Theory of Personality (D564) Practice Exam 2026 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

The term that describes the idea of personality being shaped over time through experiences is the developmental perspective. This concept emphasizes that personality is not a static set of traits but rather evolves as individuals encounter various life experiences, relationships, challenges, and environmental influences. It recognizes that factors such as culture, family dynamics, education, and even significant life events play a critical role in shaping an individual's personality across different stages of life.

The developmental perspective is particularly relevant in understanding how personality traits can change or adapt over time, which is a key theme in theories that explore personality development, such as Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development. This idea contrasts sharply with the notion of static identity, which suggests a fixed set of traits that do not change, or the fixed traits concept that posits inherent personality features remain constant regardless of experiences. Behavioral dynamics also focuses more on the interactions between behavior and environment but does not specifically address the incremental changes in personality over time as the developmental perspective does.