Essay - Importance of the Study of Personality Personality: A Distinctive and...

Importance of the Study ***** Personality

Personality: a distinctive and relatively stable pattern of behavior, thoughts, motives ***** emotions that characterizes an individual.

Psychologists use a v*****riety ***** tests to determine ********** study a v*****st number of personality traits among groups of people. They've found ***** although everyone exhibits five to ten central traits that determine how we react to different people and various situations, not all ***** carry the same ********** in their importance in someone's life. (Where you might fear speak*****g in front ***** a crowd, for example, I may find it invigorating and fun.) We all have secondary traits, too (food preferences, for example, or how we feel about a style of dress), but these aren't as stable ***** the central traits. Although secondary traits can change as ***** mature and grow, central ***** generally stick with us our entire lives. The central traits that remain relatively stable throughout a *****time include whether *****'re an extrovert (outgoing ***** vivacious) or ***** introvert (shy or reclusive); how well you handle negative emotions, such as anger, hate or guilt; ***** or not you're ***** good-natured; your degree of assuming responsibility (are you conscientious, ***** a flake?); and how willing you are to accept new challenges or experiences.

It's been *****d ***** most of these five central traits ***** to do ***** our heredity, which explains how twins, possibly separated during their *****mative years, can meet as adults ***** have very similar personalities. But this isn't always the case: Two children born ***** ***** same parents can ***** totally opposite personalities. How is this possible? Environment also plays a part in shaping our personalities. Not all ***** ***** are equ*****y affected by ***** or environment, and one's personality isn't rigid - it can change as we mature ***** according to life experiences. Therefore, *****'s important ***** remember that although genetics play an import*****t role in determining one's personality, ***** doesn't imply ***** certain traits are inevitable.

Other theorists (called "behaviorists") suggest that personality has a lot to do with situations; that positive or negative reinforcement of certain acts (whether it's using a napkin at the table, or committing a crime and getting away with it) determines and shapes personality. Behaviorists, in fact, don't consider th***** we have "*****" as much as ***** demonstrate certain behavior patterns (such as when a te*****cher ***** label a student ***** "bright" or "slow"; "**********" or "cooperative"). Some psychologists think this is taking the easy way out - that it suggests ***** under the appropriate circumstances, anyone could just as easily become a seri*****l killer and an hum*****itarian.

What ***** culture? Some theorists say that ***** cultures are bounded by certain rules, and ***** ***** our personality is determined by how we are raised *****in ***** cultural framework. An interesting example is the difference in ***** ***** ***** various cultures communicate with each other - some st***** close and touch the person to whom they are speaking, but others would find this an invasion of