Chapter 4 Section 1Personality Development

Personality is the sum total of behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and values that are characteristic of an individual. It determines how we adjust to our environment and react to specific situations.

Heredity: the transmission of genetic characteristics from parents to children

Instinct: an unchanging, biologically inherited behavior pattern

Sociobiology:

Nature vs. Nurture

Nature: scientists have found over 10,000 human instincts including motherhood, warfare, laughing, and the push to form a society and build a civilization.

Nurture: a person’s behavior is the result of social environment and learning. The idea that all infants have infinite potential to taught or trained to be anything.

Pavlov’s dogs**

Nature vs. Nurture

Heredity: Characteristics that are present from birth

◦ Body build◦ Hair type◦ Eye color◦ Skin pigmentation

Aptitude: capacity to learn a particular skill or acquire a specific body of knowledge

Heredity sets limits on individuals◦ Ex. A 5’ foot tall person will most likely not play in

the NBA

Factors in Personality Development

Birth Order Personality is influenced by whether or not we

have siblings and chronologically where we fall among them.

Certain roles have specific characteristics (generally)◦ Oldest◦ Middle◦ Youngest◦ Only Children

Factors in Personality Development

Parental Characteristics◦ Age of parents at time of birth◦ Level of education◦ Religious orientation ◦ Economic status◦ Cultural heritage◦ Occupational background◦ **Parents personality

Factors in Personality Development

Cultural Environment◦ Region of nation◦ Ethnicity◦ Religion◦ Gender◦ Age◦ **All affected by culture of the nation

Factors in Personality Development

Anna and Isabelle Genie Institutionalization: children negatively

impacted by lack of socialization and human interaction, even while physical needs (food, medicine) were provided◦ Ex. Orphanage, hospitals, etc.

Influence of Social Environment

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