MODULE I.

INTRODUCTION TO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developmental scientists identified the three aspects or domains of human development as

(Papilia and Feldman 2012):

1. Physical development: covers the growth of the body and the brain, motor and sensory
skills, and even physical health
2. Cognitive development: covers our capacity to learn, speak, to understand, to reason,
and to create
3. Psychosocial development: includes our social interactions with other people, our
emotions, attitudes, self-identity, personality, beliefs, and values

Human development is also influenced by:

1. Heredity: the inborn traits passed on by the generations of offsprings from both sides of
the biological parents’ families
2. Environment: the world outside and tye experiences that result from our contact and
interaction with this external world
3. Maturation: the natural progression of the brain and the body that affects the cognitive,
psychological, and social dimensions of a person.

PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT VS. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Training in personality development skills bring about noticeable transformation and

improvement in one’s personality. It has also given birth to many related businesses that span the
globe. What about personal development? Let us see how the words “personal”, “personality”
and “development” are commonly defined. We will use the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
to serve as our reference.

The word “personal” is defined as: belonging or relating to a particular person

(Example: This is just my personal opinion.)

The word “personality” is defined as: the set of emotional qualities, ways of behaving, etc., that
makes a person different from other people

(Example: He has a pleasant personality.)

The word “development” is defined as: the act or process of growing or causing something to
grow or become larger or more advanced; or, the act or process of creating something over a
period of time

(Example: A child’s development is continuously influenced by many different factors.)

There is a major difference between personal and personality. However, we will explore together
what personal development is all about, and why this is important in our lives.

Human nature is very complex. Although there can be noticeable similarities with many other
living organisms, human beings are different as we process more complex capabilities. 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.

Zorka Hereford defined personal development as “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 self-realization.”

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 earth. It was during the time of the Western philosophers,
particularly the Greek thinkers, when questions about the self and about being human were
started to be asked. Plato argued that building character, as much as intelligence, is what
education is all about.

Eastern thought may have understood personal development through another concept. Even
religions may have influenced personal development.

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.
The two proponents of Humanistic Psychology were:

1. Abraham Maslow: He theorized the five stages of human development based on a

hierarchy of needs peaking in what he termed as “self-actualization”.

Morality, realization of
the purpose in life,
meaning, inner potential Self-
actualizati
on

Achievement, competency,
approval, recognition,
Esteem respect from others

Friendship, intimacy,
sense of connection Love and Belongingness
with others

Health and well-being,

Safety property, social stability,
security

Food, water, shelter, Physiological Needs

clothing, sleep
 2. Carl Rogers: He theorized that “the individual has within himself the capacity and the
tendency to move forward toward maturity”.

Martin Seligman 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. Martin Seligman together with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, helped refocus
this emphasis of psychology from a disease model toward what is good and positive about
human persons and their desire to achieve their full potentials. Hence, they became the
proponents for a new branch of psychology, Positive Psychology. Positive Psychology stresses
that human nature has its good and positive strengths, as well as its inadequacies and
weaknesses. The field is found 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

Personal development 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. It is widely
believed to be between ages 11 or 12, and lasting to about 18 years of age (Feist and Rosenberg
2012).

In the Philippine context, authors Corpuz, Lucas, Borabo, and Lucido (2010) defined the three
stages of adolescence as:

1. Early adolescence: between 10 to 13 years of age

 2. Middle adolescence: between 14 to 16 years of age
3. Late adolescence: between 17 to 20 years of age

Adolescence starts with the biological changes called puberty. Biological changes bring about
cognitive and affective changes. At this point, the adolescent becomes more inquisitive about
things. This is also the stage when they begin to ask questions about their identity. Friends
become the center of relationships more than family.