The concept of personality development

Driving force for development

Development conditions

A person is not born as a person, but becomes. However, there are different points of view on what laws the personal development. Discrepancies concern understanding driving forces development, patterns and stages of development, the presence, specificity and role of personality development crises in this process, opportunities to accelerate the development process and other issues.

In a broad sense development - it is a process of transition from one state to another. Quantitative and qualitative changes occur in a person throughout his life. The abilities and functions formed in this process reproduce historically formed human qualities in the individual.

Changes in our body occur throughout life, but the physical characteristics and spiritual world of a person change especially intensively in childhood and adolescence. The leading process in personality development is upbringing, since the child’s mastery of reality is carried out in his activities with the help of adults.

Human development is a very complex, lengthy and contradictory process; it cannot be reduced to a simple accumulation of quantitative changes and a rectilinear progressive movement from lower to higher. A characteristic feature of this process is the dialectical transition of quantitative changes into qualitative transformations of the physical, mental and spiritual properties of the individual.

There are various explanations for this largely unknown process:

    human development is a process spontaneous, uncontrollable, spontaneous; development occurs regardless of living conditions and is determined only by innate forces; human development is determined by his fate, in which no one can change anything;

    development is a quality of living matter inherent in it initially due to its ability to move. In development, the old is destroyed and the new is created. Unlike animals that passively adapt to life, man creates the means for his development with your labor.

Driving force for development- struggle contradictions. The clash of opposing forces in conflict provides inexhaustible energy for constant transformations and renewals.

There are contradictions:

internal And external;

are common(universal); driving the development of all people, and individual - characteristic of an individual person.

The contradictions between needs of man, starting from simple material ones and ending with the highest spiritual ones, and opportunities their satisfaction.

Internal contradictions arise when a person “disagrees with himself.” They are expressed in individual motives. One of the main internal contradictions is the discrepancy between emerging new needs and the possibilities of satisfying them. For example, between the desire of schoolchildren to participate on an equal basis with adults in activities and real opportunities determined by the level of development of their psyche and intellect, and social maturity. “I want” - “I can”, “I know” - “I don’t know”, “I can” - “I can’t”, “I have” - “no” - these are typical pairs that express constant contradictions. A person does not have to look for or invent contradictions; they arise at every step as a consequence of changing needs. Man is contradictory by nature.

Long-term studies of human development have made it possible to derive a general pattern: Human development is determined by internal and external conditions.

To internal conditions include physiological and mental properties of the body.

External conditions- this is a person’s environment, the environment in which he lives and develops. In the process of interaction with the external environment, the inner essence of a person changes, new properties are formed, which, in turn, leads to another change.

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Psychology personal growth and development is a voluminous section of science, including personal development in psychology, as well as the laws of personality development and mechanisms of personality development in psychology. The formation of the process of a person’s personal development begins from birth itself and is based on his immediate nature and level of receptivity.

Psychology of personal growth through motivation

“Psychology of personal growth” and “psychology of personality development” are similar concepts, but they are not much different. Many experts have repeatedly started discussions on the topic of the relationship between these branches of psychology, and only now their similarity has been proven. The fact is that the psychology of personality development itself goes shoulder to shoulder with the psychology of personal growth; they are completely interconnected and cannot exist without each other. It is about them that we will tell our readers today.

Personality– a high concept, denoting a fully formed and socialized person in modern world, and possessing the psychological characteristics necessary for life in society.

Let's begin with " personal growth” is a concept that came to us from the branches of the science of psychology. If we break down the term “psychology” itself, we will see that it consists of two ancient Greek words: “teaching” and “soul,” thereby showing us that the study of the human soul is worthy of a separate niche in the scientific world.

If we return to the psychology of personal growth, then it already studies in more depth the concepts of the laws of personality development and the very vision of the original human nature in a positive way. This section of psychology helps to develop a person’s inner potential and give him an impetus on the path of self-development.

The path in personality development psychology

Human nature and the path to personal self-education

Human nature has its own classification in psychology:

  • Definitely positive;
  • Conditionally positive;
  • Neutral;
  • Damaged.

Already based on the identified human nature, it is possible to build a path to personal growth.

For example, in the “unconditionally positive” nature of a person, the meaning of education will be the help of a psychologist in actualizing him. With a “conditionally positive” human nature, the meaning of education will change to the existential approach of a psychologist in helping with choice.

If we take neutral human nature, then the meaning of education will be the formation and correction of personality by a psychologist. As for the last variation of human nature - damaged, then more will fall on the shoulders of the psychologist. difficult task– correction and compensation.

The origins of the psychology of personal growth

If we return to the origins of the theory of the psychology of personal growth, then we should thank its “fathers”, American psychologists Carl Ransom Rogers and Abraham Harold Maslow. It was they who once created their humanistic concept, within the framework of which the psychology of personal growth was formed.

Psychology of personal growth in the modern world

Years of practice and work of many talented psychologists have “polished” the psychology of personal growth in their own way, transforming it into a convenient tool for conducting motivational training on human self-development.

In modern practice, such training is especially popular among psychologists and their students. But it is worth noting that the original theory of the psychology of personal growth acquired its own new features over time.

For example, our contemporary, business coach Grigory Spizhevoy, authored a new book on the topic of personal growth. His theory includes such concepts as “inner harmony”, “relationship with oneself”, “I+I relationship”, “I+other relationship”, “relationship with the outside world” and, of course, “self-development”. According to Spizheva, all these concepts constitute the entire psychology of personal growth.

Personal development in psychology

Personal development is a branch of psychology that deals with personal growth and self-development. This section of the psychology of personal development includes all changes in the psychological attitudes and processes of a person as an individual, under external and internal influences on him.

Personal development can be formed in a person not only with the help of his independent work, but also under the influence of any other external factors. The development of a person’s personality is a rather long process that accompanies it throughout life path. This can also affect personal development in human psychology, thanks to his continuous interaction with the outside world and other people.

To some extent, the human psyche is like a sponge. She absorbs everything that happens around her, which is reflected in a person’s personal self-development and development. That is why, in some cases, even an already formed personality needs correction by a professional psychoanalyst.
Photo 4 – the result of personal development in psychology – complete harmony with oneself.

Mechanisms of personality development in psychology

The mechanisms of personality development in psychology are appropriation, isolation and identification of the individual.

If we look more deeply, then appropriation- this is the creation and formation of personality through a person’s communication with the world around him, in the literal sense of the word - the imposition of world principles and orders on him. Separation acts as a defender of its original natural essence. A identification is the reverse process - a relationship, and sometimes even a person’s copying of those around him or his idols.


Assignment

Thus, such a mechanism of personality development in psychology as “appropriation” is inherently the most widespread. In itself, it implies the independent formation and development of personality when a person comes into contact with the environment. That is, any of his personal and social activities contributes to the formation and “appropriation” personal qualities and their subsequent development.

Separation

Such a mechanism of personality development in psychology as “isolation” carries much more freedom than “appropriation”. In this case, the individual is not ready to accept social principles and strive to distinguish himself from the rest. In this case, the process of individualization is launched, which forms the individual personal qualities of a person, separating him from other representatives of society.

Moreover, this mechanism of personality development in psychology has two directions at once: internal (psychological) and external (material-physical). Internal formation includes individual psychological characteristics (level of intelligence, type of temperament, character traits, and so on), and external formation includes physical changes (nationality, gender identity, and so on).

Identification

The last mechanism of personality development in psychology – “identification” – is the most complex. In this case, the individual tries to imitate the object in which he shows sympathy or interest. That is, this is the process of copying another personality on emotional and other levels. It is not without reason that they say that children from an early age imitate their parents in everything; this is precisely where this mechanism of personality development in psychology comes into play.

Laws of personality development

The psychology of personal growth is a rather complex process, and carries its own patterns and laws of personality development. Without them, it would be difficult to create educational programs for children and adolescents whose personalities are just forming. Also, the laws of personality development help qualified psychoanalysts better understand their patients and more effectively help them in the process of their formation and self-development.

The laws of personality development include:

  1. The presence of psychological changes in an individual.
  2. The relationship between different areas of development and their directions.
  3. The emergence of specific developmental features.
  4. Differences in development according to time frame and other criteria ( different development between peers).
  5. Formation of clear views and personal beliefs.
  6. Development of certain psychological characteristics(sensitivity).
  7. Processing and learning/awareness various fields life.
  8. Plasticity of personality development (compensation for the development of one personality component by another).
  9. Contradiction between the individual and the world around him.
  10. Constant progress in personal development.

Psychology of personality development and health

The psychological state and stability of a person’s purity of mind are important indicators of his health. That is why the psychology of personal growth or personality development is so important when creating a full-fledged healthy person.

If we return to the types of human nature, we can draw the corresponding conclusion that if he has a positive nature, he is completely psychologically healthy. If human nature is damaged, then its restoration to a positive level will be considered a complete psychological recovery of the individual. That is, in this case, it is unlikely that even the most experienced coach in personal growth training will be able to carry out such manipulations. Here you will need professional long-term work with a psychologist, and only a specialist in this profile can help in this case.

IMPORTANT! The human psyche is a delicate and sensitive instrument, do not self-medicate; if you encounter any problems or serious experiences that affect your emotional and mental state, immediately contact a specialist.

Stay healthy and don’t be afraid to reach new personal heights of self-development!

Personality development and mental development. The individual has a psyche, i.e. the inalienable ability of his brain to build a picture of the world and, on its basis, regulate his activities. At the same time, the individual acts as a person, being the subject of interhuman, social relations in nature.

One cannot be separated from the other - it is impossible to imagine a normal person included in social connections - i.e. personality - devoid of the mental world, consciousness, as one cannot imagine normal person, possessing consciousness, who would not act as a subject of inter-individual relations, i.e. would not be a person. However, from this, of course, it does not follow that the personality of the subject and the psyche of the subject are identical concepts. Their unity does not imply identity (it is no coincidence that the word “psyche of the individual” is used, but, of course, not “personality of the psyche”).

Let's give a specific example. Attractiveness (attraction) is a characteristic of a person’s personality. However, it cannot be considered as a characteristic of his psyche, if only because this person is attractive to others, and it is in the psyches of these people, consciously or unconsciously, that an emotional attitude towards him as an attractive person is formed, and a corresponding attitude is formed. Of course, the attractiveness of a person presupposes that he has a set of certain individual psychological qualities. However, no even the most sophisticated psychological analysis, addressed to these individual psychological characteristics, can in itself explain why in some communities this subject turns out to be an attractive person, and in others - a repulsive person. To answer this question, a socio-psychological analysis of these communities is necessary, and this becomes an essential condition for understanding personality. So, without identifying the level of development of the group, it is impossible to explain the reasons for the attractiveness or unattractiveness of an individual. It is possible to describe in detail the qualities of the psyche, a hero or a villain, but without the actions they commit, and therefore, without analyzing the changes that these actions (good deeds or atrocities ) are produced in the life activity of other people, it is impossible to characterize them psychologically, and they will not appear to us as individuals.

The man who finds himself on desert island, for a long time, perhaps forever fenced off from society, can be neither a noble person nor a scoundrel, neither honest nor dishonest, neither good nor evil, although for a long time he retains those individual psychological characteristics that underlie the formation of these personality characteristics.

Significant conclusions follow from this. Psychology traditionally considers mainly the development of the psyche of children and adolescents (the formation of memory, thinking, imagination, will, feelings, etc.), identifies general age-related psychological patterns that are revealed, and only partially addresses the problems of personality development. The obvious discrepancy between the concepts of “psyche” and “personality”, as well as the concepts of “mental development” and “personal development”, with all their unity, suggests the need to highlight a special process of personality development as a social, systemic quality of a person, a subject of a system of human relations.


The process of personality development, thus, cannot be reduced to a set of developing cognitive, emotional and volitional components that characterize a person’s individuality, although it is inseparable from them.

The concept of personality, although constantly used, is not sufficiently disclosed and often turns out to be synonymous with consciousness, self-awareness, attitude, or the psyche in general.

Currently, certain theoretical ideas, hypotheses and concepts are emerging that seek to provide a psychological justification for the process of personality development, without separating it from the process of mental development, but also without dissolving it in the general flow mental development child. Thus, a socio-psychological concept of the development of the personality of a child and adolescent has been proposed.

What determines the development of an individual’s personality in ontogenesis? The determinant of personality development is the activity-mediated type of relationship that a person develops with the most referent (meaningful to him) group (groups) during this period. These relationships are mediated by the content and nature of the activities that this reference group sets, and the communication that develops within it. Based on this we can conclude that The development of the group acts as a factor in the development of the individual in the group.

According to the concept of personalization, an individual is characterized the need to be an individual(i.e. to be and remain to the maximum extent represented by qualities that are significant to him in the life activity of other people, to carry out transformations of their semantic sphere through his activity) and the ability to be a person(i.e., a set of individual characteristics and means that allow one to perform actions that ensure the satisfaction of the need to be an individual).

The best opportunities for realizing this need are created by a group in which the personalization of everyone is a condition for the personalization of everyone.

Personality development in a relatively stable group. In the very general view Personal development can be represented as the process of its entry into a new social environment and integration into it. Are we talking about the child’s transition from kindergarten to school, a teenager to a new company, an applicant to a work collective, a conscript to an army unit, or we are talking about personal development on a global scale - in its longevity and integrity - from infancy to civil maturity, this process cannot be thought of except as entry into society -historical existence, represented in a person’s life by his participation in the activities of various groups in which he becomes familiar and which he actively masters.

The measure of stability of this environment varies. Only conditionally can we accept it as constant, unchanging.

It is possible to construct a model of personality development when it enters a relatively stable social environment (see Fig. 22). In this case, the development of personality in it is subject to psychological patterns, which are necessarily reproduced almost independently of the specific characteristics of the community in which it takes place - both in the first grades of school, and in a new company, and in a production team, and in a military unit they will more or less identical. The stages of personality development in a relatively stable community are called phases of personality development. Three phases of personality development can be distinguished: adaptation,. individualization and integration.

Rice. 22.

Model of personality development in a group: P - the need to “be an individual”; C - the ability to “be a person”; I is the initial level of development; P is the result of development achieved at this phase; solid bold arrow - prosocial development; dotted arrow - asocial development.

The first phase of personality formation involves the active assimilation of the norms in force in the community and mastery of the corresponding forms and means of activity. Having brought with him to the new group everything that constitutes his individuality, the subject cannot manifest himself as an individual before he masters the norms in force in the group (moral, educational, production, etc.) and masters those techniques and means of activity that other members possess. groups. He has an objective need to “be like everyone else,” to adapt as much as possible in the community. This is achieved (some more, others less successfully) due to the subjectively experienced loss of some of their individual differences with the possible illusion of dissolution in the “general mass.” Subjectively - because in fact the individual often continues himself in other people through his actions, changes in the motivational and semantic sphere of other people that are important specifically for them, and not just for himself. Objectively, already at this stage, under certain circumstances, he can act as a person for others, although without properly realizing this fact, which is essential for him. At the same time, in group activity, favorable conditions may arise for the emergence of such personality traits that a given individual did not have before, but which exist or are already developing in other group members and which correspond to the level of group development and support this level. So, first phase - adaptation .

The second phase is generated by an intensifying contradiction between the achieved result of adaptation - the fact that the subject has become “like everyone else” in the group - and the individual’s need for maximum personalization, which was not satisfied at the first stage. At this phase, the search for means and ways to designate one’s individuality and fix it increases. So, for example, a teenager who finds himself in a new company of older guys, who initially strives not to stand out in any way, diligently assimilates the accepted norms of communication, vocabulary, clothing style, generally accepted interests and tastes, having finally coped with the difficulties of the adaptation period, begins to feel vaguely and sometimes he is acutely aware that by adhering to this tactic, he loses himself as a person. In this regard, realizing to the maximum extent the need to be ideally presented among his friends, the teenager mobilizes all his internal resources for the active transmission of his individuality (for example, erudition, sports success, “experience” in relations between the sexes, courage bordering on bravado, a special manner of dancing, etc.), intensifies the search in this referent group of people who can ensure optimal personalization. This second phase - individualization.

The third phase is determined by the contradictions between the desire of the subject that developed in the previous phase to be ideally represented in others by his characteristics and differences that are significant for him - on the one hand, and the need of the community to accept, approve and cultivate only those demonstrated by him individual characteristics that appeal to her, correspond to her values, standards, contribute to the success of joint activities, etc. - with another.

Having become members of the production team, yesterday's schoolchildren, having undergone adaptation, in the second phase of the formation of their personality, strive to find ways to designate their individuality, their characteristics, which others carefully look at. As a result, these revealed positive differences (ingenuity, hard work, humor, dedication, etc.) are accepted and supported - the integration of the individual into the community occurs. Integration is also observed when it is not so much the individual who brings his need for personalization into line with the needs of the community, but rather the community that transforms its needs in accordance with the needs of the individual, who in this case occupies the position of leader. However, mutual transformation of the individual and the group always occurs one way or another.

If the contradiction between the individual and the group is not eliminated, disintegration occurs, its consequence being either the displacement of the individual from a given community, or its actual isolation in it, which leads to the consolidation of the characteristics of egocentric individualization, or its return to an even earlier phase of development. Often the latter is accompanied by the adoption of appropriate educational measures that ensure effective adaptation young man, which obviously has not previously been successfully implemented and completed.

So, third phase - integration of the individual into the community. Within the framework of this phase in group activity, the individual develops new personality formations - traits that not only he did not have, but, perhaps, other members of the group do not have, but which meet the needs and needs of group development and the individual’s own need to realize a significant "contribution" to the life of the group.

Each of the listed phases acts as a moment of formation of personality in its most important manifestations and qualities - microcycles of its development take place here. If a person fails to overcome the difficulties of the adaptation period in a social environment that is consistently significant for him and enters the second phase of development, he will most likely develop qualities of conformity, dependence, lack of initiative, timidity, and lack of confidence in himself and his capabilities. Throughout his entire stay in this community, he seems to “slip” in the first phase of the formation and affirmation of himself as an individual, and this leads to serious personal deformation. If, already in the individualization phase and trying to ensure his representation among the members of a community that is significant to him, he presents to them his individual differences, which they do not accept and reject as not corresponding to the needs of the community, then this contributes to the development of such personal new formations as negativism, aggressiveness, suspicion, inadequate inflated self-esteem. If he successfully passes the integration phase in a highly developed prosocial community, he develops positive traits personality.

Significant changes, subject to the same sequence of phases of personality development, occur whenever the social situation in which the individual is included is significantly transformed. A leader, due to certain circumstances, has lost his leading role, is sometimes forced to go through the adaptation phase again in the same community, find the strength and means for active individualization and be integrated into the community due to the positive contribution that contributes to its development and his own development as a person.

Due to the fact that a person’s social development situation changes many times throughout his life and he enters more than one relatively stable and reference community for him, adaptation or disadaptation, individualization or deindividuation, integration or disintegration are reproduced many times, and the corresponding new formations are consolidated , a person develops a fairly stable structure of his individuality.

So, the source of development and affirmation of personality is the contradiction between the individual’s need for personalization and the objective interest of the community of reference for him to accept only those manifestations of his individuality that correspond to the tasks, norms and conditions of functioning and development in this community. Successful overcoming of this contradiction ensures the integration of the individual in the group, and more broadly in the system of social relations.

Personal development in a changing environment. The social environment in which a person exists and changes is only relatively stable, and is itself in a state of constant change and development. It turns into new and new facets and includes a person in more and more new situations, new groups, and generally in new circumstances of life. For example, the relatively smooth development of personality in high school undergoes a change when moving to a production team or military unit.

Accepted in one reference group, a person turns out to be unintegrated and rejected in another, into which he is included after or simultaneously with the first. He again and again has to assert himself in his personal position. Thus, knots of new contradictions are tied, complicating the process of personality formation, in their extreme manifestations leading to neurotic breakdowns. In addition, the reference groups themselves are in the process of development, forming a dynamic system, changes to which the individual can adapt only if he actively participates in the reproduction of these changes. Therefore, along with the internal dynamics of the development of the individual within a relatively stable social community, it is necessary to take into account the objective dynamics of the development of those groups in which the individual is included, and their specific characteristics and non-identity with each other.

Personality develops in groups hierarchically located at the stages of ontogenesis. The character and characteristics of personality development are determined by the level of development of the group in which it is included and in which it is integrated.

The personality of a child, teenager, young man develops as a result of consistent inclusion in communities that differ in the level of development, dominant at different age levels, and, thus, the development of personality is determined by the development process of the group in which it is integrated.

The features of the integration of an individual in communities of different levels of development are subject to patterns specific to these groups, and transferring them to groups of a different level of development cannot but lead to serious theoretical errors and incorrectly accepted practical solutions. The stages of personality development in a changing social environment are called periods of development.

Age periodization of personality development. The above theoretical foundations allow us to understand the process of age-related personality development.

Pedagogy and psychology distinguish the following age stages of personality formation: early childhood (pre-school) age (0-3), kindergarten (4-6), junior school age (6-10), middle school age (11-15), senior school age (16-17).

In the early childhood Personal development takes place primarily in the family, which, depending on the educational tactics adopted in it, either acts as a pro-social association or collective (with the predominance of “family cooperation” tactics), or distorts the development of the child’s personality. The latter occurs in groups of a low level of development, where confrontation dominates the relationship between parents and children. Depending on the character family relations a child’s personality may, for example, initially develop as either gentle, caring, not afraid to admit his mistakes and missteps, open, and not shying away from responsibility little man, or as a cowardly, lazy, greedy, capricious selfish person. The importance of the period of early childhood for the formation of personality, which was noted by many psychologists and the role of which was often mystified by Freudianism, actually lies in the fact that from the first year of his conscious life the child is in a fairly developed group and, to the extent of his inherent activity, assimilates the type of relationships that formed in her, transforming them into the features of his developing personality.

The phases of development in early childhood record the following results: first - adaptation at the level of mastering the simplest skills, mastering language as a means of inclusion in social life with the initial inability to isolate one’s “I” from surrounding phenomena; the second is individualization, opposing oneself to others: “my mother”, “I am my mother’s”, “my toys”, etc., demonstrating in behavior one’s differences from others; the third is integration, which allows you to manage your behavior, take into account those around you, obey the demands of adults, present realistic requests to them, etc.

The upbringing and development of a child, beginning and continuing in the family, from 3-4 years, occurs simultaneously in kindergarten, in a group of peers under the guidance of a teacher, where a new situation of personality development arises. Go to this new stage personality development is not determined psychological patterns(they only ensure its readiness for this transition), but is determined from the outside social reasons, which include the development of the system preschool institutions, their prestige, parents’ employment in production, etc. If the transition to a new period is not prepared within the previous age period by the successful passage of the integration phase, then here (as at the boundary between any other age periods) conditions arise for a crisis in personality development - the child’s adaptation in kindergarten turns out to be difficult.

Preschool age characterized by the inclusion of a child in a group of peers in kindergarten, managed by a teacher, who, as a rule, becomes for him, along with his parents, the most reference person. The teacher, relying on the help of the family, strives, using various types and forms of activity (play, study, work, sports, etc.) as a mediating factor, to rally children around him, forming humanity, hard work, and other socially valuable qualities.

Three phases of personality development within this period involve: adaptation - the assimilation of norms and methods of behavior approved by parents and educators in conditions of interaction with others; individualization - the child’s desire to find something in himself that distinguishes him from other children, either positively in various types of amateur activities, or in pranks and whims - in both cases, focusing on the assessment not so much of other children as of parents and teachers; integration - harmonization of the preschooler’s unconscious desire to indicate through his actions his own uniqueness and the readiness of adults to accept only that in him that corresponds to the socially conditioned and most important task for them of ensuring the child’s successful transition to a new stage - to school and, consequently, to the third period of personality development.

At primary school age the situation of personality development is in many ways similar to the previous one. The three phases that form it give the student the opportunity to enter a completely new group of classmates, which is initially diffuse in nature. The teacher leading this group turns out to be, in comparison with the kindergarten teacher, even more of a referent for the children, since she, using the apparatus of daily grades, regulates the child’s relationships with both his peers and with adults, primarily with parents, and shapes their attitude towards him and his attitude towards himself “as another”.

It is noteworthy that not so much in itself educational activities acts as a factor in personality development junior school student, how much is the attitude of adults to his educational activities, to his academic performance, discipline and diligence. The educational activity itself, as a personality-forming factor, apparently acquires maximum significance at high school age, which is characterized by a conscious attitude to learning, the formation of a worldview in the conditions of educational training (in literature, history, physics, biology, etc. lessons). The third phase of the period of primary school age means, in all likelihood, not only the integration of the student in the “student-student” system, but also, above all, in the “student-teacher”, “student-parent” system.

Specific feature adolescence , in comparison with the previous ones, is that joining it does not mean joining a new group (unless a reference group has arisen outside of school, which very often happens), but represents the further development of the individual in a developing group, but in changed conditions and circumstances (the appearance of subject teachers instead of one teacher in the lower grades, the beginnings of a joint labor activity V agriculture, the opportunity to spend time at a disco, etc.) in the presence of significant restructuring of the body in the conditions of rapid puberty.

The groups themselves become different and change qualitatively. Lots of new challenges in different significant types activity gives rise to many communities, from which in some cases associations that are prosocial in nature are formed, and in others associations arise that inhibit and sometimes distort the development of the individual.

Microcycles of adolescent personality development occur for the same schoolchild in parallel in different reference groups that are competitive for him in their importance. Successful integration in one of them (for example, in a school drama club or in communication with a classmate at the time of first love) can be combined with disintegration in a company in which he had previously gone through the adaptation phase, not without difficulties. Individual qualities valued in one group are rejected in another group, where other activities and other value orientations and standards dominate, and this blocks the possibility of successful integration within it. The contradictions in a teenager’s intergroup position are no less important than the contradictions that arise within the microcycle of his development.

The need to “be an individual” at this age takes on a distinct form of self-affirmation, explained by the relatively protracted nature of individualization, since the personally significant qualities of a teenager, which allow him to fit, for example, into the circle of a friendly group of peers, often do not at all correspond to the requirements of teachers, parents and adults in general, who In this case, they strive to push it back to the stage of primary adaptation.

Plurality, easy turnover and substantive differences of reference groups, while inhibiting the passage of the integration phase, at the same time create specific features of the adolescent’s psychology and participate in the formation of new psychological formations. Sustainable positive integration of the individual is ensured by his inclusion in the group top level development - either in the case of its transition to a new community, or as a result of the unification of the same group of schoolchildren around an exciting activity.

A prosocial reference group becomes a genuine collective, while an asocial association can degenerate into a corporate group.

The process of personality development in various groups - specific feature youth, in terms of its time parameters, it goes beyond the boundaries of high school age, which can be designated as the period of early adolescence. Adaptation, individualization and integration of personality ensure the formation of a mature personality and are a condition for the formation of groups to which they belong. Organic integration of the individual in a highly developed group, therefore, means that the characteristics of the collective act as characteristics of the individual (group as personal, personal as group).

In this way, a multi-stage periodization scheme is constructed, in which eras, epochs, periods and phases of personality development are distinguished (Fig. 23).

All preschool and school age are included in one "the era of ascent to social maturity." This era does not end with the period of early youth and the schoolchild receiving a certificate of maturity, but continues in new groups, where yesterday’s schoolchild organically enters into the rights of an economically, legally, politically and morally mature person, a full member of society.

Identifying the “era of ascent to social maturity” is necessary and appropriate. If we imagine the social environment in its global characteristics as relatively stable and remember that the goal of education literally from the first years of a child’s life and throughout all subsequent years remains the development of his personality, then the entire path to the realization of this goal can be interpreted as a single and integral stage . In this case, in accordance with the provisions justified above, it assumes three phases of personality development, its entry into the social whole, i.e. the already mentioned adaptation, individualization and integration.

Extended in time, they act as macrophases of personality development within one era, designated as three eras: childhood, adolescence, youth. It is in this way that the child ultimately turns into a mature, independent personality, capable, ready to reproduce and raise a new person, to continue himself in his children. The third macrophase (epoch), starting at school, goes beyond its chronological limits. Adolescence acts as an era of turning point, aggravation of contradictions, which is typical for the stage of individualization.

Epochs are divided into periods of personality development in a specific environment, in types of groups characteristic of each age stage, differing in level of development. The periods, in turn, as already indicated, are divided into phases (here microphases) of personality development.

The era of childhood - the longest macrophase of personality development - covers three age periods (pre-school, preschool, junior school), the era of adolescence and the period of adolescence coincide. The era of youth and the period of early adolescence, in turn, partially coincide (early adolescence is limited to the framework of being at school).

The first macrophase (the era of childhood) is characterized by relative the predominance of adaptation over individualization, for the second (the era of adolescence) - individualization over adaptation(years of turning point, aggravation of contradictions), for the third (era of youth) - dominance integration over individualization.

This concept of personality development allows us to combine the approaches of social and developmental psychology.

So, personality is formed and develops in the conditions of a person’s concrete historical existence, in activities (work, study, etc.). The leading role in the processes of personality formation is played by training and education.

The concept of personality formation in psychology and pedagogy. The concept of “personality formation” is used in two senses.

First - personality formation. its development, those. the process and result of this development. Taken in this meaning, the concept of personality formation is the subject of psychological study, the task of which is to find out what is (is available, experimentally revealed, discovered) and what can be in a developing personality under the conditions of targeted educational influences.

This is actually psychological approach to the formation of personality.

Second meaning- formation of personality as its purposeful education(if one can say so, “molding”, “sculpting”, “designing”; A.S. Makarenko successfully called this process “personality design”). This is actually pedagogical approach to the identification of tasks and methods of personality formation. The pedagogical approach presupposes the need to find out what and how should be formed in an individual so that he meets the requirements that society places on him.

Mixing the psychological and pedagogical approach to the formation of personality, otherwise the desired may be replaced by the actual.

Pedagogy determines the tasks of the correct approach to the process of forming the personality of young people, it reveals what should be formed in the process of education. Pedagogy, developing methodology educational work, offers his own techniques and methods for achieving the goal, talks about how to develop integrity, truthfulness, kindness and other important personality qualities.

The task of psychology is to study the initial level of formation of personal qualities in specific schoolchildren and in specific groups (students, professional labor, family, etc.), to find out the results of educational work, including what has actually been formed and what has remained a task , which actual transformations of the teenager’s personality turned out to be productive and socially valuable, and which were unproductive, how the process of personality formation took place (what difficulties had to be faced, how successful it was, etc.).

Pedagogical and psychological approaches to personality formation are not identical to each other, but form an indissoluble unity. It is pointless to study the formation of personality from the position of a psychologist if you do not know what methods teachers used and what goals they pursued, and if you do not strive to improve these methods. The work of a teacher would be no less unpromising if he did not use the capabilities of a psychologist who identifies the real characteristics of schoolchildren, and would not be psychologically sophisticated in the reasons for the undesirable qualities that sometimes arise in his students, as if in parallel and independently of the application, it would seem, indisputable forms and methods of education, if he had not seen the diverse, sometimes contradictory, psychological consequences of his specific pedagogical work etc.

In a formative psychological and pedagogical experiment, the positions of a teacher and a psychologist can be combined. However, even in this case, one should not erase the difference between what and how a psychologist as a teacher should form in a student’s personality (the goals of education are set not by psychology, but by society, and methods are developed by pedagogy), and what the teacher as a psychologist should investigate, finding out what was and what became in the structure of the developing personality as a result of pedagogical influence.

Forming a child’s personality is the first step in preparing him for adult life. This is an important task for parents and society, and it is not limited to just teaching certain skills. To educate mature personality, it is necessary not only to tell him about discipline, self-care and the like, but also to instill moral and ethical standards and spiritual values.

What is personality formation

Personality formation is a complex process that is not interrupted at any stage. human life. Simply put, it is infinite. The very concept of “personality” is very multifaceted, and there are two popular professional views on this phenomenon. One of them says that the formation of a child’s personality depends on natural innate data. The second opinion indicates that personality is a social phenomenon, and only society influences its formation.

In fact, the entire period of a person’s life, from birth to adulthood, is a process of personal growth or. It is believed that development occurs in activities that are significant to the individual. The driving force can be called internal contradictions between the needs of a growing child and the real possibility of their implementation. The child’s activities are almost always determined by the parents and, to one degree or another, directed by them. Conclusion: the process of upbringing is the leading factor in the formation of a child’s personality.

Phases of personality development

There are three phases in the formation of a child’s personality

Adaptation

Lasts from birth to . The individual assimilates social experience - he adapts, imitates, adapts. During adaptation, there is an active adoption of social norms and mastery various forms activities. Having shown his own individuality in a group, a child cannot express himself as an individual until he masters the norms existing in the group.

He feels the need to be like others, adapting as much as possible in society. We can talk about kindergarten or school.

Group activities can provoke the emergence of favorable conditions for the formation of the child’s personality and those traits that were not previously inherent in the individual, but which are characteristic of other members of the group.

The child has a desire to oppose himself to others, to stand out. A critical attitude towards the norms of society and established social rules is formed. The impetus for individualization is the contradiction between the result of adaptation and the unsatisfied initial stage personalization needs. The search begins for methods that help in gaining individuality and fixing it. This can manifest itself in behavior, clothing, speech, and so on. If, during the formation of a child’s personality, he has successfully coped with adaptation, then gradually he begins to understand that individuality is being lost. The individual mobilizes internal resources and begins to search for a society capable of providing the necessary personalization.

Integration

The child has a desire to find his place in society, to fit into society. Integration is easy if society accepts the person. Other results are also possible. A person tries in every possible way to preserve his difference, which leads to aggressive interaction with society and people. Integration is characterized by contradictions between the subject’s desire to demonstrate his own individuality and the community’s desire to cultivate and approve only those individual qualities of the subject that correspond to its preferences.

What factors influence the development of a child’s personality?

Many factors influence the formation of a child's personality. From a number of theories put forward by various psychologists, the main idea should be highlighted: personality development occurs on the basis of natural data, self-awareness and life experience. Formation begins at early age.

Internal factors influencing: laid down at the genetic level. External factors: upbringing, social level, environment, and even the current era.

Many experts believe that genes have a significant influence on personality, containing information about the ancestors of the mother and father. A newborn person continues two genera at once. This does not mean that he will receive their character traits or talents. Nature will provide him with a basis for development, and all he has to do is use it.

The significance of the biological factor is high. This explains how people who grow up under the same conditions become unique and exhibit opposite qualities. Biological factors– the basis for the formation of a child’s personality. plays an equally significant role. Development occurs in stages. The perception of the world is influenced by the upbringing received by a person and the example of his parents.

Education and personality formation in the family: the importance of parents

Psychologists are convinced that parents have a decisive influence on a child’s personality, his perception of the world, feelings and aspirations. The relationship between father and mother, as well as between other relatives, is important to him. The attitude of the family directly towards the child plays a huge role.

Environment social environment also influences the formation of personality. Education is called goal-oriented process influence on a person, and it is this that is at the basis of the cultivation of personality.

Many people ask the question: “What plays a decisive role in personal development and consciousness - natural forces, social environment?” It is impossible to single out anything separately, but it is obvious that the first years of human life are fundamental. Children growing up in a family largely adopt their parents’ behavior, attitudes, and values. Subsequently, the personality may acquire additional minor touches, but it is in childhood that the foundation is laid. If the father and mother pay little attention to the baby, then he receives “material” for development from other available sources, which are not always beneficial. Parents should remember this and take care of daily quality interaction with their child. At an early age, reading fairy tales helps a lot, as it instills in the child an understanding of good and evil. Be sure to analyze what you read and think through other options for developing the story.

What mistakes do parents make when raising individuals?

When shaping a child’s personality, it is important for parents to avoid such common mistakes.

Categorical prohibition

The main mistake of education. Be patient with your baby and respect him. Without learning to understand it, parents make inevitable mistakes that lead to mental and physical problems. By ignoring the desires and interests of the child, responding to most of them with categorical prohibitions, you can even skip the initial stage of some disease. Example: you notice that the child has started eating lime. The first reaction of most parents: dissatisfaction, screaming, a ban on approaching the wall. Correct reaction: visit the doctor. The doctor will probably tell you that there is a lack of calcium salts in the baby’s body. In addition, such an attitude will create in the child a desire to perform certain actions on the sly. Many become secretive and distrustful.

Overprotection

When forming a child’s personality, overprotection is not best helper. Excessive care can have a negative effect on the baby. When he reaches a certain age and tries to show independence, this is often met with hostility. Example: a child wants to use a spoon himself, but the mother, fearing that he will get dirty or not be able to cope, continues to feed him herself.

Overprotection manifests itself in violent action, which can result in the emergence of neurosis. In other cases, guardianship without emergency may result in the child never being able to make friends, because mother and grandmother are always nearby. The individual may have difficulties with socialization; he does not acquire the ability to express and defend his opinion. Possible consequences: psychological problems that can only be eliminated with the assistance of specialists.

Excessive demands

For the full formation of a child’s personality, it is necessary that he not only knows, but also understands what is allowed and what is prohibited. If you show excessive demands on him, without giving clear explanations of the reasons why you need to do as you say, then this will not lead to good. What traits will the personality acquire? Irritability, stubbornness. The best option: Parents explain in detail the reasons for their demands, and over time they become the child’s personal beliefs.

The first factor provoking children's protest is lengthy lectures. Parents often believe that their child will learn information better by listening to long and repetitive lectures. There is no need for them. This approach has no constructive component. Particularly taboo is other children being held up as examples. Gradually, the child will begin to perceive them as personal enemies. Boring notations often cause a negative reaction, losing their educational value.

Immense pampering of a child

Parents who spoil their children too much create a big problem. This phenomenon is no less negative than lack of influence. Spoiled children, who do not know anything to be denied, and who have no responsibilities, eventually face the impossibility of overcoming even minor life obstacles and problems. When a situation arises when their desires and reality do not coincide, they lead to overstrain of the nervous system, which can result in a breakdown.

What conditions will ensure successful personality formation?

Important conditions for the formation of a child’s personality.

Example of parents

It is important for a child to see that mom and dad do not follow a certain script, but actually live a happy and fulfilling life. It is impossible to make another person happy if you yourself are unhappy. Many psychologists note that people who do not experience inner harmony, often complain about problems in relationships with children. Only happy parents will be able to truly understand their child by building a trusting relationship with him. This contributes to the successful formation of personality. When trying to help your child with this, start with yourself. Think about whether you know how to accept your feelings, whether you allow yourself to be truly happy and sad. Or maybe you are restraining yourself and teaching your child excessive restraint, thereby suppressing his personality.

Communication with others

Point to by example methods of communication with other people. Give yourself a little test by honestly answering the question: “Are you able to have an unbiased conversation with a person with whom you disagree in some aspects?” Is there a possibility that you are trying to impose an opinion on another person or are you submitting to someone else’s will? The child will probably adopt this feature from you.

Care and attention

A person who has felt care and attention at the dawn of development will certainly feel confident and protected. Mother and father become important life references, exerting serious influence. It is great if a mother can demonstrate such qualities as forgiveness, acceptance, love. The child needs to feel affection and warmth. In a father, strictness and gentleness are important, acting undividedly.

Parents are the most important stage in the formation of personality. Everyone knows the words that raising children should begin with their own upbringing. Start with yourself if you want to help your child’s personality acquire important facets.