Chapter 1 Personal Development 7
have contact with the world outside their homes. Neighbors, friends, and
teachers will help shape their personalities.
Your inherited and acquired traits have an effect on each other. For
instance, your mother may be an accomplished musician. You may have
inherited a talent for music. You will need to take lessons, however, to acquire
the ability to play an instrument.
Home and Family
Your family, no matter
who is included in your
family, is the most important
environmental force shaping
your personality. You have
probably spent more time with
the members of your family than
with anyone else. During the
early childhood years, almost
all a child’s contacts are with
family members. The amount of
love, care, and concern a child
receives in the home influences
personality formation.
Sometimes family members
change with the death of a parent, separation, or divorce. New family
members also have an infl uence on you, as well as you on them.
The size of your family also infl uences your personality. An only child
will often develop different personality traits from children who have brothers
and sisters. Your birth order within your family affects your personality, too.
Birth order indicates whether you are the fi rst, middle, or youngest child in
your family. An oldest child may have a leadership personality. This is due to
the responsibilities the oldest child may need to assume. Middle and youngest
children tend to develop distinct personality traits for similar reasons.
Personality traits acquired from family members are often learned by
imitation. If a parent is always calm during a crisis, the children might pick up
this trait. On the other hand, if a parent becomes angry easily, the children may
develop this form of behavior.
School and Friends
Eventually, children begin to spend more time away from home. As this
continues, the family becomes a less powerful force in shaping personality.
Other environmental factors, such as television, the Internet, and other media,
become more important. School and friends become more of an infl uence.
The size of a school and the kinds of courses offered can affect feelings and
opinions about learning, 1-3.
Your relationships with your friends and classmates affect your acquired
traits. Their likes and dislikes may become your likes and dislikes. The
activities you enjoy with them may become lifelong interests for you.
Community Groups Help Develop
Positive Traits
The people in your community can affect your
acquired traits. For instance, you may join a scout
troop in your community. Going on camping trips with
the troop might affect your feelings about nature. Your
scout leader might help you to develop leadership
traits. Other members of your troop might encourage
you to enjoy hiking. Sports teams, youth groups, and
local clubs are other community groups that might
affect your acquired traits in a positive way.
Community Connections
Discuss
Research
Refl ect