This presentation spans the meaning, types, theories of personality, besides identifying the factors that affect an individual's personality.

1. A comprehensive Study on
PERSONALITY
By
Dr.MALATHI SELVAKKUMAR

2. PERSONALITY

3. Meaning
• It is the sum total of an individual’s psycho-
physical systems that determine his/her
behaviour in a given situation/environment.
• Personality differs from person to person
• It means different things to different people

4. Concept
• It is derived from the Latin word “per sonare”
that means “Speak through”
• It was originally used to refer to masks used in
ancient Greek dramas
• It includes both internal and
external aspects of a person
• Height, weight, colour,
physical aspects and traits

5. Determinants of Personality
• Heredity
• Environment
• Family
• Situational
• Social

6. (1) Heredity
• Physical stature, beauty, gender, temperament
(lethargic, excited), energy level
• 23 chromosomes generated by
each parent act as transmitters
of traits
• Reflexes to external stimuli
• Innate drivers

7. (2) Environment
• It includes culture that influences attitudes and
values passed from one generation to another
• Culture depends on the expected different
behaviours from males and females
• Males from rural and urban backgrounds also
differ
• Their experiences also change their personality
• Technological advances, social responsibility,
political & legal changes, and competition

8. (3) Family
• Family plays a significant role in
influencing the personality,
especially in childhood
• Similarity of behaviour including
feelings and attributes between
child and model
• Child’s desire to be like the model
• The child actually takes on the
attributes of the model

9. Family – contd…
• Siblings contribute to personality
development
• The first born is more dependent
than those born later
• They are likely to be affected
by social pressures

11. (4) Situational Factors
• Different situations call for different aspects of
personality
• Stress interviews
• Behaviour during a picnic and an interview

12. (5) Social Factors
• Persons, group and organisations influence
personality
• Called a socialisation process
• Explains employee behaviour
at work
• Wide behavioural potentials
open
• Social groups include school,
college, friend and members of groups

13. TYPES OF PERSONALITIES
• Introvert and Extrovert Personalities
• Type A and Type B personalities
• Judging and Perceptive Personalities

14. Introvert Personality
• Likes to be quiet for concentration
• Careful with details and does
not make sweeping comments
• Has trouble remembering
names and faces
• Thinks before acting
• Prefers to work alone
• Does not like interruptions at
work

15. Extrovert Personality
• Likes variety and action
• Works faster
• Greets people
• Hates complicated procedures
• Acts quickly, without thinking
• Likes people around
• Impatient
• Communicates freely
• Does not mind interruptions
at work

16. Type A Personality
• Always moving, walking and eating rapidly
• Feels impatient with the pace of events
• Tries to do 2 or more things at a time
• Cannot cope with
leisure
• Measures success
in terms of how
much they acquire
• Number obsessed

18. Type B Personality
• No impatience
• Plays for fun and relaxation
• Does not exhibit superiority
• Can relax without guilt
• Does not discuss
achievements

19. Judging Personality
• Plans work and follows that
• Likes to get things settled
• May decide things too quickly
• Notices new things that need
to be done
• Wants only essential things
needed to begin work
• Satisfied once they reach a
judgement

20. Perceptive Personality
• Adapts well to changing situations
• Does not mind leaving things
open for alterations
• Problem in decision making
• Starts too many things at a
time
• Difficulty in maintaining time
frames
• Welcomes new information or
a situation

21. PERSONALITY TRAITS
• Authoritarianism
• Locus of Control
• Machiavellianism
• Introversion and Extroversion
• Achievement Orientation
• Self –Esteem
• Risk – taking
• Self- Monitoring
• Type A and Type B personalities

22. (1) Authoritarianism
• Concept developed by psychologist Adorno during II
World War. It is a term used to describe an individual
who is:-
 Intellectually rigid
 Adheres to conventional and
traditional value systems
 Place high moral value on their
beliefs
 Conform to rules and regulations
 Prefer autocratic or directive
leadership

23. (2) Locus of Control
• It refers to an individual’s belief that events are within
one’s control (Internal locus of control) or determined
by forces beyond
one’s control (External locus of control)
• Internals have more control over
their own behaviour, seek
information for decision making
and are socially active
• Believe that they are the masters
of their own fate
• They quit dissatisfying jobs

24. External Locus of Control
• Depend on external forces
• Less satisfied with their jobs
• High absenteeism rates
• Distanced from work settings
• Less involved in their jobs
• See themselves as pawns in the hands of fate
• Believe that what happens is due to luck or
outside forces

26. (3) Machiavellianism
• Named after Niccolo Machiavelli in the 16th
century about manipulative power
• Ability of a person to manipulate
people for solving his/her interest
• Tend to be cool, logical
• Maintains emotional distance
• Tries to control people, events
and situations
• High persuasive skills
• “If it works, use it”….their motto

27. (4) Introversion and Extroversion
• Developed by Carl Jung
• Influenced by his mentor
Sigmond Freud
• He believed that individuals
were firmly within one of two
camps – introverts and extroverts
• Introverts – gain energy from
the “internal world” or from solitude
with the self
• Extroverts – gain energy from the “external world” or
interactions with others

28. (4) Introversion and Extroversion

29. (5) Achievement Orientation
• Continue to work hard to do things better
• Overcome obstacles
• Feel that success/failure is
due to their own actions
• They believe there is a direct
relationship between effort &
reward
• Perform better at sales, sports or management

30. (6) Self- Esteem
• It is a feeling of liking or disliking
oneself
• Varies from person to person
• It is directly related to success
• Those with high esteem
undertake challenging jobs
• They take up unconventional
jobs
• They have more job
satisfaction

31. Self- Esteem
• Those with low self esteem are easily influenced
by external sources
• They depend on others for
positive evaluation
• They seek approval from others
• Conform to the beliefs and
behaviours of those with high
esteem
• They tend to do actions to please others in an
organisation

32. (7) Risk taking
• There is a direct relationship between quick
decision making and high risk taking
• There is an inverse relationship between amount
of information and speed in decision making
• The nature of job also decides the amount of risk
taken – (eg) stock brokers – high risk and quick
decision making
• An accountant – low risk and slow decision
making

33. (8) Self - Monitoring
• Refers to an individual’s ability to adjust
his/her behaviour to external factors
• Self monitoring is related to adaptability
• High self monitors differentiate between their
public and personal lives; and pay close
attention to behaviour
• Low self monitors deviate their behaviour
according to the forces; poor conformance to
rules

34. (9) Type A and Type B personalities

35. The shaping of Personality – stages of
personality development
• Freudian Stages
Oral Stage
Anal Stage
Phallic Stage
Latency Stage
Genital Stage

36. (1) Oral Stage
• Present during the first year of
life
• Infant is totally dependent on
others for survival
• Thumb sucking, teeth biting
• Excessive stimulation makes an optimist who
trusts others, become passive and immature
• Less stimulation makes a pessimist, cynical and
argumentative, exploit and dominate others for
their own needs

37. (2) The Anal Stage
• Up to 3 years of age
• Toilet training is given by parents
• If the mother is very harsh, the child withholds
faeces and becomes a retentive personality
• As an adult, this child exhibits traits of
obstinacy, stinginess, orderliness, punctuality
and extreme cleanliness or mess

38. The Anal Stage
• If the mother pleads the child for regular
bowel movements and praises the child, he
will develop aggressive nature
• Cruelty, destructiveness, disorderliness and
hostility are some traits
• As an adult, this child will see others as
objects to be possessed

39. (3) The Phallic Stage
• Child is curious about birth and
sex
• It develops Oedipus complex here
• The child will both hate and
love his parents, and the feelings
are strongest towards the parent
of the same sex as the child
• If this complex is not resolved
when young, child develops
neurotic patterns of behaviour

40. The Phallic Stage
• Males in this stage are ambitious, vain, tend to
boast
• They attempt to assert their masculinity and
virility
• In women, they tend to flirt, be seductive
although she appears to be innocent and
naive

41. (4) The Latency Stage
• Aged between 6 and 7 years up to adolescence
• Elementary school level
• Development of socialising
skills
• Child shows interest in the
external world – curiosity,
knowledge gaining

42. (5) The Genital Stage
• Between adolescence and adulthood
• Shows increased interest in the
opposite sex
• They learn to give up childhood
feelings of love, security, physical
comfort that was given freely
without expecting anything in
return
• They learn to work, be responsible, be active in
dealing with life’s problems

43. Erikson’s Stages of Personality
Development
• Infancy
• Early childhood
• Play age
• School age
• Puberty and adolescence
• Young adulthood
• Middle adulthood
• Late adulthood

44. Erikson’s Stages
(1) Infancy – birth to one year
• basic trust vs mistrust based
on love and affection received.
• Negative impact is reluctant
behaviour
(2) Early Childhood – age 2 to 3
years when the child develops
independence
• Positive impact – autonomy
• Negative impact – shame and doubt

45. Erikson’s Stages
(3) Play Age - 4 to 5 years of age
 child discovers what he/she
can do
If allowed and encouraged,
he develops initiative
If discouraged, he lacks self
confidence

46. Erikson’s Stages
(4) School Age – 6 to 12 years
Learns skills and acquires knowledge
If positive, child becomes industrious
If progress does not match his ability, he
develops inferiority complex

47. Erikson’s Stages
(5) Adolescence – teenage
 They try to gain a sense of
identity for themselves
Identity gained through
autonomy, initiative and
industriousness

48. Erikson’s Stages
(6) Young Adulthood
 Aged in the twenties
 They try to develop a personal
relationship with others
 Then have a feeling of intimacy
 Failure leads to state of
isolation

49. Erikson’s Stages
(7) Adulthood
o Aged between the 40s and 50s
o Self absorption or generativity
o Those productive in work, raise
family, guide the next generation
- called generative
o Self absorbed adults do not look
beyond themselves
o Interested in career development
and maintenance

50. ss
(8) Old Age (Sunset)
Wisdom and integrity
Appreciates the past, present
and future
No fear of death
In reverse situation, despair,
fear of death, depression

51. THEORIES OF PERSONALITY
• Type Theory
• Trait Theory
• Big 5 Model
• Psychoanalytical Theory
• Social Learning Theory
• Self Theory

52. (1) Type Theory
• Based on body build and
psychological factors
• A person with a short or plump
body are sociable, noisy, fond
of physical activity and relaxed

53. Type Theory
• A thin person is restrained, self- conscious,
prefers own company
• Similar to introverts and extroverts

55. (2) Trait Theory
It works on the assumption that a person’s
personality is based on traits
Looking at one’s traits, we get a
fairly good idea about his
personality
Trait is any attribute, peculiarity, characteristic,
variable or feature
of persistent nature that is visible in
one’s thinking and acting

56. Trait Theory
According to Gordon Allport, traits are classified
as “common traits” and “personal dispositions”
Common traits help to
compare people
Personal dispositions
help to identify the
uniqueness in an
individual

57. PASTER classification (common)
o Political
o Aesthetic
o Social
o Theoretical
o Economic
o religious

58. Personal Dispositions – 3 levels
• Cardinal Traits are those that rule the
personality of an individual (eg) sense of
humour
• Central Traits can be easily detected , and that
all people have in a certain number (eg)
shyness, honesty
• Secondary Traits are less important,
peripheral and irrelevant (eg) walking style

59. Types of traits
Surface traits are those that are visible on the
surface of one’s personality

60. Types of traits
• Source Traits are the root or basic traits and
refers to the deeper patterns underlying the
personality of an individual
• They emerge always (eg)introversion, neat,
proper, concerned with what others think,
influenced by peer pressure

61. Trait Theory
Assumptions
Traits are common to many individuals, but
varies between them
They are relatively stable and influence
human behaviour
It is measured by behavioural indicators
There are 16 primary traits found in an
individual

63. (3) Big 5 Model

64. (3) Big 5 Model
I. Openness to Experience
Person is imaginative
Artistic & adventurous
Seek new experience and
intellectual pursuits/ curiosity
Enjoy questioning norms and
conventions
Low scorers may be very down
to earth
Prefers variety of experience

65. Big 5 Model
2. Conscientiousness
Responsible, dependable
Persistent and achievement
oriented
They plan work ahead
They like order
Tend not to become
distracted
 They are not reckless.

66. Big 5 Model
3. Extraversion
Sociable, talkative
Friendly
Assertive
Enthusiastic, cheerful
 Energetic
low agreeableness

67. Big 5 Model
4. Agreeableness
 Adjust their behavior to
suit others
 Typically polite and like
people
 Generous, compassionate, warm
 Kind
 Frank in their opinions, and blunt
 Good natured
 Cooperative and trusting

68. Big 5 Model
5. Neuroticism/Emotional Stability
Calm
Nervous
Enthusiastic
Depressed
Insecure

69. PSYCHOANALYTICAL THEORY
• It is based on the assumption that
human behaviour is influenced
by unseen forces rather than
conscious and rational thoughts
• Developed by Sigmund Fraud
• Behaviour is influenced by the
unconscious factors

70. Psycho-analytical theory
The three elements of the unconscious
framework:-
The ID
The EGO
The SUPER EGO

71. Psycho-analytical theory

72. Psycho-analytical theory
• The ID
It is innate and a source of
psychic energy
Called as “The Pleasure
principle”
Seeks immediate gratification
for instinctual needs
It obeys no laws and causes tension if pent up
It leads to danger for the person and the society

73. Psycho-analytical theory
• The EGO
• It is the conscious part
• Associated with and verifies
reality
• Uses logic and intellect
• Controls id through realities
• (eg) hunger pangs - eating

74. Psycho-analytical theory
• The Super- EGO
It represents a system of
values, norms and ethics
It is the conscience
Tells what is right/ wrong
Judges behaviour
It strives for perfection

75. Social Learning Theory
• It is a change in individual behaviour as a result of
experience
• Learning takes place in 2 ways:–
Reinforcement
Observing others or vicarious
learning
• Situational conditions also
influence behaviour
• Relationship between the
situation and the individual is reciprocal

76. SELF THEORY
• Developed by Carl Rogers
• Theory composed of the
perceptions of “I” and “me”
• Made up of 4 factors:-
Self Image
Ideal Self
Looking Glass Self
Real Self

77. Self Theory
• Self-Image – One’s image about oneself or
how he sees himself
• Ideal- Image – how one would
like to look like. The ideal self
motivates a person to behave
in a particular manner

78. Self Theory
• Looking Glass Self – the way an individual
thinks people perceive him. One’s belief about
self is a reflection of others’ perception about
him
• Real Self – what an individual actually is. The
perception of an individual may be the same
or differ from the above

79. Self Theory