THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT CONDITION THE INTELLECTUAL AND BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT OF AN INDIVIDUAL.

1. Reflexes. These are inborn automatic responses to simple localized stimulation involving particular muscles and parts of the body. The automatic withdrawal of a foot upon steeping on a live charcoal is an example. An individual with quick reflexes learns fast action skills such as dancing, calisthenics, games of volleyball, basketball, and the like.
2. Drives, needs, wants, urges. These are inborn urges and tendencies and wants. Some refer to these instincts as drives. Drives include hunger, thirst, lust or sex, rest, etc. which creates tensions in the individual. These tendencies develop motives which determine the actions and reactions of an individual towards certain situations. These motives give rise to ambitions which motivate individuals to exert efforts to attain their goals. The greater the urge or desire, the greater the effort exerted and the possibility of success is greater.
3. Capacities and special aptitudes. These include all those latent potentialities that an individual possesses which are developed through the process of education. Besides general capacity and intelligence, an individual possess certain special talents or aptitudes, such as those for mathematics, sciences, art, music and the like. In addition, effort making capacity is also an important trait of san individual. Taking all other things equal, one with greater effort making capacity learns and develops faster than one with lesser; making capacity.

Temperament or emotion. This refers to certain emotional predispositions of an individual. Some emotional patters such as rage, some forms of fear, and lust (sex) are inborn. One with a poor temperament, one who is easily irritated and emotionalized even with trivial matters, will have many social as well as learning problems that may retard his learning progress. Emotional stability and emotional maturity are important assets in the development of one’s capabilities