Determinants of Personality

What determines your personality? Is your personality inherited from your family or something
that evolved over the years as you encountered many psychological changes and events that
transformed you? Psychologists say that our personality is mainly a result of four major
determinants, i.e. Physical (Biological/Hereditary), Social (the community you are brought up in
and your role in the community), Psychological (your behaviour, emotions and inner thought
patterns) and Intellectual (your values and beliefs). These determinants of personality further
also include various cultural, situational and environmental factors that you might come across
in life. Let’s further understand the meaning of personality, its types, determinants,
characteristics, nature, perception and more!

Related Read: Introduction to Motivational Theories

THIS BLOG INCLUDES:

1. What are the Major Determinants of Personality?

2. Physical Determinants of Personality
3. Psychological Determinants of Personality
4. Cultural Determinants of Personality
5. Family Factors
6. Social Determinants of Personality
7. Situational Factors
8. Intellectual Determinants of Personality
9. The Meaning of Personality
10. Types of Personality
11. Personality Characteristics
12. Factors Influencing Perception
13. Determinants of Personality PPT
 14. Determinants of Personality: How Psychometric Tests Help?
15. FAQs

What are the Major Determinants of Personality?

There are four major determinants of personality:

● Biological/Physical Determinants: Hereditary and physical features

● Social Determinants: Sociological aspects related to the community and his/her role in
the community
● Psychological Determinants: Behaviour, emotions, sentiments, thought patterns and
complexes of an individual
● Intellectual Determinants: Values, Humour, Morality, etc.
Other determinants of personality include cultural, situational, environmental factors, etc.

Click here to download the Determinants of Personality PDFDownload

Physical Determinants of Personality

Biological traits are the foremost parameter that reflects various factors of one’s personality.
Being the essential determinant of personality, it incorporates a majority of other factors as well
which bring out the various insights about an individual. Some important constituents under the
physical determinants of personality are:

● Hereditary: The features that can be determined from the time of conception are
generally put under hereditary. Sex, physical stature, temperament, muscle composition,
facial features, height etc are the characteristics that one usually inherits from parents.
Thus, through the hereditary approach, it is evident that the genes located in
chromosomes are the ultimate explanation of personality.
● Physical Features: Physical appearance is also amongst the integral determinants of
personality. How one appears physically actually plays an important role in how they are
perceived by others. Whether one is short, tall, slim, fat, black or white will obviously have
an impression on others and this will have an influence on the self-conception of the
individual. Physical characters include but are not limited to height, skin tone, weight,
hair color, and beauty.

Check Out: Best Psychology Books

Psychological Determinants of Personality

Considering a personality as a particular style pertaining to each individual, the psychological

approach is amongst the major determinants of personality. This specific style which is
different for each individual actually gets determined through the accumulative characteristics
of mental trends, emotions, sentiments, thought patterns and complexes. Further, it also studies
an individual’s mental conflicts, wishes, aspirations, feelings of repression, sublimation and
emotional well-being.

Branches of PsychologyPsychology Courses

Cultural Determinants of Personality

Just as we are born with biological determinants, cultural determinants of personality are the
ones with which we grow up with. The ritual and norms in the family, the early conditioning, the
way we are raised up, the social group in which we hang out are the factors that have an
impactful emphasis on our personality formation. Each culture trains and expects its members
to behave and breathe in a way that is acceptable by society. Hence, factors like aggression,
independence, cooperation and competition are major cultural contributors to personality
determination. Thus, it is quite evident to filter out the individuals brought up in the western part
of the world from the citizens of our country as the cultures we have been brought up with are
poles apart.

Related Read: Career in Community Psychology

Family Factors

The most significant out of the different determinants of personality is that of familial. The
environment at home blended with the direct influence of the parents is the major contributors
to the traits that build our personality. A critical impact is driven by the family especially in the
early and naive age. For example, a child brought up in a violent household will be quite different
and emotionally and socially timid and cold as compared to a child reared in a warm, adjusting
and healthy environment.
Let us understand the importance of parents and family as crucial determinants of personality
with the help of the American-Australian Psychologist Walter Mischel’s theory:

● Identification can be done by observing the similarity of the behaviour like feelings and
attitude between the child and their parents.
● Identification can be viewed as the child’s desire and aspiration to be like their parents.
● It can be looked as the method through which the child actually takes on the attributes of
the personality from their parents.

Want Free Career Counselling? Click Here!

Social Determinants of Personality

The social determinants analyse a personality as per the status of the individual in their social
group or community and consider the individual’s conception of their role in the group is like.
The key factor that this approach weighs in is what others perceive us as plays a greater role in
the formation of our personality.

The era has seen the widespread emergence of communication tools, especially through social
media. Social media influencers hold an authoritative power to influence the masses around the
globe. Hence, anyone’s personality is majorly persuaded by the social lives they lead and are a
part of. Through socializing, be it virtual or real, one encounters a plethora of other individuals
which some way or the other leave a mark on our personalities. The process starts as soon as
we step into the real world from the playschool we go to peers and friends, amongst others. Our
social life is one of the essential determinants of personality and that’s why we are always
advised to choose our social circle wisely.

Advantages of Social MediaScope of Sociology as a Career

Situational Factors

In our discussion of various determinants of personality, a vital mention should go to the

situational category. It would not be difficult for you to relate to the fact that we as humans,
react differently to distinct situations. Although, it would not be correct to say that situational
factors determine an individual’s personality in the most correct manner but it surely reflects
how a person’s behaviour is and how they react in a given situation. The traits shown through
situational factors usually vary a lot as different people exhibit different situational personality
traits. For Example: You may behave differently in front of your boss in the office than at a club
with your friends.

According to Milgram, “Situation exerts an important press on the individual. It exercises

constraints and may provide a push. In certain circumstances, it is not so much the kind of
person a man is, as the kind of situation in which he is placed that determines his actions”.

Intellectual Determinants of Personality

Intelligence is another essential factor that can play an important role in the development of our
personality. Our intellect can influence various aspects and areas of our behaviour which in turn,
can determine our personality. Here are the intellectual determinants of Personality:

● Humour: Humour is one of the integral intellectual determinants of personality as it

helps us get a realistic view of things, facilitates social acceptance and further also
ironically brings forward a lighter perspective of life.
● Morality: Our intellect and worldview plays a crucial role in the development of our
morality and how we see certain things as moral or immoral. Thus, morality is another
factor that determines our intellect and thus overall personality as well.
● Values: An individual learns about values from his/her upbringing as well as from the
society they are brought up in. These values and beliefs also form our intellectual
behaviour and thus are an important determinant of our personality.
The Meaning of Personality

Video Courtesy: Practical Psychology, Youtube

Derived from a Latin word ‘persona‘ which can be translated as ‘mask’, personality can be simply
defined as an individual’s experiences, values, habits and traits which collectively determine his
or her behavioural patterns. Psychologists and social theorists have found that there are two
main approaches or determinants that one can utilise to study personality, i.e. Psychological
and Sociological. Apart from this, a biological approach can be additionally used but since it
centrally assesses the individual’s biophysical characteristics, it is an adequate approach to
study a personality in a holistic manner. While there are different definitions of personality, most
focus on the pattern of characters and behaviours that can help predict and explain a person’s
behaviour. It ranges from genetic explanations for personality traits to the role of environment
and experience in shaping an individual’s personality.
Types of Personality

There are different types of personality as per several theories. The most popular theory of the
types of personality is by Greeks which says there are four types of temperaments. Thus, the
four types of personality are:

● Sanguine: Highly talkative, social, extroverted and enthusiastic

● Phlegmatic: Quiet, easy-going, and reserved
● Melancholic: Deep thinkers and analytical minds
● Choleric: More extroverted and ambitious

Other than this theory, there are 16 modern types of personality which are as follows:
Courtesy: Adioma

Personality Characteristics
Neither there are set types of personality nor there is any determined set of characteristics of
personality. Some of us tend to reflect similar traits even after being not related by blood, while
on the other hand, members of the same family have different personalities. Understanding the
uniqueness of personalities, mentioned below are some of the common characteristics of
personality-

● Self Efficiency
● Locus of Contol
● Self Esteem
● Risk-Taking
● Positive/ Negative Affect
● Self Monitoring
● Type A and Type B Personality

Factors Influencing Perception

Perception simply refers to a process through which an individual interprets and organizes
sensations in order to comprehend a meaningful understanding of the world. There are many
factors that can consciously or unconsciously affect perception.

Here are the major factors influencing perception:

● Characteristics of the Perceiver: Beliefs, Expectations, Needs and Motives, Self Concept,
Past Experience, Current Psychological State, Situation, Cultural Upbringing
● Characteristics of the Perceived: Appearances, Manners of Communication, Personality
Traits, Age, Gender, other forms of behaviour
● Characteristics of the Situation: The context we perceive certain objects or people in.

Determinants of Personality PPT

Determinants of Personality from Debajyoti Biswas

Courtesy: Debajyoti Biswas, SlideShare

Determinants of Personality: How Psychometric Tests

Help?

You might have heard of psychometric analysis utilised to screen candidates for a job profile or
either in career counselling sessions to map a student’s interests and skills. A psychometric test
incorporates a standard and scientific analysis to evaluate an individual’s mental capabilities as
well as behaviour. It gauges the merit and aptitude of a person while also examining their
personality traits.

Especially in career counselling, a psychometric test plays an essential role in helping the
counsellors gauge the student’s interest and skill areas and find suitable career paths for them.
Comprising a basic framework of multiple-choice questions, there is no passing or failing in this
test. They are designed with factoring in the determinants of personality and ensure equal
opportunity in every aspect. So, to get deeper into what traits and skills you have and which
career they align with, a psychometric assessment has an integral part in helping you solve your
career confusion whether it be choosing from streams after 10th, finding the right academic
program, choosing an ideal career path or making your way towards personality development.

Counselling PsychologyIndustrial PsychologyMedia Psychology

FAQs

What are the major determinants of personality?

There are 4 major determinants of personality which include the physical environment, heredity,
experiences and culture.

What is personality and determinants of personality?

Personality is a collection of qualities, dispositions, values and characteristics.

What are behavioural determinants?

Behavioural determinants are commonly defined by lifestyle abilities, culture, attribution,

perception and attitude.

Hence, we hope that now you are familiarized with the different determinants of personality and
how you can explore your own through psychometric assessments. At Leverage Edu, our
experts can guide you towards the right career path through our meticulously designed
70-minute psychometric test that evaluates your behaviour, interests and choices combined
with one-on-one career consultation with our expert behavioural scientists. Don’t wait up, book
your free 30-minute consultation session with us today!