Personality, Emotion, Mood and Attitude
Introduction
The factors of personality, emotion, mood and attitude are closely related to each other. These all are categories, many theorists in psychology, linguistics and sociology operate with.In this paper I will regard the definitions, descriptions, and examples of each of the factor. Due to the number of researches in this field, these categories have many definitions, examples and descriptions, and each of them is unique. The most of the researchers relate these factors to the inner world of the personality, while underlining that for the better state of mind and feelings a person should live in harmony with their inner world.
For definitions, descriptions and examples of the terms ‘personality’, ‘emotion’, ‘mood’, ‘attitude’ I will use online Oxford Dictionary, online Psychological Glossary, the researches by theorists Carol S. Dweck, R. J. Maiden and the information by the other web-sources. All these sources will be critically evaluated and carefully analyzed.The paper will consist of an introduction, 4 sections of the main body, and conclusions.
In the section for the conclusions the issues of relative the collected information concerning personality, emotion, mood and attitude to the workplace will be discussed. The object of the paper is to identify the relations between these psychological categories and the ability to make decisions and work productively at the workplace.
I. Personality
In Oxford Dictionary the term ‘personality’ is defined as: 1) “the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character”; 2) “a celebrity or famous person”; 3) “the quality or fact of being a person as distinct from a thing or animal”; 4) “disparaging remarks about an individual” (Oxford Dictionaries 2013).Psychology Glossary defines the term ‘personality’ as “a person’s unique behavioral and cognitive patterns” or as “a person’s unique consistent pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting”.
(Psychology Glossary 2013). The examples of personalities are shy behavior and outgoing behavior. The first personality tends to be introspective and the latter is defined as extroverted and outgoing. For the types of personalities are stable patterns which are not easy to be changed, still the possibility of corrections in behavior, emotions, thoughts is under the discussion between the theorists in psychology and sociology.Carol S. Dweck regards that personality can be changed when beliefs change.
(Dweck 2008). Robert J. Maiden points out that “personality can change as people attempt to adapt to their changing circumstances.” (Maiden 1999).The personalities of people are cases very sensitive. Even if people try to adapt to the changing circumstances and their personality changes it appears to be very significant for the person’s future life and behavior.
In any case, for people it is very important to be one and unique personality in every situation of their life. It is very harmful to be shy at home and an outgoing person at home. If people hide their energy and nature in case of need, it is not good for psychological health.Personality is a very important issue which is usually formed with the person’s groing up. Being who you are, staying in harmony with your inner world and personality is a very important issue.
II. Emotion
Emotion is a concept that is the most difficult to define. Many theorists define it in their own way, and through the psychological literature there are more than 90 definitions of emotions.In Oxford Dictionary the term ‘emotion’ is defined as “a strong feeling deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others” or “instinctive or intuitive feeling as distinguished from reasoning or knowledge” (Oxford Dictionaries 2013). Psychology Glossary defines the term ‘emotion’ as “a response by a whole organism, involving (1) physical arousal, (2) expressive behaviors, and (3) conscious experience.” (Psychology Glossary 2013)Like there are many definitions of emotions, there are many examples of emotions.
In different periods of life experience people may feel different emotions – positive and negative. Happiness, euphoria, hope, empathy, desire, pride, joy, gratitude, empathy belong to positive emotions. Sadness, frustration, irritation, jealousy, shame, fear, grief, doubt, envy, guilt, depression, despair belong to the negative emotions.Emotion is an integral part of every person’s life experience. People feel positive emotions when everything in their life goes well, if they feel others need them, if they achieve goals, love someone or just feel harmony with their inner world.
Negative emotions are the issues opposite, and people feel them when something in their lives goes wrong. One is definite – none can live without emotions, either positive or negative.While in some researches’ opinion personality can hardly be changed, emotions can change if the life situation changes. For example, a person meets a dangerous tiger in a jungle. Of course, they feel fear.
If a person fall in love with somebody, for some moments in their life they feel euphoria. If a person does something wrong, they feel guilt. If a person achieves their goal, they feel joy and happiness.So, various emotions are needed, as everything happens for a reason, and every emotion also happens for a reason.
III. Mood
In Oxford Dictionary the term ‘mood’ is defined as 1) “a temporary state of mind or feeling (the atmosphere or pervading tone of something); (especially of music) inducing or suggestive of a particular feeling or state of mind); 2) “an angry, irritable, or sullen state of mind” (Oxford Dictionaries 2013)In Psychology Glossary the term “mood” is described as “an overall feeling or mental state such as happiness, anger, tension, or anxiety.
“. (Psychology Glossary 2013).The web-resource ‘Vibrational Alignment’ states that the mood “is a way of generalizing how someone is feeling without specifically naming the emotion present.” (Vibrational Alignment 2010).So, mood is a general term by which the state of mind is understood. Sometimes when people say like “Why you are so moody?”, it is clear that they mean “Why you are so sad?”.
In the English language the word ‘moody’ means ‘sad’, ‘unhappy’.The difference between mood and emotion is that emotioon is formed for a reason of life situation, in most cases – unexpectedly; and mood is formed on the basis of the complex of emotions. Some people when in bad mood can not really live normal life, just as they think negatively, depressively. In order to change bad mood, it is sometimes worth seeing a good movie, listen good music to relax, or just make a conversation with a good friend.
III. Attitude
In Oxford Dictionary the term ‘attitude’ is defined as: 1) “a settled way of thinking or feeling about something”; 2) “a position of the body indicating a particular mental state”; 3) “Ballet a position in which one leg is lifted behind with the knee bent at right angles and turned out, and the corresponding arm is raised above the head, the other extended to the side”; 4) “informal, chiefly North American truculent or uncooperative behavior”; 5) “individuality and self-confidence”; 5) “the orientation of an aircraft or spacecraft, relative to the direction of travel.
” (Oxford Dictionaries 2013)In Psychology Glossary the term “attitude” is described as “an affective feelings of liking or disliking toward an object (which can be basically anything) that has an influence on behavior” (Psychology Glossary 2013) In the minds of the majority of people there are two attitudes to things, situations and people – positive or negative, as people do not like something or not. Some researchers define attitude as complex of behavior, feelings and cognition.Attitude is relative to emotions and mood. Moreover, attitude to things depends on the type of personality. For example, it is well-known that optimists usually see all the things, people and situations in positive perspective, while pessimists regard everything in a negative way.
Of course, for people with positive attitude towards everything it is easier to live, as they try to operate wisely in every situation, even which is related to the negative emotions. All that happens is done for good in the future, and every problem and trouble seem to be possible to solve for the people with positive attitude to life.
Conclusion
How Personality, Emotion, Mood and Attitude Are Relative To The Workplace?Personality, emotion, mood and attitude factors are closely related to the workplace. For example, for introverts it is better to choose profession which is related to the paperwork or fulfilling commands, and otherwise, for extroverts it is better to work as managers and directors that predetermines working and communicating with people.When people experience positive emotions, their work is more productive than if they tend to experience negative emotions.
Mood is also important for the productiveness of the work; as if people are moody they can not work well and provide the company with the best results.For the management of every company it is necessary to inspire workers for the good attitude to work. It is well-known fact that if people do not like their work, they are often in a bad mood, and the productiveness of the work is very low. Otherwise, if people like their work, their attitude to colleagues, managers and directors are better, and the better are the results of work.That is why before hiring a worker it is better to give him a paper test, after that it is possible to know if a person and a job are compatible.
