Personality Development

I. Approaches to studying personality. a) Psychoanalytic – (Freud) Focuses on the child and subconscious motivations. b) Trait – Personality is genetic. c) Social-Learning – Revolves around reinforcement. 1)Positive actions are rewarded making them more likely to be repeated. 2)Negative actions are punished making them less likely to be repeated. d) Humanistic – Based on the belief that each person is born essentially good and has the potential to become a fully empowered person

II. Factors that contribute to personality. a) Heredity – genetic make-up. b) Environment – home life; experiences.

III. Socialization The process of teaching behavior based on the habits of the family and community.

IV. Socialization process. a) Conditioning – Shaping of behavior through use of punishments and rewards. b) Modeling – Process of learning by watching and imitating another person. c) Expanding Horizons – Experiences outside the home that influence personality and intelligence.

V. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs A lower, more basic level must be met before moving to the next level.

VI. Pre-Adolescent Development a) Infancy 1) Meeting basic needs and love leads to trust. 2) Exploration of environment. 3) Encouragement leads to sense of well-being and eagerness to learn. b)Childhood 1) Independence develops. 2) Sense of achievement develops by successfully carrying out new activities. 3) Gender Identification – Boys and girls are different.

VII. Adolescent Development Identity – Who you are and who you wish to become. Values – Rules and standards you feel are important to live by. Mission – Where am I going? Experience different paths to find what’s right for you.