What Are the Nature, Effects, and Key Insights of Personality? - BBA First Semester LU Notes

Personality definition

The term ‘personality’ has been derived from the Latin term ‘persona’ which means ‘to speak through.’ The Latin word denotes the masks worn by actors in ancient Greece and Rome. Therefore, a common meaning of the term personality is the role which a person (actor) displays to the public

Determinants of Personality

Now that we have understood the meaning of personality, the next question is what determinants go into the development of personality? Was the individual born with that personality or was it developed afterwards as a result of his interaction with his environment? Generally, the consensus is that heredity and environment jointly affect the individual’s personality development. The factors affecting personality development are illustrated as follows:

(A) Heredity

The concept that heredity is a determinant of personality is embedded in our minds. In our day-to-day life, we often use the term “Like father like son” or “Like mother like daughter.” These terms generally refer to traits like physique, eye color, hair color, height, temperament, energy level, intelligence, and reflexes. However, the importance of heredity varies from one personality trait to another. For example, heredity is generally more important in determining a person’s temperament than his values and ideals.

Three different streams of research lend credibility to the argument that heredity plays an important part in determining an individual’s personality:

1. The genetic underpinnings of human behavior and temperament among young children.

2. The study of twins who were separated at birth.

3. The consistency in job satisfaction over time and across situations.

(B) Environment

If all personality traits were determined by heredity, they would be fixed at birth and would not change throughout life. But this is not the case. Personality traits are not completely dictated by heredity; the environment also plays a very important role in the development of a person’s personality.

Environment comprises of culture, family, social, and situational factors:

1. Culture

   • According to Hoebel, “Culture is the sum total of learned behaviour traits which are manifested and shared by the members of the society.”

   • “It is a unique system of perceptions, beliefs, values, norms, patterns of behaviour, and a code of conduct that influences the behaviour of individuals in a given society.”

   •  People belonging to different cultural groups generally have different attitudes towards independence, aggression, competition, cooperation, artistic talent, etc.

   • While growing, a child learns to behave in ways expected by the culture of the family in which he was born. Most cultures expect different roles from males than from females. Similarly, every culture has its own sub-cultures with different views about qualities such as moral values, style of dress, etc.

   • Although culture has significant influence on personality development, a linear relationship cannot be established between culture and personality due to the following reasons:

     1. Individuals within the same culture can differ in their behaviour and personality formats because of the existence of several subsystems within the same culture.

     2. Workers are not influenced by the same culture as managers. Moreover, skilled workers have different behaviour patterns than unskilled workers.

2. Family

   • One of the most important determinants of a person's personality is his immediate family. Families influence a person's behaviour, especially in the early stages.

   • The nature of such influence will depend upon the following factors:

     1. Socio-economic level of the family

     2. Family size

     3. Birth order

     4. Race

     5. Religion

     6. Parent’s educational level

     7. Geographic location

   • To elaborate, a person brought up in a rich and prestigious family has a different personality compared to those who belong to a poor family. The family size will also affect the behaviour of a child. The personality of a single child is different from that of a person who is brought up in a family with more than two siblings. Similarly, the personality of a person brought up in a nuclear family will be different from that of a person brought up in a joint family.

   • Studies have shown that first-born children are more responsible, rational, independent, ambitious, and more sensitive to social acceptance. Empirical evidence also suggests that the home and family environment, created by the mother and father as well as their own behaviour, is highly influential on the personality development of the child.

   • Every child tries to identify with some person whom he feels is ideal in the family. Generally, a child tries to behave like his father or mother. 

3. Social

   • Socialization is a process by which an infant acquires from the enormously wide range of behavioural potentialities that are open to him at birth, Initially, socialization starts with the contact of the infant with the mother. As he grows up, contacts with other family members and social groups influence his socialization process.

   • These social groups include schoolmates, friends, colleagues at the workplace, and other groups to which an individual belongs. Because “A man is known by the company he keeps,” all these social groups influence the behaviour of individuals.

   • A lot of evidence suggests that socialization may be one of the best explanations of why employees behave the way they do in today’s organizations. 

4. Situational

   • Life is often seen as a collection of experiences. Every individual goes through different types of experiences and events in life, which can serve as important determinants of personality. A trauma suffered in childhood can sometimes change the structure of a person’s personality. Additionally, certain incidents or situations reveal a specific aspect of a person’s personality that was previously hidden. For example, a very weak and cowardly person may spontaneously perform heroic actions in saving someone’s life without regard for his own safety.