Personality Development Case

Personality Development

Beatrice Smith

PSYCH/504

September 14, 2015

Kathleen Bernhard, PH.D.

Personality Development

A person’s personality is going to always be a part of who they are, who others perceive them to be, and how a person does things in life. People will often compliment on others behaviors, whether it is positive or negative. They will either give praise for having a good personality or they will shy away because of others having such a negative personality. A person’s personality will defines them, keeps them down the right path in life, and guides them in whatever they do. Personality is what defines a person.

The research that has been done on genetics suggests that at least one and a half of a person’s personality comes from their genetic makeup (Mervielde, 1994). When the studies are done on genetics the researcher also takes into consideration the environment of the person participating in the study. People will act differently in all situations and in front of different people. Some would say that a person’s personality is similar to a fingerprint. People will go by how they act and handle situations. When others talk about a person and the impression that they made of them, it is usually on how they acted and how they responded to others around them. Social influences and culture can play a part in a person’s personality.

A person’s genetics differ and are impacted due to temperamental traits of each individual. The maturity of a person and their age can also impact a person’s personality. Gender can have an impact on personality. Females are considered to be more cooperative, sophisticated, laid back, and are sometimes are deemed more academically stable. Men are considered to be more actively involved, when things seem to be going the wrong way they can be more hostile, and seem to be more amused than anything in certain situations. Genes can be an influence in change and stability in a person’s personality (Cervone & Pervin, 2010).

How a person perceives themselves and how they react to the environment can cause different reactions in the way a person is centering on their genetics and characteristics.
Culture can also define a person’s personality and their development. Culture is part of a person’s personality and everyone is different. Culture shapes who a person is, how they mature, and who they will be as they grow. Children will watch others around them and model their behavior from what they see them do and it will play a role in their development. It has been suggested that language that children are around will also influence the child’s development and their personality (Stephens, 2007).

Culture is different all over the world. A person’s history of where their loved ones come from, where they have lived, and what kind of education they have had also plays a role in defining a person. A person learns culture just like anything else in life. A person will learn from their childhood to their adult life on the proper way to behave, act, and what is considered to be the correct and right way to act socially. People will pass information down from person to person to keep their culture alive and so that their memories are told over and over through a lifetime.

A trait that is passed down through generations is how a young child is taught to treat their elderly and the respect that they have earned, learn their native language, and what religion is considered to be correct in their society. The big five is considered to be a part of a person’s culture. All cultures will have different personality traits and will have different ways that they are expressed. People will also interpret every culture differently. Some will judge others because of their beliefs and will not take the time to get to know them and to understand their way of life.

Thanks to different studies and the interest in personality traits researchers know so much more on how to treat others. The big five is due to many psychologists, their studies, and research (Terracciano & McCrae, 2006). The big five factors are Openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The big five is used in all cultures, languages, and in any differences that people may deem different. The big five was thought to be the best way to describe a person’s traits. The big five was put into place after many researchers thought it was the best way to describe and study a person’s personality traits (Cervone & Pervin, 2010).