Question

Answer of the following question in 150 to 200 words:

Explain any five factors shaping personality.

Answer 1

1. Heredity: Heredity implies all those characteristics that an individual inherits from his parents. Heredity affects the physical and mental makeup of a person. For example, inherent physical characteristics like height, physical structure, colour of eyes, etc. It may also influence the self-concept, which in turn may influence the personality make-up of an individual.
2. Endocrine glands: Endocrine glands such as the pituitary, thyroid, pancreas, adrenal gonads, etc. play an important role in shaping the personality of an individual. Oversecretion or the undersecretion of hormones produced by various glands may adversely affect the personality of an individual. For example, an oversecretion of the thyroxin hormone produced by the thyroid gland leads to nervous tension, irritability, restlessness, emotional instability, etc., which may adversely affect the personality of an individual.
3. Family: Family is one of the most important factors influencing the personality of an individual. The elements related to family, such as structure of family, socio-economic status of family, emotional, academic and cultural environment in family, interactions between family members, child rearing practices followed by parents, etc., have significant effects on the personality of an individual.
4. Peer group: Peers are a pervasive aspect of our social life. Peers surround us in our everyday lives from early childhood until old age. Members of the same classroom, workplace, sports club, etc. constitute a peer group. The peer group may influence personality in a positive as well as negative manner.
5. School: The school plays an important role in the personality development of students. The elements related to school, like the teaching and learning process, academic activities and cocurricular facilities provided by the school, teachers’ rapport with students, school discipline and policies, etc., have a significant impact on the personality of students.
6. Mass media: The Internet and other forms of mass media are now deeply integrated in almost everyone’s daily lives. Mass media is a source of entertainment, informal education, socialization, etc. to many of us. Nowadays, the majority of adolescents spend more and more time in front of the TV, mobile and computer, which may affect their personality.
7. Culture: Cultural factors also play an important role in shaping the personality of an individual. Every culture has its own set of values, beliefs, norms, etc. influencing the thoughts, feelings and behaviour patterns of an individual. For example, leadership qualities, listening skills, entrepreneurial skills, tendencies to cooperate with others, etc. may differ from culture to culture and therefore people from different cultural backgrounds may have different personalities.