Personality Development

13 Pages 3325 Words

kinner would argue faithfully that behavior is based solely on environmental contingencies, while Sigmund Freud would just as strongly maintain that the role of heredity determines the personality of an individual. I, on the other hand, believe that both sides of the debate are equally valid; personality is both the product of nature, in the form of the gratification of instinctual basic needs, and the product of learning and life experiences. For example, if a person was being attacked by something or someone, the basic need of safety would cause that person to seek refuge. However, where that person goes to find safety would likely be determined by learned behaviors and past experiences of the need for security. Therefore, personality is not a question of nature versus nurture, but is instead a combination of the two. The rest of this paper will deal with the origin of personality and the way in which it proceeds to grow. In the first part, this “origin” will be referred to as the core personality and will be based upon heredity. The seco...