How to Write a Personality Development Paper for Yourself

Personality development is a subject of study in many psychology and cognitive science courses at the high school and college level. These courses look at the complex construction of a person's mental characteristics, including patterns of thought, temperament and emotions. Psychologists attribute personality development to both genetic factors and socialization. Therefore, if you are required to write a paper on personality development for your class, address both hereditary and social influences.

Instructions

    • 1

      Complete a personality test to learn about your personality. For instance, take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which is used to assess an individual's patterns of perception and judgment. This test is modeled after psychologist Carl Jung's theory of psychological types and provides test-takers with insights to their personality.

    • 2

      Read the personality development theories of noted psychologists, such as Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Jean Piaget and Eric Erikson. Study the methods of analysis that such theorists used to evaluate personality and reflect on those methods to assess your own personality. For instance, compare your childhood and adolescent experiences to the rubric of psychosocial development outlined by Erikson to identify potential "identity crises" that trouble the ego and affect personality.

    • 3

      Draft a paper in which you characterize your personality by identifying your beliefs, values, behaviors and trends of thought and action. Apply a theory (or theories) to analyze your personality and its development. Use the method or model of a noted theorist as a means to interpret your own patterns of thought and behavior.

    • 4

      Acknowledge your hereditary characteristics and discuss the influence of genetics on your personality. Specifically, discuss your skin color, race, gender and physical attributes, as well as any genetic traits that distinguish you, such as a learning disability or a physical handicap. Reflect on how these hereditary factors may have influenced your personality.

    • 5

      Identify the circumstances of your socialization, beginning in early childhood, and discuss their impact on your personality. For instance, discuss your cultural upbringing, religious upbringing, if any, the socioeconomic status of your parent(s) or caregiver, your geographic setting and schooling environment. Reflect on other aspects of your social identity, such as your sexual orientation. Assess how such factors have affected the development of your personality.

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