arents act as examples for the infant and through reinforcement and by watching them the infant learns things like how to talk, how to walk, the proper way to eat, the proper way to go to the bathroom, and many other things that the person will use for the rest of his or her life. Also created through repetition is the individual’s sense of right and wrong, or conscience. The parents of the child are constantly saying “no” when the infant does something wrong and, usually, praising the child for what they consider to be right. This creates a system of ethics that the person will use in making decisions for the rest of his or her life. Children also look at their parents as role models. They adopt many behaviors of the parents and learn how to perform many tasks through mimicry. The financial class of the family can also play a major role in the development of the individual’s personality. It will determine where that person will live in early years and which luxuries the person will become accustomed to. Other people, besides the individual’s family, play a large role in that person’s personality growth. These people include friends, teachers, or anyone the person interacts with. These people affect what decisions that person will make and they also provide new experiences the individual can learn from. Interactions with these people can affect self esteem and also provide different opportunities to explore the person’s identity. Religion also affects personality. Over the years, people who go to church have had the teachings of their religions reinforced over and over again, causing the individual to adopt the beliefs of that religion. By accepting these beliefs, the way a person thinks and behaves is changed and, therefore, adds to that individual’s personality. In short, any social group or social institution will have a profound affect on one’s personality due to the basic need t...
