Everybody’s heard the term personality, and most of us can describe

our own or our friend’s personality. What most don’t know, however,
is that personality is one of the most theorized and most researched
aspects of psychology.
So what is personality? To understand this concept, you first
need to understand the difference between a trait and a state. A trait is
a relatively permanent individual characteristic. For example, most of
know people who are outgoing, friendly, confident, or shy. When we
describe these people, we use these traits to better understand their
personality; to better understand who they are. A state, on the other
hand, is a temporary change in one’s personality. Examples of states
might be angry, depressed, fearful, or anxious. We typically use states
to describe a person’s reaction to something.
Personality is the product of social interaction in group life. In
society every person has different traits such as skin, color, height and
weight. They have different types of personalities because individuals
are not alike. It refers to the habits, attitudes as well as physical traits
of a person which are not same but have vary from group to group and
society to society, everyone has personality, which may be good or bad,
impressive or unimpressive. It develops during the process of
socialization in a culture of a specific group or society.
Personality has been derived from the Latin
word “persona” which means “mask” used by the actors to change
their appearance. It is the combination of an individual thoughts,
characteristics, behaviors, attitude, idea and habits.
Macionis define as “It is the constant pattern of thinking,
feeling and acting.”

Ogburn and Nimkoff define it as the totality of sentiments,

attitudes, idea, habits, skills and behaviors of an individual.”
Following are the three main types of personality

1. Extrovert Personality:
This type has the tendency to live mostly outside the
like to live with others. Those individuals are highly
socialized and have contact with outside people in the
society. They want to join other groups who are more in
number. These type of people are drivers, excessive
drinkers, smokers, robbers, thieves, wicked persons etc.
2.Introvert Personality:
Introvert is opposite to extrovert. Those people are always
live alone in their rooms and do not want to go outside. They
have their own imaginary world. They are teachers,
scientists, thinkers and philosophers.

3.Ambivert Personality:
Between extrovert and introvert personalities there is a third
one type called ambivert. People belonging to this type enjoy
both the groups and attend them. They have middle mind and
want to live in both parties. Sometimes they join outside
people but sometimes they live in their own rooms.
Characteristics of Personality:
New comb has discussed personality in the light of
certain characteristics and traits. These characteristics
and traits are as follows:

1.Personality is something which is unique in each

individual:
Personality refers to internal as well as external qualities,
some of which are quite general. But it is unique to each
individual. It is not possible for any other individual to
reproduce or imitate the qualities of the personality of the
individual.
2. Personality refers particularly to persistent
qualities of an individual:
Every individual has certain feeling as well as other
permanent traits and qualities. Personality is mainly
composed of the persistent or permanent qualities
that exhibit themselves in form of social behaviour
and attempt to make adjustment with the
environment.
3. Personality represents a dynamic orientation of
organism to environment:
Personality represents the process of learning. It takes place in
reference to the environment. We do not acquire all the traits
of personality all at once.

4. Personality is greatly influenced by social interactions:

Personality is not an individual quality. It is a result of social-
interaction. In other words, it means that when we come in
contact with other members of the society, we acquire certain
qualities while we exhibit certain others. All these come to
form personality.
5. Personality represents a unique organisation of
persistent dynamic and social predisposition:
In personality various qualities are not put together. They
are, in fact, integrated into one. This integration is nothing
but a result of organisation which may be different from
man to man. The behaviour of a person directed to one
particular individual may differ from the behaviour of
another person. specificity.
Foundations of Personality:
On the basis of various definitions it can be said that
personality is founded on certain structures. These are (i),
Physiological structure of the organism, (ii) Psychic structure
of the organism and (iii) Social and cultural structure. These
structures contribute to the formation of personality.

Individual is born with certain physical and psychological

traits or structures. The physiological and psychological traits
react to the social and cultural atmosphere. Consequently,
the personality is made up. Various structures that form the
personality are discussed below.
1. Physiological structure:
Physiological structure of an individual influences the
development of personality to a large extent. The
foundation of this structure is laid in the mother’s womb.
The physiological structure is deeply influenced by certain
internal as well as external agencies. Heredity as well as
social environment influence the development of the
physiological structure.

Heredity contributes to intelligence and mental traits. These

factors do influence the development of personality,
because they have a place in the society.
2. Psychic Structure of the Personality:
Sentiments and emotions play a very vital role in the development of
the personality. Human behaviour is very much influenced by
sentiments and emotions. Emotions are short – lived while sentiments
are permanent. Sentiments may be termed as permanent emotions.
Feeling is again more short-lived. It is the feeling that turns into an
emotion. Feeling and emotion play a vital role in the development of
the personality of an individual.

Values and ideals also influence the development of personality to a

large extent. Almost all our behaviours are more or less guided by
values and ideas.
3. Social and Cultural Structure:
Every society has a culture of its own and in the atmosphere
of that socio cultural background, the personality of
individual develops in its own way. The attitudes of an
individual are largely influenced by cultural order. We find
difference in the behaviour of individuals due to socio-
cultural environment. That is why culture play an important
role in the development of personality.
1.Openness to experience:-

Appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, curiosity, and

variety of experience. Openness reflects the degree of intellectual
curiosity, creativity and a preference for novelty and variety a person
has. It is also described as the extent to which a person is imaginative
or independent and depicts a personal preference for a variety of
activities over a strict routine. High openness can be perceived as
unpredictability or lack of focus, and more likely to engage in risky
behaviour or drug taking. Also, individuals that have high openness
tend to lean, in occupation and hobby, towards the arts, being,
typically, creative and appreciative of the significance of intellectual
and artistic pursuits.
2. Conscientiousness:-
Tendency to be organized and dependable, show self-
discipline, act dutifully, aim for achievement, and prefer
planned rather than spontaneous behavior. High
conscientiousness is often perceived as being stubborn and
focused. Low conscientiousness is associated with flexibility
and spontaneity, but can also appear as sloppiness and lack
of reliability.
3. Extraversion:-
Energetic, surgency, assertiveness, sociability and the
tendency to seek stimulation in the company of others, and
talkativeness. High extraversion is often perceived as
attention-seeking and domineering. Low extraversion
causes a reserved, reflective personality, which can be
perceived as aloof or self-absorbed.
4.Agreeableness:-
Tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather
than suspicious and antagonistic towards others. It is also a
measure of one's trusting and helpful nature, and whether a
person is generally well-tempered or not. High agreeableness
is often seen as naive or submissive. Low agreeableness
personalities are often competitive or challenging people,
which can be seen as argumentative or untrustworthy.
5.Neuroticism:-
Tendency to be prone to psychological stress. The tendency
to experience unpleasant emotions easily, such
as anger, anxiety, depression, and vulnerability. Neuroticism
also refers to the degree of emotional stability and impulse
control and is sometimes referred to by its low pole,
"emotional stability".
1.Power of knowledge:-

Nobody is impressed with a person who doesn't even know

what is happening in the world. He is considered a fool
whom no wise man or woman would like to befriend or
follow. Therefore, it is necessary to enrich your general
knowledge, and you should be the master of the field in
which you are working. To update your general knowledge:
a) read newspaper, b) watch informative programmes on TV,
c) read good and popular books, d) interact (interrelate,
communicate) with intelligent persons.
2.Look confident:-
A look of confidence on your face impresses
everybody. If you walk with a feeling of failure and
frustration on your face people will simply avoid you.
Even if you are facing difficulties and worries in your
life, you must know how to think and look positive.
Shake hands with others firmly. While shaking hands
or talking make eye contact with others and don't
forget to wear a smile.
3.Speak in style:
Most of the successful persons maintain a unique
style in speaking. They speak clearly and forcefully.
Be careful that you have a good command on the
language you speak. Don't make grammatical
mistakes else you may become a laughing stock. If
necessary take training from a good teacher. Give
extra care to your pronunciation. Speaking power is
an essential trait of any good personality.
4.Dress smartly:
A smartly dressed person is admired everywhere.
By observing successful people in any field, you
will come to the conclusion that most of the
successful persons in almost every field have a keen
taste for good dresses. Good dresses also prove a
stimulus for the wearer. He/she feels more
confident and relaxed.
5.Good habits:
A man is generally a creature of his habits. With bad habits
you may become a sheer nuisance for others. Then how will
you impress them? Cleanliness, punctuality, completing your
work on time, fulfilling your promises, having sincerity and
dedication to work, listening to other people with empathy,
keeping yourself away from smoking and drinking are the
habits which add sparkle and dynamism to your personality.
They endear you to people.
Last but not the least, you are what you think you are…so,
think big and live big!
6.A healthy body:
A body burdened with disease may get pity of others
but it is very difficult for that person to maintain an
attractive personality. A healthy and smart look is
absolutely essential to attract others. And if you
work on it you can easily attain it. Take exercise
regularly, play games or go for a morning walk --
whatever suits your body and psychology. Eat a
balanced diet.
 Personality Determinants
(A)Heredity and Biological factors

i. Physique
ii. Intelligence
iii. Sex Differences
iv. Nervous System
v. Chemical Organisation
(B) Environmental Factors

i. Family
ii. Geography
iii. Life Pattern
iv. Childhood Experience
v. Neighbourhood
vi. Friends
vii.School
viii.Media
ix. Clothes
x. Culture
(C) Emotional Reaction

i. Aspiration
ii. Aptitudes and Attitude
iii.Interest
iv.Motivation
v. Intellectual level
1.Brain:-
The brain is one of the most important
personality determinants. It is generally
believed the father and the child adopt almost
the same type of brain stimulation. Later
differences are the result of the environment
in which the child has grown.
2. Physical Characteristics
One of the most important factors in determining personality are an
individual's physical characteristics. These factors play a vital role
in determining one’s behavior in a social organization. Physical
characteristics include, but are not limited to:
●Height

●Skin tone

●Weight

●Hair color

●Beauty.
3. Social Experiences
Social experiences play a vital role in determining one’s
personality. The things that occur around a person on a regular
basis determine how that person will behave and perceive
themselves. A person's social experiences affect:
● Coordination
● Cooperation
● Family relationships
● Organizational relationships
● Workplaces relationships
● Involvement in communities
4. Culture and Religion
●Traditional practices
● Norms
● Customs
● Procedures
● Rules and regulations
● Precedents
● Values.
These are all highly influential determinants of
personality.
5. Heredity
Perhaps the most surprising and astonishing
personality determinant is heredity. Somewhere
heredity also affect the personality of an individual.
Heredity shows the previous generation character
effect on present generation.
Thank you