A Brief Look at the Development of Personality & Learning

The current understanding of the development of self involves an interaction between nature and nurture.

We are born with certain characteristic elements that have been predetermined and embodied within our genes.

Still, probably the more meaningful contribution to our adult character comes from life experiences, especially social experiences.

Amongst theorists, this could then trigger their genetic pool associated with their learning capacity and cognitive function. And a large body of evidence supports the conclusion that individual differences in most, if not all, are influenced by genetic factors.

One theory of personality development is the learning approach based on the classical and operant conditioning principles.

Operant conditioning suggests that any behaviour that results in a reward is more likely to be repeated, whereas punishments decrease the likelihood of the behaviour; this explains how any behaviour is acquired and how we get our temperament characteristics. 

For example, individuals might develop the personality trait of kindness towards others because they are rewarded when displaying such behaviour. 

Learn more: Development of personality

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