Personality development encompasses the dynamic construction and deconstruction of integrative characteristics that distinguish an individual in terms of interpersonal behavioral traits.
It is subjective in nature because its conceptualization is rooted in social norms of expected behavior, self-expression, and personal growth.
[5] Adult personality traits are believed to have a basis in infant temperament, meaning that individual differences in disposition and behavior appear early in life, potentially before language of conscious self-representation develop.
[7] This suggests that individual differences in levels of the corresponding personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) are present from young ages.
It brings into perspective reality, cultural norms, and social acceptance and analyses our id desires and wants to be more realistically correct.
The trait conscientiousness is generally seen to increase with age, however, the level of the facet perfectionism stays fairly consistent.
Personal interaction with other individuals, society, and nature create experiences in which self-identification is organized in relation to social environment.
[11] In other words, personality traits are a function of complex cognitive strategies used to effectively maneuver through social situations.
Through cognitive mechanism and social competencies, individuals interpret contextual situations to derive beliefs that guide their thoughts and behaviors, thus developing an enduring pattern of personality traits.
Due to human complexity, many opposing personality traits proved to be beneficial in a variety of ways.
The division of labor resulted in differentiation in personality traits in order to achieve a higher efficiency.
Current lifespan perspectives that integrate theory and empirical findings dominate the research literature.
[5] Large-scale longitudinal studies have demonstrated that the most active period of personality development appears to be between the ages of 20–40.
[16][17] Humanistic psychology emphasizes individual choices as voluntary actions that ultimately determine personal development.
Thus, personality development is articulated in terms of purposeful action geared towards experiencing mastery of free choice.
[25] An IAT (implicit association test) on German women has found a connection between specific neurotransmitters and the predisposition for certain personality traits, such as anxiety or extraversion.
[29] Further effects of environment in adulthood are demonstrated by research suggesting that different work, marital, and family experiences are associated with personality change;[30] these effects are supported by research involving the impact of major positive and negative life events on personality.
Understanding the impact of these experiences is essential for promoting healthy development and providing support to individuals who may have experienced trauma or adversity.
[43][44] Van Gestel and Van Broeckhoven (2003) write, “Almost by definition, complex traits originate from interplay between (multiple) genetic factors and environment.”[45] The corresponsive principle of personality development states that “life experiences may accentuate and reinforce the personality characteristics that were partially responsible for the particular environmental elicitations in the first place”.
From childhood to mid-adolescence, the rate of individual differences in personality increases, primarily due to environmental influences.