1. Persistence and change in personality pattern

2. Beliefs about Persistence
For centuries people have believed that the personality pattern persists in a relatively unchanged form throughout life and that if any change occur, it will be slight.
The assumption that personality, like intelligence, remains practically unchanged has been stressed by Kelly.

3. Beliefs about change
The two times in life when personality changes are believed to be inevitable are at adolescent and old age.
Many psychologists believe that personality changes occur. However, they emphasize that changes results not from physical changes, as the traditional beliefs imply, but rather from:
Social and environmental condition
From the individual’s effort to change
From professional guidance through psychotherapy.
Roger said “Psychotherapy can bring about personality change. The changes come gradually as the individual develops a new perception of self and thus adopts a new pattern of behavior.

4. Meaning of Persistence
According to dictionary, persistence means enduring or constantly recurring. It does not mean that no change occurs but rather that certain traits tend to remain in an unchanged or relatively unchanged form.
Allport said “The important fact about personality is its relatively enduring and unique quality”.
No one remains absolutely consistent with respect to predominant forms of behavior. But there are not likely to be revolutionary changes in the behavior.

5. Meaning of Change Change means- to alter
It does not mean that the alteration will be complete.
The personality pattern can change in some areas and remain persistent in others.
Change can be either for better or for the worse.
Types of change
Quantitative change: Traits already present are strengthened or weakened.
Qualitative change: Already present traits are replaced by another traits, usually desirable traits.

6. Methods of studying persistence and change
Cross Sectional Method: Comparing samples of the population at successive ages at the same time. But it is extremely difficult to secure comparable samples.
Longitudinal Method: In the study of persistence, only longitudinal method can provide value results. In this same individuals are studied, preferably from birth to death.

7. Difficulties in study
Theoretically longitudinal method can be used to obtain valid information but it presents practical problems which are extremely difficult to handle:
Instable residence
Lack of accurate records
Methods of personality assessment
Interpretation of assessments

8. Evidence of persistence in personality patterns
Studies of short term persistence
Shirley (1941) conducted a study on a group of babies during the first 2 years of their lives. A persistence was noted in their behavior patterns. But no baby showed exactly the same behavior through out the period.
Emmerich, in a study of children, reported that there is persistency in personality from ages 3 to 5. When changes occur, they were in the direction of improvement.
Peck and Havighurst reported that the personality patterns remain persistent from 10 to 16 years.

9. Evidence of persistence in personality patterns
Studies of long term persistence: These were made to know what changes occur in personality as environmental pressures become more varied, as social relationships create.
Kelly retested a group of men and women 21 years after the original testing, revealed that absolute changes in personality patterns were very small.
King and Howell reported that a study of retired people revealed that those who are extroverted and socially oriented when they were adolescents showed similar patterns of behavior in their old age also.

10. When persistence develops?
Most recent studies regard the first 5 or 6 years of life as critical periods in personality development.
According to Peck and Havighurst , the first 10 years constitute the critical period in personality development
Some psychologists regard adolescence as the time when persistence begins.

11. Causes of Persistence
Heredity: Person’s hereditary endowment remains unchanged throughout life, except when some environmental conditions affects it.
Child Training Methods: Attitudes of parents toward child and the way in which they enforce the child training, remain constant.
Social Environment: The child’s relationships with his parents and later with his siblings are stable.
Repetition of experience: Since the child learns to think of himself as he believes significant people in his life think of him, his self concept reflects their attitudes and behavior toward him. The self concept remain unchanged unless their attitudes and their treatment of the child change.

12. Changes in Personality
Every person wants to change his personality
The desire to change the personality for better, to ‘improve’, usually develops in late child hood.

13. Characteristics of change in personality
Better vs. worse
Quantitative vs qualitative
Slowly vs rapid changes

14. Conditions responsible for personality change
Physical change
Changes in environment
Changes in significant people
Changes in social pressure
Changes in roles
Strong motivation
Changes in self concept

15. Obstacles in changing the self concept
Intellectual
Emotional
Environmental