Chapter 4 – Lesson one _ Personality Development

1. personality

The sum total of behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and values

2. Heredity

The transmission of genetic characteristics from parents to children.

3. Instinct - instinctive

An unchanging, biologically inherited behavior pattern.

4. Sociobiology

Social behavior has biological basis .

Behavioral traits are rooted in genetic makeup

5. Aptitude

A capacity to learn a particular skill or acquire a specific body of knowledge.

Natural talent

Social encouragement could develop aptitude .

6. Socialization

people learn the basic skills, values, beliefs, and behavior patterns of a society.

Nature Nurture

Heredity - ascribed Social environment - achieved

Inherited traits Acquired traits
Inherited genetic traits Environmental and social learning
instictive behavior
people’s behavior is affected by their people’s behavior is affected by their
inherited genes acquired experience .

individuals behave in a particular way individuals acquire their behavior from the
because they are born that way environment around them and the
experience they involve in

people's behavior is affected by many innate people's behavior is affected by many

factors and inherited genes; I'm a very external factors, such as people surrounding
nervous person .I tried a lot to be calm in them and social conditions. For example, my
many critical situations , but all the time I fail father is a banker and he has a very
to do this because the reason is behind me punctual character as he always keep his
as my father is a very nervous person and I time ,so he planted this trait in me and my
inherited this trait from him mother . This behavior is not inherited from
my father , but he teaches me all the time
how to be punctual.

Ivan Pavlov supported that nurture affect

human behavior
He used the experiment on dogs.

John B. Waston supported nurture and said

that an infant could be raised to be doctor
or a thief.

Feral strongly suggest that a person’s

personality comes from nurture
Third Group

human behavior and attitudes are controlled by both nature and nurture.

many factors contribute to make people what they are; some of them could be described as
nature and some as nurture. The behavior of individuals is a combination of both: nature
and nurture as some of our behaviors are inherited and some are acquired .

We can't separate them from each other.

What are the principal factors in personality development ?

1- Heredity
2- Birth order : first born child is more achievable and responsible than later born child
3- Parents
4- Cultural environment
 Anna Isabelle Genie
from the day Isabelle was
It is little wonder that, when born until she was a little
finally found and removed over six years of age,
from the room in the mother and child spent their
grandfather's house at the time together in a dark
age of nearly six years, the room with the blinds drawn,
child could not talk, walk, or separated from the rest of
do anything that showed the family. The mother's
intelligence. She was in an parents did not permit her
extremely emaciated and to leave the house alone
undernourished condition,
with skeleton-like legs and a
bloated abdomen
Social interaction could help Isolation Social interaction could not
help Isolation
Nurture Nature
he case studies of Anna, Isabelle, and Genie demonstrate the importance of socialization
in the development of a child. Without the presence of a loving family, these three
children were unable to learn basic communication and social skills
Feral children strongly suggest that a person’s personality comes from

a. their heredity only.

b. their cultural environment only.

c. their heredity and cultural environment.

d. none of these.

What is the sum total of behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and values that are characteristic of
an individual?

a. personality

b. popularity

c. socialization

d. all of these

Which is true about personality?

a. It continues to develop throughout an individual's lifetime.

b. It develops at varying rates from individual to individual.

c. both a and b

d. neither a nor b

Which concept gained acceptance through the work of Ivan Pavlov?

a. aptitude

b. nature

c. instinct

d. nurture
Which best describes the viewpoint of a sociobiologist?

a. Social behavior is determined by birth order.

b. Behavioral traits are rooted in genetic makeup.

c. Instincts can be altered by learning.

d. none of these

Which best describes heredity?

a. the transmission of genetic characteristics from parents to children

b. the cultural environment inherent to an individual's place of upbringing

c. both a and b

d. neither a nor b

What influences personality and social behavior?

a. heredity

b. parental characteristics

c. birth order

d. all of these

Which is an example of an aptitude?

a. a physical trait inherited by parents

b. a natural talent for playing tennis

c. a dog that salivates as a bell rings

d. none of these
The case study of which person revealed that sometimes it is possible to reverse the effects
of a child raised in isolation?

Select one:

a. Anna

b. Genie

c. Isabelle

d. all of these