Introduction
Definition of
Personality
Personality is a
widely used word and a variety of
meanings are attached
to it. According to Allport (1937)
there are at least
fifty different meanings of the term.
He indicates that
“Personality” came originally from
the Latin word
“Persona”. Allport also reports that
“personality” is used
in at least four distinct senses
in the writings of
Cicero. First, personality is regarded
as an assemblage of
personal qualities. In this sense
personality belongs to
the actor. Second, personality
is regarded as the way
a person appears to others. In
this sense personality
pertains to the mask. Third,
personality represents
the role a person plays in life;
a professional,
social, or political role such as
characters in drama.
Finally personality refers to
qualities of
distinction and dignity. It pertains to the
star performer.
There are several
definitions of personality. Allport
(1937) classified
these definitions in six categories.
Out of these three
important and popular definitions
are given below:
Personality as a Social
Value
Allport (1924) defined
“personality as, individual’s
characteristic
reaction to social stimuli and the quality
of his adaptation to
the social features of his
environment.”
According to Guthrie,
“Personality is defined as those
habits and habit
systems of social importance that are
stable and resistant
to change.”
Stranger (1961) has
indicated two meanings of
personality related to
social values:
i) Personality as Stimulus value — This indicates
that personality is
the impact or impression of a
person or personality
over other person or persons,
or how a person
impresses the other in society.
If a person impresses
other persons fast and easily
then his personality
is considered impressive. It
is well observed in
daily life that if a person who
has higher stimulus
value or who impresses and
attracts us easily, we
often say that he/she has
a nice personality.
But this idea regarding
personality is not
scientific, because the views of
different persons are
quite different.
ii) Personality as a Response — Observing the
limitation in the
description of personality as a
stimulus, personality
was defined as response.
Personality as a
response has two definitions as
indicated by Guthrie
and Allport. The benefit of
defining personality
in this way is that the study
of personality becomes
possible from an external
stand point. This type
of definition is also
incomplete because
personality represents not only
a group of responses
but it has stimulus value
too.
Personality as an
Intervening Variable
Allport (1937) defined
personality as an intervening
variable. According to
him, “Personality is the dynamic
organization within
the individual of those
psychophysical systems
that determine his unique
adjustment to his
environment”.
According to Munn,
(1953), Personality may be defined
as the most
characteristic integration of individual’s
structures, modes of
behaviour, interest, attitudes,
capacities, abilities
and aptitudes.
Traits of Personality
Crutch and Cretchfied
(1958) defined trait as a specific
quality of a person by
which he/she behaves evenly
in all situations. The
personality may be known by the
act of comparison and
by the act of observation. A
person is observed to
react promptly or vigorously or
accurately or in all
of these ways. These are the
properties which are
obstructions that come by way of
analysis form
totalities, the aspects or properties that
we have just been
considering are “traits”. There are
behaviour traits as
well as somatic traits.
Allport defined
personality traits on the following eight
criteria:
i) The existence of
traits is more than negligible. (ii)
Traits are more
generalized as compared with
habits. (iii) Traits
are dynamic or at least
determinative. (iv)
Their existence can be
established on the
statistical and experiential basis.
(v) The various traits
of personality are independent
of each other. (vi)
Psychologically moral qualities
are not personality
traits (vii) the tasks and habits
which are not
according to or favourable to traits
do not give proof of
the existence of traits. (viii)
Traits are unique and
universal.
Allport, on the basis
of a large scale analysis of human
traits, proposed a
trait theory of personality. Some of
the conclusions
regarding traits are as follows:
1) Personality traits
can help selecting appropriate
behaviour or obstruct
behaviours.
2) Direct observation
of traits is not possible but
inference regarding
them is possible.
3) Habits do not
determine traits but traits determine
the development of a
new habit.
4) Traits guide and
initiate behaviour.
5) According to
Allport, some important traits are:
punctuality,
aggressiveness, cheerfulness,
competitiveness,
fancifulness, gregariousness and
vigour.
6) The level of
adjustment of normal persons can be
compared with the help
of common traits.
7) Allport named the
group of traits as a syndrome.
8) Allport classified
all traits in three major groups:
i) Cardinal Traits: These type of traits are more
effective and perform
the important functions of
control of emotions.
They are small in number.
ii) Central Traits: These traits contribute to the
focus of person’s
behaviour. They are often
considered as building
blocks of personality.
iii) Secondary Traits: These traits are individual
traits and common
traits. The individual traits
are considered as true
symptoms. The common
traits are found in
many persons. They provide
basis for the
measurement of many individual
traits.
R.B. Cattell conducted
a number of studies in the
field of individual
traits. Cattell observed that the
study of total 171
traits is necessary for the study of
personality.
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