Personality from the standpoint of social psychology

Abstract

Social psychology studies individual behavior in social situations and aims at discovering the mental processes producing the kind of behaviors observed in them. The concept of personality does not designate a special category of responses. It represents a recognizable behavioral style reflected in responses observed not only in social situations but also in all kinds of responses related to perception, learning, attending, remembering, problem-solving, and expressing emotions. In the present study, personality is envisaged as the product of the integration of four components: Temperament, character, cognitive capacity, and perceived social situation. It is argued that the personality of any individual may appear to others as having changed, but in fact there is only a strategic attempt at trying to adapt to differing demands of varied situations. © Common Ground, Yilmaz Özakpinar, All Rights Reserved.