The Evolution of One's Personality - Essay Example

?When I think about the evolutionary psychology, what automatically comes to my mind is Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution; his theory which was all about change, adaption and the progress towards superior operations of the human mind. In a psychological perspective it just gives us another approach towards viewing the subject. It entails the uncontroversial assumption that all behavior is controlled by one’s brain. Its application at a very basic level begins with the basic instincts that a child needs immediate fulfillment for when he is an infant. A baby would hence cry when hungry, sick or when he needs attention. As a baby grows older so does the complexity of his brain function, hence his behavior too grows more complex. The application of evolutionary psychology similarly on one’s personality is quiet obvious as an individual grows older. As a child an individual’s behavior can easily be categorized as a reflection of how fulfilled or how great a role the child’s parents play in his life. So a child can be loving, straightforward and attention seeking. As a child (once again I will use my friends example) Cheng Lee, who is an only child and comes from a well off family learnt to be polite, affectionate and well mannered. His personality back then can closely be associated to those attributes. Once he grew older so did the spectrum of his personality. His interaction with the environment as he grew older taught him about right and wrong and the socially acceptable standards for behaving. A child that once spoke his mind now learnt about the importance of context and so spoke diplomatically. A child that was once playful and immature grew into a young adult who was driven, focused and selective. So you see, the evolution of Cheng Lee’s personality as it comes into full bloom. Evolutionary psychology is then subdivided into numerous principles and theories. There is functional specialization, the application of which on one’s personality states that the human mind comprises of a great number of components. Each one of these components is specialized to perform a certain task rather than each segment performing generally (Plomin, 1994). Looking at the variety of environmental factors that contribute so greatly to one’s personality, the first thing that comes to my mind is the Nature vs. Nurture debate. That is, is one’s personality passed on genetically or is the personality developed as one interacts with their environment. Quiet rationally what comes to my mind whenever I see this question raised is this case study called “Bashing Bobo” by Bandura, Ross and Ross; this study was conducted on a sample of children who were either exposed to a violent role model or to a friendly one. They were also given a number of toys (guns, dolls, crayons, blocks etc) and asked to play with these. In this study conducted it was found that aggression was a learnt behavior in children and that it was imitated by them when they were exposed to a violent role model or environment. Mass-Media, these days, plays a major role in teaching behavior to children and is shaking the foundations of what is considered acceptable or not. Reflecting on this study I must highlight the fact that Lee, although a responsible, polite and ambitious adult now, underwent a difficult phase in his youth. He became part of a group of boys who were known for their juvenile tendencies. They were bullies, aggressive and all part of the football team. Back then Lee was new in school and his desire to be an acceptable part of a popular group led him to ignore how different he was from these boys. Peer pressure was what was in play here. He joined the football team due to his impressive athletic record and was instantly popular however the company that he was keeping had a great impact on him, even if he didn’t realize it. He became mean, overconfident and his academic performance took a blow. It was only when his parents shock and horror at his performance managed to make a mark that he realized how much he had changed in such little time. School is a critical part of one’s environment and the school environment that one gets can teach him through a number of experiences who he is and what kind of person do they see themselves becoming. It was only when his parents stepped in and he had to face consequences of his careless actions that this negative attitude he had adopted was rectified. Other environmental aspects that affect one’s personality are one’s social class, parent-child interaction and culture. Lee belong from a well off family and despite being an only child his parents made sure he would stay grounded and they would fulfill all his reasonable demands. So he grew up without being spoilt or showered with too much attention but independent and well balanced. His parents kept a steady interest in his school work as well as the activities. They communicated frequently, had a friendly relationship but were strict when they had to be. This kept Lee in check however he learnt to own up to his mistakes, understand the importance of trust and valued honesty. Also as far as culture was concerned, being from a high-context culture, consulting his parents, respect for elders and working for the well being and contributing to community or a group was a ingrained aspect of his personality. He always made decisions keeping in mind what was accommodating for an entire group and not just one individual. Several times I realized what he was doing and was impressed by his ability to take in the whole picture and accommodate everyone else’s perspective in a decision making setting. However it was an unconscious behavior he was manifesting due to values that were culturally taught and expected of him. My wonder was largely due to the fact that belonging to a low-context culture, I have an automatic tendency to give priority to individual gain rather than community focused thinking. Another longitudinal study which I found most interesting was that which was conducted by Robins et al on the changes in personality, more specifically young adulthood. It looks at a sample of 270 students in college and observes in them personality continuity over their entire college life. Using the Big five personality traits measures these changes were recorded at two points - when they initially entered college and when they left. The overall findings of the study conclude that as the individuals progressed through college they more agreeable, conscientious and emotionally stable. As far as Lee’s case is concerned I would have to agree with the results of the case study conducted by Robins et al. as they coincide with the changes in his personality as he progressed through his undergraduate degree. As a youth he had been impressionable, shy and moderately conservative. However his progress through college changed his personality and polished him to become refined, more adaptable and open to new ideas as well as his confidence was boosted and he had a more defined idea of self. His focus was also sharper, he had acquired the ability to take risks, even if they were calculated and he had also learnt a much more effective way of presentation. You see, the evolution of his personality was very prominent and undeniable by all those who knew him. References Plomin, R. (1994). Genetics and Experience: The Interplay Between Nature and Nurture. London: Sage. Examines the role of both nature and nurture in the development of individual differences Bandura, A., Ross, D. & Ross, S.A. (1961) Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 575-82 Robins et al. A longitudinal study of personality: change in young adulthood. Child development. 618 – 640. Read More