Personality is seen to be a collection of emotion, thought and behaviour patterns that are unique to a person. There are several theoretical perspectives on personality which involve different ideas about the relationship between personality and other psychological constructs as well as different theories about how the personality develops. [Word iq Online Accessed 2nd May 2011]
There is much debate centred on whether an individual’s personality is inherited (nature debate) or developed in response to environmental conditions (nurture debate). Was the personality predetermined at birth or was it a result of the individual’s interaction with the environment? Personality appears to be the result of both influences. Today, an adults personality is generally considered to be made up of both hereditary and environmental factors, moderated by situational conditions. (Robbins, S)
Heredity – physical stature, facial attractiveness, gender, energy levels and biological rhythms are characteristics that are all generally considered to be influenced by who your parents are. These roles play an enormous part in shaping our personalities. (Robbins, S)
Environment – an individual’s personality can also be ‘developed’ by our family, friends, social groups and other influences that we experience. (Robbins, S)
Situation – this influences the effects of heredity and environment on personality. An individual’s personality does change in different situations. The different demands of different situations can forward different aspects of someone’s personality. (Robbins, S)
The idiographic approach is a holistic and dynamic perspective which insists that managers take into account a ‘whole’ understanding of the individual at work. (Mullins, L)
There are two different views as to whether all traits exist in all people:
Idiographic view emphasizes that each person has a unique psychological structure and that some traits are possessed by only one person; and that there are times when it is impossible to compare one person with others. This viewpoint also emphasizes that traits may differ in importance from person to person (cardinal, central and secondary traits). It tends to use case studies, bibliographical information, diaries etc for information gathering.
Nomothetic view, on the other hand, emphasizes comparability among individuals but sees people as unique in their combination of traits. This viewpoint sees traits as having the same psychological meaning in everyone. The belief is that people differ only in the amount of each trait. It is this which constitutes their uniqueness. This approach tends to use self-report personality questions, factor analysis etc. People differ in their positions along a continuum in the same set of traits.
[Wilderdom online Accessed 2nd May 2011]
I feel that personality is both nature and nurture. Individuals grow up with the personality similar to family members as that’s all they know. When they go to school and start interacting with new people, they develop a ‘new’ personality which I feel helps them to settle in with their friends and social groups. As they grow up, individuals develop their own sense of personality and this reflects on how they behave. Although they are more in the environment, the individuals will still have the sense of ‘home’ personality from parents and other family members.
I took the BBC Big Personality Test. It is designed to answer the question – do our personalities shape our lives or do our lives shape our personalities? By answering the questions about things like your lifestyle, preferences, relationships and background, you will be helping scientists to understand more about the extent to which our personalities are shaped by a whole range of influences. The traits it measures are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism.
My Big Five Personality Traits -
Openness – This trait is sometimes known as ‘openness to experience’. On this I scored 2.7 out of 5 – low. This means I tend to have a less broad range of interests, I usually stick to what I know rather than being overly enthusiastic about trying new things. Generating lots of imaginative ideas is not my biggest strength. It has been suggested that Openness is related to a person’s likelihood to hold unusual beliefs. People with low-to-high Openness may therefore be less likely to believe in things like conspiracy theories.
Conscientiousness – This describes how dependable, organised and hard-working a person is likely to be. This may be the reason why Conscientiousness is the most consistent indicator of job success. I scored 3.8 out of 5 – medium. This means I am less likely to be workaholics, instead achieving a good work-life balance. Conscientiousness often gives clues to the amount that a person plans. You probably enjoy planning aspects of your life and may indulge in occasional list-making but you are unlikely to be averse to behaving spontaneously. Studies have shown the more Conscientiousness an individual I then the more disciplines they are likely to be about exercise and diet.
Extroversion –This is characterised by positive emotions and the tendency to seek out pleasure-stimulating or risk-taking activities. I scored 3.3 out of 5 – medium. This means that I am comfortable meeting new people and usually enjoy social occasions. I have a positive outlook on life and may display a greater gift for leadership. People with high Extroversion are more likely to lead risky lifestyles and take greater risks on pursuit of rewards. Health studies have shown they are more likely to smoke and less likely to get enough sleep than people who score less high.
Agreeableness – This measure how sympathetic and considerate a person is likely to be. I scored 3.6 out of 5 – medium. This shows I am likely to show concern for the feelings of others and will be inclined to help those in need. I find it easy to get along with most people but won’t be averse to speaking my mind.
Neuroticism –This relates to a person’s response to threatening or stressful situations. I scored 2.9 out of 5 – medium. His means I am likely to be comparatively level-header about perceived threats, but I may find myself worrying when faced with uncertainty or unfamiliar situations. Some scientists have suggested that Neuroticism was beneficial in evolutionary terms. There is evidence to suggest that Neuroticism, when combined with high scores in personality traits such as Conscientiousness, can result in a powerful work ethic and a will to succeed. [BBC Online Accessed 2nd May 2011]
In conclusion, everyone has a different personality, whether it being heredity, the environment or the situation. Everyone has their own opinion. I feel that my personality is the influences from both heredity and the environment, meaning it can change in different situations. From completing the BBC Big Personality Test, I found that I scored low in openness, high in conscientiousness and medium in extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. The above picture shows this. I feel these results do relate to my personality.
References –
Word iq Online http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Personality [Accessed 2nd May 2011]
Robbins, S. (1998) Organisational Behaviour. 8th ed. Essex: Pearson Education International
Robbins, S. (2003) Organisational Behaviour. 10th ed. Essex: Pearson Education International
Mullins, L. (2010) Management & Organisational behaviour. 9th ed. Essex: Financial Times Pitman Publishing.
Wilderdom Online http://wilderdom.com/personality/traits/PersonalityTraitsIdiographicNomothetic.html [Accessed 2nd May 2011]
BBC Online http://www.bbc.co.uk/labuk/articles/personality/about.html [Accessed 2nd May 2011]
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