INTRODUCTION TO PERSONAL
DEVELOPMENT
WEEK 1.1
Prepared by: Sweet Marie Villasan
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Developmental scientists identified the three
aspects or domains of human development
(Papalia & Feldman, 2012) as:
1.physical
development
which covers the growth of the body
and the brain, motor and sensory skills,
and even physical health;
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
2. cognitive
development
which covers our capacity to learn,
to speak, to understand, to reason,
and to create;
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
3. psychosocial
development
which includes our social interactions
with other people, our emotions,
attitudes, self-identity, personality,
beliefs, and values.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Human development is also influenced by the
following:
1. Heredity or the inborn traits
passed on by the generations of off
springs from both sides of the
biological parents' families.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
2. Environment is the world
outside of ourselves and the
experiences that result from our
contact and interaction with this
external world.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
3. Maturation is the natural
progression of the brain and the
body that affects the cognitive
(thinking and intelligence),
psychological (emotion, attitude,
and self identity), and social
(relationships) dimensions of a
person.
IS IT PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
OR
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT?
You must be familiar with the term "personality
development" and must have heard of
learning places where you could enroll to learn
skills like table etiquette, how to sit property and
walk with grace, how to dress up appropriately,
and how to communicate better.
Personality development has given birth to
many related businesses that span the globe.
It includes:
image enhancement such as skin care and
makeup, fashion and clothing, and even body
contouring; modeling and beauty pageants;
and many others.
Let us see how the words "personal," "personality,"
and "development" are Commonly defined.
THE WORD "PERSONAL" IS DEFINED AS:
belonging or relating to a particular person;
made or designed to be used by one person; someone
whose job involves working for or
of, relating to, or affecting a particular person.
THE WORD "PERSONALITY," IS DEFINED AS:
the set of emotional qualities, ways of behaving, etc., that
makes a person different from other people;
attractive qualities (such as energy, friendliness, and
humor) that make a person interesting or pleasant to be
with; attractive qualities that make something unusual or
interesting;
distinction or excellence of personal and social traits; also
a person having such quality; a person of importance,
prominence, renown, or notoriety.
THE WORD "DEVELOPMENT" IS DEFINED AS:
the act or process of growing or causing something to grow or
become larger or more advanced;
the act or process of creating something over a period of time;
and
the state of being created or made more advanced.
WHAT IS PERSONAL
DEVELOPMENT?
Human nature is very complex.
Although similar to many other living organisms that go through the
process of birth, growth, development, regeneration, and death,
human beings are different, as we possess more complex capabilities
such as self-awareness, analytical thinking, self-evaluation,
motivation, decision-making, and reflective thought.
These capabilities, beyond mere survival instincts, are what
distinguish the human species from the rest of the physical world.
Human beings have the sole capacity to:
reflect upon itself, and in the process,
develop self-awareness,
become motivated,
and then desire to grow and change for the
better;
and are prompted to mature and improve until it
reaches its desired level of development.
Personal development may be
defined as a process in which:
persons-reflect upon themselves,
understand who they are,
accept what they discover about themselves,
and learn (or unlearn) new sets of values, attitudes, behavior,
and thinking skills to reach their fullest potential as human
beings
"the process of striving to be the best that
you can be in order to reach and realize
your full potential. It is a journey of self
discovery, self-improvement, and selfrealization."
ORIGINS OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
The evolution of the understanding of human development may have
started eons ago When the first Homo sapiens walked the face of the
earth.
The cavemen who drew figures on their cave walls attempted to narrate
their experiences such as hunting. The act of drawing can be deemed as
an attempt toward creative expression and narration. It was during the
time of the Western philosophers, particularly the Greek thinkers, when
questions about the self and about being human have begun to be
asked.
ORIGINS OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
In Republic, which some consider to be the greatest work on the
philosophy of education, Plato argued that building character, as
much as intelligence, is what education is all about.
Even during the early times of human development and
civilization, there was already an attempt to link individual
development with social responsibility (Young Adult Learners
Partnership, 2Ø3).
PSYCHOLOGY AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Psychology, being the study of human thinking and behavior, serves
as a foundation for personal development.
The school of thought that gave birth to the contemporary
understanding of personal development started during the
flourishing of humanistic and positive psychology in the 1950s,
which dealt with personal growth and meaning as a way of
reaching one's fullest potentials.
PSYCHOLOGY AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
The two proponents of humanistic psychology:
1. Abraham Maslow -the five stages of
human development based on a hierarchy of
needs, peaking in what he termed as "selfactualization,"
Abraham Maslow
2. Carl Rogers - in his psychotherapy practice,
theorized that "the individual has within himself the
capacity and the tendency, latent if not evident, to move
forward toward maturity" (Rogers, 1961).
Carl Rogers
As humanistic psychology waned in the late 1970s, it was
eventually revived decades later.
Martin Seligman, a noted psychologist and president
of the American Psychological Association, realized how
psychology, after the Second World War, puts more
emphasis in diagnosing, treating, and preventing
psychological disorders and therefore focusing on a
disease model of human nature.
MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS TO THEORIZE
THE FIVE STAGES OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Positive psychology also created a balance between what
humanistic psychology emphasized: that human nature is basically
good, while adding that human nature includes both the positive
and the negative aspects.
In short, positive psychology stresses that human nature has its
good and positive strengths, as well as its inadequacies and
weaknesses (Peterson, 2006).
THE POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY CENTER OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
defines positive psychology as the scientific
study of the strengths and virtues that enable
individuals and communities to thrive. The field
is founded on the belief that people want to
lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate
what is best within them, and to enhance their
experiences of love, work, and play.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT IN ADOLESCENCE
While personal development falls within the realm of
psychology, it cannot be detached from the development of
the brain and the rest of the physical body.
Adolescence is the transition period between childhood and
early adulthood. Although scientists and psychologists may
slightly differ in pegging the exact age of adolescence, it is
widely believed to be between ages 11 or 12, and lasting to
about 18 years of age (Feist & Rosenberg, 2012).
IN THE PHILIPPINE CONTEXT, AUTHORS CORPUZ, LUCAS,
BORABO, AND LUCIDO (2010) DEFINED THE THREE STAGES OF
ADOLESCENCE AS:
Early adolescence — between 10 and 13 years of age
Middle adolescence — between 14 and 16 years of age
Late adolescence — between 17 and 20 years of age
ADOLESCENCE
Adolescence starts with the biological changes called puberty. The
physical body undergoes growth spurts at this time, for both male
and female, leading toward Physical maturity.
Biological changes bring about cognitive (thinking and reasoning)
and affective (feelings and emotions) changes.
The child, who has reached adolescence, is now capable of
reasoning about abstract concepts and problems.
ADOLESCENCE
At this point, the adolescent becomes more inquisitive about things
like philosophy, religion, and politics.
This is also the stage when adolescents begin to ask questions
about their identity. Relationships with family and friends are also
affected by puberty during adolescence. Friends become the
center Of relationships more than family (Feist & Rosenberg,
2012).
SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
IN PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
As we have discussed personal development in the psychological,
social, and biological contexts, it is also important to consider the
spirituality and religious beliefs of a person, and how these
influence personal development.
Feist and Rosenberg (2012) infer that during adolescence, young
people will start asking about abstract questions, like about politics
or religion, and eventually form their own beliefs.
SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
IN PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
This reflection is left to the student to find out how his or her
religious beliefs influence one's identity development and
understanding of personal development.
Personal development may be approached from different religious
perspectives: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism,
among others, whose teachings may serve as the core or basis in
developing one's self.
1-3. WHAT ARE THE THREE ASPECTS OR
DOMAINS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ?
physical development
cognitive development
psychosocial development