Chapter 2
Personality Development
How is Personality Formed?
1.
2.
Heredity: Some personality traits seem
to be inborn. Passed down from parent
to child.
Environment: Others seem to be shaped
by a person’s physical and social
environment.
 Most traits are influenced by a combination of both
hereditary and environment
Twins – Nature vs. Nurture
Heredity
Personality traits can be seen at an early
age.
 Psychologists are not sure which
personality traits are influenced by
heredity and which are not.

 EX: Shyness and aggressiveness may be inherited.

Talents may be partly inherited; it is what
you do with your ability that determines
how they will develop during your life.
Environment

Personality traits are modified by a person’s
environment.
◦
◦
◦
◦

Friends
Family
School
Culture
Experiences during childhood influence our
personality.
◦ Modeling – Children copy behavior of others.
 Learn about feelings, attitudes, and appropriate ways of
behaving from people close to them.
 Children learn desirable behavior be receiving rewards, and
undesirable behavior through punishment.
Environment
cont
◦ Teenagers spend more than half their time with
others, leading to a huge influence on personality
development.
 These friends, who are about the same age and share
the interests, are known as a peer group.
 A peer group gives you a chance to learn about yourself and to
get along with others.
 Being part of a healthy peer group is likely to have a positive
influence on your personality.

By young adulthood, your personality traits are
fairly well established. It is possible to change
traits that you are dissatisfied with.
Theories of Personality Dev.


People’s personalities change as they grow
and are exposed to new ideas, attitudes, and
behaviors. Psychologists have several
theories to explain how and why the human
personality develops.
We will discuss the three most important
and recognized theories.
1. Sigmund Freud
2. Erik Erickson
3. Abraham Maslow
Sigmund Freud
Late 1800’s Austrian Physician who specialized in
mental illness.
 He believes that an individual’s personality is
made up of three parts.

1. Id
- consists of biological urges. (Hunger and
thirst)
2. Ego - Thoughtful, decision making part of
personality (The Id urged you to eat, the ego helps
you find food)
3. Superego - Part of personality that judges right
from wrong. Also known as conscience. (Superego
would direct you not to steal the food that your Id
urges you to eat)
Sigmund Freud

Freud believes that our minds operate at 2 thought
levels:
1.
2.
Conscious – Thoughts that we are aware of
Unconscious – Thought we are not aware of having
 It is believed that a person pushes unpleasant or frightening
thoughts into the unconscious.
 These unconscious thoughts help influence our personality, even
though we may not be aware of their effects
Freud believes that adult personalities are shaped
mainly by early childhood experiences. These
memories are stored in the unconscious.
 He states inner conflicts can be resolved through
psychoanalysis – treatment technique that brings
memories into the conscious.

Freud Documentary
Erik Erickson

Follower of Freud but believes an individual’s personality
continues to be influenced by experiences beyond
childhood.
◦ Erickson believes people continue to develop
socially and psychologically until death.
◦ Devised eight-stage theory of personality
development.
Ericksons’ 8 Stages of Development
◦ 1st stage – Trust vs. Mistrust - A child that is cared for is likely to
develop a secure personality
◦ 2nd stage – Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt – Children who are
encouraged to become independent tend to develop confident
personalities.
◦ 3rd stage – Initiative vs. Guilt – Develop a sense of right and wrong
through role-playing.
◦ 4th stage – Industry vs. Inferiority - Learn how to accomplish real
tasks, develop a feeling of competence.
◦ 5th stage – Identity vs. Role Confusion – Search for identity.
Questions everything: Religion, sex, family teachings
◦ 6th stage – Intimacy vs. Isolation – Development of lasting
relationships
◦ 7th stage – Generativity vs. Stagnation – Passing along life learned
lessons to younger people.
◦ 8th stage - Ego Integrity vs. Despair – Reflects and accepts life led.
Eric Erickson – 8 Stages
Abraham Maslow

Believes everyone has a basic drive to
achieve his/her fullest potential.
◦ Maslow used the term self-actualization to
describe the process by which each person
strives to be all that he/she can be.

Maslow found that very few people ever
reach their full potential. He developed a
theory that suggests that before people
could achieve self-actualization, their basic
needs had to be met. He put these needs in
ascending order called the hierarchy of
needs.
Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow – Hierarchy of Needs
Coping Strategies
Defense Mechanisms
Recognizing Emotions
 Recognizing
your emotions is an
important 1st step in dealing with
them in healthful ways.
 Next time you have a strong emotion,
pause and put a name on the
emotion. Then try to determine
what event triggered the emotion.
Coping with Your Emotions

When emotions become too much to handle, it is important
to have several coping strategies.
◦ A Coping strategy is a way of dealing with an
uncomfortable or unbearable feeling or situation.
◦ One type of coping strategy is to use Defense
Mechanisms. Defense mechanisms are the ways people
defend themselves against difficult feelings.
 Freud believes defense mechanisms occur on an
unconscious level, meaning we may not be aware of
them.
 These mechanisms, if used in moderation, can cause you
to experience a feeling of temporary relief, allowing you
to put off the dealing with the problem until you can
handle it.
Harmful ways of coping

Strong emotions can cloud a person’s
sense of judgment. Causing us to choose
faulty coping strategies, worsening the
problems.
◦ Examples are using drugs, alcohol, acting out
in violent ways, or withdrawing from family
and friends.
◦ If you find that you resort to harmful coping
strategies, it may be time to ask for help.
Family, friends, teacher, coaches, or counselors
are people you can talk to.