ASIAN INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER STUDIES-CEBU

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MODULE

1st SEMESTER SY 2021-2022
SUBJECT: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

MODULE 1: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Name: ____________________________________________ Grade & Section: _____________________
I. OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this modules, the students will be able to:
a. understand and explain on their own words what personal development is;
b. relate the concept of personal development in their own experience as an adolescent; and
c. make a timeline on their adolescence using their photos.
II. ACTIVITY
Direction: Make a list of the current hobbies or interests you have and it’s explanation. Write your
answers on the box below. (10 pts)

III. READING
Human Development and Personal Development
The three aspects or domains of human development according to Papalia and Feldman 2012.
1. physical development refers to the growth of the body and the brain, motor and sensory skills, and even
physical health;
2. cognitive development refers to our capacity to learn, to speak, to understand, to reason, and to create;
and
3. psychosocial development refers to our social interactions with other people, our emotions, attitudes,
self -identity, personality, belies, and values.

While human development covers the whole lifespan of human existence in relation to the three
domains, personal development is one’s own development and growth within the context of the three
aspects of human development. Human development is also influenced by:
 heredity or the inborn traits passed on by the generations of offsprings from both sides of the
biological parent’s families;
 environment is the world outside of ourselves and the experiences that result from our contact and
interaction with this external world; and
 maturation is the natural progression of the brain and the body that affects the cognitive (thinking
and intelligence), psychological (emotion, attitude, and self-identity), and social (relationships)
dimensions of a person’s development is most pronounced during his childhood and adolescence
stages.

Prepared by: Jenny Rose A. Casinillo, LPT

ASIAN INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER STUDIES-CEBU
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MODULE
1st SEMESTER SY 2021-2022
SUBJECT: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Is it personality development or personal development?

You must be familiar with the term personality development and must have heard
of learning places where you could enroll to learn skills like table etiquette, how to sit
properly and walk with grace, how to dress up appropriately, how to communicate
better. In some personality development centres, they also offer sessions that deal with
oneself and how one relates with others. Training in these skills bring about noticeable
transformation and improvement in one’s personality.

Many associated businesses have sprung up around the world as a result of

personality development. Image enhancement encompasses things like skin care and make-up, fashion
and clothing, and even body contouring; modeling and beauty pageants; and many more.

If personality development is all about these things mentioned above, then what is personal
development? Let us see how the words “personal”, “personality’ and “development” are commonly
defined. We will use the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary to serve as our reference.

The word personal is defined as:

 belonging or relating to a particular person;
 made or design to be used by one person;
 someone whose job involves working for or helping a particular person; and
 of, relating to, or affecting a particular person.

Here are some examples given for the word personal:

 This is just my personal personal opinion.
 I can only tell you that I know from personal experience.
 We do not accept personal checks.

The word personality, on the other hand, is defined as:

 the set of emotional qualities, ways of heading, etc., that makes a person different from other people;
 Attractive qualities (such as energy, friendliness, and humor) that make a person interesting or
pleasant to be with;
 distinction or excellence of personal and social traits; also a person having such quality; and
 a person of importance, prominence, renown, or notoriety.

Some examples that are given for the word personality are:
 He has a very pleasant personality.
 We all have different personality.
 He has many personality.
 He wants to buy a car that has personality.

Prepared by: Jenny Rose A. Casinillo, LPT

ASIAN INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER STUDIES-CEBU
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MODULE
1st SEMESTER SY 2021-2022
SUBJECT: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

 She has met many television personalities.

 He was an influential personality in genetic engineering.

And finally, the word development is defined as:

 the act or process of growing or causing something to grow or become larger or more advanced;
 the act or process of creating something over a period of time; and
 the state of being created or made more advanced.

From these definition, we can see that there is a major difference between personal and personality.
In this module, we will explore together what personal development is all about, and why this is important
in our lives.

Human nature is very complex. There is one singular school of thought in any form of scientific study,
including psychology, which can completely and satisfactorily define human nature. Although similar to
many other living things organisms that go through the process of birth, growth, development,
regeneration, and death, human beings are different as we possess more complex abilities such as self -
awareness, analytical thinking, self - evaluation, motivation, decision - making, and reflective thought.
These capabilities, beyond mere survival instincts, are what distinguish the human species from the rest
of the physical world.

Human beings have the sole capacity to reflect upon itself, and in the process develop self-awareness,
become motivated, and then desire to grow and change for the better;
and are prompted to mature and improve until it reaches its desired
level development. It is, therefore, natural for human beings to develop
toward maturity and fullness (Carl Rogers 1961).
Zorka Hereford in her book, 9 Essential Life Skills - A Guide for
Personal Development and Self Realization, defined personal
development as “the process of striving to be the best that you can be
in order to reach and realize your full potential. It is a journey of self -
discovery, self - improvement, and self - realization.”

Origins of Personal Development

When the first Homo sapiens walked the face of the world, the evolution of our concept of human
development may have begun ages ago. The cavemen who created figures on their cave walls attempted
to tell stories about their hunting adventures.
Drawing can be viewed as an attempt at narrative and creative expression.
Questions regarding the identity and what it meant to be human began to be asked during the time of
Western philosophers, particularly Greek scholars.

Prepared by: Jenny Rose A. Casinillo, LPT

ASIAN INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER STUDIES-CEBU
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MODULE
1st SEMESTER SY 2021-2022
SUBJECT: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

In Republic which some consider to be the greatest work on the

philosophy of education, Plato argued that building character, as much as
intelligence, is what education is all about. Even during the early times of
human development and civilization, there was already an attempt to link
individual development with social responsibility (Explaining Personal and
Social Development” by the Young Adult Learners Partnership, Queen’s
Printer 2003).

This could be the seeds of personal development in Western thinking

that eventually evolved into the Human Potential Movement in the 1960s influenced by the popular
philosophies at the time: existentialism and humanistic psychology.

Eastern thought may have understood personal development through another concept. The great
Chinese being will always desire to become the “superior man”, not just to his peers and followers, but
to himself most especially. He envisioned what Confucius must have understood as a consequence of
personal development (The Ethics of Confucius, Chapter 1: What Constitutes a Superior Man?)”.

Religious
practices such as self-
discipline, meditation,
prayer, physical
exercises such as yoga
and fasting, and
creative acts of
expression like as singing, dancing, and acting may have influenced
personal growth.

Psychology and Personal Development

Psychology, being the study of human thinking and behavior serve as a foundation for personal
development.
The school of thought that gave birth to today's idea of personal development
began in the 1950s with the rise of Humanistic and Positive Psychology, which focused on personal
progress and meaning as a means of realizing one's full potential.
The two proponents of humanistic Psychology were Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. While
Maslow theorized the five stages of human development based on a hierarchy of needs, peaking in what
he termed as “self-actualization”, Carl Rogers, in his psychotherapy practice, theorized that the “individual
has within himself the capacity and the tendency, latent if not evident, to move forward toward maturity”
(On Becoming a Person, p. 35).

Prepared by: Jenny Rose A. Casinillo, LPT

ASIAN INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER STUDIES-CEBU
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MODULE
1st SEMESTER SY 2021-2022
SUBJECT: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

As Humanistic Psychology waned in the late 1970s, it was eventually revived decades later. Martin
Seligman, a noted psychologist and president of the American Psychological Association, realized how
psychology, after the Second World War, puts more emphasis in diagnosis, treating, and preventing
psychological disorders and therefore focusing on a disease model of human nature. Martin Seligman
and Mihay Csikzentmihalyi helped refocus this emphasis of psychology from a disease model toward
what is good and positive about human persons and their desire to achieve their potentials. Positive
psychology also created a balance between what humanistic psychology emphasized that human nature
is basically good, while adding that human nature includes both the positive and the negative aspects. In
short, positive strengths, as well as its inadequacies and weaknesses (Peterson 2006).

The Positive Psychology Center of University of Pennsylvania defines Positive Psychology as the
scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The field
is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best
within them, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.

Personal Development in Adolescence

While personal development falls within the realm of psychology, it cannot be detached from the
development of the brain and rest of physical body.
Adolescence is the transition period between childhood and early adulthood. Although scientists and
psychologist may slightly differ in pegging the exact age of adolescence, it is widely believed to be between
ages 11 to 12, and lasting to about 18 years of age (Feist and Rosenburg 2012).
In the Philippines context, authors Corpuz, Lucas, Borabo, and Lucido (2010) defined the three stages
of adolescence as:

Prepared by: Jenny Rose A. Casinillo, LPT

ASIAN INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER STUDIES-CEBU
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MODULE
1st SEMESTER SY 2021-2022
SUBJECT: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

*Early adolescence - between 10 - 13 years of age

*Middle adolescence - between 14 - 16 years of age
*Late adolescence - between 17 - 20 years of age

Biological changes bring about cognitive (thinking and reasoning) and affective (feelings and
emotions) changes. The child, who has reached adolescence, is now capable of reasoning about abstract
concepts and problems (Piaget) at this point, the adolescent become more inquisitive about things like
philosophy, religions, and politics. This is also the stage when they begin to ask questions about their
identity. Relationships with family and friends are also affected by puberty during adolescence. Friends
become the center of relationships more than family.

Spirituality and Religious Beliefs in Personality Development

As we have discussed personal development in the psychological, social and biological context, it is
also important to consider the spirituality and religious beliefs of a person, and how these influence
personal development. According to research study conducted among US teens, the formation of one’s
identity includes attitudes about religion. This reflection is left to the student to find out how his or her
religious beliefs influence one’s identity development and understanding of personal development.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

IV. EVALUATION
ESSAY. Write down your thoughts on the questions. If your responses are detailed, you can use a
separate sheet of paper. (15 pts)
1. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, where do you find yourself? What needs are being met? What
needs are not yet being met? What do you have to do to fulfill your needs so that you can move
closer toward self-actualization?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2. What were your personal adolescent experiences in terms of how you think, reason, feel, and
express yourself?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. What do you mean by personal development, in your opinion?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Prepared by: Jenny Rose A. Casinillo, LPT

ASIAN INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER STUDIES-CEBU
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MODULE
1st SEMESTER SY 2021-2022
SUBJECT: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

V. REFLECTION
“When Puberty Hits Me”
Make a timeline of your adolescence on a short size bondpaper. This should include all of your
images from the time you were a newborn until now and write a short description. (20 pts)

VI. REFERENCES
Santos, R. R. (2016). Personal Development Manila: REX Bookstore

“If you intentionally want to become a less significant person than your abilities allow,
I warn you that you will be deeply unhappy all your life.” – Abraham Maslow

Prepared by: Jenny Rose A. Casinillo, LPT