8.4       PERSONALITY INVENTORIES

8.4.1    Personality : Meaning

The word Personality’ is derived from a Latin word ‘persona’ which denotes the mask worn by the actors while playing their role in the drama.

Personality is the embodiment of physical, emotional, social, mental, moral and other traits of a human being.

Each letter of the word ‘PERSONALITY’ implies its meaning as follows:-

P          -           denotes Perception capacity

E          -           denotes Emotional maturity

R         -           denotes Responsiveness to the situation

S          -           denotes Sociability

O         -           denotes Originality

N         -           denotes Neutrality

A         -           denotes Appearance (external)

L          -           denotes Leadership feeling

I           -           denotes Integrated

T          -           denotes Tendency

Y         -           denotes Young (in thinking)

8.4.2 Personality : Definitions

“Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psycho-physical systems that determine his unique adjustment to his environment” — Gordon W.Allport.

“Personality is that which permits a prediction of what a person would do in a given situation” — Raymond B.Cattell.

“Personality is the more or less stable and enduring- organization of a person’s character, temperament, intellect and physique, which determine his unique adjustment to the environment” - H.J. Eysenck.

8.4.3    Personality : Characteristics

1. Personality is a whole rather than in parts.
2. Personality is unique.
3. Personality comprises of heredity and environment.
4. Personality is made up of traits. The traits are unique qualities or peculiarities of a person such as introversion - extroversion, honesty - dishonesty.
5. Personality is dynamic. It is ever growing and evolving.
6. Personality is organized. It means we know what to do, when to do and how to do.

8.4.4    Factors of Personality Development

Man is a member of a complex society. His final aim is self-actualization. His present is determined by the past experiences and future expectations.

Man is born with some inborn capacities for personality pattern. As he grows, the personality pattern is determined by his needs and the environment he faces.

Environmental factors activate the individual’s personality along with the hereditary factors. The individual personality is not

permanent but it is growing and develops its existence. The factors which influence the human personality are A) Physique B) Chemique C) Environment, and ) Learning.

A. Physique

The physique comprises factors like appearance, complexion, body-built, symmetric-proportion, colour and physical beauty, etc. The individual’s personality is not determined by the physique factor directly, but it has it own indirect bearing on the individual’s personality development. For example, the physically handicapped usually are abnormal both physically and psychologically. But some physically handicapped persons develop themselves into normal personalities.

B. Chemique

Chemique means the feasible effects of the ductless (endocrine) glands on human body. The endocrine glands release chemical substance called harmones and spread it into the blood stream. If these glands do not function properly, it will affect the structure of the body and the behaviour, and personality of the individual.

The functions of the major endocrine glands are as follows:

i.          The pituitary gland: It has two lower rounded parts (lobes) which lie at the base of the ‘brain. It produces pituitarin harmone which influences the growth and development of other glands and control the chemical equilibrium of the body.

The surplus activity of the gland may result in an abnormal growth of the body whereas insufficient activity will result in the subnormal growth of body and sexual development.

ii.         The thyroid gland: It has two lobes situated on either side of the larynx. The harmone is called thyroxin. The abnormal secretion of thyroxin will lead to nervousness, restlessness, dizziness and loss of sleep whereas the deficiency of thyroxin will result in swelling of face, abnormal growth of lips, abdomen and tongue. Hence the gland plays an, important role in maintaining the personality.

iii.        The adrenal glands: We have two kidneys and are covered by two adrenal glands. The glands are situated just above the kidneys. The harmone is called adrenalin. It activates the heart to maintain the blood circulation normal.

iv)        The sex glands (gonads): These glands have key role for the sex motivation. The male sex glands are the testes which; secrete the hormones called ‘estrogen’ and ‘prostogen’.

These hormones have great importance on the development of personality and growth of the body. The secretions of male and female sex glands influence the growth and development of the characteristics that differentiate the male from the female. The secondary sex characteristics develop with the secretions of the hormones.

C. Environment

The growth of individual’s personality largely depends upon his environmental, factors, Without considering one’s environment, the personality of a person cannot be explained. The environment has impacts on the personal development. Following are the environmental factors which influence the personality development.

i) Home : Family influences the ,personality of an individual to a very great extent. The attitude of parents towards the child, towards ‘one another, towards other people, and the events and objects influence one’s personality. Family has the predominant role in shaping the individual’s personality. The behavior showed by parents towards the child, relatives and friends and other objects. influence one’s personality. Unfriendly relationships also affect the individual.

ii) School : The personality of a child is also influenced by the following school factors:

1. Cheerfulness: Cheerfulness means the happy and gay state of mind under all circumstances. In order to teach children to remain cheerful, healthy and cheerful surroundings of things and people should be created and restraints and frustrations should be minimized.

2.   Enthusiasm : Enthusiasm means strong eagerness with courage and energy. In order to infuse the spirit of enthusiasm in children, pleasant and encouraging experiences of life should be taken and stories of romance and adventure should be told to them.

3.   Sense of humor:  Humour means light mood. it helps a person to take things lightly and to keep irritation away. In order to create sense of humour in children, they should be surrounded with funny and humorous persons and serious attitude in dealings should be avoided.

4. Courage : Courage is exactly opposite of cowardice. Children can be made courageous by telling them about brave and courageous personalities and events of adventure from history and mythology and by teaching them to help themselves.

5.   Unselfishness: Unselfishness is opposite to self-centeredness. Children can be made unselfish by inducing them to mix with others and to share their joys and sorrows.

6.   Sympathy : Sympathy is linked with unselfishness. It means feeling for others. In order to make children sympathetic towards others, they should be taught to spare their things for others..

7. Calmness : Calmness is opposite of excited ness. It makes a person restful. Calmness can be fostered in children by keeping. them in calm and quiet environment and by avoiding the situations of tension and excitement.

8.  Self-confidence : Self-confidence means confidence in one-self. One who lacks self-confidence develops feeling of inferiority. He becomes nervous and feels embarrassed in the presence of strangers or when he is asked to come to the stage to speak, or to sing, or to act. Constant fault-finding in a child and his undue criticism destroy self-confidence. Self-confidence can be fostered in children by giving them ample opportunities to show their abilities, by praising their efforts, by making them feel that they are capable of doing everything and by encouraging them to do things themselves. Freedom develops self- confidence and helplessness breaks it down.

9.   Self-assertiveness : Self-assertiveness means to exert oneself and to take a lead. It is a natural tendency in children and it should not be curbed. In order to develop self-assertiveness in children, they should be encouraged to assert themselves in various fields, to come forward and to express themselves.

iii) Society

The society and its circumstances, the environments also play a vital role in deciding one’s personality development.

iv) Cultural differences

An individual’s personality is also determined by the culture in which he/she is brought up.

D. Learning

Learning is a life-long process through which the individual accumulates experiences and it influences his/her personality and its development.

8.4.5 Theories of Personality

The theories of personality are classified under four categories:

1.   Type Theories: Based upon the physical characteristics people are categorised into different types.

2. Trait Theories: Trait means special or peculiar features. This theory explains personality in terms of traits. Raymond B.Cattell’s theory is the best example of this type of theories.

3.   Trait-cum-Type Theories: These theories make use of both the above points. The best known among them is the view of H.J.Eysenck.

4.   Psychoanalytic Theories: The aim of this theory is to explain the growth and development of personality. The well accepted among them is Freud’s theory of Personality.

1.Type Theory

a. Hippocrates’ classification

Hippocrates, one of the disciples of the great philosopher Aristotle, grouped personality, on the basis of individual’s temperament and suggested the following types:

1. Choleric	Emotionally weak, bodily strong and easily tempted.
2. Melancholic	Emotionally and bodily weak – Pessimist (who fails to understand what is happiness).
3. Phlegmatic	Emotionally strong – able to control his emotions – bodily weak – lazy type – always happy.
4. Sanguine	Bodily strong — Energetic — control type — an optimist (who knows, understands what is happiness).

b. Kretschmer’s Classification

Ernst Kretschmer, the German Psychologist has classified individuals on the basis of certain body types and assigned personality characteristics to each of them.

Body Type	Body Characteristics	Personality Characteristics
1. Pyknic	Fat types, in whom tat is more than muscle.	Social and helping to others.
2 Athletic	Healthy, balance between muscles and bone development.	Energetic, optimist, can adjust to any situation.
3. Leptosomatlc	Thin, lean and tall, no muscle, only bone.	Unsociable, shy, pessimists and always alone.

C. Sheldon’s Classification

William H. Sheldon also classified certain body types and gave certain personality characteristics.

Body Type	Body Characteristics	Personality Characteristics
1 .Endomorphic	No muscle development etc. prominent stomach	Takes everything easy, sociable, arid affectionate.
2. Mesomorphic	Balance between development of stomach and bones.	Likes to work ,interested - in adventurous activities.
3. Ectomorphic	Weak, tall, thin.	Pessimist, unsociable and alone.

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d. Jung’s Classification

Jung (Carl Gustav Jung) divided people into three types depending on their social behaviour and status.

1. Introvert

Introvert As one who is ,more interested in his own thoughts and feelings than in things outside himself. They are interested in writing, reading, day dreaming etc. They want to deliver their views through writing than speaking.

Therefore, introverts are the persons who look inward rather than outward. They fix their attention and interests chiefly upon themselves and have little concern with objective things, events, people and activities. A man or a woman of an introverted personality lives in an inner world of ideas, feelings, etc. and he avoids social contacts. He tends to be idealistic rather than realistic.

2. Extrovert

Extroverts are those persons interested in what goes on around them than in their own thoughts and feelings. They are social and friendly with everyone.

Therefore, extroverts are the persons who look outward rather than inward. They are chiefly interested in objective things, events, Other people and their activities.

3. Ambient

No one is either completely an introvert or an extrovert. Everybody is a combination of the two. If the introversion and extroversion are equally balanced, the person is called ambient.

II. Trait Theory

According to the famous English Psychologist, R.B.Cattell (1973) an individual’s nature and behavioural patterns are fundamental to the study of personality. These are called as’ personality traits. Any quality which is firm and does not yield to any change easily is called a trait. An individual’s personality is a synthesis and collection of all such characteristics or traits. Catelli, classified two types of traits.

1. Surface Traits: We can realize surface traits, external traits in an individual’s behavior. Eg. Irritability. He will be excited to irritation very easily.
2. Source Traits Every individual has his own source traits (internal traits). These are inherent. Surface traits depend on source traits. An individual may have a service trait of irritability when he has a source trait of emotionality. These traits are permanent.

According to Catelli, a collection of these traits is an individual’s personal ty.

Ill. Type-cum. Trait Theory

The famous German Psychologist Hans J. Eysenck, advocated his own views regarding personality. This theory is a combination, of both the type and trait approaches. Eysenck classified four types of personality. They are 1) Introvert, 2) Extrovert, 3) Neurotic and 4) Psychotic.

The above kinds of personality are derived-on the basis of a collection of personality traits.

‘Let us consider a specific response which later develops into a habitual response. These habitual responses will cultivate traits. Such traits in a multitude develop into a personality type.

For example we ask a boy to do a specific work. But he is not able to do the work. He may not wish to see you. This response’ is the outcome of a specific situation. This is called specific response. This is the first stage.

Similarly we can ask him to do another kind of work on another event. Then we can find that he is not interested in doing that Work also. His disobedience becomes a habit in him. Gradually it becomes a habitual response in him. This is the second stage.

Because of his inert (lazy) nature, he fails to join others. He seems always to be aloof and it becomes his nature. This is the third stage.

All these traits will make a particular personality of him. This personality type is called introversion. This is the fourth stage.

IV. Psychoanalytic Theory

The father of Psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud (1856 1939) is the founder of the school of psychology which is called as psychoanalysis. According to him personality consists of Id, Ego and Superego. The Id likes to find pleasure and avoid pains and is impulsive. It works with the seeking -the- Pressure principle. The term ‘Id’ refers to the totality of biological drives. Ego is an obstacle to the philosophy of Id. It works with, the reality principle. Superego refers to conscience. This is made up of the moral values and juggernauts according to conscience.

The super ego serves as a censor by judging the actions of the Ego and impulses of the Id. “Ends justify the means” is the philosophy of Id. Thus, Id is like animal demanding gratification. Ego tries to get satisfaction out of Id impulses. Super-ego is the conscience. According to psychoanalytic theory, the interaction among the three is the cause for the development of personality.

For example, a boy wants to have a book which belongs to another. Id says him to take it irrespective of whom it belongs. Ego advises him that it belongs to somebody and he should not take it without permission. Super ego properly will advise him that if he wants it the other boy should be ready to give and he should not get it through anti-social ways. Ego and the super-ego have an impact on the human behavior and development of personality.

The stages of Personality Development

Freud was strongly convinced that development of every human personality passes through a chain of fixed stages called psycho sexual stages of development: the oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital stages.

In the oral stage, the focus of attention is mouth and the membranes of the oral region. During this time the child gets sexual pleasure from sucking and biting activities.

In the anal stage, anal expulsion and anal manipulation are the chief pleasure-deriving activities.

In the phallic stage, the focus of attention is self manipulation of the genitals.

In the latency stage, sex stands for the focus of attention.

In the genital stage the focus of attention is heterosexual relations after puberty stage.

Hence psychoanalysis is based on individual’s sexual desires and their fondness in sexual tendencies. The above types of personality depend upon the sex characteristics only.