PERSONALITY

DEVELOPMENT
• Introduction

Personality is the sum total of

one’s traits and characteristics. There are other
definitions and most of these fall under one of
two headings. The first is equated to the social
skill. The personality of an individual could be
assessed by the effectiveness with which he
deals with other persons.
 The second considers personality of the
individual to consist of the salient impression
that he creates on others. A person maybe
described as “aggressive personality” or a
“submissive personality”. The person
observing you and your outward
manifestations can immediately describe your
attribute or characteristics based on his
perceptions to the over-all impression.
COMPONENTS OF PERSONALITY
Hereunder are the personality components and traits:
1. Spiritual and moral values. This pertains to
the relationship with God.
2. Psychosocial traits. These traits refer to
the ability to adjust to the society,
dominance-submissiveness, generosity,
good manners, extroversion-introversion
lifestyle.
3. Temperament. This refers to self-control,
emotional maturity and stability, ability to cope
with stress and strain and cool when he feels
irritable, etc.
4. Physical or biological traits and characteristics.
These refer to the general physical attribute,
height, weight, size of the body, color of the hair,
manner of walking, health etc.
5. Capacities. These refer to the mental capacity,
or intelligence, education, expertise, noted
achievement and multiple intelligence like talents
in art, music, etc.
Structure of Personality
According to Birch (1998), personality
consists of three major structures presented by
Freud. These are the id, the ego, and the
superego. Each of the three parts has its own
function, producing a well-balanced and well-
integrated behavior.
 Id. This is the most primitive part of the
personality. It represents all the instinctual drives
such as: sexual, aggressive and those concerned
with the satisfaction of bodily needs. It operates
on the “pleasure principle”. In the new born
baby, all mental processes are id processes.
 Ego. It operates on the “reality principle”
which means gratification of needs are postponed
until the appropriate time and place.
The go is often said to be the “executive” or “manager”
of the personality which attempts to strike a balance
between the realities of the outside world and the
irrational, self-seeking drives of the id.
It does not concern with what is “right” or “bad”.
 Superego. This is equivalent to conscience. Its
represents the individual’s own internal framework of
what is “right” and “wrong” as represented by the moral
sanctions and inhibitions which exist in the surrounding
culture.
The superego merges around age 4 to 6.
THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
1. Physique (Body Types). This is a bodily
constitution, health and vigor, associated with
temperament.
a. Kretschemer’s classification
1. Asthenic. A person is described as tall, thin
body associated with schizophrenia or schizothyme
temperament, a mental disorder, characterized by
splitting of personality dissociation, emotional
deterioration, and out of ideational content.
2. Pyknic. He is described as short, fat body
with cyclothymic temperament, a mild manic-
depressive psychosis involving recurring
cycles of exhilaration and depression.
3. Dysplastic. A bodily defective and
handicapped person.
4. Normal. There is only mild form of asthenic
and pyknic characteristics and bodies and
temperaments are appropriate and accepted
as normal by the majority.
b. Sheldon’s classification
1. Endomorphic (endomorph). This person is
characterized by prominence of the intestines and visceral
organs around the body, but weak muscles and bones.
2. Mesomorphic (mesomorph). He is an athletic type of
person with strong and rippling muscles, broad shouldered
and narrow-hipped.
3. Ectomorphic (ectomorph). He could be described as
tall, thin, and stoop-shouldered, with delicate skin, fare hair
and sensitive nervous system.
2. Temperament Types (Physiology: type
based on the body chemistry and
endocrine balance).
a. Sheldon’s Temperament are:
1. Viscerotonic. This is characterized by
predominantly endomorphic, loves to eat,
seeks bodily comfort, sociable, relaxed in
posture and movement, and slow in
reactions.
2. Sonatotonic. He is described as
predominantly mesomorph, energetic,
likes exercise, direct in his manners and
loves competitive aggressiveness.
3. Cerebrotonic. He is predominantly
described as ectomorphic, sensitive and
emotional, worries much, does not like
groups and loves solitude.
b. Greek classification is usually attributed to
Hipprates.
Temperament is dependent upon the predominant
body fluid.
1. Sanguine – is described as warm-hearted,
pleasant, quick to react, balanced emotional
excitement. Predominant body fluid is blood.
2. Melancholic – he suffers from depression and
sadness, unpleasant, calm emotion. Predominant
body fluid is black bile.
3. Choleric – is described as easily gets
angry and quick to react, irritable, easily
excited emotionally. Predominant body
fluid is the yellow bile.
4. Phlegmatic – listless, slow, apathetic,
clam, emotionally, weak. Permanent body
fluid is the phlegm.
3. Behavior: Psychological Types (These are Jung’s
theories)
1. Introvert. He is a person who prefers to be alone,
loner, shy, withdrawn, but may be a leader in a
discussion if his level of intelligence is high.
2. Extrovert. He is a person who tends to be very
sociable, egocentric, emotional, orthodox, outgoing,
well dressed and who prefers to work that deals with
people like sales representatives.
3. Ambivert. This is a normal type of person who is
in-between the two extremes of introversion and
extroversion.
 DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONALITY
• In the course of the development the children pass through
a series of stages according to freud. During each stages
satisfaction is gained as the libido (or sexual energy ) is
directed towards a different part of the body . He referred
to as sexual instincts which means Physical pleasurable for
children . In the later development ,each stage entails
problems to be overcome .If there is a failure to negotiate
satisfactorily a particular stage results in fixation or halting of
development at that stage .Fixation causes the individual to
retain some of the characteristics of that stage in later life
and in severe cases result in neuroses in adult life.
 FREUD’S PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGE
1.ORAL STAGE (BIRTH TO 1 YEAR) – The id is dominant . libidinal energy is centered on the
mouth and the children gains satisfaction from sucking and biting .Freud proposed that:
1.1 T HE ORAL STAGE CAN BE SUBDIVIDED INTO THE :
• Passive;
• Receptive;
• Sucking sub phase of the earlier months ; and
• The later stage , active aggressive ,biting sub phase

1.2 Fixation may be caused either by the over indulgence or the frustraction of child’s
oral needs.

A child whose oral needs are not satisfied with exhibit fixation in the later life in the form of
addictions ,such as: smoking ,gluttony or alcoholism , nail biting ,excessive use of sarcasm.
• 2 Anal Stage (second year of life)
• This stage focuses on pleasurable sensations experienced in the mucous
membranes of the rectum. The child starts to control some bodily functions
like gaining satisfaction from expelling and withdrawing faeces .
• He can please his parents by being “clean” or can thwart them by making
a mess . Significant “EVENT” in the child’s life in the parents efforts to impose
toilet training.
• Fixation at the anal stage may result to a personalitthy that is exceedingly
with cleanliness and orderliness
 3 .PHALLIC STAGE
• In this stage, the libidinal energy centers on the genitals and
feeling become overtly sexual. Describing first the sequence of
the events for the male child,freud defined important issues
arising from the Oedipus Complex
The boys fantasies include wishes for sexual intimacy with his mother.He envies
his father intimacyrelationship with his mother and fears punishment in the form
of castraction for his forbidden wishes .The Oedipus complex is resolved when
the child indentifies with his father in order to appease him and to become like
him in as many ways as possible.
In the ELECTRA COMPLEX there is a girl identification with her mother the
former believing herself to be already castrated dince does not possess a
penis suffers a penis envy. This leadsher to seeka strong love attachment to her
father the possessor of a penis and finally to identify with her mother in order to
become like her mother according to freud as cited by birch.
 4 LATENCY PERIOD
• This stage ,which is characterized by calmness,
following the turmoil of the phallic stage.during
this time the libido is submerged and does not
center upon any bodily area .it is a time of
ego department ,particularly in relation to
social and intellectual skills.
 5.GENITAL STAGE

• There is a renewed interest in sexual pleasure

and all previous sexual drives .Associated with
particular regions of the body which come
together in an integrated set of adult attitudes
and feelings ,since the hormonal changes now
stimulate re- emergence of the libido.
 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

• The progress in and insistence on quality of

education,coupled with rapid strides in spread
of knowledge call for equally development
and able recipients.thus a definite need is felt
for well developed personality and character
in our life.
 FIVE DIMENTIONS ARE INVOLVED IN
FORMING THE HUMAN PERSONALITY
• 1 PHYSICAL SELF
• Relates to our senses.proper nourishment and growth of physical faculties in
essential by way of balanced diet, recreation ,music and care and concern
from near and dear ones.

• 2 ENERGY SELF
• Relates to metabolism and the gross manifestations of energy (prana),e.g act
of breathing.The control pf prana is achieved by control an anger ,anxiety and
restlessness.
• 3 INTELLECTUAL SELF
• Pertains to discrimination power and knowledge or the cognitive domain.

• 4 MENTAL SELF
• Is related to stress and psychology ,selflessness and control ,concertration
and calmness and mind plays essential role.

• 5 ANANDAMAYA KOSHA OR BLISSFUL SELF

• Is the function of state of being it calls for remaining calm and unaffected
,nay for remaining happy ,in all the frivolities or world,in all neck –breaking
competition and struggle,failure and success.