of
human behaviour through his concept of unconsciousness.
According to Freud, human mind is composed of three elements
The Pre-conscious element: The items in the mind that can be
recognized only through Freud association method are pre-conscious.
The Conscious element: The conscious element is concerned with
thoughts, feelings, beliefs and desires that we can learn about
ourselves through introspection.
The Unconscious element: The unconscious element is basically
concerned with ideas with ideas and wishes that cannot be learned
through introspection but can be determined from hypnotism, dreams
and Freudian Therapecific Techniques.
 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
Freud Psychoanalytic Theory
According to Freud, the conscious is guided by a reasoned reality
principle and the unconscious is guided by the famous hedonist
principle of pleasure. Clinical techniques were used primarily to
develop psychoanalytic theory. Freud noted that his patients’
behavious could not always be conscious in nature.

Freud developed an organization of personality consisting of three

structures within the human mind though interrelated but often
conflicting – the id, the ego and the super ego. These parts of the mind
are primarily responsible for originating human actions and reactions,
modifications.
 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
Freud Psychoanalytic Theory
Id : Id is the original and the most basic system of human personality .
It consists of everything psychologically that is inherited and present at
the time of birth.
At the base of the Freudian theory lies the id that is primitive,
instinctual and governed by the principles of greed and pleasure.
Id represents a store house of all instincts, containing in its dark depths
all wishes, desires and unconsciously directs and determines our
behaviour.
Id is the foundation upon which all other parts of the personality are
erected.
 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
Freud Psychoanalytic Theory
Ego: As an individual learns to separate the unreality from reality in
childhood, the ego develops.
 The ego is the reality oriented part in thinking; it is largely practical
and works in an executive capacity.
 Ego is rational and logical and is in essence it is the conscious
mediator between the realities of the world and the id’s demand.
 It constantly works to keep a healthy psychological balance
between id’s impulsive demands and super ego’s restrictive guidance.
 Ego regulates and integrates the inner motives and conflicting
demands, defends the person by using defence mechanisms that
enables a person to adjust to the reality principle viz., tolerance of
tension, expectation of punishment, awareness of things and
associated inhibitions of actions.
 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
Freud Psychoanalytic Theory
The most important characteristics of ego is that it has the ability to
distinguish between mental images and actual sources of tension
release, and it responds to the real sources of tension reduction. If the
ego succeeds, the individual is content, otherwise he will be
dissatisfied and have a mental stress, ambivalence and burn out.

Super ego: It represents noblest thoughts, ideals, feelings that are

acquired by a person from his parents, teachers, friends, religion,
organization and colleagues etc. As a child grows and absorbs parental
and cultural attitudes and values, he develops a super ego.
It is also labeled as ‘ego-ideal’ that tells the individual what is
acceptable.
The primary concern of super ego is to determine whether the action
proposed by ego is right or wrong so that the individual acts in
accordance with the values and standards of the society.
If people violate the prohibitions of super ego they may feel guilty.
 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
Sheldon’s Physiognomy Theory
William Sheldon presented a unique body type temperamental model that
represents a link between anatomical psychological traits and characteristic of an
individual with his behaviour.
Sheldon identified some relationship between the physique types of individuals and
their personality temperaments. He identifies three body types:
•Endomorph body type: He is bulky and beloved. Sheldon contends the
endomorph to be rather fat, thick in proportion to his height. His personality
temperament is viscertonic i.e., the person seeks comfort, loves fine food, eats too
much, jovial, affectionate and liked by all persons.
•Mesomorph body type: He is basically strong, athletic and tough. His physique
is appreciated by all. In fact it is this personality all other “Morphs” wish for.
According to Sheldon he is fond of muscular activity. He tends to be highly
aggressive, and self assertive. He can run faster, smile brighter, and beats alone the
other two morphs together.
•Ectomorph body type: These people are thin, long and poorly developed
physically. Though physically weak, he leads the league in the intellectual
department. His temperament is restraint, and avoidance of social contacts etc. He
is labeled as absent minded shy, but brilliant university professor stereotype.
 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
Adler and Jung Theory (Psychoanalytic Neo-Freudian Theory)
Major postulates of Alfred Alder theory are:
 Adler emphasized the thrust for superiority as a drive which motivate the individual.
 He developed the concept of compensation and the inferiority complex.
 Individuals who are weak in one area of work tend to excel in another area of work.
 He stress on individual uniqueness, style of life and the creative self.
 Alder stressed social relationships instead of innate or biological factors. Humans
are motivated by social interest.
 He takes social context into account
 Person first born in the family are privileged until dethroned
 Person born second develops in the shadow of 1st Born, this leads to inferiority &
restlessness
 Youngest person in the family are pampered and dependent
 The only child in the family tends to be a higher intellect, timid, passive &
withdrawn
 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
Adler and Jung Theory (Psychoanalytic Neo-Freudian Theory)
Carl Jung developed analytical psychology stressing the unconscious aspect of
psychoanalysis. He postulated the collective unconsciousness. According to him,
 Personality is based on predisposing patterns borrowed by the individual from
his ancestors.
 His collective unconscious extends back through previous generations to the
dawn of history. A collective unconscious is represented by universal
archetypes. Two forms of unconscious mind are:
• Personal unconscious is unique for each person
• Collective unconscious consists of primitive images and ideas that are
universal for humans
 It is his notion of heredity transference of acquired features which is the least
acceptable to modern theorists.
 Jung asserted that the operation of an individual’s is not bound to the past but
could effectively build his future.
 He was a dynamic optimist.
 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
Adler and Jung Theory (Psychoanalytic Neo-Freudian Theory)
Carl Jung developed analytical psychology stressing the unconscious aspect of
psychoanalysis. He postulated the collective unconsciousness. According to him,
 Personality is based on predisposing patterns borrowed by the individual from
his ancestors.
 His collective unconscious extends back through previous generations to the
dawn of history. A collective unconscious is represented by universal
archetypes. Two forms of unconscious mind are:
• Personal unconscious is unique for each person
• Collective unconscious consists of primitive images and ideas that are
universal for humans
 It is his notion of heredity transference of acquired features which is the least
acceptable to modern theorists.
 Jung asserted that the operation of an individual’s is not bound to the past but
could effectively build his future.
 He was a dynamic optimist.
 Psychodynamic Theories
The Personality Theory of Carl Jung
Carl Jung created eight distinct personality types.
These orientations are the pairing of
Two attitudes: Introversion and Extroversion, and
Four functions: Thinking, Feeling, Sensing & Intuition.
Jung’s Introversion and Extroversion Attitudes
An attitude, according to Jung, is a person’s predisposition to behave in a particular
way. There are two opposing attitudes: introversion and extroversion. The two
attitudes work as opposing, yet complementary forces.
The Introvert is most aware of his or her inner world and is characterized by inward
movement of psychic energy. While the external world is still perceived. The
introverted attitude is more concerned with subjective appraisal and often gives more
consideration to fantasies and dreams.
The Extrovert, by contrast, is characterized by the outward movement of psychic
energy. This attitude places more importance on objectivity and gains more influence
from the surrounding environment than by inner cognitive processes.
Clearly, it is not a case of one versus the other. Many people carry qualities of both
attitudes, considering both subjective and objective information.
 Psychodynamic Theories
The Personality Theory of Carl Jung
Jung’s Four Functions of Personality
For Carl Jung, there were four functions that, when combined with one of his two
attitudes, formed the eight different personality types.
The first function — Thinking — allows a person to understand the meanings of
things. This process relies on logic and careful mental activity.
Another function —Feeling — is the method by which a person understands the
value of conscious activity.
The final two functions — Sensation and Intuition — may seem very similar, but
there is an important distinction.
Sensation refers to the means by which a person knows something exists and
intuition is knowing about something without conscious understanding of where that
knowledge comes from.
The Eight Personality Types Defined by Carl Jung
Extroverted Thinking, Introverted Thinking , Extroverted Feeling, Introverted
Feeling , Extroverted Sensing, Introverted Sensing, Extroverted Intuitive ,
Introverted Intuitive
 Psychodynamic Theories
The Personality Theory of Carl Jung
Jung's Eight personality types are as follows:
Extroverted Thinking – Jung theorized that people understand the world through a
mix of concrete ideas and abstract or conceptual ones, but the abstract concepts are
ones, which passed down from other people. Extroverted thinkers are often found
working in the research sciences and mathematics.
Introverted Thinking – These individuals interpret stimuli in the environment
through a subjective and creative way. The interpretations are informed by internal
knowledge and understanding. Philosophers and theoretical scientists are often
introverted thinking-oriented people.
Extroverted Feeling – These people judge the value of things based on objective
fact. Comfortable in social situations, they form their opinions based on socially
accepted values and majority beliefs. They are often found working in business and
politics.
Introverted Feeling – These people make judgments based on subjective ideas and
on internally established beliefs. Oftentimes they ignore prevailing attitudes and defy
social norms of thinking. Introverted feeling people thrive in careers as art critics.
 Psychodynamic Theories
The Personality Theory of Carl Jung
Jung's Eight personality types are as follows:
Extroverted Sensing – These people perceive the world as it really exists. Their
perceptions are not colored by any pre-existing beliefs. Jobs that require objective
review, like wine tasters and proofreaders, are best filled by extroverted sensing people.
Introverted Sensing – These individuals interpret the world through the lens of
subjective attitudes and rarely see something for only what it is. They make sense of
the environment by giving it meaning based on internal reflection. Introverted sensing
people often turn to various arts, including portrait painting and classical music.
Extroverted Intuitive – These people prefer to understand the meanings of things
through perceived objective fact rather than incoming sensory information. They rely
on guesses and often disregard what they perceive directly from their senses.
Inventors and some religious reformers are characterized by the extroverted intuitive.
Introverted Intuitive – These individuals are profoundly influenced by their internal
motivations even though they do not completely understand them. They find
meaning through unconscious, subjective ideas about the world. Introverted intuitive
people comprise a significant portion of spiritual, strange artists, and religious
fanatics (activists or militants).
 Types of Personality
The Personality Theory of Carl Jung
All possible permutations of preferences in the 4 dichotomies yield 16 different
combinations, or personality types, representing which of the two poles in each of
the four dichotomies dominates in a person, thus defining 16 different personality
types. Each personality type can be assigned a 4 letter acronym of corresponding
combination of preferences.
The 16 personality types are formed as :
The first letter in the personality type acronym corresponds to the first letter of the
preference of general attitude - “E” for extraversion and “I” for introversion.
The second letter in the personality type acronym corresponds to the preference
within the sensing-intuition dimension: “S” for sensing and “N” for intuition.
The third letter in the personality type acronym corresponds to preference within
the thinking-feeling pair: “T” for thinking and “F” for feeling.
The forth letter in the personality type acronym corresponds a person’s preference
within the judging-perceiving pair: “J” for judging and “P” for perception.
For example:
ISTJ stands for Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging
ENFP stands for Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving
Types of Personality