“How did I become the person I am today?”

Each person ponders about this question every once in a while.

The responses that usually come to mind include the impact of parents, the influence of peers, temperament, an ethical compass, a strong sense of self, and sometimes critical life experiences. Personality development encircles these along with various other influences on the growth of the person. It addresses questions that are at the core of understanding how children will develop as unique individuals.

Parents look into the faces of their newborns and wonder, “How is my child going to turn out as a grown-up?” They notice their child’s inclinations, habits, and reactions. Based on these observations they form a basis of the child’s personality.

Understanding personality development requires looking at children from three perspectives. The first is the social setting or ‘Nature’ in which each child lives, particularly the relationships that provide security, guidance, and knowledge. The second is biological maturation which is referred to as ‘Nurture’ that supports developing social and emotional skills and underlies temperamental individuality. The third is the children creating portrayals of themselves and the social world. Personality development is best perceived as the consistent interaction between these social, biological, and representational aspects of psychological development.

Let’s understand how the interaction of nature, nurture, and character provides the basis for a child’s personality development.

Social Setting or Nature

Psychologists believe that the development of strong and compelling emotional attachments is as biologically natural as figuring out how to walk. Attachments to peers/parents/pets have evolved in our species because they promote children’s motivation to remain close to those who care for them. As a consequence, they benefit from the learning, security, guidance, warmth, and affirmations that close relationships provide

Although nearly all infants develop emotional attachments to their parental figures-school children are more capable to have their preferences. As children reach adolescence, the parent-child relationship turns into a coregulation agreement. Here both the parents and the children acknowledge the child's developing skill and self-reliance, so together they rebalance authority relations.

Biological Maturation or Nurture

As children mature biologically, characteristics and qualities emerge to change over time. For example, a child is incapable of self-control, however, when we talk about teenagers,  changes in self-regulation and control become more evident.

Children’s developing self-concept, their inspirations to accomplish or to mingle, their qualities and objectives, their adapting styles, their feeling of obligation and principles, and numerous different characteristics are enveloped in character. The child’s specific biological foundations are an influence on these qualities, but much depends upon the child’s experiences in close relationships as it helps in the growth of individual characteristics.

Undoubtedly, personality development becomes progressively elaborated, extended, and refined over time. The infant that parents gazed upon thus turns into an adult with a personality of perception and ingenuity.

Social Portrayal or Character

Children depend upon specific people about the understanding of how to interact with grown-ups and peers, and developing self-concept based on how others react to them. These are significant for emotional development.

Developing social understanding is based on children’s everyday interactions with others - what they see and hear. Some scientists believe that infants are naturally prepared to perceive people and this encourages their understanding of people’s behavior. With years, they keep on adding to their experiences.

Most psychologists believe that two factors majorly influence the development of a child's personality - Nature and Nurture. While it’s difficult to say which of the two factors have a higher effect on personality development, all experts agree that a strong foundation during the early years plays a major role.

A person's character continues to evolve throughout life because the capabilities required for mature moral conduct, a responsible citizen, and other factors continue to develop throughout childhood, adolescence, and even the adult years. So, an adaptive approach to a child’s behaviour can provide the best guidance and ensure the successful development of the child's personality. It is necessary to avoid attempting to shape children into becoming a particular kind of person and help them to grow and evolve since every child is different, each with their individual qualities and strengths.