Personality development in psychology: theories, factors, approaches

In this article:

The concept of personality in psychology
Distinctive personality traits
Theories of personality development in psychology
4 factors influencing personality development
Mechanisms of personality development in psychology
Concepts of stages of personality development in psychology
Laws of personality development in psychology
Self Development Tips
7 common mistakes in personality development in psychology

Personality development in psychology is a vast field of knowledge that contains many theories that describe the psychological formation of a person. This process begins from the moment of birth and lasts throughout life, which is why it is so important to monitor what is happening and correct negative manifestations.

A person’s own efforts aimed at self-development are also important. In our article we will tell you how personality develops from a psychological point of view, what rules this process obeys, and what you can do on your own for the benefit of your psychological health.

The concept of personality in psychology

Currently, there is no single and unambiguous definition of personality in psychology; each of the many concepts should be taken into account in order to most fully reflect it.

The most commonly used definition is that a person is a person with a certain set of psychological characteristics that form the basis of his actions that are significant for society; that which internally distinguishes people from each other.

For a more objective understanding, here are a few more definitions:

A personality is a social subject with a set of roles he plays, both personal and social, as well as his preferences and habits, his accumulated knowledge and experience.
Personality is a person who independently builds and controls his life and is fully responsible for it.
In addition to the concept of “personality,” the terms “individual” and “individuality” are also used in psychology.
An individual is a separate person with his own unique innate and acquired characteristics.
Individuality is a set of unique qualities inherent in a person that distinguishes him from other people; the uniqueness of the human personality and psyche.

We cannot talk about the identity of these concepts, but we also should not completely separate them from each other, since a person is multifaceted and cannot be viewed one-sidedly.

To obtain an objective idea of personality as a psychological phenomenon, you must first understand its structure.

"Three pillars of the human psyche"

Freud's personality theory has been modernized over time. In 1923, he proposed a structural model of the psyche based on the concepts of “Id,” “Ego,” and “Super-Ego.” These are not any specific areas of the brain or psyche, but rather hypothetical formations corresponding to important mental functions.

Thus, the “Id” is completely unconscious. It is formed by two opposing drives, Eros and Thanatos. The first of these instincts is the instinct of love. It helps a person survive by supporting basic life functions such as eating, breathing, sex. The energy created by Eros is called libido.

Thanatos is the death instinct. Freud's psychological theory views it as a collection of destructive forces inherent in all human beings. When this energy is directed outward toward other people, it takes the form of aggression and violence. Sigmund Freud believed that Eros is still stronger than Thanatos, and only thanks to this can a person survive, and not destroy himself.

The "ego" develops from the "id" during infancy. This structure of the psyche can be classified as conscious; it personifies the personality of a person. The “id” is sometimes compared to a capricious child with many conflicting desires. And this child is used to demanding their fulfillment. The goal of the ego is to satisfy all the needs of the id in a safe and socially acceptable way.

The superego also develops in childhood. It occurs when a child begins to identify with a parent of the same gender. The “superego” is sometimes called the conscience, since it is responsible for a person’s compliance with moral principles. It encourages us to engage in socially approved behavior. And, if this does not happen, the “Super-Ego” makes us feel guilty.

Thus, Freud's theory of personality states that the human psyche is controlled by the trinity described above: “Id”, “Ego” and “Super-Ego”.

Distinctive personality traits

Personality properties are a set of innate and acquired characteristics of a person that underlie his activities and relationships with people around him and the world. In psychology, the main personality properties on which interaction with society depends are character, temperament, will, abilities, motivation and emotions.

In psychology, character is understood as an acquired way of relating to other people. It includes a certain manner of behavior, as well as a reaction to events happening to a person. Character can be soft and delicate, or rude and unceremonious.

Will means a person’s ability to control his psyche, control his actions, behavior, react in a certain way to what is happening, and bring changes to the world around him. Willpower is usually talked about when it is necessary to make important, conscious decisions, the implementation of which requires the application of certain efforts and overcoming obstacles.

Will is associated with self-restraint, self-control, the need to give up something to achieve a goal, that is, a person must sacrifice something momentary, but attractive to him, in order to get the distant desired.

The main feature of will is that, having achieved a result, a person experiences moral satisfaction.

The main feature of will is that, having achieved a result, a person experiences moral satisfaction. In the process of achieving a goal, emotional joy arises very rarely. The individual directs all his strength to overcome himself, any obstacles and get the desired result. The stronger the will he has, the easier he copes with difficulties and the faster he develops.

In psychology, temperament is understood as the mental qualities of a person that determine his behavior, mood, rate of change, and emotional stability.

Emotions in psychology are the positive and negative individual experiences a person experiences in response to certain situations and stimuli. The following types of emotions are distinguished:

Mood, which refers to the general mood of a person at different times.
Simple emotions that are associated with the need to satisfy basic needs.
Feelings mean a complex of experiences caused by an attitude towards a certain object.
Affects are bright and acute emotions that arise as a response to a stimulus, characterized by short duration and high intensity.
Passion is a strong emotion that a person cannot control.
Stress is a combination of negative emotions and a person’s physical condition that occurs in response to psychological and emotional overload.

The quality of a person's life largely depends on the emotions he experiences. People feel different emotions, the difference lies in the speed with which they react to certain events and stimuli, how long they experience what happened, what emotions they experience more often - positive or negative. Experiences influence the actions a person performs and the decisions he makes.

Motivation in psychology is understood as a set of reasons underlying human behavior.

A motive causes an individual's purposeful behavior. Motivation is influenced by a person’s desires, his need for something. It is thanks to setting goals that he begins to take active actions to achieve them.

Abilities mean innate abilities and skills, without which it is impossible to solve certain problems. They help to acquire knowledge and experience more easily and quickly, which in the future help to better cope with the tasks facing a person.

Ananyev B. G. (1907-1972) - Russian psychologist.

The structure of man as an individual, personality and subject of activity. Characteristics of a person as an individual. There are grounds for identifying 2 main classes of individual properties: age-sex and individual-typical. The first includes age properties and sexual dimorphism. The second includes constitutional features; neurodynamic properties of the brain, features of the functional geometry of the cerebral hemispheres. All these properties are primary and exist at all levels including cellular and molecular. The interaction of age-sex and individual-typical properties determines the dynamics of psychophysiological functions and the structure of organic needs - these properties can be called secondary. The highest integration of all these properties is represented in temperament, on the one hand, and inclinations, on the other. Characteristics of a person as L. The starting point of the structural-dynamic properties of L is its status in society. On the basis of status and in constant interrelation with it, systems of social functions of roles and goals and value orientations are built. Role status and value orientations form the primary class of personal properties integrated by a certain structure L. These personal characteristics determine the characteristics of behavioral motivation, the structure of social behavior, constituting the 2nd row of personal properties. The highest integrated effect of the interaction of primary and secondary personal properties is a person’s character on the one hand and abilities on the other.

Basic characteristics of a person as a subject of activity. The initial characteristics are: consciousness and activity. As a theoretical subject. human activity is characterized by knowledge and skills. The highest integration of subjective properties is creativity, and the most social effects are abilities and talent.

Theories of personality development in psychology

Psychodynamic theory.

Classical psychoanalysis, or Freudianism, is the most famous theory of personality development in psychology. Sigmund Freud based his theory on the constant evolving interaction between instincts and drives (on the one hand) and motives, consciousness, and moral and ethical standards (on the other). The reactions and behavior of the individual depend on this interaction, with the unconscious playing a major role.

Psychoanalytic theory.

Carl Jung initially worked with Sigmund Freud, but later developed his own theory of personality development in psychology - analytical psychology. Jung identified three components of personality: the individual unconscious, the collective unconscious and consciousness.

Jung introduced the concepts of extraversion and introversion into personality psychology, as well as four mental processes: thinking, feeling, intuition, sensation.

Individual theory.

The theory of individual personality development was first introduced into psychology by an Austrian of Jewish origin, Alfred Adler. His theory is based on the integrity, uniqueness, and uniqueness of the individual. The actions and behavior of an individual depend not on innate instincts, but on unity with others. Personality development according to Adler’s theory occurs due to:

feelings of inferiority and compensation;
striving for superiority;
lifestyle;
taking into account the creative “I”;
public interest;
fictitious finalism.

Behavioral theory.

The behavioral theory of personality development in psychology includes two main directions: reflexive and social. The founder of the first is the follower of classical behaviorism B. Skinner. Social theory was developed by the Americans A. Bandura and J. Rotter. Both directions are based on the fact that a person develops in accordance with the environment; genetic and mental inheritance do not matter. Personal development depends on the acquired knowledge, skills, and experience. Psychological characteristics consist of generalized behavioral reflexes and social skills.

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Humanistic theory.

The humanistic theory of personality development in psychology consists of two main directions:

Supporters of the client-centric direction believe that a person develops thanks to an innate desire for self-actualization and control of one’s own development, i.e., by nature, a person is an active, self-realizing subject.
According to supporters of the motivational direction of personality development, a person is a “desiring creature.” He constantly experiences certain needs that are never fully satisfied: as soon as what he wants is achieved, a new desire arises, which also needs to be satisfied. An individual rarely completely lacks desires and needs; these are isolated, quickly passing cases.

Cognitive theory.

The founder of the cognitive theory of personality development in psychology, the American George Alexander Kelly, believed that a person develops in accordance with his social environment, his behavior depends on the characteristics of the individual’s cognitive processes (perception, representation, memory, speech, thinking).

Basic principles of Gestalt psychology

According to this theory, in the consciousness of each person there are special integral structures - gestalts, which cannot be decomposed into elements and which are characterized by their own laws of flow and development.

Note 2

The mental process that determines the level of development of the psyche, from the point of view of Gestaltists, is perception. It is on the development of this process that human behavior and understanding of the surrounding situation depend.

The process of mental development is divided into two independent and parallel processes - maturation and learning. During perception, there is first a “grasping” of the integral image of an object, and then its differentiation. Learning leads to the formation of a new structure and, consequently, to a different perception and awareness of the situation. The moment phenomena enter another situation, they acquire a new function. This awareness of new combinations and new functions of objects is the formation of a new gestalt, the awareness of which is the essence of thinking.

Mechanisms of personality development in psychology

Assignment.

The most common mechanism of personality development in psychology is called “appropriation”. It means that a person’s personality independently forms and develops as he comes into contact with the environment. During personal or social activities, an individual experiences the formation and “appropriation” of personal qualities, which subsequently continue to develop.

Separation.

Another mechanism of personality development in psychology is “isolation”. The point is that a person is not ready to completely adopt social principles; for him, it is important to stand out among his own kind. The process is also called individualization, which assumes that a person develops individual personal qualities that distinguish him from other people.

This mechanism of personality development in psychology includes two directions:

internal (psychological), to which experts include such individual psychological properties of a person as the level of development of intelligence, belonging to one or another type of temperament, character traits inherent in the individual, etc.;
external (material and physical), which includes physical parameters, for example, nationality, gender identity, etc.

Identification.

Psychology calls “identification” the most complex mechanism of personality development. We are talking about the desire to imitate an object that arouses interest or sympathy in a person. An individual on an emotional level tries to copy another personality. This mechanism can be observed in children who, from an early age, strive to do everything the same way as their parents do.

Pavlov's school.

The doctrine of conditioned reflexes is a temporary connection between an external agent and the activity of the body. Unconditioned reflexes are carried out under any conditions. Signaling systems. 1st signaling system - irritation on external receptors and on the cerebral hemispheres, common in humans and animals; The 2nd signal system is the word.

Laws of GNI: law of irrationation, law of concentration. He studied experimental neuroses. Orbeli L.D. the doctrine of the 2nd signal system, the problem of labor and inspiration. Anokhin P.K. theory of functional systems, universal model of the brain (afferent synthesis), biology and neurophysiology of the conditioned reflex. Lomov B.F. special developments of instinctive psychology, occupational psychology, psychophysics, mathematics. psychology. Davydov V.V. the phenomenon of interiorization.

Concepts of stages of personality development in psychology

Psychology calls the main goal of personality development, which is to gain personal freedom. There are several development concepts, which we will discuss below.

E. Erickson's concept.

Psychoanalyst E. Erikson says that there are eight stages of personality development. In each of them, the individual faces a conflict generated by forces opposite to those that he himself possesses. With a successful resolution of the situation, a person develops new personality traits and moves to the next stage of development. If the situation does not find a solution, then it becomes the cause of neuroses and maladjustment.

Erikson identifies the following contradictions and problems in the process of personality development in psychology:

the contradiction between trust and distrust in the surrounding reality (typical of children from birth until they reach the age of one);
the contradiction between independence with shame and doubt (experienced by children from the age of one to three years);
the contradiction between initiative and guilt (typical for children from four to five years of age);
the contradiction between hard work and feelings of inferiority (typical of children from six to eleven years of age);
the contradiction between awareness of identity with a certain gender and a lack of understanding of the behavior characteristic of this gender (experienced by adolescents from the age of twelve until the age of eighteen);
the contradiction between the desire for intimate relationships and the feeling of isolation from others (typical of early adulthood);
the contradiction between vital activity and focus on one’s own problems, needs, interests (experienced by people of middle adulthood);
the contradiction between a feeling of fullness of life and despair (typical of people in late adulthood).

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Concept by V. I. Slobodchikov.

Age-related development of personality in psychology, according to V. I. Slobodchikov, should be considered from the point of view of the development of the individual’s subjectivity in relation to his behavior:

Revitalization (typical for children under one year old). During this period, the child gets acquainted with his body, begins to understand it, which is manifested in his performance of motor, sensory and sociable actions.
Animation (typical of children from 11 months to 6.5 years). The child begins to become aware of himself in the world, learns to walk, and interact with the objects around him. Cultural skills are being studied and abilities are being developed. In three-year-old children, one can observe a pronounced position: “I myself,” which is a consequence of the child’s awareness of his desires and capabilities.
Personalization (typical for children from 5.5 years to 13–18 years). During this period, the child realizes himself as a real or potential creator of his life. He learns to build boundaries and take responsibility for his future. He is helped in developing his personality by senior mentors, as well as peers with whom he interacts during the personalization stage.
Individualization (occurs from 17–21 years to 31–42 years). During this period, the individual appropriates and individualizes social values, which he then considers from the perspective of his personal worldview. A person’s “self” is built by overcoming the restrictions imposed by society and destroying the assessments of others. This is a period of moving away from stereotypes, other people's opinions and pressure from others. Now the individual is able to independently accept or not accept what he receives from the world.
Universalization (typical for people aged 39–45 years). At this time, a person expands the scope of individuality and moves to the level of existentiality; he begins to feel like an element of all humanity in the context of past and future world history.

So, personality development in psychology is closely related to age-related changes.

However, certain mental processes can occur over a fairly wide period of time. And this period increases the older the person gets. Based on this, expressions such as “precocious” or “stuck in development” arose. In reality, we are only talking about the fact that physical and personal development are somewhat different from each other.

Personality development in psychology can also be considered from the point of view of changes occurring in the individual psychological space of the individual, consisting of:

bodies;
surrounding objects that are significant to the individual;
habits;
relationships, connections;
values.

The accumulation of these elements occurs as the child develops physically. However, they are also characteristic of adults. The favorable development of an individual is possible provided that all of them are inviolable.

Life path.

Personal development in psychology occurs as a person moves along the path of life, during which goals, motives and values are formed, they also structure this path.

In other words, we are talking about a person’s life scenario. A consensus in psychology on this issue has not yet been formed.

Russian scientists are inclined to believe that the individual himself forms his own life scenario; parents can help him with this, but the person makes the choice himself.

Other psychologists (such as Adler, Berne, Rogers) believe that the leading factor shaping the life scenario is the unconscious, namely: upbringing, personal characteristics of parents, the order of birth of the child, stressful and conflict situations that arise in life, etc.

Georgian school. Uznadze.

Uznadze, installation theory, founder of Tbilisi University. Uznadze’s concept of personality is based on the concept (attitude), which he considered the main psychological formation. Attitude is considered the main regulatory mechanism of human behavior, determining its direction and selective activity. However, the essence of personality is not reduced to the functioning of the attitude, but is determined by the presence of such fundamental manifestations as consciousness and the ability to objectify. A characteristic feature of the personality is the implementation of distant motivation, the commission of actions and deeds, the purpose of which is to satisfy the needs intended for the future life. Higher needs - intellectual, moral and aesthetic - correspond to the self-concept of a person. The attitude is manifested in the present time, although it is a certain form of anticipation.

Depending on a person’s ability to objectify, Uznadze describes three types of personalities:

dynamic - a person who has a developed ability for objectification and is willing to easily switch in the direction of objectified goals;
static - a person who exhibits hyper-objectification, which consists of constantly delaying the impulses of his attitudes and choosing appropriate types of activity only on the basis of volitional efforts;
variable - a person who has sufficient ease of objectification, but does not have sufficient volitional abilities to implement it.

One of the most important characteristics of personality in Attitude Theory is responsibility, thanks to which a person can rise above his needs, acting as a subject of will. The meaning of motivation is to find an activity that corresponds to the basic personality attitude fixed in the process of life. The period of goal preparation is divided into two stages:

a choice that is recognized as an intellectual act and is carried out on the basis of personal values of behavior for a given subject;
motivation recognized as a volitional process. Volitional behavior is the ability of an individual to subordinate his activity not only to personal values, but also to objective necessity.

Laws of personality development in psychology

Patterns of personality development are studied by the psychology of personal growth. They also form the basis of educational programs for children and adolescents. Thanks to knowledge of patterns, psychoanalysts better understand clients and help them, guiding them on the path of formation and self-development.

The laws of personality development in psychology include:

psychological changes occurring in the individual;
the existing relationship between spheres and directions of development;
specific features of personality development;
differences in development over time and other criteria (between peers who may develop faster or slower);
formation of a person’s own views and beliefs;
manifestation of certain psychological characteristics (sensitivity);
processing, study/awareness of different areas of life;
plasticity of an individual’s development (one personal component can be compensated by another);
contradictions that arise between a person and the surrounding world;
constantly progressive personal development.

Luria School, School of Neuropsychology.

The role of speech in the development of voluntary mental processes.

According to Luria's theory, the brain is a highly differentiated system, the parts of which are responsible for different aspects of the whole: separate areas of the cerebral cortex interact with each other to produce thoughts and actions of many different kinds. Luria assumed that the brain contains three main blocks:

The brainstem and midbrain structures responsible for the long-term preservation of traces of excitation.
Incoming sensory functions - receiving, processing and storing information.
The frontal cortex is responsible for organizing, planning, and monitoring the successful execution of programs.

Self Development Tips

Self-development occurs constantly, this process has no end. You can only move forward or backward, going through evolution or degradation. Having embarked on the path of personality development in psychology, it is necessary:

Find the weak sides of your personality, for example, by interviewing trustworthy friends and writing down those qualities that you don’t like (pessimism, constant complaints, whining, stubbornness, lack of development, laziness, etc.). The more complete and honest the list is, the better.
Decide on priorities. For some, it is important to increase their level of sociability and make new friends, for others, developing hard work and moving up the career ladder is of great importance, a third strives to travel, and a fourth wants to realize his or her role as a homemaker.
You must constantly move towards your intended goal, without losing your way, taking small but daily steps. There is no need to implement one idea today and abandon it tomorrow to solve another problem. If your goal is to save a million, then you should calculate how many days it will take, how much you should save daily/weekly/monthly, and then just do these actions every day. You may need to give up some small, unnecessary but regular expenses, like a glass of coffee at a coffee shop every morning.

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It is very important to constantly develop and learn new things. However, in no case should you limit yourself to theory; it is important to apply the acquired knowledge in practice, otherwise it will remain unclaimed and will not bear any fruit.
It's also worth reconsidering your surroundings. If someone interferes with personal development, constantly devalues, casts doubt on all undertakings, then you should minimize communication with such people. You may need to seek the help of a psychologist for this.
Increase usefulness, both for yourself and your loved ones, and for society as a whole. This does not mean that you urgently need to make some discoveries, but it is worth learning to hear other people and help them if necessary.
Learn to be aware, be in the moment, be here and now.
Study body language, monitor posture, facial expression, smile, gait, facial expressions, etc. If you are open to the world, radiate positivity, the world will reciprocate.
Review your style, change it if necessary. Get rid of an overly gloomy wardrobe, choose things in accordance with age, social status, and the right size. It would be better if there were few of them, but they would be of high quality and compatible with each other.

Bottom line

A person is initially born an individual. However, what kind of personality he will become will be known in the future. The development of a person will be influenced by many factors, ranging from genetic predisposition to social influence. The situations in which a person will find himself, the conclusions that he will subjectively make, will also influence the formation of his personality.

Personality constantly changes throughout life. You can change your views, beliefs and even character traits. It will never be possible to change certain aspects, which will form a new personality than the person was before.