Meaning and Definition —

The term personality is derived from the Latin word 'Persona' which means a theatrical mask used by
the actors in those days to indicate their role in the play. Generally layman considers that personality is
the external appearance of an individual. But in psychology the personality is the totality of an
individual, both his inner and outer qualities interacting with each other.

Definition: According to G.W. Allport – " Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of
those psychophysical systems that determines his unique adjustment to his environment."

Analysis of the Definition —

 Dynamic Organization: Personality is not rather mattes it is constantly developing and changing.
It is the combination of physical and mental traits.
 Psychophysical System : It is neither purely mental nor purely physical. It is the interaction of
both physical and mental traits.
 Unique: Every person is completely different from others. According to his mental and physical
traits, his adjustment to the environment is unique.
 Adjustment to the Environment : It is the personality of a person which adapts to changing
situation. Every person has the ability to adjust in the situation.

Characteristics of Personality —
1. Personality is unique. Every individual has his own set of personality.
2. Personality refers to persistent qualities of an individual. There are certain qualities which
remain permanent.
3. Personality represent a dynamic organization of an organism to the environment. Different
traits of personality interact with each other and may change accordingly.
4. Personality is greatly influenced by social interaction.
5. Personality represent a unique organization of persistent, dynamic and social predisposition.
6. Personality is unique and remains as a whole. Personality has many dimensions like – physical,
mental, emotional, social, intellectual. All these are related with each other and functions as a
whole as a totality.

Elements of Personality
1. Personal Appearance: The size and shape of a person influence his personality. If a man is tall, of
good physical proportions, and well-muscled, his personality is likely to be affected favourably.
2. Intelligence: Intelligence is an inborn capacity to perceive the right thing, at the right place, at
the right moment. It is the general mental adaptability to new problems and conditions of life.It
 enables easy adjustment even under difficult circumstances and thus helps in building up
personality.
3. Emotional Life: Emotion is nothing but an intense and violent feeling. Emotions play a very
important part of the individual and social life of man. They determine to a very great extent his
physical and mental health. They also determine whether a person will be liked in society or will
be treated as a nuisance.
4. Temperament (Way of Looking at Things and Feeling/Opinions about things): Mood when it
becomes permanent influences our temperament. Temperament is partly physical and partly
mental. Diet and climate also affect our temperament and temperament affects personality.
5. Character and Moral Traits: Character includes our sentiments and habits in the widest sense of
the term. It is the product of the interaction of instinctive dispositions with the physical and
social environment under the guidance of intelligence. Character and the personality of the
individual are very closely related.

Significance of Personality
1. Social interactions: Personality can help you form social circles and make friends. People are
often drawn to others with a good personality.
2. Career success: A good personality can help you get promotions, lead teams, and train others.
3. Personal growth: Personality development can help you achieve your goals and work hard to get
there.
4. Health and well-being: Research suggest that people who are more conscientious, extroverted,
and agreeable may live longer and have a lower risk of dying.
5. Positive thinking: A good personality can help you think positively and find better solutions to
problems.
6. Physical appearance: A good personality can make you look more attractive and active.
7. Financial and mental well-being : A good personality can help you make good financial and
mental decisions.
8. Influence: A good personality can help you influence others in your family and friend groups
9. Overall self confidence

Determinants of Personality/ Factors affecting Personality

1. Heredity - Heredity refers to factors that are determined once an individual is born. An
individual’s physique, attractiveness, body type, complexion, body weight depend on his/her
parents biological makeup.
2. Environment - The environment to which an individual is subjected to during his growing years
plays an important role in determining his/her personality. The varied cultures in which we are
brought up and our family backgrounds have a crucial role in shaping our personalities.
3. Situation - An individual’s personality also changes with current circumstances and situations.
An individual would behave in a different way when he/she has enough savings with him and his
behavior would automatically change when he is bankrupt.
Personality Traits
Popular characteristics including shy, aggressive, submissive, lazy, ambitious, loyal and timid. Those
characteristics, when they exhibited in large number of situations, are called personality traits or
enduring characteristics that describe on individual’s behavior.

Primary Traits

Cattel (1973) identified 16 source traits/Primary Traits. These traits were found to be generally steady
and constant sources of behaviour. But there was found to be no scientific relevance.

Sixteen Source Traits

1. Reserved - Outgoing
2. Less intelligent - More intelligent
3. Affected by feelings - Emotionally stable
4. Submissive - Dominant
5. Serious - Happy go Lucky
6. Expedient - Conscientious
7. Timid - Venturesome
8. Tough minded - Sensitive
9. Trusting - Suspicious
10. Practical - Imaginative
 11. Forthright - Shrewd
12. Self-Assured - Apprehensive
13. Conservative - Experimenting
14. Group-dependent - Self-sufficient
15. Uncontrolled - Controlled
16. Relaxed - Tense

Big Personality Traits

There are five Big Personality Traits which have a significant impact in individual’s life. They are as
follows:

a) Extroversion: Extroverts are sociable, lively, and gregarious and seek outward interaction. Such
individuals are likely to be most successful working in marketing division, public relations etc.
where they can interact face to face with others. Introverts are quite, reflective, introspective
and intellectual people, preferring to interact with a small intimate circle of friends. Introverts
are more likely to be successful when they can work on highly abstract ideas (accountant, R&D
work etc) in a relatively quite atmosphere.
b) Agreeableness: This refers to the extent to which individuals agreeing and cooperating with
others. Highly agreeable people are cooperative, warm and trusting. People who score low on
agreeableness are cold, disagreeable and antagonistic. This characteristic is very important and
critical in attaining a successful achievement in their life.
c) Conscientiousness: This refers to the extent to which people are responsible and dependable
in their work and life. A highly conscientiousness person is responsible, organized, dependable
and persistent. They are likely to move upward direction very quickly and attain remarkable
achievement in their life. Those who score low on this dimension are easily distracted,
disorganized and unreliable.
d) Emotional Stability: This refers to the extent to which people have the ability to withstand
stress. People with positive emotional stability tend to be calm, self confident and secure.
Those with highly low level of emotional stability tend to be nervous, anxious, depressed and
insecure.
e) Openness to experience: This refers to the extent to which people are more imaginative,
artistic sensitivity and intellectualism. Individuals tend to vary widely ranging from conservative
to creative or artistic. Extremely open people are creative, and artistically sensitive. Whereas
not so open category personnel are very conservative and find comfort in the familiar or
routine activities.
Functions of Personality Development
 Self-understanding: It can help you better understand yourself.
 Communication: It can help you communicate better with others, both in your personal and
professional life.
 Leadership: It can help you develop leadership skills, which can help you motivate others and
lead them to success.
 Resilience: It can help you become more resilient and better able to deal with challenges.
 Well-being: It can help you promote your overall well-being.
 Career: It can help you improve your employment prospects and have a successful career.
 Decision-making: It can help you improve your decision-making skills.
 Stress reduction: It can help you reduce stress and conflicts.
 Optimism: It can encourage you to look at the brighter side of life.
 Goal-setting: It can help you set goals and work hard to achieve them.

Personality development is a process of making positive changes to your personality, which can involve
refining your traits, behaviors, and attitudes. It can take time and depends on various factors, such as
your individual behavior, thinking, and response patterns

Objectives of Personality Development

Personality is the collection of traits and patterns of behavior, thought, and feelings that make up a
person.Some objectives of personality development include:

 Improving communication skills: People are more receptive to what you say if they are
impressed with your personality.
 Developing leadership qualities: we can improve your leadership qualities.
 Improving social etiquette and manners: we can improve our social etiquette and manners.
 Enhancing self-esteem: we can enhance your self-esteem.
 Developing a positive attitude: we can develop a positive attitude.
 Learning to manage stress and emotions: we can learn to manage stress and emotions
effectively.

Personality Disorder
The inability of a person to modify the behaviour with changes in environment is referred to as disorder.
Personality disorder is a longstanding, maladaptive and inflexible ways of relating to the environment.
These disorders sometimes may be noticed in childhood or latest by early adolescence. These disorders
cause problems for the persons who suffer from it and also to people who are significant in the
individual’s life.
People with psychological personality disorders have traits that cause them to feel and behave in
socially distressing ways. Depending on the specific disorder, these personalities are generally described
in negative terms such as hostile, detached, needy, antisocial or obsessive

General Symptoms of Personality Disorders

 Frequent mood swings
• Stormy relationships
• Social isolation
• Angry outbursts
• Suspicion and mistrust of others
• Difficulty making friends
• A need for instant gratification
• Poor impulse control
• Alcohol or substance abuse
Classification of Personality Disorders
1. Cluster A Personality Disorders(odd or eccentric disorders)
These are considered to be marked by odd, eccentric behavior
i. Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD): Characterized by a pervasive distrust and
suspicion of others, interpreting motives as malevolent.
ii. Schizoid Personality Disorder: This is marked by a lack of interest in social relationships,
limited emotional expression, and a preference for solitary activities.
iii. Schizotypal Personality Disorder:Involves peculiar thoughts, behaviors, appearance,
and interpersonal difficulties, often with social anxiety.
2. Cluster B Personality Disorders(dramatic, emotional, or erratic disorders)
These are evidenced by dramatic, erratic behaviours
i. Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) :Characterized by a pattern of disregard for the
rights of others, lack of empathy, and a tendency towards criminal behavior
ii. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): Involves instability in relationships, self-image,
and mood, accompanied by impulsivity. Individuals may have intense and unstable
relationships and a fear of abandonment.eg drug abuse, excessive shopping
iii. Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Characterized by inflated sense of self-importance,
require excessive attention, take advantage of others, lack empathy, and are arrogant.
iv. Histrionic Personality Disorder: Marked by excessive attention-seeking, emotional
overreaction, and a need for constant reassurance or approval.
3. Cluster C Personality Disorders ((anxious or fearful disorders)
These are distinguished by anxious, fearful behavior
i. Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder: Involves preoccupation with orderliness,
perfectionism, and control, at the expense of flexibility and openness
ii. Avoidant Personality Disorder (AvPD):Characterized byintense level of social anxiety,
extremely self-conscious, avoid social situations and interpersonal contact. feel
inadequate or inferior to others and are hypersensitive to rejection.
iii. Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD): Characterized by a pervasive and excessive
need to be taken care of, leading to submissive and clinging behavior.

Causes of Personality Disorders

 Genetic mechanisms and birth deformities
 Traumatic brain injury
 Personality traits like narcissism, aggression, suspicion, etc. add to the risk of PDs
 A history of childhood abuse and trauma
 A history of parental abuse, neglect, and abandonment
 A family history of mental disorders
 Negative developmental experiences (related to war, poverty, etc.)
 Certain cultural and societal norms
 Stress (like workplace demands, bullying, workaholism, etc.)
  Major life changes (like the death of a loved one, experiences of relocation, etc.)

1. Genetic Factors: There is evidence suggesting a genetic predisposition to certain personality

disorders. People who have a family history of personality disorders might be more
vulnerable.
2. Biological Factors: Differences in brain structure and function, as well as neurotransmitter
imbalances, may play a role in the development of personality disorders.
3. Environmental Factors:
 Early Life Experiences: Traumatic experiences, abuse, neglect, or inconsistent parenting
during childhood may contribute to the development of personality disorders.
 Family Environment: Dysfunctional family dynamics, a lack of emotional support, or
inconsistent discipline may contribute to the development of personality disorders.

4. Psychological Factors:
 Cognitive Patterns: Distorted thinking patterns, such as chronic negative beliefs about
oneself or others, may contribute to the development and maintenance of personality
disorders.
 Personality Development: Some theories propose that disruptions in normal personality
development during childhood and adolescence contribute to the emergence of
personality disorders.

5. Temperamental Factors: Individual differences in temperament, such as emotional reactivity

and adaptability, may contribute to the vulnerability to certain personality disorders.
6. Neurodevelopmental Factors: Some researchers explore the role of disruptions in early
neurodevelopmental processes in the manifestation of personality disorders.

Treatment of Personality Disorders

1. Psychotherapy (Talk Therapy):
 Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): Targets distorted thinking patterns and maladaptive
behaviors, aiming to replace them with healthier alternatives.
 Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Particularly effective for borderline personality
disorder, emphasizing skills training in emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and
distress tolerance.
 Psychodynamic Therapy: Explores unconscious processes and unresolved conflicts that
may contribute to personality disorder symptoms.

2. Medication: While medications may be prescribed to manage specific symptoms (e.g., mood
stabilizers, antipsychotics, or antidepressants), they are not the primary treatment for
personality disorders.
3. Hospitalization or Intensive Treatment Programs: In severe cases or during crises,
hospitalization or participation in intensive outpatient programs may be necessary.
4. Supportive Services: Supportive services, such as case management, vocational training, and
social skills development, may be beneficial for individuals with personality disorders.
 5. Group Therapy: Group therapy allows individuals to interact with others who have similar
challenges, fostering a supportive environment and interpersonal skill development.
6. Family Therapy: In certain cases, involving family members can help improve communication,
address dysfunctional family dynamics, and provide support.
7. Self-Help: Individuals are encouraged to learn and practice coping strategies, stress
management techniques, and problem-solving skills to enhance their ability to navigate
challenges.

Prevention of Personality Disorders

The prevention of personality disorders often involves early intervention and supportive environments:

1. Early Intervention:
 Identify and address childhood and adolescent behavioral issues promptly.
 Provide support for individuals at risk due to family history or early signs of emotional
difficulties.
2. Parental Education:
 Offer parenting programs to enhance positive parenting skills.
 Promote healthy attachment and emotional bonding between parents and children.

3. Community Support:
 Establish supportive community services and resources for at-risk individuals and families.
 Encourage access to mental health services and resources.

4. Education and Awareness:

 Promote awareness of mental health issues in schools and communities.
 Reduce stigma around seeking mental health support.

5. Promote Resilience:
 Enhance coping skills and resilience in children and adolescents.
 Foster a positive and nurturing environment at home and in the community.

6. Trauma Prevention:
 Implement measures to prevent and address childhood trauma.
 Provide trauma-informed care and support for individuals exposed to adverse experiences.

7. Social Skills Development:

 Incorporate social skills training in educational programs.
 Encourage healthy interpersonal relationships and communication.