Personality Development

Introduction

Definition of Personality

Personality is a widely used word and a variety of

meanings are attached to it. According to Allport (1937)

there are at least fifty different meanings of the term.

He indicates that “Personality” came originally from

the Latin word “Persona”. Allport also reports that

“personality” is used in at least four distinct senses

in the writings of Cicero. First, personality is regarded

as an assemblage of personal qualities. In this sense

personality belongs to the actor. Second, personality

is regarded as the way a person appears to others. In

this sense personality pertains to the mask. Third,

personality represents the role a person plays in life;

a professional, social, or political role such as

characters in drama. Finally personality refers to

qualities of distinction and dignity. It pertains to the

star performer.

There are several definitions of personality. Allport

(1937) classified these definitions in six categories.

Out of these three important and popular definitions

are given below:

Personality as a Social Value

Allport (1924) defined “personality as, individual’s

characteristic reaction to social stimuli and the quality

of his adaptation to the social features of his

environment.”

According to Guthrie, “Personality is defined as those

habits and habit systems of social importance that are

stable and resistant to change.”

Stranger (1961) has indicated two meanings of

personality related to social values:

i) Personality as Stimulus value — This indicates

that personality is the impact or impression of a

person or personality over other person or persons,

or how a person impresses the other in society.

If a person impresses other persons fast and easily

then his personality is considered impressive. It

is well observed in daily life that if a person who

has higher stimulus value or who impresses and

attracts us easily, we often say that he/she has

a nice personality. But this idea regarding

personality is not scientific, because the views of

different persons are quite different.

ii) Personality as a Response — Observing the

limitation in the description of personality as a

stimulus, personality was defined as response.

Personality as a response has two definitions as

indicated by Guthrie and Allport. The benefit of

defining personality in this way is that the study

of personality becomes possible from an external

stand point. This type of definition is also

incomplete because personality represents not only

a group of responses but it has stimulus value

too.

Personality as an Intervening Variable

Allport (1937) defined personality as an intervening

variable. According to him, “Personality is the dynamic

organization within the individual of those

psychophysical systems that determine his unique

adjustment to his environment”.

According to Munn, (1953), Personality may be defined

as the most characteristic integration of individual’s

structures, modes of behaviour, interest, attitudes,

capacities, abilities and aptitudes.

Traits of Personality

Crutch and Cretchfied (1958) defined trait as a specific

quality of a person by which he/she behaves evenly

in all situations. The personality may be known by the

act of comparison and by the act of observation. A

person is observed to react promptly or vigorously or

accurately or in all of these ways. These are the

properties which are obstructions that come by way of

analysis form totalities, the aspects or properties that

we have just been considering are “traits”. There are

behaviour traits as well as somatic traits.

Allport defined personality traits on the following eight

criteria:

i) The existence of traits is more than negligible. (ii)

Traits are more generalized as compared with

habits. (iii) Traits are dynamic or at least

determinative. (iv) Their existence can be

established on the statistical and experiential basis.

(v) The various traits of personality are independent

of each other. (vi) Psychologically moral qualities

are not personality traits (vii) the tasks and habits

which are not according to or favourable to traits

do not give proof of the existence of traits. (viii)

Traits are unique and universal.

Allport, on the basis of a large scale analysis of human

traits, proposed a trait theory of personality. Some of

the conclusions regarding traits are as follows:

1) Personality traits can help selecting appropriate

behaviour or obstruct behaviours.

2) Direct observation of traits is not possible but

inference regarding them is possible.

3) Habits do not determine traits but traits determine

the development of a new habit.

4) Traits guide and initiate behaviour.

5) According to Allport, some important traits are:

punctuality, aggressiveness, cheerfulness,

competitiveness, fancifulness, gregariousness and

vigour.

6) The level of adjustment of normal persons can be

compared with the help of common traits.

7) Allport named the group of traits as a syndrome.

8) Allport classified all traits in three major groups:

i) Cardinal Traits: These type of traits are more

effective and perform the important functions of

control of emotions. They are small in number.

ii) Central Traits: These traits contribute to the

focus of person’s behaviour. They are often

considered as building blocks of personality.

iii) Secondary Traits: These traits are individual

traits and common traits. The individual traits

are considered as true symptoms. The common

traits are found in many persons. They provide

basis for the measurement of many individual

traits.

R.B. Cattell conducted a number of studies in the

field of individual traits. Cattell observed that the

study of total 171 traits is necessary for the study of

personality.