IDENTITY AND PERSONALITY FORMATION

Personality

Something you are born with; shaped by nature (genetics) and nurture (development). It defines how you think (cognition), feel (emotions), and act (behavior).

Identity

Who you believe you are. It is formed through beliefs and attitudes, develops later in life, and is multidimensional.

Social Identity

How a person identifies himself or herself in society and within different social groups (in-groups and out-groups).

Labels

The identities people assign to themselves. These are not static and can change depending on the situation or role.

Multiple Identities

People create different identities for family, work, friends, social media, and other situations.

Personality vs. Identity

Personality is the body you have, while identity is the clothes you wear.

Biological Inheritance

The transmission of traits from parents to offspring through genes, including biological structures, psychological processes, intelligence, reflexes, urges, pigmentation, stature, and other traits.

Geographic Environment

Places, climate, topography, and natural resources that influence a person's personality.

Cultural Environment

The learned ways of living, including norms, folkways, mores, laws, values, ideas, and patterned behaviors that shape personality.

Social Environment

The groups, social interactions, relationships, group size, and social status that influence a person's personality formation.