TOPIC FOUR

PERSONALITY
 Meaning of personality
The word personality is derived from a Greek word “persona” which means “to speak through.”
Personality is the combination of characteristics or qualities that forms a person’s unique identity. It
signifies the role which a person plays in public. Every individual has a unique, personal and major
determinant of his behavior that defines his/her personality.
Personality trait is basically influenced by two major features −
 Inherited characteristics
 Learned characteristics
Inherited Characteristics
The features an individual acquires from their parents or forefathers, in other words the gifted features
an individual possesses by birth is considered as inherited characteristics. It consists of the following
features −
 Color of a person
 Religion/Race of a person
 Shape of the nose, earlobe etc
 Body size
Learned Characteristics
Nobody learns everything by birth. First, our school is our home, then our society, followed by
educational institutes. The characteristics an individual acquires by observing, practicing, and learning
from others and the surroundings is known as learned characteristics.
Learned characteristics includes the following features −
 Perception − Result of different senses like feeling, hearing etc.
 Values − Influences perception of a situation, decision making process.
 Personality − Patterns of thinking, feeling, understanding and behaving.
 Attitude − Positive or negative attitude like expressing one’s thought.

 Components of personality
 Perception – is the process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory
impressions in order to give meaning to their environment
 Values – are deep personal believes and preference that influence behaviour
 Attitude – is a way or mode of viewing things
 Habits - actions done repeatedly on a period of time
 Interests - what concerns a person about something
 Principles – are collections of personal and specific basis of conduct and management
 Intellectual capacity-is the overall cognitive intelligence

 Theories of Personality
What is Personality Theory?
A theory is a simple model of reality that helps us understand, explain, predict and deal with reality.
We have some theories that explain an individual’s personality.
Personality theories have been used throughout history to address what makes up the personality of an
individual. A personality is how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. This influences how the person
interacts with their environment.
Personality is generally stable, although it can be influenced by environmental factors. An individual's
personality causes them to react to certain scenarios and people.
The personality theories are:
 Psychoanalytic theory
 Trait theory
 Type theory
 Self-Concept theory
 Social learning theory

Personality theories study how an individual develops their personality and can be utilized in studying
personality disorders. These theories address whether personality is a biological trait or one that is
developed through a person's interaction with their environment.
Personality theories address the origins of personality as well as the traits that define a personality.
These theories look to understand why people develop different character traits and respond to external
and internal stimuli differently.

1. Psychoanalytic Personality Theory

The psychoanalytic personality theory was developed by famed psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. This
theory is based on the belief that man is encouraged more by unforeseen forces than the conscious and
logical thought. Freud believed that most of the things in life are not present at the conscious level but
they are present at an unconscious level. He postulated three levels of consciousness and compared it
to an iceberg floating in the water. Like an iceberg, only a small part of the mind is readily seen; the
conscious mind. Just at the waters surface, sometimes visible and sometimes submerged; is the
preconscious mind. Finally, there is a great mass, which is most of the mind, that is hidden, like the
bulk of an iceberg that is under water; the unconscious

Freud believed that an individual's personality was a summation of their innate instincts and their
parental influences. He thought that these two forces, nature, and nurture, worked together to form a
complete personality.
Freud believed that personality was made up of the following components:
 Instincts that drive behavior such as sex, hunger, and thirst
 Unconscious thought processes that the person is unaware of
 Childhood events, particularly parental influence and nurturing events
He believed that the events of the first five years of life developed the personality of adults. The
instincts and the environment of a child during these crucial years would affect his personality
development.
The personality features of Freud’s theory include three attributes − Id, Ego, and Superego.

 Id − It defines the innate component of personality.. The id controls the instinctual urges of a
person. Example − A hungry baby cries till he/she is fed. Id is the most primitive of the three
structures, is concerned with instant gratification of basic physical needs and urges. It operates
entirely unconsciously (outside of conscious thought). For example, if your id walked past a stranger
eating ice cream, it would most likely take the ice cream for itself. It doesn't know, or care, that it is
rude to take something belonging to someone else; it would care only that you wanted the ice cream.
 Ego − It is derived from Id and assists in dealing with the external world. It also helps in translating
the inner needs into expressions. It deals with practical and rational thinking process. . In contrast to
the instinctual id and the moral superego, the ego is the rational, pragmatic part of our personality. It
is less primitive than the id and is partly conscious and partly unconscious. It's what Freud
considered to be the "self," and its job is to balance the demands of the id and superego in the
practical context of reality. So, if you walked past the stranger with ice cream one more time, your
ego would mediate the conflict between your id ("I want that ice cream right now") and superego
 ("It's wrong to take someone else's ice cream") and decide to go buy your own ice cream. While this
may mean you have to wait 10 more minutes, which would frustrate your id, your ego decides to
make that sacrifice as part of the compromise– satisfying your desire for ice cream while also
avoiding an unpleasant social situation and potential feelings of shame.

 Superego − It is different from ego and is partially unconscious. It includes the traditional values of
society as interpreted by our parents. It also helps in the integral vision of punishment. The superego
is responsible for the development of a person's morals. The superego is concerned with social rules
and morals—similar to what many people call their "conscience" or their "moral compass." It
develops as a child learns what their culture considers right and wrong. If your superego walked past
the same stranger, it would not take their ice cream because it would know that that would be rude.
However, if both your id and your superego were involved, and your id was strong enough to
override your superego's concern, you would still take the ice cream, but afterward you would most

 likely feel guilt and shame over your actions.

Freud believed that the id, ego, and superego are in constant conflict and that adult personality and
behavior are rooted in the results of these internal struggles throughout childhood. He believed that a
person who has a strong ego has a healthy personality and that imbalances in this system can lead to
anxiety and depression and unhealthy behaviors.

Due to the conflicts between the structures of personality, the Ego tries to balance by developing
defence mechanisms. Ego defense mechanisms are psychological strategies that individuals
unconsciously use to protect themselves from anxiety, discomfort, or threatening thoughts and feelings.
These mechanisms were first introduced by Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalytic theory, and
have been expanded upon by later psychologists. Here are some common ego defense mechanisms:

 Denial: Denial involves refusing to acknowledge the existence of a painful reality or a

distressing aspect of one's life. It can be a way to protect oneself from the emotional impact of a
situation.
 Repression: Repression involves unconsciously pushing distressing memories or thoughts out
of conscious awareness. The individual may be unaware of the thoughts or memories that are
being repressed.
 Projection: Projection occurs when individuals attribute their own unacceptable thoughts,
feelings, or motives to others. It involves projecting one's own issues onto someone else as a
way of avoiding self-awareness.
 Displacement: Displacement involves redirecting uncomfortable emotions or impulses from the
original target to a less threatening or safer alternative. For example, a person might express
anger towards a coworker after a frustrating day at work instead of addressing the actual source
of frustration.
  Sublimation: Sublimation is a defense mechanism where individuals channel their socially
unacceptable impulses or emotions into more socially acceptable activities. For instance,
someone with aggressive tendencies might become a successful athlete.
 Regression: Regression involves reverting to a previous stage of development in response to
stress. This can manifest as childlike behaviors or reactions during times of difficulty.
 Rationalization: Rationalization is the cognitive distortion of "the facts" to make an event or an
impulse less threatening. It involves creating logical or reasonable explanations for behaviors
that might otherwise be irrational or emotionally uncomfortable.
 Intellectualization: Intellectualization is a defense mechanism that involves focusing on the
intellectual aspects of a situation while avoiding the associated emotional components. It can be
a way of distancing oneself from the emotional impact of a situation.
 Undoing: Undoing involves attempting to reverse or negate a previously unacceptable thought,
feeling, or action by engaging in contrary behavior. This can be seen as a way of trying to "make
up" for perceived wrongs.
 Compensation: Compensation is a mechanism where individuals attempt to make up for a
perceived deficiency or failure in one area by overemphasizing or excelling in another area. It is
a way of balancing out perceived shortcomings.

It's important to note that defense mechanisms operate unconsciously and can serve as adaptive
strategies in certain situations. However, if used excessively or rigidly, they may interfere with
psychological well-being and personal growth. Psychodynamic theories, including Freudian and neo-
Freudian perspectives, often emphasize the role of ego defense mechanisms in understanding how
individuals cope with internal and external conflicts.

2. The Trait Perspective Personality Theory

The trait personality theory emphasizes the characteristics of the personality and is less concerned with
the development of the personality. This theory concentrates on the descriptive te
rms used to detail an individual. This theory believes that these descriptive terms, such as happy,
outgoing, and angry, make up a personality.
This personality theory focuses on the differences between individuals that formulate their personalities.
The combination of these traits or descriptive terms works together to create the entire personality.
The character traits this theory focuses on are called the Big Five Personality Dimensions:

Personality is a complex and multifaceted construct, and various theories propose different
components or traits that contribute to an individual's personality. One of the widely accepted
models is the Big Five personality traits, also known as the Five Factor Model. According to this
model, personality can be described in terms of five broad dimensions:
 Openness to Experience: This trait reflects an individual's willingness to explore new ideas, be
imaginative, and engage in unconventional or novel experiences. People high in openness tend
to be creative, curious, and open-minded, while those low in openness may be more
conventional and prefer routine. Openness measures a person's adaptability, abstract thinking,
and creativity.
 Conscientiousness: This trait refers to the degree to which a person is organized, responsible,
and goal-oriented. Conscientious individuals are often reliable, diligent, and self-disciplined,
 while those low in conscientiousness may be more spontaneous and less focused on long-term
goals. Conscientiousness focuses on an individual's ability to meet goals, pay attention to details,
and prepare for tasks.
 Extraversion: Extraversion is characterized by sociability, assertiveness, and the tendency to
seek out social stimulation. Extraverts enjoy being around people, are outgoing, and often feel
energized in social situations. In contrast, introverts tend to be more reserved and prefer quieter,
less stimulating environments.
 Agreeableness: This trait reflects an individual's interpersonal style and how they relate to
others. People high in agreeableness are generally cooperative, compassionate, and empathetic,
while those low in agreeableness may be more competitive or assertive.
 Neuroticism (or Emotional Stability): Neuroticism relates to emotional stability and the
tendency to experience negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, or anger. Individuals high
in neuroticism may be more prone to emotional volatility, whereas those low in neuroticism tend
to be more emotionally stable and resilient.
Other theories and models propose additional components or factors contributing to personality, but the
Big Five traits are widely acknowledged and supported by empirical research.
It's important to note that personality is dynamic and can change over time due to various factors,
including life experiences, development, and environmental influences. Additionally, some
psychologists emphasize the importance of considering personality in terms of traits, states, and types to
capture the full complexity of individual differences

There other personality dimensions/attributes influencing behaviour like:

 Self-Concept and Self-Esteem- It is a measure of self- confidence and respect for one’s abilities
and motivation.
 Authoritarianism- Authoritarian people believe in obedience and respect for authority
 Need Patterns-need drive people to behave in certain ways like need for power, affiliation,
achievement, dominance e.t.c
 Bureaucratic Personality- This kind of persons has respect for rules and regulations.
 Machiavellianism- It refers to manipulation of others as a primary way of achieving one’s goals
and gaining and keeping control of others
 Tolerance for ambiguity- : Because of rapid changes an individual have to work in an environment
which is full of uncertainty, they become tolerant
 Locus of control- A locus of control orientation is a belief about whether the outcomes of our
actions are contingent on what we do (internal control orientation) or on events outside our
personal control (external control orientation). Thus, locus of control is conceptualised as referring
to a unidimensional continuum, ranging from external to internal: External Locus of Control
Individual believes that his/her behaviour is guided by fate, luck, or other external circumstances
Internal Locus of Control Individual believes that his/her behaviour is guided by his/her personal
decions and efforts
 Risk Taking- This shows the willingness of individual to take or avoid risk

3. Type theory
Type is simply a class of individuals said to share common collection of characteristics”.
Type approach discuss the personality in the following ways:
a) Type on the basis of body build:
Sheldon’s Physiognomy Theory
This theory was proposed by William Sheldon. He presents personalities by classifying individuals
into convenient categories based on their body shapes. They are −
  Endomorphs
 Mesomorphs
 Ectomorphs
i. Endomorphs
In this category, the body is soft and spherical. People with this kind of personality love comfort, eat a
lot, like to be around people and desire affection. They have wide hips and narrow shoulders that give a
pear shape. Some common endomorph features are large amount of fat accumulation, insatiable
appetite, larger frame etc.They tend to have:
 Wide hips and narrow shoulders, which makes them rather pear shaped.
 Quite a lot of fat spread across the body, including upper arms and thighs.
 They have quite slim ankles and wrists, which only serves to accentuate the fatter other parts.
Psychologically, the endomorph is:
 Sociable and jovial
 Fun loving
 Love of food
 Tolerant
 Even tempered
 Good humored
 Relaxed
 With a love of comfort
 And has a need for affection
 They prefer to be led than to lead.
 Easy to get along with others and are tolerant of others.

ii. Ectomorphic
 An ectomorph is the complete opposite of the Endomorph. Physically, they have narrow
shoulders, thin legs and arms, little fat on the body, a narrow face and a narrow chest. They may
eat just as much as the endomorph but never seem to gain any weight. They always stay skinny.
Personality wise, they tend to be self conscious, socially anxious, artistic, thoughful, quiet,
ambitious, dedicated and private. Physically, they tend to have:
 Narrow shoulders and hips
 A thin and narrow face, with a high forehead
 A thin and narrow chest and abdomen
 Thin legs and arms
 Very little body fat
 Even though they may eat as much as the endomorph, they never seem to put on weight (much to
the endomorph's chagrin).
Psychologically they are:
 Self conscious
 Private
 Introverted
 Inhibited
 Socially anxious, ambitious and dedicated.
 Artistic
 Intense
 Emotionally restrained
 Thoughtful
iii. Mesomorphic
The mesomorph is in between the endomorph and thin ectomorph. They have an attractive and desirable
body. Physically, they tend to have a large head and broad shoulders with a narrow waist.
They have a strong muscular body and strong arms and legs and little fat on the body. They work for the
body they have so that they could have an attractive body. Psychologically, the mesomorph is
adventurous and courageous. They are not afraid to break out and do new things with new people. They
are assertive and competitive and have a desire to have power and be dominant. They love taking risks
and chances in life. The mesomorph is somewhere between the round endomorph and the thin
ectomorph.
Physically, they have the more 'desirable' body, and have:
 Large head, broad shoulders and narrow waist (wedge shaped).
 Muscular body, with strong forearms and and thighs
 Very little body fat
 They are generally considered as 'well proportioned'.
Psychologically, they are:
 Adventurous
 Courageous
 Indifferent to what others think or want
 Assertive/bold
 Seeks for muscular physical activity
 Competitive
 With a desire for power/dominance
 And a love of risk/chance
 In this category, the body is hard and rectangular physique. People with this kind of personality
like to take risk, are courageous and have power. Some common mesomorph features are wide
shoulders, small waist, low body fat.
 They desire action, power and domination and they can run faster and smile brighter.
b) Type on the basis of nature:
i. Introverts:
Characteristics of introverts
o Need quiet to concentrate therefore can be good scientists and researchers.
o Are reflective
o Are self-aware
o Take time making decisions
o Feel comfortable being alone
o Don't like group work/social withdrawal,
o Prefer to write rather than talk
o Feel tired after being in a crowd
o Have few friendships, but are very close with these friends
o Daydream or use their imaginations to work out a problem
o Retreat into their own mind to rest.
ii. Extroverts
Characteristics of extroverts
o Outgoing
o Optimistic
o Prefer talk out problems and questions
o Enjoy social settings
 o Find easy to express ideas and feelings
o Talkative,
o Less emotional,
o Easily makes friends,
o Extroverts propagate more knowledge and ideas to society. They can be good reporters, actors
and marketers.
iii. Ambiverts/Reserved: These are the people between introverts and extroverts.

Type A and Type B:

a. Type A: Persons are those who are highly achievement oriented, competitive feel,
chronic sense of time urgency and impatient whenever their work slow down. Type
A are on fast track of life and are more successful in reaching top slot. They work
against opposing forces. Managers in this category are hard drivers, detailed
oriented people with high performance standards. These people have difficulty in
increasing cordial interpersonal relationships and create a lot of stress for
themselves and for the people they deal with. If they have to complete a task within
given deadline, they feel pressurized. Researchers have proved that Type A
personality profile lead to health problems and specially heart related illness.
b. Type B: These kinds of persons are easy going, no competitive drive, feel no
emergency. They are relaxed, sociable and have a balanced outlook on life. They are
not over ambitious, are more patient and take a broader view of things. In order to
meet a deadline they do not feel pressurized. They may be hardworking but feel no
pressing conflict with people or time and hence are not prone to stress and coronary
problems.

4. Self-Concept Theory
This theory is organized around the concept that the individual himself largely determines
personality and behaviour. It is also termed as organismic or field theories, which emphasize
on totality and inter relatedness of all behaviour. There are four factors consider in self-
concept theory. These are-
a) Self-Image: Every person has certain beliefs about who or what he is. The beliefs of the
individuals are the proof of self-image or self-identity. Thus self-image is the way one
sees himself.
b) Ideal Self: As discussed earlier self image indicates the realities of a person as
perceived by him, but ideal self indicates the ideal position as perceived by him. It
denotes the way one would like to be.
c) Looking glass-self: This is the way one thinks people perceive about him and not the
way people actually see him. It is the perception of a person about how others perceive
his qualities and characteristics. It is a social product, which emerges from face-to-face
interaction with others from the very beginning of life. This interaction directs how
others see him as an individual.
d) Real Self: This is what one actually is. An individual self-image is confirmed when
other persons response to him, indicate their beliefs about who and what he corresponds
with. On the basis of feedback from environment, the person re- evaluates himself and
re-adjusts himself as per the expectation of others. Thus a balance should be maintained
between real self and self-image.
 Thus self-concept plays a very important role in analyzing individual behaviour. It
gives a sense of meaningfulness and consistency. On the basis of self-concept a person
perceives a situation.

5. Social Learning Theory

This theory believes that personality development is a result of social variables. It emphasizes
on conscious needs and wants of an individual. This theory uses “reinforcement and
punishment approach” in understanding personality. It looks at personality as some total
of all that a person has learned from outside stimuli. There is mutual interaction between
external environment and behaviour. For example- if an individual receives bad behaviour
from society, the frustration causes and reinforces aggression as a personality trait. And if he
receives good behaviour from people in terms of praise, this reinforces good behaviour.
Learning can also occur from observation; we watch the behaviour of other people, draw
observation about them and express our own behaviour.

 Personality development
1. Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual theory
Freud proposed that personality development in childhood takes place during five psychosexual stages,
which are the oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages. During each stage sexual energy (libido) is
expressed in different ways and through different parts of the body.
These are called psychosexual stages because each stage represents the fixation of libido (roughly
translated as sexual drives or instincts) on a different area of the body. As a person grows physically
certain areas of their body become important as sources of potential frustration (erogenous zones),
pleasure or both.
The Role of Conflict
Each of the psychosexual stages is associated with a particular conflict that must be resolved before the
individual can successfully advance to the next stage.The resolution of each of these conflicts requires
the expenditure of sexual energy and the more energy that is expended at a particular stage, the more the
important characteristics of that stage remain with the individual as he/she matures psychologically.

Psychosexual Stages of Development

1. Oral Stage (Birth to 1 year)
In the first stage of psychosexual development, the libido is centered in a baby's mouth. During the oral
stages, the baby gets much satisfaction from putting all sorts of things in its mouth to satisfy the libido,
and thus its id demands. Which at this stage in life are oral, or mouth orientated, such as sucking,
biting, and breastfeeding.
Freud said oral stimulation could lead to an oral fixation in later life. We see oral personalities all
around us such as smokers, nail-biters, finger-chewers, and thumb suckers. Oral personalities engage in
such oral behaviors, particularly when under stress.

2. Anal Stage (1 to 3 years)

During the anal stage of psychosexual development the libido becomes focused on the anus, and the
child derives great pleasure from defecating. The child is now fully aware that they are a person in their
own right and that their wishes can bring them into conflict with the d6emands of the outside world
(i.e., their ego has developed).
Freud believed that this type of conflict tends to come to a head in potty training, in which adults
impose restrictions on when and where the child can defecate. The nature of this first conflict with
authority can determine the child's future relationship with all forms of authority.
Early or harsh potty training can lead to the child becoming an anal-retentive personality who hates
mess, is obsessively tidy, punctual and respectful of authority. They can be stubborn and tight-fisted
with their cash and possessions.
This is all related to pleasure got from holding on to their faeces when toddlers, and their mum's then
insisting that they get rid of it by placing them on the potty until they perform!
Not as daft as it sounds. The anal expulsive, on the other hand, underwent a liberal toilet-training
regime during the anal stage.
In adulthood, the anal expulsive is the person who wants to share things with you. They like giving
things away. In essence, they are 'sharing their An anal-expulsive personality is also messy,
disorganized and rebellious.
3. Phallic Stage (3 to 6 years)
The phallic stage is the third stage of psychosexual development, spanning the ages of three to six years,
wherein the infant's libido (desire) centers upon their genitalia as the erogenous zone.
The child becomes aware of anatomical sex differences, which sets in motion the conflict between
erotic attraction, resentment, rivalry, jealousy and fear which Freud called the Oedipus complex (in
boys) and the Electra complex (in girls).
This is resolved through the process of identification, which involves the child adopting the
characteristics of the same sex parent.
Oedipus Complex
The most important aspect of the phallic stage is the Oedipus complex. This is one of Freud's most
controversial ideas and one that many people reject outright.
The name of the Oedipus complex derives from the Greek myth where Oedipus, a young man, kills his
father and marries his mother. Upon discovering this, he pokes his eyes out and becomes blind. This
Oedipal is the generic (i.e., general) term for both Oedipus and Electra complexes.
In the young boy, the Oedipus complex or more correctly, conflict, arises because the boy develops
sexual (pleasurable) desires for his mother. He wants to possess his mother exclusively and get rid of
his father to enable him to do so.
Irrationally, the boy thinks that if his father were to find out about all this, his father would take away
what he loves the most. During the phallic stage what the boy loves most is his penis. Hence the boy
develops castration anxiety.
The little boy then sets out to resolve this problem by imitating, copying and joining in masculine dad-
type behaviors. This is called identification, and is how the three-to-five year old boy resolves his
Oedipus complex.
Identification means internally adopting the values, attitudes, and behaviors of another person. The
consequence of this is that the boy takes on the male gender role, and adopts an ego ideal and values
that become the superego.
Freud (1909) offered the Little Hans case study as evidence of the Oedipus complex.
Electra Complex
For girls, the Oedipus or Electra complex is less than satisfactory. Briefly, the girl desires the father,
but realizes that she does not have a penis. This leads to the development of penis envy and the wish to
be a boy.
The girl resolves this by repressing her desire for her father and substituting the wish for a penis with
the wish for a baby. The girl blames her mother for her 'castrated state,' and this creates great tension.
The girl then represses her feelings (to remove the tension) and identifies with the mother to take on the
female gender role.

4. Latency Stage (6 years to puberty)

The latency stage is the forth stage of psychosexual development, spanning the period of six years to
puberty. During this stage the libido is dormant and no further psychosexual development takes place
(latent means hidden).
Freud thought that most sexual im
pulses are repressed during the latent stage, and sexual energy can be sublimated towards school work,
hobbies, and friendships.
Much of the child's energy is channeled into developing new skills and acquiring new knowledge, and
play becomes largely confined to other children of the same gender.

5. Genital Stage (puberty to adult)

The genital stage is the last stage of Freud's psychosexual theory of personality development, and begins
in puberty. It is a time of adolescent sexual experimentation, the successful resolution of which is
settling down in a loving one-to-one relationship with another person in our 20's.
Sexual instinct is directed to heterosexual pleasure, rather than self-pleasure like during the phallic
stage.
For Freud, the proper outlet of the sexual instinct in adults was through heterosexual intercourse.
Fixation and conflict may prevent this with the consequence that sexual perversions may develop.
For example, fixation at the oral stage may result in a person gaining sexual pleasure primarily from
kissing and oral sex, rather than sexual intercourse.

2. Erikson’s Theory
This theory states that personality is groomed throughout lifetime. He presents eight distinct stages
each with two possible outcomes. Successful completion of each stage leads to a healthy personality.
These stages are −
 Infancy (trust v mistrust)− It is the period between 0-1 years of age. In this stage, children
learn the ability to trust others depending on their caregivers. Unsuccessful completion in this
stage results in anxiety and insecurity. Example − Children of this age are more comfortable
with those faces they see more often and not with strangers.
  Early Childhood/Toddlerhood(autonomy v shame) − It is the period between 1-3 years of
age. In this stage, children learn to be independent. If given support, they become more
confident else they become dependent over others. Example − Children in this age are taught
how to walk, how to talk etc.
 Play Age(learning v initiative)− It is the period between 3-6 years of age. In this stage,
children assert themselves frequently. The failure leads to development of a sense of guilt
among them. Example − Children in this age group, need to be taught how to behave and
should be taught to be focused.
 School Age (industry v initiative) − It is the period between 6 years of age till puberty. In this
stage, children become more innovative. They feel confident and want to achieve their goals. If
not encouraged they may feel inferior. Example − Teenagers should be protected and parents
need to understand them and should handle them patiently.
 Adolescence(identity v role conflict) − This stage is a transformation from childhood to
adulthood. Here children find their own identity and should be guided and supported in order to
help them choose the right direction. Example − Decision such as which stream to choose
science or commerce etc. happens during this stage.
 Young Childhood − This stage is also known as young adulthood. Here, they begin to open up
and become more intimate with others. Example − Making close friends.
 Adulthood − In this stage, they focus on establishing career and settling down with
relationships that are important. Example − Applying for jobs.
 Mature Adulthood − In this stage, a person is old and thus in this stage the productivity slows
down. Example − Taking care of the family.

Assignment: Discuss factors that make individual differ in personality

Factors influencing personality development

1. Genetic factors/ hereditary/ inherited factors - body structure,height, colour, tribe or race
2. Physical factors- health status, physical defects, gender,appearance
3. Intellectual factors- IQ
4. Emotional factors- loved or deprived of love
5. Environmental factors- culture, life experience, education background, birth order, family norms,
friends and peers influence