Unit-1 Concept of Personality
Concept of Personality
Etymology of the term „Personality‟:
The term personality has been derived by the Latin word persona which means „mask‟.
Definitions of personality:
According to K. Young,
“Personality is a Patterned body of habits, traits, attitudes and ideas of an individual, as
these are organized externally into roles and statuses, and as they relate internally to
motivation, goals, and various aspects of selfhood.”
According to Lundberg and others,
“The term personality refers to the habits, attitudes, and other social traits that are
characteristic of a given individual’s behaviour.”
According to Anderson and Parker,
“Personality is the totality of habits, attitudes, and traits that result from socialization and
characterizes us in our relationships with others.”
So it can be said that, personality is “the sum of the ideas, attitudes and values of a person which determine
his role in society and form an integral part of his character”.
Factors affecting one’s personality:
On the basis of these definitions it may be said there are three main approaches to the study of personality or
we can say that the following are the factors affecting one‟s personality:
1. The psychological approach:
1. Motives
2. Acquired interests
3. Our attitudes
4. Our will and character
5. Our intellectual capacities
6. The abilities to perceive, to observe, to imagine, to think and to reason
2. The sociological approach:
1. Physical Environment
2. Social Environment
3. Family Environment
4. Cultural Environment
5. School Environment
6. Language
7. Self Concept
8. Identification
3. The Biological approach:
1. Heredity
2. Constitutional Factors
3. Biological factors
4. Intelligence
5. Sex Differences
6. Nervous System
So to sum up we would say that:
Personality is not related to bodily structure alone. It includes both structure and dynamics,
Personality is an indivisible unit,
Personality is neither good nor bad.
Personality is not a mysterious phenomenon.
Every personality is unique.
Personality refers to persistent qualities of the individual. It expresses consistency and regularly.
Personality is acquired.
Personality is influenced by social interaction. It is defined in terms of behaviour.
Concept of Contributor Personality
Technology students should not only be excellently trained in the technological field, they should
acquire soft skills if they are to be successful.
There is a great need to equip students with not only the right skill-sets but also the right mindsets.
The „mindsets‟ needed in today‟s environment must support both (i) effective action and (ii) values
and service oriented behavior.
Effective action without human values can lead to personal benefits for individuals but a long-term
cost to both nation and society.
Human values without effective action can lead to an inability on the part of the individual to
perform and flourish in today‟s environment. This combination of effectiveness with human values is
crystallized in the concept of “contributor ship”.
Students who adopt and develop the right mindsets early in their professional career are able to bring
about a positive and sustainable change in their overall personality.
They are able to grow the right approaches to their peers, seniors, industry, and their own future.
They become more responsible and capable of shaping their own lives.
Are you Contributor Personality?
(Ref: [Link]
Contributor Personalities…
Let’s find out the
21st Century
Contributors…
Steve Jobs
Mr. & Mrs. Gates
Ratan Tata
Zuckerberg
Add more….
Trait of
Contributor
Visionary
Positive Thinker
Assertive
Empathetic
Revolutionary
Creative
Social Worker
Add more…
Where do you
Stand?
Do you have Vision?
Are your clear about
your career goals?
Do you have your
Plan of Action to
achieve your goal?
My SWOT analysis
Strength Weakness
Opportunity Threat
My Aspiration :
Feedback by the Teacher:
Types of Personality
Assertive Personality
Respects the opinions and needs of others (empathetic)
Uses a calm tone of voice
Believes in her own opinion and right to be heard (self-respect)
Makes eye contact and respects the personal space of others
Avoids labels and judgments
Asks rather than demands
Values herself and values others equally
Is neither a “doormat” (passive) or a “steamroller” (aggressive)
Uses “I” statements to get the message across
Does not exaggerate the situation
Sticks to the facts
Often gets needs met because he/she is respectful of others
Passive Personality
easily intimidated by others
worries about others getting angry
sometimes feels like a “doormat” (walked on by others)
believes that his/her rights and opinions are not as important as
those of Other people
avoids eye contact
appears shy and has difficulty saying “no” when asked to do a
favour
overly-courteous and might do just about anything to avoid a
fight,
argument or disagreement
gets angry when someone violates her rights, but isn‟t likely to
stand up for herself directly
feels put down, taken advantage of, or abused
intimidated by authority and has a hard time dealing with
supervisors
at high risk for being used or taken advantage of
rarely gets what he/she wants or needs
Aggressive Personality
Ignores others‟ feelings and rights
Believes that her rights, opinions and needs are more important
than others‟ (her way or the highway)
Violates others‟ rights and boundaries in an effort to get what
he/she wants
Sends the message: “I matter more than you do, so get out of my
way”
Uses a loud tone of voice, violates personal space, “in your face”
Is demanding, angry, and hostile in getting to her goal
Exaggerates the facts
Often does not get her needs met because she alienates others
Passive-Aggressive Personality
passive in communication; aggressive in actions
agrees to a task then sabotages the outcome
says one thing and then does another
won‟t stand up to someone directly
refuses to take responsibility for actions and prior agreements
Traits of the Assertive Personality
1. Mottoes and Beliefs
Believes self and others are valuable
Knows that assertiveness doesn't mean you always win, but that you handled the situation as
effectively as possible
"I have rights and so do others."
2. Communication Style
Effective, active listener
States limits, expectations
States observations
Expresses self directly, honestly, and as soon as possible about feelings and wants
Checks on others feelings
3. Characteristics
Non-judgmental
Observer
Trusts self and others
Confident
Self-aware
Open, flexible, versatile
Playful, sense of humour
Decisive
Proactive, initiating
4. Behaviour
Knows what it is needed and develops a plan to get it
Action-oriented
Firm
Realistic in her expectations
Fair, just
Consistent
Takes appropriate action toward getting what she wants without denying rights of others
5. Nonverbal Cues
Open, natural gestures
Attentive, interested facial expression
Direct eye contact
Confident or relaxed posture
Vocal volume appropriate, expressive
Varied rate of speech
6. Verbal Cues
"What are my options?"
"What alternatives do we have?"
7. Confrontation and Problem Solving
Negotiates, bargains, compromises
Confronts problems at the time they happen
Doesn't let negative feelings build up
8. Feelings Felt
Enthusiasm
Well being
Even tempered
9. Effects
Achieves what he wishes
Increase self-esteem of others
Other Feels motivated and understood
Gains respect and credibility among others
