Personality Development: Foundations, Features, and Influences - Essay Sample

Introduction

Personality development refers to the development of the organized patterns of human behaviors as well as the attitudes that makes people distinctive. Therefore, personality development has been noted to take place regarding the interaction of the individual character, temperament, and the environment. Personality is essential in human beings as it makes them unique (Fransson, Granqvist, Bohlin, & Hagekull, 2012). Some of the features can be recognizable soon after birth. However, most of the personality traits are illustrated when as one grows as one interacts with the society and general environment. Various studies have been conducted to evaluate the relationship of personality and the environment and evaluate whether the society impacts on an individual's personality trait (Paulhus, Trapnell, & Chen, 1999).

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It should be noted that temperament is one set of traits that are determined by the manner in which a child approaches the world and how he or she interacts with the environment. Such findings have, however, been presented differently by different psychological researchers and theorists. Therefore, this literature review seeks to analyze the arguments by various selected researchers to critique their arguments and establish their line of thought and how it influences psychological field. This literature review will also evaluate the issues of controversy based on the made arguments to find the research gap that will be the focus of the individual study.

Development of Personality

Development of personality traits is an area of interest among different researchers. While the personality of a person composes of the individual interaction with the environment and how it shapes the character, it has been demonstrated that there are adaptive patterns that are specific with the environment of a child and that influences the behavior of the child. According to the study by Fransson et al. (2012), personality develops based on the temperament of a person and the environment in which he or she is exposed. The study aimed at investigating and understanding the interlinkages that exist between the attachment and the personality of an individual. Therefore, the researchers used a Five-Factor model that facilitated the analysis of specific behaviors and how they relate to the environment that one is exposed on (Fransson et al. 2012).

According to the findings, there is a relationship between the environment of a child and the behavior that the child develops towards adulthood. Although the analysis of personality as a trait has been demonstrated to also be inborn, the exposure plays a vital role in developing certain behavioral attributes. This can be illustrated by the attachment theory that is also analyzed by the researchers. According to the theory, children are likely to develop certain attributes that are related to the environment that they are in. Physical proximity informs the interactions between individuals and the individuals with the environment which leads to certain attachments that nurture the individual behavior.

The findings by Fransson et al. (2012) are similar to the arguments by Hayashi et al. (2015) regarding the development of personality traits. The article by Hayashi et al. (2015) sought to investigate the direct as well as the indirect influences of childhood abuse towards the depression symptoms among the patients that have a major depressive disorder. It has been established that the onset, progression, as well as the prognosis of the major depressive disorder, is impacted by various factors that include the environment, personality, and even genes. Besides, the childhood abuse is noted to have a significant impact on the long-term negative effects towards the mental as well as the physical conditions regarding the risk for psychiatric disorders like major depressive disorder when they grow up (Hayashi et al. 2015). Therefore, the researchers established that the individual behavioral traits of a child are affected by the type of parenting that the children receive.

There is a relationship between the type of exposure that children receive from their families and the character and personality that they demonstrate. In this regard, it can be established that high-quality parenting has an important role in facilitating character development. When the parents are aware of the children response regarding different situations, they can be able to ensure the healthy development of the children while avoiding negative implications such as mental and psychological disorders. From the discussion by the researchers, it is evident that developmental of personality is significantly influenced by parents and caregivers to the children.

Additionally, Pos, Boyette, Meijer, Koeter, Krabbendam, and Haan (2016) established that the environment plays an important role in facilitating individual personality traits. The study by Pos et al. (2016) sought to evaluate the effect of the childhood trauma and the five-factor model of personality traits regarding the exposure on the life events in the patients that have the psychotic disorders. According to the article, the exposure to recent life events has an association with the increased risks of experiencing a first psychotic episode. Besides, the researchers pointed out that the patients who have psychotic disorders are likely to be associated with a psychotic relapse. The researchers quoted different pieces of research that have established a relationship between the psychotic disorders and the life events that the individual has gone through. This is a demonstration that the environment that people are exposed to has an impact on mental wellbeing and psychological behavior. Some of the issues that may influence such behaviors from childhood to adulthood include the level of activity of the child and the children that they play with. The degree of concentration or distractibility when the child is not particularly interested or forcing them to adapt to a certain behavior can significantly influence their mental stability hence leading to development of certain personality traits.

The issue of birth order effects has been a major issue of discussion in the scholarly world since the 1980s. The purpose of the article by Paulhus, Trapnell, and Chen (1999) was to investigate the birth order effects on personality as well as the influence on the achievement of families. According to the researchers, the notion regarding birth order has significantly been studied since the findings by researchers Ernst and Angst in 1983. The researchers sought to investigate the correlation with the personality traits and the birth order. According to the researchers, personality is influenced by order of birth of children. For example, firstborn are depicted as the first-choice niche that attempts to please their parents and ensure that they are not a letdown.

It should be noted that when other siblings come by, the children born first tend to take natural priority in various aspects of responsibilities hence must find certain ways that should differentiate them with the other children (Paulhus, Trapnell, and Chen, 1999). Therefore, while the environment plays a role in shaping the personality of an individual, the birth order was established as a major factor to facilitate growth and development and hence embracement of various personality attributes that are unique. However, the researchers did not clearly illustrate how different types of environments affect the nature of the firstborns and how that can change the personality of their siblings. Nevertheless, it is evident that family relationships are imperative in facilitating the manner in which children behave and hence the order of birth has a significant effect towards development of certain personality traits.

An evolutionary perspective has been identified as a primary basis for explaining various human behaviors, personalities, and individuality. This is demonstrated by the study by Shaver and Mikulincer (2004) who sought to investigate the attachment theory and research on the psychodynamic approaches towards personality. According to the researchers, there is a lot of progress regarding the studies of personality research as well as other historical forces which address how humans behave (Shaver & Mikulincer, 2004). It is evident that various factors influence the development of personality, including environment, genetics, and the gene-environment interactions among others. The nature of the relationships that a child has with the parents significantly influences the behavior of the person.

Besides, the circumstances that the people live in, such as religious and cultural believes, and economic factors have an important role in facilitating development of personality. Additionally, the environment of the family even if the individuals do not share a common genetic influences personality development. This is established due to the commonality in various areas such as parenting styles that are likely to be common among people living within a single environment (Shaver & Mikulincer, 2004). Therefore, the pieces of literature illustrate that various individual factors such as genetics and the environmental factors influence the nature of personality development among people.

Assessment of Personality

The assessment of personality is an important aspect of understanding human behavior. Various measures and methods can be used in the measurement of personality in a result regarding the gathering of the provided information that is intended to advance the psychological theory. The studies demonstrate that the assessment of personality can be conducted through various behavioral observations and projective techniques. However, such tests must be conducted through standardization, reliability, as well as validity to ensure that they make sense. For example, Fransson et a. (2012) sought to examine how childhood abuse, personality, as well as stress and other life events influence the symptoms of depression among depressed people. According to the study, the researchers hypothesized that childhood abuse impact on an individual's personality which can facilitate the development of the depression symptoms.

Additionally, the researchers hypothesized that different life events, especially in childhood, can lead to an onset of depression symptoms. Therefore, they aimed at investigating the correlation of various events with the development of the psychological disorder. From their investigations, the researchers demonstrated that personality could be examined through behavioral relationships and evaluations regarding the impressions that are made by different individuals. It can be established that such observations are critical for the clinical and psychological assessments that are geared towards providing demonstrations of particular personality behaviors.

Additionally, the studies have demonstrated that personality can be illustrated through the interviews by examining the affected population. This facilitates the observation of the individuals throughout the period while making the analysis of the behaviors that are demonstrated by the individuals being examined. For example, the study by Pos et al. (2016) suggested that the illness characteristics in individuals may predispose regarding the experiences of life events among the patients' psychotic disorders. Additionally, the researchers suggested that childhood trauma depicts a higher prevalence of the negative events in life among the general population. Therefore, Pos et al. (2016) specifically sought to investigate whether the childhood trauma, as well as the FFM personality traits, predispose towards the exper...