INTRODUCTION
Personality psychology is a specialized branch of Psychology that deals with the influence of the immediate environment on the various traits that manifest in an individual and thus shape his character and personality. Interestingly, the impact of the same circumstance or situation may have diversely different impacts on individuals and hence this makes for an interesting study. However, the study of human personality is limited to identifying the various traits and fails to provide any explanation for the complete personality or the changes thereof in an individual (Gullickson, 1996). This microscopic view fails to look at the broad picture and hence continues to draw considerable criticism as an incomplete and highly subjective study that cannot be proven with complete accuracy.
Considered one of the largest branches of psychology, Psychologists study personality and attempt to gain an understanding of personality development and its influence on both the behavior and thought processes of individuals. They strive to understand the variances and similarities in personality among individuals, particularly under various situations. Based on their analysis, Psychologists then diagnose and treat the disorders linked to personality, which could otherwise interfere with the day-to-day activities of individuals (Gullickson, 1996). The trait theory in personality psychology is the most popular and commonly used by psychologists when analyzing individual behavior. Psychologists remain divided on the important factors and traits that influence human behavior and various theories have been proposed by them based on their various studies (Reis, 2014).
While the number of traits and their importance varies from 4000 to 3, the Big Five theory is the most accepted and popular. This theory is based on five main personality components viz., agreeableness, extroversion, openness, neuroticism, and conscientiousness. Despite the various numbers of tests and theories to determine psychology, it is essential to understand that psychologists are not merely content with understanding human behavior or the factors that determine it. They are keener on identifying psychological disorders both present and potential, which they then attempt to remedy in the best possible manner (Reis, 2014). Thus, personality psychology can be thought of as a stepping stone to help individuals identify their characteristics and disorders so that they can develop skills that allow them to cope and manage the resultant issues in a better manner. Understanding the impact of personality psychology on society and social psychology on individuals is essential to understanding the various personality types and their behavior in various circumstances (Funder, 2015).
ARTICLE SUMMARY
This article by McAdams and Pal is an attempt to throw light on the five main principles that influence Personality Psychology. The article begins by explaining personality psychology and listing these five factors, then goes on to explain them in depth. The article looks at associating the impact of the immediate environment on these factors and how it influences the personality of the individual. The article speaks of the journey of this branch of psychology and how it had grown in importance over the years as well as its passage through near oblivion not long in the past to its current glory. The authors look at both the positive and the negative aspect of this branch of psychology as they analyze and understand the journey of this branch as well as attempt to identify its future growth prospects. The unbiased approach by the authors helps in understanding the various studies that have been carried out on the topic. Their conclusions also help the reader formulate a clear understanding of the various shortcomings of the subject as well as the new vistas that this study opens up (Snyder & Deaux, 2014).
The five fundamental principles that are discussed as part of this study are evolution and human nature, the dispositional signature, characteristic adaptations, life narratives and the challenges of modern identity, and finally the differential role of culture. Under evolution and human nature, the focus is on biology, human evolution, and its impact on human characteristics. The principle of dispositional signature refers to basic human traits that define a person and his reaction to a given situation within a predefined time frame. This includes traits like depression, vulnerability, friendliness, and so on. Character adaptations refer to the impact of society on the characteristics of the individual. The impact of personal experiences on human behavior is analyzed in the fourth principle, life narratives and challenges of modern identity. The impact of culture on the individual’s behavior (Kline, 2015) comes under the final principle discussed by the authors. The authors conclude that the study of human personality is an important aspect of human psychological studies as it helps provide a framework for assessing the person as a whole based on his or her various traits and behavior. They believe that much still needs to be done to fully comprehend human psychology and all studies into personality psychology would help lay the foundation on which a better understanding of human behavior can be garnered (Kline, 2015).
PERSONAL REFLECTION
The article by McAdams and Pal is an interesting study into the Big Five fundamental traits that cover the broad spectrum of human behavior. The authors have drawn on a variety of studies as well as actual situations to arrive at various conclusions. They have also been able to effectively provide a complete picture of the impact of each of these factors on the branch of psychology called Personality Psychology. The article is an in-depth analysis of the five traits and uses examples to effectively communicate the points raised. The references to other studies are also extensive and display the depth of knowledge that McAdams and Pal bring to the subject. The very science of behavioral analysis is based on the theories put forth by personality psychology. Gathering an in-depth knowledge of human personality is also helpful for marketing and sales personnel as they can customize their sales pitch to cater to specific customer segments (Zourrig, 2016) or for customer care personnel as they provide after-sales support (Agarwal, Mehrotra & Barger, 2016). Similarly, studies into student behavior, customer perception, criminology, and so on are also based on personality psychology. It would therefore be apt to state that the study of human behaviour is vast and constantly evolving. The attempt made by McAdams and Pal while significant is not vast and there remain several grey areas that provide further scope for new studies and research, which would facilitate a deeper understanding of human behavior for the benefit of society as a whole. The study of the five broad dimensions of human traits gains significance in the present day due to the various attempts being made to gather a deeper understanding of human behavior and the reasons why individuals confirm or differ from the norm (Snyder & Deaux, 2014). The article is a good attempt to explain these factors in an easy-to-understand manner, thus enabling a deep comprehension of the subject by experts and common man alike. As a subject, personality is broad. It comprises various aspects that influence human behavior and define individuals. It is essential to understand that personality evolves from a combination of influences at the social and individual level and therefore they must be considered in tandem rather than individually (Funder, 2015). Furthermore, individual behavior is not static but tends to change over some time when subjected to various influences.
CONCLUSION
The study of Personality Psychology has opened up new areas and provided information into various aspects of human behavior that have helped make inroads into various aspects of modern life including sales, marketing, consumer behavior, criminology, and so on. Further studies into the subject are expected to help further the betterment of human life in general as well as help prevent various psychological disorders from adversely impacting the quality of human life (Funder, 2015).
REFERENCES
Agarwal, R., Mehrotra, A., & Barger, V. (2016). Personality Traits and Re-Patronage Intentions after Service Failure. Journal Of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction & Complaining Behavior, 29(1).
Funder, D. (2015). The personality puzzle (7th ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.
Gullickson, T. (1996). The Person: An Introduction to Personality Psychology. Psyccritiques, 41(10). http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/004595
Kline, P. (2015). Personality (Psychology Revivals). Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
Kruglanski, A., & Higgins, E. (2016). Theory Construction in Social-Personality Psychology (1st ed.). Psychology Press.
Reis, H. (2014). Handbook of research methods in social and personality psychology. New York, N.Y.: Cambridge Univ. Press.
Snyder, M., & Deaux, K. (2014). Oxford Handbook of Personality and Social Psychology (1st ed.). [Place of publication not identified]: Oxford University Press.
Zourrig, H. (2016). Cross-cultural individual differences in Customers’ Sensitivity to Service Failure. Personality And Individual Differences, 101, 529. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.05.363
