Global Competencies & Personality Development

Global Competencies & Personality Development

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

UNIT I INTRODUCTION TO
PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

1.1 THE CONCEPT OF PERSONALITY- DEFINITION

Personality is the collection of all possible ways in which an individual reacts and
communicates with others. Conversely, it can also mean how people influence other as
well as how they understand and view themselves. It includes their pattern of internal and
external measurable traits and the interaction between person and situation.

“Personality is that pattern of characteristic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that

distinguishes one person from another and that persists over time”.
“It is the sum of biologically based and learnt behavior which forms the person's unique
responses to environmental stimuli”.

According to Allport, “Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual and
consists of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustments to his
environment”.

According to Camerson, “Personality is the dynamic organization of interlocking

behavior system, that each of us possess as he grows from a biological new born to a
biological adult in an environment of other individual’s and cultural products .

Generally, personality is conceptualized by external appearance of an individual which

influences other persons. Personality is an integrated system which includes both the
aspects of a person, the one which are inherited as well as those that are learned.

1.2 Nature of Personality

 Unique: Personality is a unique amalgamation of traits which differentiates the

individuals from others . The unique style in which people laugh or smile, weep
or cry, talk on lecture, greet or salute becomes the symbol of their personality.

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

 Reflects individual differences: No two individuals can be considered as

exactly same because of their collection of unique traits. However, an individual
may be similar to another in the context of single personality trait. For eg. Some
people are “high” in sociability (means they are very social), while some are
termed as “low” in sociability.
 Result of both heredity environments: It is an undoubted fact that
difference of sex is determined by heredity. Another fact is that it is the difference
of sex that determines the personality of men and women. Hence on this basis
certain psychologists assert that it is the heredity that determines the personality.
 Learned or Acquired: Personality can be learned from our family members
by being around them. It can also be acquired by being in social situations as
people communicate and observe other people.
 Integration of various Traits: The elements which are eventually identified
as a part of individual’s personality that gets incorporated rather just being a
collection of traits. Thus the combination of different traits leads to formation of
personality.
 Dynamic process: Personality of an individual is an internal dynamic
organanisation. Here dynamic means that personality is constantly changing,
rapidly but is still organized, hence termed as dynamic organization.
 Psychophysical Systems: Personality can neither be considered so as solely
physical nor solely as mental. Neither it is the product of heredity exclusively, nor
the product of acquired behavior or learning exclusively.
 Social: Personality is totally social. Personality has its life only in response to its
external world. An integrated and balanced personality is one which makes
pleasant modification to environment, mainly the social environment.

1.3 Characteristics of Good Personality

 Realistic: Realistic people rather avoid passing on information and dealing with social
activities but would love to work with machines, tools and animals. Such people are
skilled in mechanical, electrical drawings and can easily work with animals, plants, tools,
etc. People with good personality have a realistic and practical approach towards life.
 Investigative: Such people have good intellect and are able to understand and solve
problems related to scientific and mathematical field. Basically investigative personality
people love to spend most of the time in studying and solving issues and they hardly
approach people with the aim of persuading or leading them.

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

 Social: People those who possess such characteristics are more towards social thing to
assist people. They are inclined towards informing people, are involved in profession like
nursing and are less concerned about the use of tools, machines, and animals in order to
achieve their respective objectives.
 Enterprising: People those who have an enterprising personality have good bonding
with other people and also they believe in selling and sharing new ideas. They avoid
having interaction with those people who have keen interest in analytical thinking. They
are not interesting in making observation based on scientific studies.
 Conventional: People with such personality believe more on working of machines,
numbers, records, etc. Conventional people don’t associate well with unstructured
activities or with people with ambitious nature. Conventional people have high accuracy
when they perform task related to numbers, records organized in a particular way.
 Artistic: Artistic person follows more of creative activities like art, music, drama, crafts,
creative writing, dancing, etc. They are creativity by nature and can develop different
creative ideas and are deemed to have value activities.

1.4 Determinants of Personality

 Biological Factors: The basic characteristics of the human biological system determine
the manner in which human being absorb external stimulus and react to it. The contribution
of biology in the field of personality development is divided into following three major
categories :
 Heredity: Heredity is the transfer of features from predecessors to the next generation via
chromosomes found in germ cells. Heredity influences the physical, emotional and mental
states of an individual. As heredity has an impact on the nature of an individual, hence it
causes variation in personalities.

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

 Brain: Another important factor that plays a vital role in personality in brain. It is believed
that its structure defines personality. However, no concrete evidence is found yet to confirm
its relevance in personality development.
 Physical Features: Physical features and maturity rate also determine personality
formation. This is because physical features influence others and also the self - image.

1.5 Social factors

Personality of an individual is affected by numerous social factors such as nuclear families,
remote and universal alliances. Family and social background have an immense impact on
personality development. Following factors affect personality development:

 Home environment: The environment where a person is born and brought up has a huge
impact on his overall personality development. For example, children brought up in a
very strict and uncaring atmosphere are more inclined to be emotionally imbalanced than
the children who are brought up in a loving and caring atmosphere.
 Family Members: Parents in family members also have significant impact on the
personality development of an individual. Parents and children share a stronger bond than
the bond between children and teachers. Apart from parents, even the siblings play an
important role in the personality development.
 Social groups: Society also influences an individual’s personality, eg the school where a
child studies, the friend circle, colleagues at work, etc. Further, certain socio- economic
factors are also responsible for the development of personality.

1.6 Cultural Factors

Cultural is one of the most important factors in shaping the personality of an individual. It
decides what the person actually is and what he is learning. It also determines the behavior and
attitude of a person towards freedom, hostility, rivalry and collaboration. The members of a
culture are expected to act in the manner that is acceptable by the cultural group. Even through
culture is immensely responsible for developing personality, yet a linear relationship between
personality and culture could not be developed.

Cultural factors influence the personality of an individual. The reason is that people need to
develop their personality within the cultural environment. On the whole, culture is the
combination of beliefs, value, traditions, customs, habits and moral value that the person gets
from the society.

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

1.7 Situational Factors

Personality formation of an individual also depends on the situational factors. Situational, factors
are dynamic and change with the social conditions. People come across various situations that
change their perspective towards things. For ex Strict teacher might not be strict towards his
family members. The behavior of an officer might be different towards subordinates then
compared to his family.

A person displays his attitude when he comes in contact with environment, culture, society,
parents, friends and others. A particular situation might have a huge impact on a person. It might
be restrictive or motivational.

1.8 Physical Environment

The Physical Environment also influences the personality of an individual. Environmental
factors comprise of land, river, mountains, hills, forest, planes, atmosphere etc which determines
if the personality is good or bad, strong or weak. Every feeling, emotion, idea, attitude, habit,
behavior and body structure is the result of the physical environment that surrounds the person.

For example: Color, health and physique of people belonging to the rural areas differ from
people belonging to urban areas. Their personalities differ due to the different environment in
which they are brought up. Urban people enjoy all the modern facilities and lifestyle which
results in delicate bodies and minds.

1.9 Development of Personality

 Personality development includes activities that improve awareness and identity, develop
talents and potential, build human capital and facilitate employability, enhance quality of
life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations.
 When personal development takes place in the context of institutions, it refers to the
methods, programs, tools, techniques, and assessment systems that support human
development at the individual level in organizations.
 Personality development includes activities that develop talents, improve awareness,
enhances potential and looks to improve the quality of life. It involves formal and
informal activities that put people in the role of leaders, guides, teachers, and managers
for helping them realize their full potential.

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

 Hence, it can be concluded that the process of improving or transforming the personality
is called personality development.

2. Psychoanalytical theory by SIGMUND FREUD.

Many psychologists have developed theories about personality—how to describe it, how it
emerges, what influences it, how it changes, and what constitutes a healthy or an abnormal
personality. Here you will learn about the three most important personality theories:
psychoanalytic theory, behaviorism and humanism.

The first of the modern personality theories was developed by Sigmund Freud and is known as

Psychoanalytic theory. The psychiatric practice of this theory is called psychoanalysis. Freud’s
ideas were plentiful, profound, and often controversial. His theory about personality has had
tremendous influence on societies around the world through many different disciplines. Not only
psychology has been influenced and informed by the ideas of Freud, but also literature, art,
philosophy, cultural studies, film theory, and many other academic subjects. Freud’s theory
represents one of the major intellectual ideas of the modern world. Right or wrong, these ideas
have had a lasting and enormous impact.

FREUD THEORY:

Freud theorized that personality contains three structures—the id, ego, and superego—and that
the mind is like an iceberg, the unconscious making up 90% while the conscious (like the tip of
the iceberg floating above water) makes only 10% of the mind.

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

Freud suggested an analogy about the mind. He said that the mind is like an iceberg in the ocean,
floating 10% above the water and 90% below. The unconscious, Freud proposed, makes up the
vast majority of our mind. In Freud’s view, only about 10% of our behaviors are caused by
conscious awareness—about 90% are produced by unconscious factors.

According to psychoanalytic theory, most of what controls our behavior’s thoughts, and feelings
is unknown to our aware minds. Normally, the unconscious guides us. Freud said that the mind
could be divided into three abstract categories. These are the id, the ego, and the superego .

1. The id:
Latin for the term “it,” this division of the mind includes our basic instincts, inborn dispositions,
and animalistic urges. Freud said that the id is totally unconscious, that we are unaware of its
workings. the id is not rational; it imagines, dreams, and invents things to get us what we want.
Freud said that the id operates according to the pleasure principle—it aims toward pleasurable
things and away from painful things. The id aims to satisfy our biological urges and drives. It
includes feelings of hunger, thirst, sex, and other natural body desires aimed at deriving pleasure.

2. The ego:

Greek and Latin for “I,” this personality structure begins developing in childhood and can be
interpreted as the “self.” The ego is partly conscious and partly unconscious. The ego operates
according to the reality principle; that is, it attempts to help the id get what it wants by judging
the difference between real and imaginary. If a person is hungry, the id might begin to imagine
food and even dream about food. (The id is not rational.) The ego, however, will try to determine
how to get some real food. The ego helps a person satisfy needs through reality.

3. The superego:

This term means “above the ego,” and includes the moral ideas that a person learns within the
family and society. The superego gives people feelings of pride when they do something correct
(the ego ideal) and feelings of guilt when they do something they consider to be morally wrong
(the conscience). The superego, like the ego, is partly conscious and partly unconscious. The
superego is a child’s moral barometer, and it creates feelings of pride and guilt according to the
beliefs that have been learned within the family and the culture.

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

Trait Theory by Allport and Big Five model

What Is a Trait?
A trait is a personality characteristic that meets three criteria: it must be consistent, stable, and
vary from person to person.1 Based on this definition, a trait can be thought of as a relatively
stable characteristic that causes individuals to behave in certain ways.

The trait approach to personality is one of the major theoretical areas in the study of personality.
Trait theory suggests that individual personalities are composed of broad dispositions.2

Unlike many other theories of personality, such as psychoanalytic or humanistic theories, the
trait approach to personality is focused on differences between individuals. The combination and
interaction of various traits form a personality that is unique to each person. Trait theory is
focused on identifying and measuring these individual personality characteristics.

Example : If someone asked you to describe a close friend's personality, what kind of things
would you say? A few things that might come to mind are descriptive terms such as "outgoing,"
"kind" and "even-tempered." All of these represent traits.

Allport’s Trait Theory

In 1936, psychologist Gordon Allport found that one English-language dictionary contained
more than 4,000 words describing different personality traits. He categorized these traits into
three levels:3

Cardinal Traits
Allport suggested that cardinal traits are rare and dominating, usually developing later in life.
They tend to define a person to such an extent that their names become synonymous with their
personality. Examples of this include the following descriptive terms: Machiavellian,
narcissistic, Don Juan, and Christ-like.

Central Traits
These general characteristics form basic personality foundations. While central traits are not as
dominating as cardinal traits, they describe the major characteristics you might use to describe

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

another person. Descriptions such as "intelligent," "honest," "shy," and "anxious" are considered
central traits.

Secondary Traits
Secondary traits are sometimes related to attitudes or preferences. They often appear only in
certain situations or under specific circumstances. Some examples include public speaking
anxiety or impatience while waiting in line.

Big 5 Personality Traits

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

Openness
This personality trait features characteristics such as imagination and insight.1 People who are
high in openness tend to have a broad range of interests. They are curious about the world and
other people and are eager to learn new things and enjoy new experiences.

People who are high in this personality trait also tend to be more adventurous and creative.
Conversely, people low in this personality trait are often much more traditional and may struggle
with abstract thinking.

High
 Very creative
 Open to trying new things
 Focused on tackling new challenges
 Happy to think about abstract concepts

Low
 Dislikes change
 Does not enjoy new things
 Resists new ideas
 Not very imaginative
 Dislikes abstract or theoretical concepts

Conscientiousness

Standard features of this personality trait include high levels of thoughtfulness, good impulse
control, and goal-directed behaviors.1 Highly conscientious people tend to be organized and
mindful of details. They plan ahead, think about how their behavior affects others, and are
mindful of deadlines.
Someone scoring lower in this primary personality trait is less structured and less organized.
They may procrastinate to get things done, sometimes missing deadlines completely.

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

High

 Spends time preparing

 Finishes important tasks right away
 Pays attention to detail
 Enjoys having a set schedule

Low

 Dislikes structure and schedules

 Makes messes and doesn't take care of things
 Fails to return things or put them back where they belong
 Procrastinates important tasks
 Fails to complete necessary or assigned tasks

Extraversion

Extraversion (or extroversion) is a personality trait characterized by excitability, sociability,

talkativeness, assertiveness, and high amounts of emotional expressiveness.

People high in extraversion are outgoing and tend to gain energy in social situations. Being
around others helps them feel energized and excited.

People who are low in this personality trait or introverted tend to be more reserved. They have
less energy to expend in social settings and social events can feel draining. Introverts often
require a period of solitude and quiet in order to "recharge."

High

 Enjoys being the center of attention

 Likes to start conversations
 Enjoys meeting new people
 Has a wide social circle of friends and acquaintances
 Finds it easy to make new friends
 Feels energized when around other people

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

 Say things before thinking about them

Low

 Prefers solitude
 Feels exhausted when having to socialize a lot
 Finds it difficult to start conversations
 Dislikes making small talk
 Carefully thinks things through before speaking
 Dislikes being the center of attention

Neuroticism
Neuroticism is a personality trait characterized by sadness, moodiness, and emotional instability.
Individuals who are high in neuroticism tend to experience mood swings, anxiety, irritability,
and sadness. Those low in this personality trait tend to be more stable and emotionally resilient.

High

 Experiences a lot of stress

 Worries about many different things
 Gets upset easily
 Experiences dramatic shifts in mood
 Feels anxious
 Struggles to bounce back after stressful events

Low

 Emotionally stable
 Deals well with stress
 Rarely feels sad or depressed
 Doesn't worry much
 Is very relaxed

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

. Social Cognition Theory by Albert Bandura

Social learning theory emphasizes on the importance of observing and modelling the behaviours,

attitudes and emotional reactions of others.

 Social learning theory focuses on the learning that occurs within asocial context.

 He stressed the importance of observational learning, imitation and modeling.

BASIC SOCIAL LEARNING CONCEPTS

 Observational Learning - People can learn through observation

 Intrinsic Reinforcement – Mental states are important for learning

 The Modeling Process – Learning does not lead to a change in behavior.

OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING

 A live model: Involves an actual individual demonstrating or acting out a behavior.

 A verbal instructional model: Involves descriptions and explanations of a behavior.

 A symbolic model: Which involves real or fictional characters displaying behaviors in books,
films, television programs, or online media.

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

INTRINSIC REINFORCEMENT

 Intrinsic reinforcement is a form of internal reward, such as pride, satisfaction and a sense of
accomplishment.

THE MODELING PROCESS

 Not all observed behaviors are effectively learned.

Factors involving both the model and the learner can play a role in whether social learning is
successful.

 The following steps are involved in the observational

learning and modeling process:

 Attention

 Retention

 Motor reproduction

 Motivation

Attention: People are able to learn from models only when they precisely pay attention to
model’s trait. People are gently influenced by models possessing charming and pleasing
personality, who are socially and readily available and have the desired characteristics.

Miss Rutuja Kamble

 Global Competencies & Personality Development

Rentention Process: A model’s influence can be judged by analyzing how much an individual
remembers about the model of their absence.

Motor Reproduction Process: When a person observes a model and notices a new pattern of
behavior, then the person should practically implement it. This process of implementing the
observed behavior shows that the person can perform the activities learned from the model.

Reinforcement Process: If there is a potential to provide a positive perks or rewards, people will
willing exhibit the required behavior. This denotes that if acquired behavior is supported
affirmatively, the learner would perform it on regular basis.

Miss Rutuja Kamble