Factors in Personality Development

Factors in Personality Development

Each person’s personality is a unique pattern. It represents who each person is and shapes their general behavior in a changing way. People are not born already “formed,” and their behavior is not completely predetermined. They develop constantly through the interaction of inner and outer factors.

Science recognizes five main areas that influence who we are, how we think, and how we react and behave in the world around us.

Genetics (Genes). DNA is the first biological plan. The genes we inherit from our parents strongly influence temperament, meaning the early biological tendencies of character. Genetics partly sets the base on which personality will later develop.

Upbringing. The family environment is the first and most important environment. In the family, limits and rules of behavior are formed. Parents pass on, consciously or unconsciously, their own beliefs and values, shaping the person’s direction. It is the first environment and therefore appears to be the most important for the formation of the self. The more “extreme” it is, the more “extreme” the behaviors that may develop, both positive and negative.

The Social Environment. The wider social setting and cultural background are also very influential. Social rules, the values a society is based on, and the expectations of the society in which people live shape behavior and show what is considered acceptable or desirable.

Education. Education is a strong factor in mental and emotional growth. Formal education, such as school, offers knowledge, builds attitudes, and develops critical thinking. Informal education, such as activities outside school, develops skills and interests. Sports, music school, dance classes, foreign languages, books, and internet use are factors that also help shape personality in an informal way.

Interpersonal Relationships. The wider family environment, such as relatives, and the circle of friends play a leading role. Through interpersonal relationships, social skills develop. The person becomes part of a group, or does not, and receives acceptance, or sometimes does not.

Each factor has its own special importance. If conditions change in one area, the person’s direction may also change. The earlier a factor affects a person, the more important and decisive it is considered to be. At the beginning comes the influence of the parents; after that, everyone has their role.

Giannis Zarotis MSc-PhD

Psychologist – Sport Psychologist