Q. Effect of heredity and environment on the development of personality.
Ans.
What is Personality?
Personality can be defined as a dynamic and organized set of characteristics possessed by a person that uniquely influences his or her cognitions, motivations, and behaviors in various situations.
Some say that personality is inherited or hereditary. Some raised the idea that it is environment that shapes one’s personality.
Both are correct, many studies have shown that both heredity and environment are responsible in shaping an individual’s personality. Heredity is one of the major factors in the development of our personality. Hereditary factors were passed by our parents and ancestors to us. The individual’s talent and some other
The study did indicate that some non-shared environment experiences were very much connected to attitudes and self-reports of physical characteristics and intelligence (Olson et al.).

* Genotype-Environment Interaction:

Personality psychologists Auke Tellegen and colleagues at the University of Minnesota examined the personality traits of pairs of twins who were genetically identical but were raised apart from each other (Tellegen et. Al., 1988, Bouchard et. Al., 2004). In the study each twin was given a battery of personality tests, including one that measured eleven key personality characteristics. The results of the personality tests indicated that in major respects the twins were quite similar I personality, despite having separated at an early age. Moreover, certain traits were more heavily influenced by heredity than were others. Example- social potency (the degree to which a person assumes mastery and leadership roles in social situations and traditionalism (the tendency to follow authority) had particularly strong genetic components, whereas achievement and social closeness had relatively weak genetic components. Table: The roots of personality. The percentages indicate the degree to which eleven personality characteristics reflect the influence of heredity. Traits | Percentage | | Social potency | 61% | Is