Meaning and Definitions of Personality.

Etymological Meaning of Personality - English word 'Personality' has been derived from the Latin word 'Persona'. The word 'Persona' first used in Greek for meaning of theatrical mask which the Greek actors commonly used to wear on their face before coming to the stage for acting. In this sense, in the olden days personality was meant the outward appearance of a person. Today the term personality is explained in various ways.

Definitions of Personality :- Personality has been defined by different psychologists in different ways. Following are some of the definitions of personality :

1. According to R.B. Cattell - "Personality is that which permits a prediction of what a person will do in a given situation."
2. According to Allport - "Personality is the dynamic organization within the individual of those psychological systems that determine his unique adjustment to his environment."
3. According to Morton Prince - "Personality is the sum total of all the biological innate disposition, impulses, tendencies, appetites and instincts of the individual and the acquired dispositions and tendencies."
4.  According to Schoen - " Personality is the organised system, the functioning whole or units of habits, disposition and sentiment that mark off any one member of a group being different from other members of the same group."
5. According to Warren's Dictionary - "Personality is the integrative organization of all the cognitive, affective, conative and physical characteristics of an individual as it manifest itself in focal distinction from others."
6. According to Kemph - "Personality is the integration of those system of habits that represents an individual's characteristics adjustment to his environment."
7. J.P. Guilford defined personality as an integrated pattern of traits.
8. McDougall regards integration of personality as integration of intellect and integration of character.
9. According to Munn - "Personality is the whole individual considered as a whole. Personality may be defined as the most characteristic integration of an individual's structures, modes of interests, attitude, behaviour, capacities, abilities and aptitudes."
10. According to J.F. Dashiell - "Personality is the sum total of behaviour trends manifested in social adjustments."
11.  According to Healy William - personality as "an integrated system of habitual adjustment to environment particularly to social environment."
12. Kurt Lewin considers personality as "a dynamic totality of systems." 
13. According to R.M. Ogsten - "Personality is the expression of man's inner life, character is the expression of what he does or achieves."

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