13 automatically accompanied by body changes. People cannot control the changing
of the body as well as the personality. The changes of personality show the adjustment that a person makes during his life.
The personality pattern can be changed in some areas and remain constant in others. It rarely happens that a person is completely satisfied with his
personality and has no desire to change it. Hurlock classifies the changes in personality pattern in three major
categories. First, some changes are for the better and some are for the worse. Second, some are qualitative and some are quantitative, and third, some occur
slowly and some occur rapidly.
1 Better versus Worse
An individual can change his personality for the better or for the worse. It depends on how he deals with his life situations. As Hurlock says that,
“personality changes for the better or for the worse reflect the kind of life adjustments that the individual are making at the time” 120, it means that an
individual can change his personality for the better if he can adjust himself well to his life situation and accept it positively. On the other hand, the personality
changed for the worse if he cannot adjust himself to his life situation. Moreover, Hurlock states that it usually occurs at puberty and middle-age. The puberty-aged
people change their personality for the worse when their bodies and their personalities do not grow as they want. In the middle-aged people, the
personalities change for the worse since they cannot make their dreams come true.
14
2 Quantitative versus Qualitative
Hurlock states that, “in quantitative changes, characteristics already present are reinforced, strengthened, or weakened” 121. In quantitative changes,
the characteristics become stronger or vice versa. A person who is kind can be kinder or less kind. The quantitative changes are influenced by the motivation to
win social approval and acceptance; the stronger the motivation the more efforts he does to strengthen the desirable traits. These changes are more common and
more frequent than qualitative changes. Further, Hurlock explains that, “in qualitative changes, the characteristics are replaced by the desirable one or vice
versa” 121. In qualitative changes, a person changes so radically because of some factors. Hurlock gives an example, “if a kind and loving father turns into a
sadistic brute, it is logical to conclude that he is suffering from some form of mental illness” 121. From Hurlock’s example, it can be inferred that the
previous characteristic is disappear and it is replaced by a new characteristic that is very different from the previous characteristic.
3 Slow versus Rapid Changes
It is clarified by Hurlock that, “changes are regarded as slow if they are barely perceptible, while rapid changes are readily apparent to all. Normally,
personality changes are slow and gradual” 121-122. Every change happens in personality involves the violation of the previous habit and the learning of a new
habit to replace it.
15
b. Condition Responsible for Personality Change
Hurlock states that in a normal person there are usually several causes of personality changes. Personality changes can be influenced by many things. The
causes are physical changes, changes in environment, changes in significant people, changes in social pressure, changes in role, strong motivation, changes in
the self-concept, and the use of psychotherapy. According to Hurlock, “physical changes may come from maturation and
decline from illness, organic and glandular disturbances, injuries, or some other conditions resulting from the person’s life pattern but unrelated to the normal
changes in the body structure” 124. A person will find it difficult to adjust into his new condition when physical changes immediately occur. As a result, physical
changes may influence the person’s self-concept. However, changes happen either in physical or in the social environment,
but Hurlock states that changes in environment will not guarantee an improvement in personality although the changes may have the opposite effect. Moving to a
new environment will not automatically improve the child’s, or the adolescent’s or the adult’s personality. It depends on how well we are accepted in the new
environment and whether it meets our needs or not 125. Changes in significant people means that an individual should have
significant people in his life that may affect his personality. When the significant people in an individual’s life change and when the individual tries to adapt the
pattern of behavior, attitudes, beliefs, values, and aspirations to him, changes in his personality are inevitable 126.
16 Changes
in Social
Pressure happened as childhood progresses, the child becomes increasingly aware that some personality traits are admired and some are
disliked. Since everyone normally has a strong desire to be accepted by those who are significant to him, he tries to change any personality traits that will militate
against his being accepted. Strong social pressures to conform to a socially approved personality pattern thus encourage changes in certain aspects of the
personality. Traits, which are likely to lead to social rejection, such as shyness, bossiness, aggressiveness, and greed are more subject to change than those which
are usually admired such as affection, ambition, cooperativeness, and generosity. Pressures to conform to the approved pattern are provided by the people who are
significant in the person’s life at the time. When a child is young, he tries to conform to parental standards 126-127.
Changes in role means that one’s role may change because of a change in age, in economic conditions, or a change in the society. One will experience
changes for the better in his self-concept, if the results are in a more favorable status. A child changes from being a dependent into economically independent
when he is old enough to be a wage earner. Ordinary people are strongly motivated to change their personality to become popular because they believe that
it will improve their social relationship and broaden their social acceptance. When the motivation is strong enough, the changes of personality will happen 127.
In strong motivation, Hurlock states that, “When motivation to improve the personality pattern is strong enough changes can be affected. Ordinarily,
