Personality and Environment, Case Study Example

In the study of psychology, personality is extremely valuable. Psychologists and psychiatrists have developed theories explaining human behavior and mental processes (Adenwalla 2007). Personality theories developed describe personal behavior and characteristics, address issues including personality development, individual differences, and the nature treatment and causes of psychological disorders. The theories also help in the establishment of a framework to organize wide- ranging information.

Personality constitutes our distinctive thoughts, enduring, behaviors, emotions, and behaviors characteristic of our adaptation to the world. It is pertinent to note that children exhibit different behavioral styles during their early stages of life (Prendergast 120). Four perspectives that discuss personality include behavioral and social cognitive, psychodynamic, trait and humanistic. The differences of these perspectives lie on how each answers personality psychological questions.

Psychodynamic perspective takes personality as linked to early experiences, primarily unconscious and occurring in stages. Freud viewed the human mind as more unconscious than conscious, and that to understand personality the key is the unconscious mind. Fixations due to unsatisfactory progress through psychosexual stages and early childhood experiences lead to adulthood problems. Contrary to Freud’s emphasis on the psychosexual stages (genital, oral, anal, latency and phallic stages), Karen emphasized security as a key motivator. Again, there is a possibility to direct and monitor our lives (McGraw-Hill Higher Education 273). Important in Adler’s psychology we find concepts of inferiority complex, superiority complex, striving, and compensation. Concepts that seem validated in psychodynamic view include how we mentally transform our environmental experiences, importance of early experiences in shaping personality and understanding development of personality.

It is evident that the behavior and social cognitive perspective takes personality as observable behaviors of a person. It also emphasizes the role environment plays in shaping personality through determination of behaviors. According to this view, behavior changes when environment changes thus changing personality (Prendergast 217). The proposers of this theory acknowledge the influence of the environment, but their emphasis is on the thinking role and individuals capacity to influence the environment. This perspective focuses on person, behavior, and environment factors. However, this view ignores the personal stability as well as the impact of environmental changes on personality.

Humanistic view emphasizes the role of freedom of people to choose their destinies, their capacity for personal growth and their freedom for positive qualities. We are all victims of conditional positive regard according to Rogers’ approach (McGraw-Hill Higher Education 120). Thus, we are favored only if we behave according to the standard of other people. We fail to become fully functioning people when our ideal and real self are remarkably different. People strive for self-actualization according to Maslow (Prendergast 218). According to a hierarchy of motives, there are several human needs. In order to develop a person’s full potential, self-actualization is the motivator. It is worth noting that coping and achievement fosters one’s self-esteem. Self-esteem, a person’s evaluation of self-image or self-worth, is an indispensable component of personality. The concepts of humanistic perspective are difficult to test scientifically despite reminding us of the individual’s significance.

According to the trait perspective, study of the organization traits within the person helps in understanding personality (McGraw-Hill, 2005). From recent research and analysis, the five personality factors include conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, extraversion, and openness. Personality is consistent across time and situations according to the argument of this perspective. The shortcomings of this aspect rest in the fact that personality takes various aspects depending on the situation.

Addressing rural and small communities

These are communities, which in most cases suffer from neglect owing to lack of access to information and other crucial facilities for their development. Taking into account the influence of environment on personality, there is a dire need to employ the behavior and social cognitive perspectives, in these minority populations (Hutchison 270). Rural and small communities lag behind in technological advances and access to essential services that support the social well-being of a society. For instance, many rural communities lack access to information communication technology. This is evident in that one hardly gets access to the latest information through computers by using internet services.

It is important to ensure a fair distribution of resources to address issues that affect these groups. Equal access to the lacking services will create an environment that permits gradual change to the personalities of these small and rural communities (Hutchison 272). It is imperative that we do not share views concerning life. Individual views of the world differ.

Pursuing social justice is also a way to address the inequality in the present society. The incorporation of global justice helps a lot as it draws human rights concept into the conversation on social justice. This helps in drawing international community and the non-governmental agencies towards the plights affecting the minorities in the society.

Solutions that emphasize on individuals serve a pivotal role in addressing the issues affecting the small and rural communities. This is where use of collective responsibility addresses the needs of those lagging behind in the changing world.

Works cited

Helium. Understanding personality traits. Adenwalla Nausheen. 2007. Retrieved Wed 1, March 2012, from http://www.helium.com/items/153689-understanding-personality-traits

Hutchison, Elizabeth. Dimensions of human behavior: Person and environment. New Jersey: Cengage: SAGE, 2010.print.

McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Personality. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2005. Print.

Prendergast ,Christopher. Napoleon and history painting: Antoine-Jean Gros’s La Bataille d’Eylau. UK: Oxford university press, 1997. Print.