Personality formation: who and what influences the individual’s consciousness - factors, methods, conditions and mechanisms

Today in psychology there are about fifty theories of personality. Each of them examines and interprets in its own way how personality is formed. But they all agree that a person goes through the stages of personality development in a way that no one has lived before him, and no one will live after him.

Why is one person loved, respected, successful in all spheres of life, while another degrades and becomes unhappy? To answer this question, you need to know the personality formation factors that influenced the life of a particular person. It is important how the stages of personality formation went through, what new traits, qualities, properties and abilities appeared during life, and to take into account the role of the family in the formation of personality.

In psychology there are several definitions of this concept. The definition in a philosophical sense is a value for the sake of and thanks to which society develops.
The most common of them are: personality is a person considered as a system of socially conditioned psychological characteristics; a set of human qualities that he acquires by communicating and acting in a sociocultural environment.

It is generally accepted that the word “personality” comes from the Latin persona (or English personality), but it would be more accurate to translate it as the English self – self, I myself.

Persona is a mask that an actor in ancient Greek theater wore when playing a role. But personality is not just a face, a mask that a person “puts on” in society.

A person manifests himself in social connections and relationships. Individual characteristics are stable and determine actions that are significant for the individual and his environment. The formation of a personality is a long process; one does not “put it on” oneself, one becomes one.

The most important factors influencing the formation of a successful personality

A person's personality develops over a long period of time. During this process, the individual’s worldview, moral principles, and priorities change. The formation of personality and how successful a person becomes in life depend on these conditions.

Factors in the formation of a successful personality are as follows:

Balance. The first step to a person’s success is harmony between the inner and outer world. It is possible if the individual knows who he is, what he wants and how to achieve it.
Assertiveness. It is an important aspect on a person’s path to success. If he tries until he gets the desired result, works for what he wants, the dream will definitely come true thanks to the efforts made.
Determination. If actions are performed purposefully, have a logical basis and comply with moral principles, the individual develops.

If these factors are present, a person will be able to achieve his goal in the shortest possible time.

Who and what influences the process of individual formation

The process of personality formation occurs under the influence of a number of factors. There are 4 main sources from which an individual draws knowledge and experience. Let's consider what factors influence the formation of personality:

Heredity. This factor determines a lot in a person: it is he who lays the foundation for the formation of personality.
The world. From it a person gains knowledge and experience. The environment in which a child grows and develops leaves a serious imprint on his psyche. If he lived in poverty, as an adult a person tries to save and plans expenses wisely, even if he has enough money.
Education and training. Parents and other adults surrounding the child convey their experiences to him through communication. It is from them that children first learn about the dangers and joys that occur in life. The values and moral guidelines that parents give to a child remain with him for life. The same applies to psychological trauma suffered at an early age. Children also adopt the behavior of their parents, and as adults they often project images of loved ones onto their partners.
Own experience. This is a decisive factor in the formation of personality. When experiencing certain events, a person becomes aware of them and draws conclusions. The experience gained is considered unique. It is he who gives the individual an impetus for self-development and allows him to move on.

There is also a fifth criterion, without which the formation of a person as an individual is impossible. It's called attachment. This feeling can arise in relation to people or things, ideas.

It is very important to understand who and what influences a person to a greater extent in the process of forming his personality. In this way, it is possible to correct the influence of these factors on the individual.

Internal attitudes under the influence of which a person is formed

Internal attitudes are part of an individual's worldview. They are a kind of foundation and influence the mechanisms of personality formation.

The first internal attitudes are instilled in a person by parents. Over time, they change under the influence of society and the individual’s immediate environment.

Harmony of external conditions and personal characteristics as a decisive factor

Harmony between personality characteristics and the conditions surrounding it is an extremely important criterion for further development.

For example, people who are talented from birth often stop working on themselves and improving, which is why they miss the chance to succeed in a particular field. Here there is a conflict of an internal nature (the individual is too self-confident) and external (the innate talent is not enough to move up the career ladder or develop in the creative field).

We also must not forget about the factors influencing the formation of personality and the conditions in which the child grew up and was raised. If they were initially bad, but the person had enough motivation to grow, he defeated external factors. The opposite situation also happens: a child spoiled in childhood does not want to develop and make independent decisions, which is why he stagnates or even degrades. stakhanovets.ru/dlp

The role of parents in the development of a child’s personality

Types of stress in psychology - their characteristics and solutions

Parents play an important role in the process of personality development. Within the family circle, the personal basis of behavior, ideas about the outside world, actions and justice are laid. It is the image of parents that influences the choice of social circle (more or less close) in the future. Despite the methods of upbringing, over the course of life, the perception of parents will change and still have a strong place in the subconscious of the individual.

Positive images of parents are the key to a healthy psyche and the ability to adequately overcome life’s difficulties. Negative images based on demands, strictness and control cause inexplicable nervous tension even in an independent adult, which naturally negatively affects his quality of life.

Until what age is personality formed?

The final formation of individuality occurs around the age of 25. However, this age threshold can vary depending on many factors, so it is impossible to say unequivocally at what age personality is formed.

The formation of a person’s individuality occurs throughout life. Character, internal attitudes and worldview tend to change due to the experiences that an individual acquires.

The stages of personality formation are conventionally divided according to the person’s age and the skills he acquires:

From birth to 1 year. The child begins to interact with the world around him and acquires a number of skills, learns to walk, sit, and hold his head.
From 1 year to 3 years. At this age, the child is guided by basic instincts, but already copies certain elements of adult behavior. He is especially sensitive to how his parents treat him, they are so patient and understanding.
From 3 to 6 years. During this period, children train to interact with peers, get to know themselves and other people, and learn to build the first relationships in their lives. A special role at this age is played by educational games that shape the child’s mental abilities.
From 6 to 12 years. A child goes to school and gains experience interacting with a new society, in which he has to learn to take responsibility, study regularly and improve his knowledge. At the same age, interests and predispositions and hobbies are most easily identified.
From 12 to 16 years old. Adolescence is one of the most difficult years in both the life of a child and the life of a parent. Most often this is due to misunderstanding and a desire to express oneself on the part of the child. As teenagers approach the age of 16, they decide on their area of interest and begin to strive for a specific profession. If a child develops a hobby or interest, parents need to support this interest in every possible way.
From 16 to 23 years old. An individual learns a profession and realizes that he is an important unit of society. At this age, he often begins to earn money, sets goals, and makes attempts to separate from his parents and live an independent life. The formation of the organism and body is completed, the young man directs his forces to improve it.
From 23 to 30 years old. Most often, at this age, an individual is concerned with finding a partner and a place in life. Many people are concerned about existential questions about the meaning of life. The stage of independent existence begins.
From 30 to 70 years. At the beginning of this stage, people often face dissatisfaction with their lives and the results of their work. The period of crisis is replaced by a “second wind”, which allows you to survive all the changes and accept them. At this age, people, as a rule, delve deeper into the development of work skills and hobbies.

The described stages of an individual’s formation may shift and occur a couple of years earlier or later. This refers to the peculiarities of personality formation. It all depends on what experience was gained and what conclusions were drawn from it by the person.

Phases of personality development according to L. I. Bozhovich

L. I. Bozhovich identified three main phases of personality development:

Adaptation. During the first phase, the individual first becomes acquainted with and assimilates the established norms of behavior, then begins to master them and further use them. An individual can consider himself an accomplished person with a certain set of qualities and characteristics. However, when he joins a new group, he will have to learn its corresponding norms in order to adapt, so that he can then adopt them and become part of the healthy relationships of that society.
Personalization. This phase acts as a feeling of contradiction in oneself. An individual who has adapted to a group suffers from the fact that the need for personalization is replaced by the behavior of “being like everyone else.” An individual purposefully looks for different ways to stand out. He can brag about his life achievements, experience, and wisdom.
Community integration. The third phase is characterized by another feeling of contradiction. An individual wants not only to stand out from the group, but to be as useful and recognized as possible. He selects and trains such traits of his character and behavior that would serve good purposes.

Note! An individual does not always work to make a certain impression and occupy a certain position in a group. Often the group itself forms an opinion about the individual.

Each subsequent phase cannot exist without the previous one. If an individual fails to adapt, he will feel awkward, which can negatively affect the development of his personality, resulting in personal deformation (self-doubt, timidity, lack of initiative). On the other hand, successful completion of all stages will open the way to successful socialization; the individual will be able to find ways of self-realization; self-determination and collectivism are inherent in him.

Contributing to society is an important aspiration in personal development.

The formation of personality can be compared with the saying “live and learn.” The individual regularly finds himself in new social groups associated with school, work, family and friends. It is important to learn to adapt to the activities of the group in order to feel comfortable and in demand.

How does personal formation occur in psychology?

The formation of personality in psychology is determined not only by age, but also by the level of individual awareness of a person. How people experience the experiences they have has contributes to their development and determines the extent of its development.

Personality is formed under the influence of a number of factors:

The level of education.
A person's desire for something new.
The desire to conform to other people or generally accepted norms.
Principles and moral guidelines.

All of these reasons stimulate a person’s desire to move forward. Depending on the character and type of personality, people go through the path of development at different speeds.

Stages of personality development

Psychologists believe that the process of personality formation occurs in several stages:

Primitive. The lowest level of personality formation is characterized by the fact that the individual follows instincts and strives to satisfy basic needs. Social assessment and generally accepted norms do not matter to a person at this stage of his personality formation. Most often, those who have stopped in their development at this level become criminals and often cause pain to loved ones.
Common man. At this stage of personality formation, a person is easy to control. The source of information and its reliability do not matter, since the individual does not analyze what he absorbs. The main goal that is set at this stage is to satisfy the need for pleasure.
Boss. Basic needs fade into the background, the individual learns to control and manage his emotions and feelings. It is important for him to see order in the course of events; he becomes more demanding of people and himself.
Blissful. A person does not focus only on himself, he begins to help others and care about them. The main achievement at this level of development can be considered the acceptance and awareness of the responsibility that lies with the individual in terms of work, study, and family.
Sage. This stage is creative in nature. The individual learns to draw the right lessons from life experience and analyzes cause-and-effect relationships. At this time, a person gains self-confidence and comes to harmonize his internal state with the outside world.
Enlightened. The individual realizes that he needs to live “here and now,” because it is impossible to change the past and predict the future. At this stage comes calmness and tranquility, resistance to adversity and troubles.

In the first three periods, personality formation occurs, which is aimed at improving it socially; the last three are for spiritual development.

A person can stop developing at one of these levels if for some reason he does not want or cannot develop and progress.

Mechanisms and methods of consciousness development

The development and formation of consciousness is an interesting process from a psychological point of view. It develops from childhood, its pace depends on the personal qualities and characteristics of the person.

Many experts consider consciousness as thoughts and feelings that are interpreted in words, actions, and creativity. The second common point of view is that this concept explains how quickly the brain reacts to any stimulus.

In childhood, consciousness is developed through educational games and regular activities. In adolescence and adulthood, in order to learn to think and correctly evaluate things, you need to use other methods of forming the consciousness of the individual. It is recommended to read books, watch films, interact with society. Learning about different points of view about the same subject develops the ability to think critically. In this way, the individual develops an understanding of “right” and “wrong,” moral principles, foundations.

The concept of personality development

The process of personality formation, which begins in the first months of birth, continues almost continuously throughout life. An individual gains experience in communication, learns to adapt to the situation, realizes his uniqueness and tries to show it to others. Over time, there is a need to stand out from the crowd.

Note! Often the need to stand out in society and be useful to it occurs at the level of contradiction.

Later, the individual wants to be useful to others, to contribute to the development of society. All this is the formation of personality, which is characterized by different stages and phases. When describing how personality is formed, modern sources of information adhere to long-established definitions of these stages and phases of personality formation. They include information about how an individual behaves almost from birth, and what impact various factors have on his personal development.

Signs of a mature personality

Scientists believe that personality is fully formed only when a person reaches psychological maturity.

Signs of psychological maturity:

You do not need the approval of strangers or loved ones to make a decision, you do not need advice about any situation.
Your self-esteem is of a mixed type - you do not evaluate yourself, do not compare yourself with others, and do not evaluate others.
You have your own opinion, have your own opinion based on personal experience and can keep it to yourself in the right cases.
You provide for yourself and your family financially, you have freedom of choice in all areas of life.
You have forgiven your parents and overcome your feelings of guilt towards your spouse/children and family.
You have overcome your fear of loss. Don't be afraid of becoming poor, lonely, losing items or people...
You have stopped blaming others, you know how to admit your guilt and share responsibility in relationships.
You can ask other people for help in the form of “I messages”.
You set your boundaries when communicating and do not violate others. At the same time, you can correctly report if you are uncomfortable communicating in “this format.”
You consider the feelings and needs of others and do not hesitate to loudly express yours.
You do not need the support of others in a difficult situation; you are able to cope with difficulties yourself.
Your motto: “I don’t owe anyone anything and no one owes me anything.” There is no need that you cannot satisfy on your own.
We learned to say an honest “Yes” or “No” without feeling guilty.
Your happiness does not depend on your status on the personal front: you feel comfortable in relationships and outside of them.
You have given up humiliation, criticism, comments, manipulation, humiliation and insults when communicating with people.
You have worked through your childhood traumas with a psychologist and they no longer affect your life.
You live in the present, are not afraid of the future and do not regret the past.

Psychological maturity is inextricably linked with physiology. Thus, higher mental functions develop only by the age of 21, and the ability to control emotions and make rational decisions is generally formed by the age of 23. Until this moment, a person makes all decisions based on emotions. He simply has not matured that part of the brain that is responsible for conscious decision making. By the way, in our country adulthood comes at 18 years old, while in terms of psychological development at this age a person remains a child. In fact, children still join the army: they learn to handle weapons and defend our Motherland. The age recommended by gynecologists for pregnancy is 20 years, which means that children give birth to children... According to statistics, the first birth occurs during this period. Young parents cannot find an approach to their children or give them a normal upbringing, because they themselves have not yet formed as individuals.

Personal development - other factors and driving forces.

Already in childhood, under the influence of the educational process, consciousness and self-awareness are formed, one’s own “I” is the most important factor in the development of personality. Having reached adolescence, the child begins to actively use self-knowledge for the purpose of self-education and creation of his own personality.

Self-education, following education, is included in the process of personality development. It is expressed in a person’s actions aimed at himself, at developing qualities that correspond specifically to his ideals and life goals.

The individual begins to work on himself, forms character, will, and other qualities. By changing himself, a person changes the conditions and circumstances of his life.

Irina Sherbul

Development of Personal Characteristics

Innate qualities determine how capable a person is of diversified development. Throughout life, the natural characteristics of a person remain practically unchanged, only some of them change due to the influence of environmental factors and society.

The time that determines in which direction a personality will develop is the first 5 years of life. In all subsequent years, only some characteristics are added to the existing character structure or existing ones are slightly adjusted.

Personality characteristics influence all areas of a person's life. They affect the style of behavior among relatives, friends, and colleagues, and determine the choice of profession and style of behavior in different situations.

Thus, for a person striving for career success, the driving force is his ability to take a sober look at the existing situation, evaluate his strengths, and ability to achieve his goal. The one who understands his needs, is aware of his own interests and value, will choose an activity that will help to fully reveal his potential.

Communication plays a big role in the development of personal characteristics. It begins from the first minutes of the baby’s birth. In addition to the child, parents, relatives, educators, and other children are involved in the communication process. Through active communication with others, a little person learns to interact with others.

By communicating with others, the child finds motivation, determines the style of behavior in different situations, and determines the most effective tools for interacting with others.

Environment

Determining exactly what is the main factor for personality development is problematic. But the environment and social environment in which a child grows up shapes his habits and views. Changing attitudes that have been instilled since childhood is the most difficult thing to do.

A person is predominantly surrounded by people of the same social status, religion, and mentality. We choose this natural soft segregation on our own, because it is easier to communicate and develop with “our own kind.” Read about relationships in this section. The environment can change under the influence of external circumstances - personal development will also turn in the other direction. It is human nature to adapt to their environment; only a few strive to stand out from it. A few of these units form their own environment and become people capable of changing the world.

The influence of the social environment on development can be seen in the biography of any historically famous person: Mikhail Lomonosov, Adolf Hitler, Steve Jobs and others. But this influence also needs to be considered in conjunction with other circumstances.