Factors Influencing Personality

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There are majorly five factor of personality that are contributing to the formation and development of human personality.

  1. Biological factors
  2. Social factors
  3. Cultural factors
  4. Physical environment
  5. Situational factors

There are many factors that affect the development of a personality in the different phases of childhood. When we are introduced to the new world of strangers, the decisions that our parents take for us, the atmosphere at home and the way we are treated by those around us leave a significant impact on our mind and this builds a personality that we bear for a long time unless we consciously make an effort to make changes in it.

I. Biological factors

The influence of biology on behavior is revealed in the phenomena o f temperament, or in born personality disposition. As any parent will attest, children are born already possessing primitive personality tendencies. Some children are born with milder, calmer dispositions while others are more anxious and irritable. These in born personality tendencies (temperaments) are assumed to be largely influenced by genetic factors in a manner analogous to how hair and eye coloration are genetically determined. Then the biological basis of personality focuses on why or how personality traits manifest through biology, in addition to identifying personality traits.

Following biological factors affects personality

1. Heredity

An important factor in personality development. Almost every form of personality has been attributed to heredity. For instance, the child inherits complexities, physique, intelligence, etc., from its parents

2. Physique

Since ancient periods, it has been accepted that physique affects personality.

3. Brain

Plays an important role in personality. People who are intelligent can make better adjustments at home, school and society than who are less intelligent.

4. Sex differences

This also play a vital role in the development of personality of individual. Boys are generally more assertive and vigorous. They prefer adventures. Girls are quieter and more injured by personal, emotional and social problems.

II. Social factors

Where people interact with each other, relationships take place and it affects the personality of an individual social factor by influencing to bad or good depends on the association in which he or she keeps. For instance, in our society young are expected to be respectful towards elders. Many other social factors like environment, group life, family, media with which an individual interact daily will also mould their personalities. Social factors play a vital part in every individual like personality and shape them accordingly. If it is experienced to take bad or good, the personality reflects the same.

III. Cultural factors

Culture of any society determines the behaviors and personality of on individual and he or she is expected to act according to the culture. A person follows all the social norms of a culture which results in the formation of good personality while non conformity to the rules of culture develops abnormal or bad personality.

IV. Physical environment

Environmental factors include and river, mountains, hills, forests, plain area, atmosphere etc, which affects the personality to be good or bad, healthy or weak. For instance, body structure, physique, colour and health of the rural people are different from urban people. These people have different environment due to which they develop variety of personalities. The people living in cities have facilities and modern ways of life which creates to develop delicate bodies and minds as compared to the rural people who are deprived of these facilities.

V. Situational factors

Situational factors do alter a person’s behavior and response from time to time. The situational factors can be commonly observed when a person behaves contrastingly and exhibits different traits and characteristics. For an instance, a boy’s behavior will be completely different when he is in front of his parents compared to his friends. Then situational factors impact the personality in a significant way. They often bring out the traits of a person that are commonly seen.

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