What does personality mean to you?!

Personality consists of all the traits that everyone would like to possess to have a winning, charming

or dynamic personality

You have been expressing yourself through your actions since you were born!

In order to understand yourself and those around you, you need to understand what shapes your

personality

Personality is defined as the group of behavioral and emotional traits that distinguishes an individual

Personality can also be defined as the sum of all the traits you have inherited or acquired

Heredity: the sum of all the traits that are passed from your ancestors to you

Your attitude, intelligence and behavior are also affected by your heredity

What are some traits that you have inherited?

Environment: all the conditions, objects, and circumstances that surround an individual

What are some examples of different environments?

Do you behave the same way in all environments?

A third factor that helps shape your personality is your response to your environment

Let’s see if we have the same response to this clip we will watch together, in the same environment

Did this movie appeal to everyone?

Would everyone want to go see this movie?

Why do you think some people liked it more than others?

You are all in a shared environment yet all of you responded differently to the movie clip.

You, as an individual have inborn qualities

determined by heredity.

Together, these three factors shape your personality

Your personality helps to determine how you deal with the challenges, successes, and frustrations you come across from day to day

Your environment affects your thoughts,

feelings and actions which help to shape your

personality

Acquired traits are those developed as a result of environmental factors

What are some acquired traits your think you have developed due to your environment?

How do you think your home could affect Personality?

Your personality begins to develop in the first few years of life, the home is a very important factor

• Parents• Grandparents• Brother and sisters• Birth order

• Neighbors and neighborhood• Geographical location

Personality Development

An individual’s personality is the complex of mental characteristics

that makes them unique from other people

It includes all of the patterns of thought and emotions that cause us

to do and say things in particular ways

Personality also colors our values, beliefs and expectations

What other factors have we learned about that affect

personality?

So…what is personality development?

Personality development is the development of the organized pattern of behaviors and attitudes that

makes a person who they are; it occurs by the constant interaction with others and with the

surrounding environment

Research by psychologists over the last several decades has increasingly pointed to hereditary factors being more

important

Some hereditary factors that contribute to personality development do so as a result of interactions with the

particular social environment in which people live

Despite significant differences in the way children are raised all around the world, some similarities do exist

For example, boys and girls are socialized differently to some extent in all cultures

Boys receive different messages

as to what is expected of them

from their parents and vice-

versa

Boys are allowed more freedom

to experiment and participate in

physically risky activities

Girls on the other hand, are often steered to learn how to do more domestic tasks

Parents do not always follow these stereotypes with their sons and daughters

Girls who participate in physical activities are often called “tomboys” where boys who take up less masculine activities may be teased for doing something ‘girly’

Different societies will raise different personalities

Heredity & Environment:

Nature & Nurture

Are we who we are because of the traits we were born with or because of the environment we were brought up

in?

Studies of identical twins separated at birth reveal that heredity plays a very big role in who we are

Other studies have shown that you are born with certain traits and potential, but the environment determines

which potentials are developedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yTCShemS_0

The debate between heredity and environment is termed, “Nature vs. Nurture.”

You are born with certain traits, but the traits that you develop will be determined by your environmental

upbringing

Both heredity and environment will affect who you are

Heredity Environment (Nature) (Nurture)

Physical AppearanceIntelligence

Talents & Innate Abilities (a beautiful

singing voice, artistic talent, etc.)

Religious Beliefs

Physical Traits (coordination, rhythm,

balance, athletic abilities)

Interests & Hobbies

How you use your intelligence (grades,

curiosity, etc.)

Community & School Involvement

Journal Entry: Do you think one has more influence over

the other?

Do you think heredity or environment has affected your personality development the

most?