Personality development in psychology: theories, factors, approaches

In this article:

The concept of personality in psychology
Distinctive personality traits
Theories of personality development in psychology
4 factors influencing personality development
Mechanisms of personality development in psychology
Concepts of stages of personality development in psychology
Laws of personality development in psychology
Self Development Tips
7 common mistakes in personality development in psychology

Personality development in psychology is a vast field of knowledge that contains many theories that describe the psychological formation of a person. This process begins from the moment of birth and lasts throughout life, which is why it is so important to monitor what is happening and correct negative manifestations.

A person’s own efforts aimed at self-development are also important. In our article we will tell you how personality develops from a psychological point of view, what rules this process obeys, and what you can do on your own for the benefit of your psychological health.

The concept of personality in psychology

Currently, there is no single and unambiguous definition of personality in psychology; each of the many concepts should be taken into account in order to most fully reflect it.

The most commonly used definition is that a person is a person with a certain set of psychological characteristics that form the basis of his actions that are significant for society; that which internally distinguishes people from each other.

For a more objective understanding, here are a few more definitions:

A personality is a social subject with a set of roles he plays, both personal and social, as well as his preferences and habits, his accumulated knowledge and experience.
Personality is a person who independently builds and controls his life and is fully responsible for it.
In addition to the concept of “personality,” the terms “individual” and “individuality” are also used in psychology.
An individual is a separate person with his own unique innate and acquired characteristics.
Individuality is a set of unique qualities inherent in a person that distinguishes him from other people; the uniqueness of the human personality and psyche.

We cannot talk about the identity of these concepts, but we also should not completely separate them from each other, since a person is multifaceted and cannot be viewed one-sidedly.

To obtain an objective idea of personality as a psychological phenomenon, you must first understand its structure.

Self-awareness as a separate component and sign of personality development

Self-awareness (the product of which is the self-concept) is actively formed in adolescence, although its emergence begins much earlier. It flows from the consciousness of the individual. This is a system of attitudes, an attitude towards oneself. You can read more about self-awareness in the article “Self-awareness - what is it in psychology. Its structure and functions."

Distinctive personality traits

Personality properties are a set of innate and acquired characteristics of a person that underlie his activities and relationships with people around him and the world. In psychology, the main personality properties on which interaction with society depends are character, temperament, will, abilities, motivation and emotions.

In psychology, character is understood as an acquired way of relating to other people. It includes a certain manner of behavior, as well as a reaction to events happening to a person. Character can be soft and delicate, or rude and unceremonious.

Will means a person’s ability to control his psyche, control his actions, behavior, react in a certain way to what is happening, and bring changes to the world around him. Willpower is usually talked about when it is necessary to make important, conscious decisions, the implementation of which requires the application of certain efforts and overcoming obstacles.

Will is associated with self-restraint, self-control, the need to give up something to achieve a goal, that is, a person must sacrifice something momentary, but attractive to him, in order to get the distant desired.

The main feature of will is that, having achieved a result, a person experiences moral satisfaction.

The main feature of will is that, having achieved a result, a person experiences moral satisfaction. In the process of achieving a goal, emotional joy arises very rarely. The individual directs all his strength to overcome himself, any obstacles and get the desired result. The stronger the will he has, the easier he copes with difficulties and the faster he develops.

In psychology, temperament is understood as the mental qualities of a person that determine his behavior, mood, rate of change, and emotional stability.

Emotions in psychology are the positive and negative individual experiences a person experiences in response to certain situations and stimuli. The following types of emotions are distinguished:

Mood, which refers to the general mood of a person at different times.
Simple emotions that are associated with the need to satisfy basic needs.
Feelings mean a complex of experiences caused by an attitude towards a certain object.
Affects are bright and acute emotions that arise as a response to a stimulus, characterized by short duration and high intensity.
Passion is a strong emotion that a person cannot control.
Stress is a combination of negative emotions and a person’s physical condition that occurs in response to psychological and emotional overload.

The quality of a person's life largely depends on the emotions he experiences. People feel different emotions, the difference lies in the speed with which they react to certain events and stimuli, how long they experience what happened, what emotions they experience more often - positive or negative. Experiences influence the actions a person performs and the decisions he makes.

Motivation in psychology is understood as a set of reasons underlying human behavior.

A motive causes an individual's purposeful behavior. Motivation is influenced by a person’s desires, his need for something. It is thanks to setting goals that he begins to take active actions to achieve them.

Abilities mean innate abilities and skills, without which it is impossible to solve certain problems. They help to acquire knowledge and experience more easily and quickly, which in the future help to better cope with the tasks facing a person.

The role of parenting

Causes of conflicts - the main factors that can influence this

Personality is always formed under the influence of many factors, but education plays the main role among them. It depends on the parents whether the child will be drawn to knowledge, his concentration and desire to explore the world. In early childhood, children begin to learn the rules and norms of behavior in society.

Family reading a book

Education can be spontaneous (chaotic) and purposeful. Spontaneous education is interconnected with everyday life; the child gains knowledge through trial and error. Purposeful education is an orderly process of teaching by parents and teachers with the goal of instilling in a child good manners, rules of behavior and life values.

What influences the success of the educational process in the family:

Parental awareness is the main criterion for a successful process. Spouses must understand the goals and objectives of raising their child;
Compliance of family education with the curriculum of kindergarten and school. Often, the desire of parents to instill positive qualities in their child coincides with generally accepted educational systems, but their actions must be parallel. For example, if rules of etiquette are taught at school, they should be practically reinforced at home;
Family life and equality. Spouses must act together and raise the child according to the same rules. For example, if mom forbids eating sweets, but dad doesn’t, the child will not figure out what the right decision is and who is wrong. Mom will be strict for him, and dad will be kind;
The ability of parents to combine love, respect and severity in their attitude. Strict upbringing forms complexes in a child, and constant affection and indulgence of all desires make him an egoist;
The presence of parental authority in the eyes of the child. Children must respect their parents; for this, mom and dad must set a good example. Authority is formed when children see how their parents successfully combine work and social activities. Spouses should be interested in the child’s life; they can point out his mistakes and help correct them;
Parents' relationships. Children should grow up in a family where spouses respect each other's opinions. Otherwise, the child will show disrespect towards peers and teachers.

Note! If a child has been abused by his father or mother, he may do the same to others in the future and become a criminal.

Theories of personality development in psychology

Psychodynamic theory.

Classical psychoanalysis, or Freudianism, is the most famous theory of personality development in psychology. Sigmund Freud based his theory on the constant evolving interaction between instincts and drives (on the one hand) and motives, consciousness, and moral and ethical standards (on the other). The reactions and behavior of the individual depend on this interaction, with the unconscious playing a major role.

Psychoanalytic theory.

Carl Jung initially worked with Sigmund Freud, but later developed his own theory of personality development in psychology - analytical psychology. Jung identified three components of personality: the individual unconscious, the collective unconscious and consciousness.

Jung introduced the concepts of extraversion and introversion into personality psychology, as well as four mental processes: thinking, feeling, intuition, sensation.

Individual theory.

The theory of individual personality development was first introduced into psychology by an Austrian of Jewish origin, Alfred Adler. His theory is based on the integrity, uniqueness, and uniqueness of the individual. The actions and behavior of an individual depend not on innate instincts, but on unity with others. Personality development according to Adler’s theory occurs due to:

feelings of inferiority and compensation;
striving for superiority;
lifestyle;
taking into account the creative “I”;
public interest;
fictitious finalism.

Behavioral theory.

The behavioral theory of personality development in psychology includes two main directions: reflexive and social. The founder of the first is the follower of classical behaviorism B. Skinner. Social theory was developed by the Americans A. Bandura and J. Rotter. Both directions are based on the fact that a person develops in accordance with the environment; genetic and mental inheritance do not matter. Personal development depends on the acquired knowledge, skills, and experience. Psychological characteristics consist of generalized behavioral reflexes and social skills.

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Humanistic theory.

The humanistic theory of personality development in psychology consists of two main directions:

Supporters of the client-centric direction believe that a person develops thanks to an innate desire for self-actualization and control of one’s own development, i.e., by nature, a person is an active, self-realizing subject.
According to supporters of the motivational direction of personality development, a person is a “desiring creature.” He constantly experiences certain needs that are never fully satisfied: as soon as what he wants is achieved, a new desire arises, which also needs to be satisfied. An individual rarely completely lacks desires and needs; these are isolated, quickly passing cases.

Cognitive theory.

The founder of the cognitive theory of personality development in psychology, the American George Alexander Kelly, believed that a person develops in accordance with his social environment, his behavior depends on the characteristics of the individual’s cognitive processes (perception, representation, memory, speech, thinking).

Mechanisms of personality development in psychology

Assignment.

The most common mechanism of personality development in psychology is called “appropriation”. It means that a person’s personality independently forms and develops as he comes into contact with the environment. During personal or social activities, an individual experiences the formation and “appropriation” of personal qualities, which subsequently continue to develop.

Separation.

Another mechanism of personality development in psychology is “isolation”. The point is that a person is not ready to completely adopt social principles; for him, it is important to stand out among his own kind. The process is also called individualization, which assumes that a person develops individual personal qualities that distinguish him from other people.

This mechanism of personality development in psychology includes two directions:

internal (psychological), to which experts include such individual psychological properties of a person as the level of development of intelligence, belonging to one or another type of temperament, character traits inherent in the individual, etc.;
external (material and physical), which includes physical parameters, for example, nationality, gender identity, etc.

Identification.

Psychology calls “identification” the most complex mechanism of personality development. We are talking about the desire to imitate an object that arouses interest or sympathy in a person. An individual on an emotional level tries to copy another personality. This mechanism can be observed in children who, from an early age, strive to do everything the same way as their parents do.

Genetics and biology

The process of personality formation begins in the womb. It is not worth assuming that if you read Plato to an unborn child, he will grow up to be a thinker. At the stage of biological formation, genetic factors are laid down. Those diseases and pathologies that are transmitted to the baby from parents.

Genetic and biological factors influencing the formation of personality:

Biochemical features: mental illness, material metabolism.
Hereditary diseases.
The lifestyle that the parents led while carrying the child: even the stress of the mother can affect the biochemical and physical development of the fetus.
Anatomical features.

Genetics and biology are the base from which it all begins. Depending on the environment, upbringing and a number of other factors, a person will behave differently in different conditions. The personality of a disabled person who grows up in the center of a large city will be different from that of a person with the same condition who was born in a village in a newly developing country.

Concepts of stages of personality development in psychology

Psychology calls the main goal of personality development, which is to gain personal freedom. There are several development concepts, which we will discuss below.

E. Erickson's concept.

Psychoanalyst E. Erikson says that there are eight stages of personality development. In each of them, the individual faces a conflict generated by forces opposite to those that he himself possesses. With a successful resolution of the situation, a person develops new personality traits and moves to the next stage of development. If the situation does not find a solution, then it becomes the cause of neuroses and maladjustment.

Erikson identifies the following contradictions and problems in the process of personality development in psychology:

the contradiction between trust and distrust in the surrounding reality (typical of children from birth until they reach the age of one);
the contradiction between independence with shame and doubt (experienced by children from the age of one to three years);
the contradiction between initiative and guilt (typical for children from four to five years of age);
the contradiction between hard work and feelings of inferiority (typical of children from six to eleven years of age);
the contradiction between awareness of identity with a certain gender and a lack of understanding of the behavior characteristic of this gender (experienced by adolescents from the age of twelve until the age of eighteen);
the contradiction between the desire for intimate relationships and the feeling of isolation from others (typical of early adulthood);
the contradiction between vital activity and focus on one’s own problems, needs, interests (experienced by people of middle adulthood);
the contradiction between a feeling of fullness of life and despair (typical of people in late adulthood).

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Concept by V. I. Slobodchikov.

Age-related development of personality in psychology, according to V. I. Slobodchikov, should be considered from the point of view of the development of the individual’s subjectivity in relation to his behavior:

Revitalization (typical for children under one year old). During this period, the child gets acquainted with his body, begins to understand it, which is manifested in his performance of motor, sensory and sociable actions.
Animation (typical of children from 11 months to 6.5 years). The child begins to become aware of himself in the world, learns to walk, and interact with the objects around him. Cultural skills are being studied and abilities are being developed. In three-year-old children, one can observe a pronounced position: “I myself,” which is a consequence of the child’s awareness of his desires and capabilities.
Personalization (typical for children from 5.5 years to 13–18 years). During this period, the child realizes himself as a real or potential creator of his life. He learns to build boundaries and take responsibility for his future. He is helped in developing his personality by senior mentors, as well as peers with whom he interacts during the personalization stage.
Individualization (occurs from 17–21 years to 31–42 years). During this period, the individual appropriates and individualizes social values, which he then considers from the perspective of his personal worldview. A person’s “self” is built by overcoming the restrictions imposed by society and destroying the assessments of others. This is a period of moving away from stereotypes, other people's opinions and pressure from others. Now the individual is able to independently accept or not accept what he receives from the world.
Universalization (typical for people aged 39–45 years). At this time, a person expands the scope of individuality and moves to the level of existentiality; he begins to feel like an element of all humanity in the context of past and future world history.

So, personality development in psychology is closely related to age-related changes.

However, certain mental processes can occur over a fairly wide period of time. And this period increases the older the person gets. Based on this, expressions such as “precocious” or “stuck in development” arose. In reality, we are only talking about the fact that physical and personal development are somewhat different from each other.

Personality development in psychology can also be considered from the point of view of changes occurring in the individual psychological space of the individual, consisting of:

bodies;
surrounding objects that are significant to the individual;
habits;
relationships, connections;
values.

The accumulation of these elements occurs as the child develops physically. However, they are also characteristic of adults. The favorable development of an individual is possible provided that all of them are inviolable.

Life path.

Personal development in psychology occurs as a person moves along the path of life, during which goals, motives and values are formed, they also structure this path.

In other words, we are talking about a person’s life scenario. A consensus in psychology on this issue has not yet been formed.

Russian scientists are inclined to believe that the individual himself forms his own life scenario; parents can help him with this, but the person makes the choice himself.

Other psychologists (such as Adler, Berne, Rogers) believe that the leading factor shaping the life scenario is the unconscious, namely: upbringing, personal characteristics of parents, the order of birth of the child, stressful and conflict situations that arise in life, etc.

Laws of personality development in psychology

Patterns of personality development are studied by the psychology of personal growth. They also form the basis of educational programs for children and adolescents. Thanks to knowledge of patterns, psychoanalysts better understand clients and help them, guiding them on the path of formation and self-development.

The laws of personality development in psychology include:

psychological changes occurring in the individual;
the existing relationship between spheres and directions of development;
specific features of personality development;
differences in development over time and other criteria (between peers who may develop faster or slower);
formation of a person’s own views and beliefs;
manifestation of certain psychological characteristics (sensitivity);
processing, study/awareness of different areas of life;
plasticity of an individual’s development (one personal component can be compensated by another);
contradictions that arise between a person and the surrounding world;
constantly progressive personal development.

Self Development Tips

Self-development occurs constantly, this process has no end. You can only move forward or backward, going through evolution or degradation. Having embarked on the path of personality development in psychology, it is necessary:

Find the weak sides of your personality, for example, by interviewing trustworthy friends and writing down those qualities that you don’t like (pessimism, constant complaints, whining, stubbornness, lack of development, laziness, etc.). The more complete and honest the list is, the better.
Decide on priorities. For some, it is important to increase their level of sociability and make new friends, for others, developing hard work and moving up the career ladder is of great importance, a third strives to travel, and a fourth wants to realize his or her role as a homemaker.
You must constantly move towards your intended goal, without losing your way, taking small but daily steps. There is no need to implement one idea today and abandon it tomorrow to solve another problem. If your goal is to save a million, then you should calculate how many days it will take, how much you should save daily/weekly/monthly, and then just do these actions every day. You may need to give up some small, unnecessary but regular expenses, like a glass of coffee at a coffee shop every morning.

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It is very important to constantly develop and learn new things. However, in no case should you limit yourself to theory; it is important to apply the acquired knowledge in practice, otherwise it will remain unclaimed and will not bear any fruit.
It's also worth reconsidering your surroundings. If someone interferes with personal development, constantly devalues, casts doubt on all undertakings, then you should minimize communication with such people. You may need to seek the help of a psychologist for this.
Increase usefulness, both for yourself and your loved ones, and for society as a whole. This does not mean that you urgently need to make some discoveries, but it is worth learning to hear other people and help them if necessary.
Learn to be aware, be in the moment, be here and now.
Study body language, monitor posture, facial expression, smile, gait, facial expressions, etc. If you are open to the world, radiate positivity, the world will reciprocate.
Review your style, change it if necessary. Get rid of an overly gloomy wardrobe, choose things in accordance with age, social status, and the right size. It would be better if there were few of them, but they would be of high quality and compatible with each other.

Environment

Determining exactly what is the main factor for personality development is problematic. But the environment and social environment in which a child grows up shapes his habits and views. Changing attitudes that have been instilled since childhood is the most difficult thing to do.

A person is predominantly surrounded by people of the same social status, religion, and mentality. We choose this natural soft segregation on our own, because it is easier to communicate and develop with “our own kind.” Read about relationships in this section. The environment can change under the influence of external circumstances - personal development will also turn in the other direction. It is human nature to adapt to their environment; only a few strive to stand out from it. A few of these units form their own environment and become people capable of changing the world.

The influence of the social environment on development can be seen in the biography of any historically famous person: Mikhail Lomonosov, Adolf Hitler, Steve Jobs and others. But this influence also needs to be considered in conjunction with other circumstances.