Personality is what makes an individual appear distinct and unique in the way one thinks, behaves and feels. Personality development is the process of acquiring distinct behavioral patterns and attitudes that makes one unique. Several factors from birth to adulthood influence the process of personal growth. The primary factors affecting personality development include temperament, character, and environment. These factors determine the way one approaches life and how one learns about the world (Hart et al., 2003).
Temperament includes the behavior and traits that are determined by the genetics of an individual. These are sometimes referred to as "nature" or heredity factors. These heredity factors influence whether one is tall, short, intelligent, male or female. Usually, these heredity factors are under the direct or indirect control of biological organs including the nervous system and endocrine glands (Jensen‐Campbell et al., 2003). Therefore, a significant factor that ranks higher in the development of one's personality. For example, when all elements are kept constant intelligent children do better in school work, home and in the society compared to the less capable. Furthermore, girls are usually more silent and emotional as compared to boys who are naturally more active and adventurous in personality (Jensen‐Campbell et al., 2003).
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According to Roberts and Robins (2004), the other equally important factor that influences personality development is ones' environment. The environment comprises of the physical, social, family and cultural interaction of an individual. While physical environment refers to the climatic conditions of a particular area, the social environment includes the culture in which one was raised up or educated. The family environment on the hand consists of all the experience, training, and economic conditions a child is exposed to in a family set up. The relationship that exists between the child, parents and guardians influences whether a child develops a sense of love or security as he or she grows up. The least factor that influences personality development is the character (Mussen, 2015). Character includes all the emotional, cognitive and behavior learned from experience. The character continues to change throughout life as one grows or changes the environment. A character may influence one's perception of oneself, people take as role models, roles one plays in the society, and even the language one speaks.
References
Hart, D., Atkins, R., Fegley, S., Robins, R. W., & Tracy, J. L. (2003). Personality and development in childhood: A person-centered approach. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development , i-122.
Jensen‐Campbell, L. A., Gleason, K. A., Adams, R., & Malcolm, K. T. (2003). Interpersonal conflict, agreeableness, and personality development. Journal of Personality , 71 (6), 1059-1086.
Mussen, P. (2015). Handbook of Child Psychology, Socialization, Personality and Social Development (Volume 4). journal of family psychology , 293 , 427-437.
Roberts, B. W., & Robins, R. W. (2004). Person‐Environment fit and its implications for personality development: A longitudinal study. Journal of personality , 72 (1), 89-110.
