So, what is personality? The word personality comes from the Latin root persona, meaning "mask." According to this root, personality is the impression we make on others; the mask we present to the world. ...
For purposes of our study, well define personality as "a unique set of traits and characteristics, relatively stable over time." Clearly, personality is unique insofar as each of us has our own personality, different from any other persons. Our definition further suggests that personality does not change from day to day. ... However, our definition does not suggest that personality is somehow rigid, unchangeable, and cast in concrete. Our definition recognizes that, over a longer term, personality may change
To examine whether this change is indeed consistent with most peoples reality, we ought to examine "where personality comes from"; what are the origins of personality?
The origins of Personality
For psychologists studying the development of personality, "nature vs. ... Today most psychologists would concede both nature and nurture are necessary for personality development. ...
One way to determine how genetics and environment affect personality is to turn to the study of behavior genetics. ... In such studies, researchers have found that genetic differences can account for 40 to 50 percent of differences in personality traits, while environmental influences account for about 30 percent of differences in personality traits. ... The home environment -- parents and siblings (and perhaps others in an extended family) -- plays a role in determining personality. Influences from outside the family are also important to the development of personality. ...
Genes may not directly influence personality traits, but genes do govern the development of our nervous and endocrine systems. Hence, to the extent that body chemistry affects our behavior, we can argue that genetics influences personality.
Can Personality Measured? ... What about personality? Unfortunately, we cannot directly "measure" personality. ... As students of human behavior, we are then left to infer personality from the behaviors it manifests. ... These tests are designed to draw conclusions about personality from observed behaviors. For example, conclusions about personality traits and characteristics may be based on how people interpret ambiguous situations. ... The assumption is that, because the inkblots have no particular meaning, anything an individual says about them is shaped by their personality; they "project" elements of their personality onto what they see.
Personality is an individual difference that lends consistency to a person’s behavior. The variables influencing behavior include heredity, personality, perception, attribution, attitudes, values, and ethics. ... Personality Theories
The four major theories of personality are listed in order of their time frame of study, with trait theory research rare in todays literature. ... Integrative Approach
The Integrative approach describes personality as a composite of an individuals psychological processes. ... Personality Characteristics in Organizations
Hundreds of personality characteristics have been identified that are relevant to personality. ... Strong situational cues lead us to assume that a persons behavior is prompted by the situation rather than his/her own personality. ... Barriers to Social Perception
There are five distinct barriers to social perception, which are: selective perception, stereotyping, first-impression error, implicit personality theories, and self-fulfilling prophecies. ... Finally, implicit personality theory clouds our judgment of perception by extrapolating our mini-theories of others behavior to opinions about specific individuals. ... Important individual differences include personality characteristics, social perceptions and attributions of causality. ... Define personality, and describe its origins.
Personality is a relatively stable set of characteristics that influences an individuals behavior. Family influences, cultural influences, educational influences, and environmental forces all shape personality. ... Describe four theories of personality and what each contributes to our knowledge of personality.
The four theories of personality are trait theory, psychodynamic theory, humanistic theory, and the integrative theory.
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