A View on the Personality Issues and the Personality Concept

The concept of personality is widely studied in psychology, especially since it constitutes a unique aspect of every person. Matthews and Corr (2009) define personality as the collection of habitual behaviors, emotional patterns, and cognitions that develop from environmental and biological factors. One of the best approaches for defining an individual’s personality is using the five-factor model, which comprises of extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness to experience, conscientiousness (McCrae & Oliver, 1992).

The aspect of extroversion describes how individuals interact with others and where they draw their energy.

Extroverts are very outgoing and get energized when interacting with others, while introverts are less outgoing and feel more replenished when in solitude (McCrae & Oliver, 1992). Personally, I am more of an introvert rather than an extrovert. Although socially confident, I am somewhat assertive, thoughtful, and reserved. In terms of agreeableness, I do not regard myself high in this respect, although I am modest, kind, somewhat sensitive, considerate, but slightly sarcastic.

The personality aspect of neuroticism refers to an individual’s emotional stability and overall temper (McCrae & Oliver, 1992). I regard myself as scoring low in terms of neuroticism. I am usually confident, optimistic, and often adventurous when an opportunity is available. With regard to openness to experience, I consider myself curious, perceptive, preferring variety, and imaginative.

Conscientiousness refers to one’s tendency act in a manner that is acceptable in the society, including controlling impulses, and being goal-directed (John & Srivastava, 1999). Regarding conscientiousness, I consider myself scoring modestly since some of my attributes here include being thorough in whatever I do, resourceful, and persevering.

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However, I am a little inconsistent, a modest in planning and self-discipline.

Several theories explain the process of personality development. Some of the main theories used include Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, trait/disposition theory, humanistic theory, social learning theory, social cognitive theory, behaviorist theory, and biological theory among others. One of the arguments that I believe explains a significant portion of my personality is the social learning theories, mainly observational learning theory.

The theory postulates that people usually learn many of their behaviors from observing others as opposed to personal experiences (Matthews & Corr, 2009). I believe that I acquired the behavior of hard work and perseverance from my father since I used to accompany him in many of his farming tasks from a very tender age.

Abraham Maslow’s humanistic theory of personality development also reflects some of my behaviors. Humanistic approach advances that the fundamental influencing factors in the development of personality are the making of rational decisions and conscious choices guided by the desire for fulfillment and excellence (Schott, 1992). The desire to succeed and win has been a major driving factor in my life. This is evident especially in my determination to be thorough in almost everything that I set out to do.

Overall, my personality is a product of diverse experiences and situations that I might be in at that particular moment. The behaviorist approach sums up personality development in a more precise manner by stressing that person’s behavior results from their heredity, their situation at that particular moment, and their previous experiences in a similar environment (Matthews & Corr, 2009). The skills that I have undergone from my childhood, including the situation that I grew it has no doubt influenced how I behave in some instances. It is therefore essential to understand personality development from the various theoretical perspective in order to form a comprehensive picture of this unique concept.