The important characteristics or dimensions in which individuals differ from one another include the following:
(1) Physical Characteristics:
People differ in their physical characteristics such as weight, circumference, colour, size and shape of various parts of the body, etc.
image source: shcs.ucdavis.edu
ADVERTISEMENTS:
For example, one person is tall, the other is medium sized, the third is very short, one is too heavy, while other may be under-weight, one is white while the other is black or yellow or brownish, one has small slanted eyes while the other has broad eyes, etc.
(2) Psychological Characteristics:
People differ in their psychological functions such as blood pressure, contents of blood sugar, heart-rate, digestive, respiratory and circulatory functions, etc.
(3) Age and Maturity:
People differ in their age. We distinguish individuals from other as infant, baby, and child, adolescent, adult or an old person. According to the age levels, we find many differences in their various abilities, behaviour patters, level of understanding, sensory and motor abilities, etc. According to age, individuals are generally found to be more or less mature in various functions and abilities.
(4) Sex:
An individual may be a male or female. Sex of an individual determines many of his characteristics which differ from other person of different sex, e.g. body structure, behaviour pattern, personality, etc.
(5) Intelligence:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Some people have very high intellectual capacities while others are only average and still others are very low in intelligence.
(6) Aptitudes:
Aptitudes are the special abilities to develop certain skills with a little training. People differ widely in their special abilities.
(7) Interests and Motives:
Different individuals are interested in different things and activities. Similarly, motives of an individual differ in their strength.
(8) Attitudes:
The attitudes of different individuals toward the same object may be different e.g. one may be strongly favourable toward an object while the other may be just indifferent to it or may be strongly unfavourable to it.
(9) Personality Pattern:
ADVERTISEMENTS:
This is the most important dimension of individual differences in psychology. Each person has his characteristic ways of reacting to various situations he may show certain personality characteristics strongly while in others he may be low.