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ERIC Number: EJ732003
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 35
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0273-2297
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Emergence of Personality: Dynamic Foundations of Individual Variation
Nowak, Aandrzej; Vallacher, Robin R.; Zochowski, Michal
Developmental Review, v25 n3-4 p351-385 Sep-Dec 2005
We conceptualize personality and individual variation from the perspective of dynamical systems. People's thoughts, feelings, and predispositions for action are inherently dynamic, displaying constant change due to internal mechanisms and external forces, but over time the flow of thought and action converges on a narrow range of states--a fixed-point attractor--that provides cognitive, affective, and behavioral stability. An attractor for personal dynamics develops through two mechanisms: the synchronization of individuals' internal states in social interaction, and the self-organization of thoughts and feelings with respect to a higher-order property (e.g., goal, self-concept). We present formal models of both processes and instantiate each in computer simulations. Discussion centers on the implications of interpersonal synchronization and self-organization dynamics for issues in personality psychology, including shared vs. non-shared environmental influences on personality development, the expression of personality in social interaction, personal stability vs. change, personal vs. situational causation, and the emergence of self-concept.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A