Personality development in the process of life: stages of formation and development

Updated July 24, 2021 845 Author: Dmitry Petrov
Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. Sometimes we see a child walking home from school and throwing a candy wrapper past the trash can.

Or someone talks very loudly on public transport and everyone around can hear what kind of drama happened with his girlfriend.

And it happens that it is difficult for a person to communicate with others, he cannot at least say: “Hello.”

These are all examples of how someone has not fully gone through and mastered all the stages of socialization. What is it, what is the sequence here, what types of socialization is divided into - let's figure it out.

The concept of personality development

The process of personality formation, which begins in the first months of birth, continues almost continuously throughout life. An individual gains experience in communication, learns to adapt to the situation, realizes his uniqueness and tries to show it to others. Over time, there is a need to stand out from the crowd.

Note! Often the need to stand out in society and be useful to it occurs at the level of contradiction.

Later, the individual wants to be useful to others, to contribute to the development of society. All this is the formation of personality, which is characterized by different stages and phases. When describing how personality is formed, modern sources of information adhere to long-established definitions of these stages and phases of personality formation. They include information about how an individual behaves almost from birth, and what impact various factors have on his personal development.

THE FORMATION OF HUMAN

The process of becoming a person from infancy, childhood, adolescence, maturity and from old age to death takes place surrounded by people, in interaction with other people, close and distant, significant and unimportant, loved, neutral and even hostile. Man is a social being and without communication with people he cannot be a man.

The main question, without an answer to which we will not advance in understanding ourselves and others: “How does a person become a person?” The answer is amazingly simple: becoming a person is a consequence of the fact that he learns to be a person. How this learning occurs is what this book is about.

The Creator did not care about creating separate laws for the smart and stupid, good and evil, perfect and imperfect, giving his creatures the opportunity to occupy the corresponding cell in the plane of being, each of which is associated with the unconscious, unintentional performance of certain functions in terms of the whole ( biocenosis for animals and society for humans) and with adaptation to living conditions. Both are possible due to the fact that the organism itself learns to perform these functions and those behaviors that ensure adaptation and survival.

The laws of learning are the same for both the simplest living creature and humans. Learning is always learning specific behavior. One learned coping behavior can be applied to many situations -

The patterns of how a baby becomes an adult, be it a famous person in history: Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler or the maniac Chikatilo, do not differ from the patterns of the formation of an inconspicuous layman from the same baby, creatively! o and fertilizes the growth of human history with his labor.

But despite the uniformity of the laws, the real process of learning in humans occurs somewhat differently than in animals. A person has a second signaling system, speech, and he, in addition, is a person and he is surrounded by his own kind and this forms a community. Due to the social factor, humans have a more complex life situation than the most highly developed animal. He must adapt not only to nature, but also to the environment.

What does a baby learn to become a person, a person, an individual? The answer is simple. To be a person, he must learn those behaviors whose programs constitute the typical personality of a given era and a given community.

He must learn emotions that force him to behave in the direction of achieving agreement both with other people and with the traits of his personality, recorded in his concept-I, and the requirements of the environment. He will not survive and will be destroyed by his compatriots if he does not develop those traits of a diverse personality that must, as we have indicated, correspond to the traits of the typical personality of a given community and era. Becoming a person involves mastering the style of thinking and speech necessary to effectively interact with one’s environment, both social, industrial, spiritual and natural. This presupposes the formation of needs and desires, as well as the mastery of generally accepted means and norms of satisfying needs, starting from the rules of eating at the table and ending with the ability to pray to one’s god.

A person’s personal growth, aimed at becoming more prosperous than he was before, involves acquiring methods of behavioral and intellectual protection from both external and internal dangers. He will have to learn professional and social behavior, which should ensure survival in society and in nature. He must learn all this. About 90 percent of what is said is learned by a person himself, and the rest is the result of training. This proportion will not seem excessive if we take into account that with the most intensive training, a person still learns himself, learns, and the instructor, the teacher, directs and controls the learning.

The foregoing convinces us that a person who aspires to self-knowledge and knowledge of others must know the basic laws of learning that ensure the development of a person. This book claims to present these basic laws of learning in the development of man.

Who is a formed personality

Psychology has proven that a person is not born, but rather becomes. However, the question of who can be considered a person remains open. There is still no single list of requirements, description of properties or classification of criteria. But some features characteristic of a formed personality can be identified.

1. Activity. It implies voluntary activity, the ability to manage one’s life in any situation.
2. Subjectivity. It assumes control over one’s life and responsibility for choice, that is, the role of the author of life.
3. Bias. The ability to evaluate the surrounding reality, accept something or not, that is, not be indifferent to the world and your life.
4. Mindfulness. The ability to express oneself in public forms.

Worldview

Worldview is a set of views, ideas, assessments that determine a person’s attitude to the world around him and act as regulators of his behavior.

Types of worldview:

Worldview type

Formation of human personality

The process of personality formation is the emergence in an individual of historically formed human qualities. What quality will manifest itself in a person depends on several factors.

Personality formation factors:

Education in childhood and self-education in adulthood

The role of the family in the formation of personality cannot be overestimated. The educational function is the main function of the social institution of the family.

In full-fledged and prosperous families, harmoniously developed individuals grow up. Unresolved childhood problems become factors that prevent a person from developing. The child learns to be a member of society by listening and copying his parents.

Children copy the styles and patterns of behavior, roles, strategies, habitual types of thinking and expressions of feelings of significant adults. Values ​​and ideals, positive and negative (for example, anxiety and suspiciousness) qualities are unconsciously adopted from parents.

Later, parental instructions turn into an “inner voice”, and such moral qualities as conscience, honor, morality and others are formed (or not formed). Becoming an adult, a person uses the knowledge given by his parents about socially approved and acceptable behavior and develops new ones.

Genetics

People are different because no one person has the same set of genes. A person receives some of the characteristics and components of individuality at birth with a set of genes.

The child experiences and is able to express basic emotions from the first days of life; temperament is determined from birth. Regarding the genetic factor, the role of the family in the formation of personality is no less important than in education. Some mental illnesses are genetically transmitted.

Social influence of reference (significant) groups, relatives, friends, colleagues and other people from the close environment.

Life experience

Every event that happens to a person affects his inner world, especially if it is a significant incident. Individual experiences can change the course and direction of life. A person develops willpower, character, develops abilities, finds or loses motivation under the influence of events that have happened in his life.

Mentality and culture

The mentality is influenced by the environment and climate in which representatives of a particular nationality live. Mentality can be defined as the “character” of a people. For example, in southern countries, people are usually active, emotional, and temperamental.

Culture, moral values ​​and morality prevalent in society are instilled in people from birth and guide the process of personality formation. In some cultures, people behave more freely, naturally and casually, while in others, restraint is cultivated, and the need to strictly adhere to the rules of behavior.

Personality formation factors influence it whenever a person finds himself in a new sociocultural environment. The formation of a personality, in essence, is a series of a person’s entry into a new social community and the result of staying in it. How individuality is formed and manifests itself in a particular environment depends on the success of the three phases of development.

Phases of personality development:

1. Adaptation. The formation of personality occurs due to its acceptance of norms and forms of activity in a social community. The individual strives and to some extent becomes the same as all other people.
2. Personalization. At the second stage, a person, realizing that he is “like everyone else,” searches, finds and shows his individual characteristics, actively strives for personalization.
3. Integration. This phase determines not only the formation of personality, but also the development of the society in which a person operates. An individual must successfully harmonize his individuality with society and demonstrate those unique distinctive qualities that are useful for people. By benefiting society, a person develops.

If these stages of personality development are not completed, disintegration occurs and the person is not accepted by society. He is either forced out, or he himself isolates himself from people. The formation of personality during disintegration stops and can be reversed. If a person returns to earlier stages of his development, his degradation occurs.

Factors that influence the development of personality

This:

1. Education in childhood and self-education in adulthood. It is quite difficult to overestimate the importance of family in the development of personality. The educational function can be considered the main task of the social institution of the social unit - the family. As a rule, harmoniously developed children grow up in prosperous and full-fledged families. It is worth noting that the problems that a child encountered in childhood are like baggage that in the future prevents a person from fully developing. Every child copies the behavior of their parents and learns to be a full member of society. It is worth noting that children at an unconscious level copy the negative and positive qualities of their parents, values ​​and ideals; we should also not forget about the usual types of thinking, strategies, behavior and lifestyles. Over time, parental instructions are transformed into an “inner voice”, and moral qualities such as morality, honor, conscience and others are actively formed. In the process of growing up, a person is guided by the knowledge he received from his parents.
2. Genetics. Each person is unique, and all because the same combination of genes is not found. A person acquires some of the components and characteristics of individuality at birth. Temperament is already determined from birth; a newborn can not only experience, but also express basic emotions. It is worth noting that family genetics is no less important than family upbringing, since mental illnesses can be transmitted genetically.
3. Life experience. Every event that happens in a person’s life affects his inner world, especially when it comes to significant events. Life experiences can transform or modify the direction or course of life. A person finds or loses motivation as a result of experiences, develops his abilities, develops character and willpower.
4. Culture and mentality. The mentality is influenced by the climate and environment in which representatives of a certain nationality live. In short, mentality can be described as “the character of the people.” For example, residents of warm countries are distinguished by their temperament, emotionality and activity. Morality, moral values ​​and culture, which are widespread in society, are instilled in every person from birth and guide the process of personality development. For example, representatives of one culture are more reserved and forced to adhere to rules of behavior, while others may behave more freely, casually and naturally. Factors in the development of personality influence it every time a person is in a new sociocultural environment. Essentially, its formation is a series of entries into new social communities.

This is interesting: what is degradation?

Stages of personality formation

These include:

1. Adaptation - this phenomenon implies the desire of each individual to some extent become the same as the rest of the representatives of his environment. The process of personality formation is carried out through its adoption of forms of activity in the social environment.
2. The second, no less important stage is called “individualization”. When a person realizes that he is “like everyone else,” he begins to actively seek and demonstrate his individual characteristics in order to achieve personalization.
3. Integration - this concept defines not so much the formation of personality, but the development of the society where a person lives. Each individual, in order to interact with society, must harmonize his individuality with it, demonstrate those individual qualities that can be used for the benefit of people. If a person brings benefit to society, then he develops.

To summarize this section, I would like to note that if one of these stages has not been completed, then a phase of disintegration begins, accompanied by the rejection of a person by society. During disintegration, the process of formation stops and can be reversed, which entails degradation.

Personality development in the process of socialization

Socialization of personality -

This is the process of a person mastering social and socio-psychological norms, rules, functions, values, and social experience in general. This is a continuous process of formation and development of personality through a person’s mastery of material and spiritual culture, social and personal relationships characteristic of the specific conditions of his life and activity.

The process of personal socialization has two interconnected sides. On the one side,

a person appropriates social experience, it is internalized, subjectivity of objectivity occurs.
On the other hand,
a person’s individuality is manifested, exteriorization and objectification of subjectivity are carried out in his affairs, actions, and their results.

A personality is formed and develops under the influence of the totality of all factors and circumstances of its life and activities, as well as with its direct participation in this. It is in the process of socialization that the individual develops appropriate relationships to social facts and, in general, to the surrounding world, selectivity in the perception and assessment of facts and events, and subjectivity develops:

a person begins to actively interact with the environment, to express himself, his spiritual and physical potential.

In the process of socialization, a person masters social experience, begins to understand the meaning of the world around him, and becomes aware of himself in it: systems of semantic formations of the individual are formed.

This process begins in the family and then continues and grows in preschool institutions, schools, universities, in production, through the media, and self-education.

As he understands the reality around him, himself, the meaning of life and his existence, a person begins to see and understand the personal meaning, the personal significance of certain aspects, facts, events, processes in this reality. Objects and phenomena of objective reality associated with a person’s needs and serving to satisfy them at the moment or in the future become significant for him, acquire personal meaning, personal significance, and value. Personal values ​​-

This is the reflection and imprinting in the human psyche of certain aspects of objects and phenomena of the world around him, which serve to satisfy the needs of the individual, find an emotional response in him and, thus, acquire one or another personal meaning.

System of personal value formations

- mental structures that are more complex compared to semantic constructs. Along with an understanding of the meaning of the social, natural and technical environment of human life, they also contain his relationships, value judgments, and need-determined positions. At the same time, certain external events and circumstances can have a situational, short-term, or permanent and long-term meaning for a person, both positive and negative personal meaning: good-evil, beautiful-ugly, good-bad, useful-harmful, sublime-base, necessary-not necessary, etc.

As personality develops, a person increasingly ceases to be a passive product of social and other circumstances and becomes a subject of activity.

At the same time, the more subjectivity in a person, the more personal there is in him. Subjectivity

is one of the attributive characteristics of a person.
Another attributive characteristic of personality is activity.
Personality is not a passive product of social and other circumstances. The activity of the individual is expressed in a person’s attitude to what he does and what happens to him, in the life position he occupies, in the goals and motives of his behavior and activities, and methods of action.

There is reason to assert that personality is characterized

not so much by what she acquired from society, the bearer of what social qualities she became, but
by the measure of the comprehensive manifestation of her

Development criteria

From the above, we can highlight the criteria for personality development, or personal growth:

• strengthening subjectivity;
• integrity and integration into the world;
• productivity growth;
• development of mental (spiritual) qualities and abilities.

A characteristic feature of a mature personality is overcoming egocentrism and acquiring a broad identity (the ability to identify oneself with the world, society, situations, nature; a sense of community and understanding).

• In children and adolescents, personality development is assessed according to the characteristics of socialization and reflection.
• In adults - by the ability to self-actualize, the ability to accept responsibility and stand out from society, maintaining a connection with it.

Personality structure

Personality consists of many interconnected components, which define it as a human characteristic. These elements make it clear what a person really is; they completely characterize his ego. Moreover, it is worth noting that they are all strictly individual. No matter how much you look for a person similar to you, you will not be able to find someone completely similar.

In psychology, several defining components of personality are distinguished.

1. The first component is directionality. It is the fundamental part of personality from which other components originate. The focus is based on: biosocial needs; attitudes acquired throughout life; various interests. It is understood as a manifestation of interest in any object of activity.
2. The second component is ability. A person’s abilities are quite multifaceted and depend only on himself. By developing abilities, a person opens up a huge range of opportunities in various types of activities. Abilities can be divided into three groups: – Abilities that we have at birth: the ability to use speech, breathe, see, etc. – Abilities that we have from birth and develop throughout our lives: intellectual thinking, ways of expressing speech, etc. – Individual characteristics that only some people have and distinguish them from others (they can also be called talents)
3. Character (psychotype) is a set of established ways of behaving and reacting to a person. Often a person is judged not by his focus or abilities, but by his character. People with bad character have the most difficulty adapting to society, even despite their well-developed skills.
4. Another key element is self-regulation. Self-control is a person’s ability to regulate his actions in any environment, plan various types of tasks, and correct behavior.

A psychologist named Carl Gustav Jung proposed his own model of personality structure, which is completely different from the modern concept. He described it as the interrelation of 3 different and interconnected structures: the personal unconscious, the collective unconscious and the ego.

Ego

This is our awareness of ourselves. It contains the feelings, attitudes and memories that we have acquired, and with the help of them our existence remains conscious. The ego is the basis of all the beginnings of our subsequent actions. With it we can monitor the results of our activities.

Personal unconscious

This has information about conflicts and memories. At some point they were conscious, but at a certain period they became suppressed and long forgotten. Unlike Freud, Jung went further and determined that in the personal unconscious there are such components as complexes. These emotionally charged elements are formed in connection with a certain situation and practically do not appear in the conscious mind. They can be located around any topic and manifest themselves at the most inopportune moment, spending a significant amount of psychic energy. However, complexes can manifest themselves in the conscious mind, sometimes completely changing the behavior of the individual.

He introduced the collective unconscious as the third component of personality. It included a repository of information accumulated by our ancestors over hundreds of thousands of years. Jung said that the collective unconscious has a spiritual human heritage located in our heads. This heritage contains all the feelings, emotions and thoughts that were once present among the population in the past. This component of personality is based on heredity, which is true for the entire population.

Education as a means to the development of individuality

Education is recognized as the main factor in the formation of personality. During the educational process, children actively interact with peers, adults and the environment, and in a different way - they are socialized in society.

Components of education

• A child is an object of education. During the period of socialization, he develops subjective values, establishes a certain vision, worldview, and acquires habits, knowledge, and applied skills.

Note! There is often a tendency to copy the behavior of adults and individuals, since the student is under the constant influence of older people and the environment. Therefore, adults must set an example of correct behavior!

• Adults are the initiators of educational action, but at the same time they themselves are subject to education in various life situations of society.
• Society - a collective - creates conditions for self-affirmation, self-improvement, and satisfaction of aesthetic and moral needs.
• Social environment - affects the quality of the educational process within society, home, school.

Social education as a social institution

Social development of personality

Phases of personality formation in society:

1. The formation of a person as an individual in society;
2. Contradiction and inability to emphasize the individuality of the individual;
3. Society's acceptance of individual personality traits.

Next, let's look at each phase in more detail.

The transition from one phase to another is possible only if life in society is stable.

In other words, if the social environment is always at the same constant level, and the subjects of society do not have an aggressive impact on the individual, then it has all the prerequisites for going through each of the three standard phases.

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.

Socialization and communication

Communication and socialization help shape a person as an individual. We are social creatures. Offending prisoners in prisons are sent to solitary confinement, where the lack of socialization can drive you crazy. Therefore, communication is also the basis for the formation of a person as an individual.

The first socialization begins with contact with parents and close relatives. Then the circle of communication expands to kindergarten teachers, other children, and random people. By communicating, the individual begins to form feelings, adopt behavior patterns, and find his own “voice” in conversations. The role of society in the process of forming motives, views and worldview as a whole plays a huge role. Even when confidently developing yourself, it is impossible to get rid of the influence of social contacts on your point of view.

Factors of socialization and personality formation go hand in hand when it comes to a person’s mental state. If communication is excluded, then the following happens:

• intelligence develops less well;
• the development of speech skills slows down;
• decreased empathy, feelings do not develop;
• Symptoms of depression, schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses may appear.

So, if you isolate an individual from communication with other people, you can slow down his intellectual, mental and emotional development. Such a person may be dangerous to himself and others and will require long-term treatment.

Agents of socialization, social statuses and roles

Agents of socialization are those people and institutions (organizations) that form our norms.

1. In childhood, these are family, educational institutions, church, informal associations.
2. In adult life, this is also added to: the workforce, the media, the state, political parties and other institutions (science, business, etc.)

So, throughout his life, an individual absorbs social norms, forms his social status and masters certain social roles that he has to try on. What it is? Let's get a look.

Social status is the place occupied by a person in society (cell), which determines the range of his rights and responsibilities.

We always occupy some position in society, which depends on our marital status, age, work, income, education, profession.

1. We receive some statuses regardless of our desire. These are prescribed statuses - for example, son, daughter, man, woman, etc.
2. Other statuses are called attainable - for example, husband or wife, janitor or president, etc.

A social role is a pattern of behavior that is oriented towards a certain social status.

For example, you had a child and you received a new status - mother or father. In this regard, you have a need to play a new social role as a parent in order to correspond to your new status. The difference from status is that it exists, but the role can be performed or not performed.

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.

At what age does personality development occur?

Psychologists say that a person develops unevenly at different periods of life. Up to a certain age, children actively learn new things, after which their development slows down.

How development changes at different ages:

• In preschool age, the child learns general knowledge from parents and educators, which will serve as the basis for further development;
• At the age of 6-16 years, a child is influenced by all factors in the formation of a full-fledged personality; upbringing and socialization play the main role. Beliefs, personal opinions and outlook on life are formed;
• From 17 to 26 years of age, maximum receptivity to learning, the ability to analyze and draw conclusions are observed. It is at this age that a person receives higher education in the chosen field of activity;
• Between 26 and 30 years, processes slow down, a decline in attention and memory loss are observed;
• By the age of 30-34, a new leap in development may occur, when a person begins to master his chosen profession in practice, his brain is actively working;
• At 35-40 years old, the individual continues to develop according to the same pattern, but at a slower pace;
• After 40 years, the level of thinking, memory and attention decreases.

Note! Age cannot limit personal desire. Some people actively develop from 18 to 25 years old, after which they decline. By the age of 30, some people find their place in life, change jobs and social circles.

Throughout their lives, people grow and gain new knowledge and skills. In pedagogy, the factors of development of a full-fledged personality are the driving forces that contribute to the realization of a person. A successful personality type is not inherited; human development is largely influenced by upbringing and environment.

How, where and when does the socialization process take place?

An important role is played not only by the innate characteristics of the individual, but also by the environment that has been built around him : parents, distant relatives, friends, classmates, classmates, people with the same circle of interests, work colleagues.

The formation of personality depends on their:

1. type of thinking;
2. level of development;
3. education;
4. aesthetic views;
5. morality;
6. traditions;
7. hobbies.

In order for you to find out what moral values ​​another person has, he does not necessarily have to give you a whole lecture about what his position in life is and his attitude towards various aspects of it.

People react to certain things not only verbally. There are different ways to express emotions, approval or contempt. This is how we learn their attitude towards us and our actions even without words, we adopt something, if it is a person that is meaningful to us - we socialize .

That’s why it’s so important to communicate with different people to expand your worldview.

We should not forget that the process of becoming a person in society occurs not only in childhood , but also continues throughout life. More and more new situations provide new experiences.

New conditions influence a person, under which he acquires new knowledge and skills. Adults are also able to rethink the moral standards they previously followed. For example, they get rid of their naive, childish views of the world.

If we look at socialization in a broader sense, we will see that it, in essence, helps to preserve society. The latter is constantly replenished with new members who need to be educated, given basic knowledge, and taught the rules of the hostel. Only under such conditions is its successful functioning possible.

From this we can conclude that socialization has 2 goals :

1. Teach the individual to interact with society.
2. Replenish society with a new cell so that it continues to prosper.

Is it possible to influence the formation process

The development of a child’s personality is the task of parents; they can influence the formation process. The character of the child and his personal development are influenced by the behavior of the parents, how they talk to him, whether they scold him or not.

From 2 to 7 years old, children begin to interact with peers and teachers. From 7 to 18 years of age, parents continue to raise the child, control his environment so that he grows up to be a full-fledged and educated person.

At a conscious age, a person can independently influence his development, provided that he had the right upbringing. Heredity cannot be changed, but its negative manifestations can be fought, and its positive manifestations can be used to your advantage. His well-being, health and level of intelligence completely depend on a person.

Note! Children with congenital abnormalities and brain disorders develop individually. Health problems can hinder a child's development, even if he grows up in a favorable environment.