Personality - Meaning, Types, Factors affecting personality and Importance in

Agricultural Extension
Meaning: The term personality is derived from the Latin word persona, Personare which means mask.
The mask used by actors in the Roman theatre for changing their facial make-up. After putting on the
mask, audience expected the person to perform a role in a particular manner. It did not, however, mean
that the person enacting the given role necessarily possessed those qualities. Later it came to be applied
to the actors themselves
For a layperson, personality generally refers to the physical or external appearance of an
individual. For example, when we find someone ‘good-looking’, we often assume that the person also has
a charming personality. This notion of personality is based on superficial impressions, which may not be
correct. When psychologists talk of personality, they mean a dynamic concept describing the growth and
development of a person’s whole psychological system. Rather than looking at parts of the person,
personality looks at some aggregate whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. In psychological
terms, personality refers to our characteristic ways of responding to individuals and situations .People can
be described the way in which they respond to various situations. Certain catchwords (e.g., shy, sensitive,
quiet, concerned, warm, etc.) are often used to describe personalities. These words refer to different
components of personality. In this sense, personality refers to unique and relatively stable qualities that
characterise an individual’s behaviour across different situations over a period of time.

Definitions of Personality:
Several psychologists tried to define the term personality earlier, but failed to indicate what
personality means. It was only during early 20th century, when several psychologists explained the
concept of personality. Some of the definitions are as follows
By personality it is now generally meant that it is the organization and integration of a large
number of human traits
 Personality is the result of what we start with and what we have lived through. It is the reaction
mass as a whole – J. B.Watson 1919
 A man’s personality is the total picture of his organized behavior, especially as it can be
characterized by his fellow men in a consistent way – Dennell 1937
 Personality is the sum total of an individual’s behavior in social situations. Behavior include not
only overt acts but inward feelings produced by social situation – Trainer 1957
 Personality is the total configuration of individual characteristics and modes of behaviours that
shape one’s adjustment to his environment, especially traits that influence his getting along with
others and himself – Hilgard 1962
The definition given by Hilgard is most comprehensive and explains different dimensions of
personality in terms of traits and the adjustment of individual to his environment

Types of Personality:

To know different types of personality, different psycoholigs thave classified into different ways.
Since ancient greek philosopher, hindu mythological books also categorised the people personality by
considering different dimension like humor, body fluid , trait type etc. Personality types are synonymous
with "personality styles".
Types refers to categories that are distinct and discontinuous. e.g. you are one or the other.
This is important to understand, because it helps to distinguish a personality type approach from a
personality trait approach, which takes a continuous approach.
 The Four Humors - Ancient Greeks
 Somatotypes - William Sheldon
 Ayurvedic Body Types - Vata, Kapha, Pita
 Jungian Types, Myers-Briggs, & the Four Temperaments
 Type A / B Personalities
 There are three types of personality – C.J.Jung a. Extrovert b. Introvert and c.
Ambivert
 Trait theories-Gordon Allport
 Lewis Goldberg proposed a five-dimension personality model, nicknamed the "Big Five":
 Psychoanalytic theories-Sigmund Freud-
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 Extrovert and Introvert Personalities (Differences):
Extrovert Personality Introvert Personality
1. Extrovert type are socially adaptable They are socially shy and remain interested
(adjust to any situation) and interested in in their own feelings and reactions
people, they go to the extent of scarifying
themselves for others
2. They make quick decisions and execute Slow in taking decisions and executing the
the plan of action rapidly plan of action
3. They are fluent in speech Not fluent in speech
4. Free from worries Not like that
5. Not easily embarrassed Easily embarrassed
6. Usually conservative (do not change) Not conservative
7. Interested in athletics Not interested
8. Friendly Not friendly
9. Like to work with others Don’t like to work with others
10. Neglectful of aliments and personal Not like that
belongings
11. Better at speaking than writing Better at writing than speaking
12. Enjoy to be with others Enjoy being alone
13. Take decisions with the help of others They have independent judgment
14. Attend public or social functions Different from public or social functions
16. Not reserved Reserved
18. Flexible Not flexible
15. Usually not like that Strong of ideals

Ambivert Personality:
1. These are place between extroverts and introverts. Their behavior is balanced. Their psychic (internal)
energy is partly directed inwards and partly outwards
2. They are interested in their own thoughts, emotions and also in other persons and their actions
3. Most of the people in the society belong to ambivert personality
This classification of extrovert, introvert and ambivert is based on the Temperament (natural
disposition of mind or natural state of mind) of the individual
Type A personality
 People with Type A personality are impatient, very time conscious, insecure about their status, highly
competitive, aggressive and do not like to relax
 They walk and eat very fast, are impatient with the speed of events taking place, try to do two or more
things at a time.
 They measure their success in terms of numbers.
 They work under stress.
 They are fast workers and give preference to quantity rather quality, can work for long hours and are
not creative.
Type B Personality
 People with Type B personality do not have desire to achieve a number of things.
 They do not show urgency of time.
 They do not show their achievements unless the situation requires them to do so. They can relax
without guilt
 AB Type personality: place between type A and Type B.
The Big Five Personality Dimensions/Traits
1. Extraversion: Outgoing, talkative, sociable, assertive
2. Agreeableness: Trusting, good natured, cooperative, soft hearted
3. Conscientiousness: Dependable, responsible, achievement oriented, persistent
4. Emotional stability/ : Relaxed, secure, and unworried
5. Openness to experience: Intellectual, imaginative, curious, broad minded Research
finding: Conscientiousness is the best (but not a strong) predictor of job performance

Psychoanalytic theories-Sigmund Freud

Freud divides human personality into three significant components: the id, ego, and super-ego.

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  The id acts according to the pleasure principle, demanding immediate gratification of its
needs regardless of external environment;
 The ego then must emerge in order to realistically meet the wishes and demands of the id
in accordance with the outside world, adhering to the reality principle.
 Finally, the superego(conscience) inculcates moral judgment and societal rules upon the
ego, thus forcing the demands of the id to be met not only realistically but morally. The
superego is the last function of the personality to develop, and is the embodiment of
parental/social ideals established during childhood.
According to Freud, personality is based on the dynamic interactions of these three component
Gordon Allport delineated different kinds of traits, which he also called dispositions.
 Central traits are basic to an individual's personality, while secondary traits are more
peripheral.
 Common traits are those recognized within a culture and thus may vary from culture to
culture.
 Cardinal traits are those by which an individual may be strongly recognized.

Locus of Control:
 Internal locus of control: belief that one controls key events and consequences in one’s life.
 External locus of control: One’s life outcomes attributed to environmental factors such as luck or
fate.

FACTORS AFFECTING PERSONALITY

An adult’s personality is now generally considered to be made up of hereditary and environmental
factors and moderated by situational conditions.

Heredity: It refers to those factors that were determined at conception. Physical stature, facial
attractiveness, gender, temperament, muscle composition and reflexes, energy level, and biological
rhythms are characteristics that are generally considered to be either completely or substantially
influenced by who your parents were that is by their biological, physiological, and inherent psychological
makeup. The hereditary approach argues that the ultimate explanation of an individual’s personality is the
molecular structure of the genes, located in the chromosomes. Evidence demonstrates that traits such as
shyness, fear, and distress are most likely caused by inherited genetic characteristics.
It suggests that some personality traits may be built into the same genetic code that affects factors
such as height and hair colour. If personality characteristics were completely dictated by heredity, they
would be fixed at birth and no amount of experience could alter them. For example, if you were relaxed
and easy going child, it would be result of your genes, and it would not be possible for you to change
those characteristics. But personality characteristics are not completely dictated by heredity.

Environment: Environment to which we are exposed plays a substantial role in shaping our
personalities. For example, culture establishes the norms, attitudes, and values that are passed along
from one generation to next and create consistencies over time. The environmental factors that exert
pressures on our personality formation are culture in which we raised, our early conditioning, the norms
among our family, friends, social groups, social interaction, etc that we experience.
Both heredity and environmental factors are important determinant of human personality. Heredity
sets the parameters or outer limits, but, an individual’s full potential will be determined by how well s/he
adjusts to the demands and requirements of the environment.

Situation: It influences the effects of heredity and environment on personality. An individual’s

personality, although generally stable and consistent, does change in different situations. Situations seem
to differ substantially in the constraints they impose on behaviour. Some situations (e.g., employment
interview) constraints many behaviour; other situations (e.g., a picnic in a public park) constrain relatively
few.

Importance or Role of Personality in Agricultural Extension:

The knowledge of human personality enables the extension agent to judge and follow the method of
guiding by selecting suitable teaching methods. This helps the extension agent to properly plan the
educational programme to accomplish the objectives for a desirable change in the farmers. By studying
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 the personality of farmers, extension agent can understand the values and value systems of its clients
and can proceed his work accordingly. By studying the personality of a particular farmer, the extension
agent can get a clear idea about his various traits such as sociability. If a person found with this trait, then
he can be used as a key communicator to promote developmental activities in a particular village.
Similarly, farmers with traits of empathy, sympathy, generosity can be engaged in trustworthy works like
seed distribution etc.
1. The extension worker should get into deep study of knowing the capacities, types and
traits of the personalities of his clients (farmers) with whom he has to work in order to plan and educate
them. This also helps the extension worker to select a suitable farmer for a certain purpose
2. The study of personality of the people enables extension worker to judge and follow the
method of guiding, by selecting suitable teaching method. This enables the extension worker to properly
plan the programmes to advise the farmers for desirable changes in rural communities

Some of the Fundamental characteristics of personality include:

• Consistency - There is generally a recognizable order and regularity to behaviors. Essentially, people
act in the same ways or similar ways in a variety of situations.
• Psychological and physiological - Personality is a psychological construct, but research suggests that
it is also influenced by biological processes and needs.
• Impact behaviors and actions - Personality does not just influence how we move and respond in our
environment; it also causes us to act in certain ways.
• Multiple expressions - Personality is displayed in more than just behavior. It can also be seen in out
thoughts, feelings, close relationships and other social interactions.

Components of Personality: Human personality is the combination of

• Physical Self,
• Mental Self,
• Intellectual Self &
• Spiritual Self.
Harmonious development of each component is reflected in a healthy personality.
Philosophical assumptions
The following five categories are some of the most fundamental philosophical assumptions on which
theorists disagree:
1. Freedom versus Determinism
This is the debate over whether we have control over our own behavior and understand the motives
behind it (Freedom), or if our behavior is causally determined by forces beyond our control (Determinism).
Determinism has been considered unconscious, environmental, or biological by various theories.
2. Heredity versus Environment
Personality is thought to be determined largely by genetics and biology, by environment and experiences,
or by some combination resulting thereof. There is evidence for all possibilities. Contemporary research
suggests that most personality traits are based on the joint influence of genetics and environment. One of
the forerunners in this arena is C. Robert Cloninger with the Temperament and Character model.
3. Uniqueness versus Universality
The argument over whether we are all unique individuals (Uniqueness) or if humans are basically similar in
their nature (Universality). Gordon Allport, Abraham Maslow, and Carl Rogers were all advocates of the
uniqueness of individuals. Behaviorists and cognitive theorists, in contrast, emphasized the importance of
universal principles such as reinforcement and self-efficacy.
4. Active versus Reactive
Do we primarily act through our own initiative (Active), or react to outside stimuli (Reactive)? Behavioral
theorists typically believe that humans are passively shaped by their environments, whereas humanistic
and cognitive theorists believe that humans are more active.
5. Optimistic versus Pessimistic
Personality theories differ on whether people can change their personalities (Optimism), or if they are
doomed to remain the same throughout their lives (Pessimism). Theories that place a great deal of
emphasis on learning are often, but not always, more optimistic than theories that do not emphasize
learning.

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