A person’s personality should be seen as an on-going development process and that Every person has a different personality and set of traits. No 2 personalities are exactly alike.
Heredity is the transmission of genetic characteristics from parents to children
Much of human behavior is instinctual. We can say it is an unchanging, biological inherited trait and it is this instinct that drives personality development.
On the other hand….
Nurture….
***Often identical twins which share the same genetic make up and more or less the same environment, grow up to have very different personalities and preferences.
Most sociologists reject the nature AND nurture theories as singular explanations & instead believe that personality results from BLENDING hereditary and environmental Influences.
For example:
A musically talented child is born from 2 musician parents
The child will have the aptitude innately.
Heredity can never be considered as charting a FIXED and definite course of anyone’s personality.
Aptitude is the capacity to learn a particular skill – also believed to be hereditary in nature.
Age of parents, education level, religious beliefs, cultural heritage, economic status and occupation all influence the types of personalities their children will develop.
Parental personalities influence the development of their children’s personalities.
Most often seen in primary personality.
Internalization of values, ideas, beliefs
Institutionalization: religion, faith
Jehovah’s witness – more conservative
Geographical or the Physical Environment
This determines cultural development and to the extent, that culture in turn, determines personality.
*Id- contains our needs, instincts, and repressed material
Lustful, impulsive, fun;
What the person wants to do
*Ego- in touch with reality, strives to meet the demands of the id and superego in socially acceptable ways
What the person plans to do
*Superego- source of conscience and counteracts the socially undesirable impulses of the id
What the person should do
Now, the ID, the ego, and the superego are continually in CONFLICT with one another.
This conflict generates ANXIETY
So if the ego did not effectively handle the resulting anxiety, people would be so overwhelmed with anxiety that they would not be able to carry on with the tasks of everyday living.
As the ego tries to control anxiety, the ego will make use of DEFENSE MECHANISMS in order to reduce anxiety by means of DISTORTING REALITY.
Emphasize our capacity for personal growth, development of our full potential and freedom to make choices
Self actualization – “Be all you can be”
Self Actualization
Challenging ourselves to the fullest
