Determinants

of Personality-
Biological
Dterminants :Role of
genes and Endocrine
glands
~ by Poorva Grover ,ba hons applied
psychology, 019.
 What is Personality?

When psychologists define personality, they tend to

refer to qualities within persons characteristics of a

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persons behaviour , or both .

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines

personality as “individual differences in characteristic
patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving” (2017).

Walter Mischel wrote, personality consist of “ the

distinctive patterns of behaviour( including thoughts 2

and emotions) that characterize each individual’s

 Endocrine
Glands
• Endocrine glands are glands of the endocrine system that secrete their
products, hormones, directly into the blood rather than through a duct. The
main endocrine glands include the pituitary gland, pancreas, ovaries, testes,
thyroid gland, and adrenal glands.

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• They secrete specific chemical substances called Hormones,which control
some of our behaviours.
• These glands are also called ‘ductless glands’ because they do not have any
duct, to send their secretions to specific places.

• This endocrine system works in conjunction with different parts of the nervous
system . The whole system is thus known as ‘Neuroendocrine system’

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 Hormones are involved in regulating all sorts of bodily
functions, and they are ultimately controlled through
interactions between the hypothalamus (in the central nervous
system) and the pituitary gland (in the endocrine
system). Imbalances in hormones are related to a number of

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disorders.
 Hormones travel throughout the body con­trolling various processes
including metabolism, growth and sexual development. These, in turn,
influence emotionality, vitality and many aspects of human
personality. We shall briefly discuss how the secretion of endocrine
glands influences the shaping and development of human personality .

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 One of the most important endocrine glands is the pituitary gland
which is also known as the master gland because it controls the
secretion of other endocrine glands. Pituitary gland secretes one
hormone which controls the growth of body. Too little of this
hormone makes an individual a dwarf, while over secretion can
produce a giant, influence the concept of self and many aspects of

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our personality. Pituitary Gland releases –Oxytocin which aids
conception and creates feelings of relaxation and calm· Encourages
strong bonding between couples/child and mother.
 The Adrenal gland plays an important role in determining an individual’s mood level of
energy and the ability to cope with stress .Adrenal gland secretes sex hormones .Some of
these sex hormones are estrogens and progestins in females and androgens including
testosterone in males. The estrogens and androgens are almost totally responsible for what
are called primary and secondary sex characteristics. If the secretion of these hormones is
disturbed, normal sexual development would be affected and the individual will develop a
disturbed personality. They may in adulthood become sexual offenders. The fight or flight

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phenomenon, in which a person’s body rapidly prepares them to fight or flee a threatening
situation, is controlled largely by the adrenal glands. During times of immense stress, these
glands release Cortisol. Long-term stress can cause prolonged activation of the fight or flight
phenomenon, leading to chronic stress, mental health problems, and physical ailments.

 Cortisol in particular is increasingly recognized as an important contributor to chronic stress.

When produced in small quantities in response to stress, cortisol can help the body maintain
health and homeostasis. When the body constantly produces cortisol in response to stress,
however, systemic illness may occur. People may also experience chronic anxiety, high blood
pressure, and other health problems. 6
 Thyroid gland is another endocrine gland which secretes a
chemical substance called thyroxin. Too much or too little
of this hormone affects the regulation of metabolism in the
human organism and leads to emotional disturbance and

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intellectual retardation. The disorder that develops due to
endocrine imbalance of thyroid gland is called as
cretinism. Individuals with this disorder have a typical set
of personality characteristics. They have a bland
personality and sluggish thought processes. They are
moderately or severely mentally retarded.

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The gonads secrete sexual hormones, which
are important in reproduction, and mediate
both sexual motivation and behavior.

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The pancreas, lying near the stomach has a
primary role in digestion of food , but it also
secrets a hormone known as insulin.When
insulin is not secreted in proper amount ,
people develop a disease , called diabetes.

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  Located in the upper chest, the thymus gland is a
part of the endocrine system and produces several
hormones. At the same time, it helps boost your
immunity by playing a role in the development of a
special type of white cells called T-cells. The gland

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makes it possible for T-cells to find and attack
foreign bodies without causing any harm to the good
cells
 Parathyroid Hormone is a hormone secreted by the
parathyroid glands. It controls the blood calcium levels
through its actions on the bone, kidney, and intestine. The
excess of parathyroid hormone can cause Hypercalcaemia
whereas the lack of this hormone can cause a medical
condition called Hypoparathyroidism.
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What are endocrine functions?
Hormones can have very extreme and varied consequences, called endocrine functions.
Some of the different areas that hormones influence are:

Melatonin: The sleep-wake cycle

Growth Hormone: Cell growth and restoration

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Stress hormones: (Glucocorticoids, adrenaline/noradrenaline): the fight-or-flight response

Histamine: Inflammation

Thyroxin: Metabolism or the rate at which calories are burnt

ADH: Water and salt intake and output

Oxytocin: Social bonding

Testosterone: Male-stereotypical features, such as hair and muscle growth

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Oestrogen: Female-stereotypical features such as breasts, menstruation

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Facts About the Endocrine System
• The term "hormone" is only about a century old.
• Not all hormones come from the endocrine
system.

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• Dogs were once an important part of endocrine
research.
• Stress kicks the endocrine system into high gear.
• The pancreas bridges two worlds.

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Genetics refers to the study of genes, different human characteristics that
are influenced by genes, and also how the traits are passed down from one
generation to another. Though less discussed, genetics play a significant
role in human personalities and human psychology. The study of
inheritance of physical and psychological characteristics from ancestors is

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referred to as genetics.

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What are genes?
The entire genetic material of an organism with a nucleus in its cells
is distributed over several DNA molecules that are tightly packed
with protecting proteins. These structures are called chromosomes.
There are areas in the chromosomes that do not contain any genes.
These are important for controlling the expression of the genes and

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other functions. These are threadlike paired structures in nucleus of
each cell.

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 Jens Martensson
Theories of personality in genetics

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 The PEN model is a biological theory of
personality developed by influential
psychologist Hans Eysenck .The model
focusses on three broad personality factors:
psychoticism, extraversion and neuroticism

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(PEN).
 According to Cattell, there is a continuum of
personality traits. In other words, each person
contains all of these 16 traits to a certain degree,
but they might be high in some traits and low in
others.
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The following personality trait list describes some of the descriptive terms used for
each of the 16 personality dimensions described by Cattell.

1. Abstractedness: Imaginative versus practical

2. Apprehension: Worried versus confident
3. Dominance: Forceful versus submissive
4. Emotional stability: Calm versus high-strung

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5. Liveliness: Spontaneous versus restrained
6. Openness to change: Flexible versus attached to the familiar
7. Perfectionism: Controlled versus undisciplined
8. Privateness: Discreet versus open
9. Reasoning: Abstract versus concrete
10.Rule-consciousness: Conforming versus non-conforming
11. Self-reliance: Self-sufficient versus dependent
12.Sensitivity: Tender-hearted versus tough-minded
13.Social boldness: Uninhibited versus shy
14.Tension: Inpatient versus relaxed
15.Vigilance: Suspicious versus trusting
16.Warmth: Outgoing versus reserved 17
Trait theory is a model of personality by Gordon Allport
that seeks to identify the basic traits necessary to describe
personality. There are three fundamental categories of the
trait in Allport theory, cardinal, central and secondary.
Cardinal Trait: A cardinal trait he defined as those which
are so dominant that nearly all of the individuals actions

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can be traced back to them.

The personality traits by Paul Costa and Robert

McCrae- such as openness to new experiences,
extroversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness,
and agreeableness. They are often called Big
Five Factors

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Thank You<3