The Psychology
of Personality
Development
Introduction
Personality development refers to the process by which the
organized thought and behavior patterns that make up a
person’s unique personality emerge overtime.
Personality development occurs naturally over the course of
life but it can also be modified through intentional efforts.
Personality essentially refers to the enduring behaviors,
traits, emotional patterns, and abilities that make up a
person’s response to the events of their life.
It is essentially a blend of behavioral and thought patterns that
are relatively stable over time, characterizing individual’s traits
and attitudes.
Many factors influence personality, including genetics and
environment, how we were parented and societal variables.
While personality is relatively stable, it isn’t entirely fixed. People
can undergo changes in their attitudes, behaviors and thought
patterns in response to new experiences.
Perhaps most importantly, the ongoing interaction of all these
influences continues to shape personality.
Hence personality involves both inborn traits and the
development of cognitive and behavioral patterns that influence
how we think and act
Temperament & Character
Temperament is a key part of personality that is
determined by inherited traits.
Character is an aspect of personality influenced by
experience and social learning that continues to grow and
change throughout life.
Theories of Personality
Development
1. Freud’s theory of psychosexual development
2. Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development
3. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
4. Kohlberg’s theory of moral development
Why Personality Theories Matter
While these theories suggest different numbers and types
of stages, and different ages for progressing from one
stage to the next, they have all influenced what we know
today about personality development.
Types of personality traits: 5-factor
model of personality development
The goal of personality development theories is to explain
how we each develop our own unique characteristics and
traits. While the list of options could be almost endless, most
of these personality traits fall into five basic categories:
● Openness: Level of creativeness and responsiveness to
change
● Conscientiousness: Level of organization and attention
to detail
● Extraversion: Level of socialness and emotional
expressiveness
The five-factor model of personality is a hierarchical
organization of personality traits in terms of five basic
dimensions: Extraversion, Agreeableness,
Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness to
Experience.
An awareness of your personality traits and others’ can
help you do your best at work and result in enhanced
workplace relationships and career fulfillment.
1. Openness
Openness describes how adventurous, curious or open to
new experiences you are. Highly open individuals tend to
have a broad range of interests, and those who have a
lower degree of openness may prefer consistency, routine
and familiarity.
2. Conscientiousness
Conscientiousness measures your efficiency and
organization.
Those who fall higher on this spectrum tend to be task-
focused, and those who are less conscientious are often
more easily distracted and may enjoy spontaneity and
work better under pressure.
3. Extroversion
This category refers to how outgoing and energetic you
are. People who are very extroverted are assertive and
sociable, while those who are more introverted may prefer
solitary activities and alone time, and need fewer social
interactions to feel content.
4. Agreeableness
Agreeableness is your friendliness, ability to show
compassion and willingness to help others. Those who fall
higher on this personality spectrum tend to be cooperative
and polite, and those with less agreeableness are more
likely to value rational and critical thinking.
5. Neuroticism
This category DESCRIBES emotional stability—accounts for
your emotional sensitivity and the extent to which you’re
inclined to worry or be temperamental.
Neurotic people are prone to experiencing negative
emotions, and those who are lower on the neuroticism
spectrum may be less emotionally reactive and have
greater self-confidence.
Temperaments
Another model for describing personality types is the theory
of four temperaments. It has roots in humorism with the
Greek physician Hippocrates developing it into a medical
theory, though modern applications typically use it as a
psychological tool.
The four temperaments are:
❖ Melancholic (analytical)
❖ Phlegmatic (relaxed)
❖ Sanguine (optimistic)
❖ Choleric (dominant)
Melancholic
Melancholic people are often deep in thought. They tend to
be serious individuals who aren't known for telling jokes.
They also tend to dwell on events and interactions from
the past. Melancholics may be prone to holding grudges,
as they can have difficulty letting go of others'
wrongdoings.
Phlegmatic
A phlegmatic personality is willing to assume responsibility
for anything, even if other people's actions cause it. They
are ready to make sacrifices for the benefit of the group
and are working to make things simpler for everyone
involved, and this can sometimes be detrimental to their
self-preservation.
Sanguine
The Sanguine personality is curious, creative, spontaneous,
impulsive, goal-oriented, optimistic, and cheerful. A
sanguine is capable of talking to new friends like they have
known them for a longer time.
The Sanguine is an extroverted, fun-loving, social person
who is activity-prone, entertaining, persuasive, easily
amused, and optimistic. People with a Sanguine
temperament are receptive and open to others and build
relationships quickly. They are animated, excited, and
accepting of others.
Choleric
Choleric personalities are driven and motivated individuals.
They strive for excellence and have a strong need to make
an impact. This ambition makes them successful at what
they do, yet they often come off as arrogant or
overbearing to those around them.
