Personality Traits: From Hippocrates to Behavioral Genetics - Essay Sample

Introduction

According to Allport (1961), personality is an organization that is within an individual; the organisation contains various psychophysical systems that dynamically influence the human character. In the past 2000 years, different theories have been developed to explain personality traits in the human population. Research that has been done on personality stretch from Hippocrates in 370 BCE through character and psychodynamic perspective theories (Allport, 1961).

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In behavioral genetics, scientists focus on the relationship between genes and personal traits. Scientists have given psychologists a foretaste of the relationship between personality and genetics. To address the question of whether personality traits are inherited or not, this paper will discuss research evidence linking genetics and personality traits; with consideration to twin studies. Also, it explores other factors that influence the personality of an individual.

Personal traits are inherited. Genes control aspects of human personality to a more significant extent. From the Minnesota Study of Twins, studies indicate that identical twins have higher personality correlations compared to fraternal twins. "In studying 350 pairs of twins, including pairs of identical and fraternal twins reared together and apart, researchers found that identical twins, whether raised together or apart, have very similar personalities" (McGue & Bouchard, 1998). Also, a study conducted in ten countries found that the correlation factor between identical twins was 0.50, whereas that of fraternal twins was found to be 0.20 (McGue & Bouchard, 1998). The findings point out that genetic factors interact, thereby determining the personality of an individual.

Personal traits are determined by multiple genes (Thapar & McGuffin, 1993). Also, environmental factors play a role in determining whether some genes are expressed or not. To investigate the activation and expression of genes, scientists use personality studies (Thapar & McGuffin, 1993). The studies aim to determine how genes relate to one's personality. Genes that are to be expressed are identified by the way DNA interacts with a particular environment which an individual has been exposed to. Therefore, the changes in DNA are responsible for a person's uniqueness and personality.

Also, personality disorders (PDs) have been linked to genetic relations. PDSs represents genetic traits. For instance, schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder. There are limited genetic epidemiologic studies of the DSM PDs as compared to the reviews on various clinical diseases. The clinical disorders include; schizophrenia and depression. Genetic factors play an essential role in the etiology of the disorders and even personal traits (Thapar & McGuffin, 1993). The part of genetic factors is linked to classification. Family studies have indicated that the risk for schizoid and schizotypal personal disorders in relatives of those with schizophrenic is very high. Experiments performed by scientists suggest that the familial relationship of schizotypal PD to schizophrenia is very close. Schizophrenia is followed by schizoid and paranoid.

On the other hand, the race is a social parameter that has no scientific description (Sternberg et al., 2005). Thus there is no gene has been conclusively linked to intelligence. Therefore, heritability and genetic concept are not enough to connect race and intelligence.

Culture influences personality. Culture is the beliefs, ideas, and customs; it represents ideas of a society passed from generation to generation (Mann, 1993). There are always behavioral expectations that are expected in a specific culture. The norms of culture dictate essential personality traits. A study from Allport shows that culture is an essential influence on the characteristics of individuals. For instance, the variation of cultural expectations means that there will exist positive and negative traits. Therefore, personalities can be expressed differently across the cultures (Allport, 1961).

Also, personality gets influenced by individualistic and collectivist cultures (Allport, 1961). The strength of a personality trait depends on customs in a way that; individualistic cultured people believe in competition, whereas collectivist ones believe in harmony and respectfulness (Benjamin et al., 1998). For example, individualistic cultures portray more personally oriented characters, whereas the collectivist ones display socially oriented characteristics.

Gender norms also play a role in influencing personal traits. Gender norms are behaviors that govern males and females in a specific society. Gender norms change the personality of individuals by emphasizing various characteristics between various genders (Allport, 1961). Over time, ideas on the way multiple genders are supposed to behave whether masculine or feminine have changed. A good example is assertiveness and aggression, which have been regarded as a positive personality trait on the masculine part. Also, caretaking and submissiveness have been emphasized as a female trait. Throughout the U.S., change of the attitude has led to the behavioral shift hence change in personal identity for individuals (Allport, 1961).

This research has limitations since it focuses on a more significant extent on the nature side of nature versus nurture debate. The research focuses on as to whether environment or genetics are of more influence in the development of human. Thus, other integral factors are overlooked. Besides, in the measuring of standard personality traits, correlational studies with same rules like those of typical correlational research are used. The rules cannot be used alone to find causation.

Overall, some researchers believe that multiple genes are responsible for the genetic influences of offspring (Allport, 1961). Therefore, that explains why studies, as addressed in this paper, have indicated some similarity between the personality trait of a parent and his or her children, for instance, the case of identical twins. However, individual personal traits also can be determined by the home environment, culture, parents influence, and life experience.

References

Allport, G. W., (1961). Pattern and growth in personality. Retrieved from: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1962-04728-000

Benjamin, J., Ebstein, R. P., & Lesch, K. P. (1998). Genes for personality traits: implications for psychopathology. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 1(2), 153-168. Retrieved from: https://academic.oup.com/ijnp/article-abstract/1/2/153/682903

Mann, T. L., (1993). A failure of nonshared environmental factors in predicting sibling personality differences. The Journal of Psychology, 127(1), 79-86. Retrieved from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00223980.1993.9915545

McGue, M., & Bouchard Jr, T. J. (1998). Genetic and environmental influences on human behavioral differences. Annual review of neuroscience, 21(1), 1-24. Retrieved from: https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.neuro.21.1.1

Sternberg, R. J., Grigorenko, E. L., & Kidd, K. K. (2005). Intelligence, race, and genetics. American Psychologist, 60(1), 46. Retrieved from: https://psycnet.apa.org/journals/amp/60/1/46/

Thapar, A., & McGuffin, P., (1993). Is personality disorder inherited? An overview of the evidence. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 15(4), 325-345. Retrieved from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00965036