Further, research on music theory has shown that students who receive higher praise or rewards for improved skills consistently outperform those who do not (Madsen, 2003). Such information suggests that motivation, a component of personality, is based on experiences with the rewards for specific behaviors. The concept that personality is based on experience suggests theorists such as Freud who suggest individuals are evil by nature, are incorrect. Since our experiences shape who we are, as even Freud pointed out (Nicholi, 2002), one becomes evil or good as a result of his or her life experiences. He or she does not consciously choose this alignment, but rather reacts to the alignment his or her experiences create. Thus, behaviors are not always conscious, but can simply be unconscious reactions to external forces, such as social, economic, or biological aspects. This is not to say one can not choose behavior, but rather, that he or she may not be consciously aware of all personality aspects. Our choices drive our alignment, but our experiences shape the basis for the start of that alignment.

Personality theories that focus on experiences as the base for human behavior also suggest the theory of teleology and final causation is incorrect. Teleology states there is a final cause inherent in all beings. This idea would suggest that one is not able to choose his or her path, but that all beings have specific purposes, those of the preservation of the self and the preservation of others (Carone, 1994). Since experiences shape personality, however, such a theory is unsupported. If teleology were true, all beings would focus on the care of self, or the care of others. Clearly, this is not the case, since there are individuals who choose personalities and behaviors that support neither the self nor the well...

I believe evidence from research, as well as evidence from previous theorists suggests personality is based on experiences, and the belief systems formed from those experiences. Previous psychologists such as Allport, Lewin, Pavlov, and even some aspects of Freudian theory support such a theory, as does much of the research surrounding altruism, motivation, interactions, and the nature of human behavior. While there are certainly other factors that can influence personality, such as chemical imbalances in the brain, developmental problems, and social influences, the primary focus of behavior is clearly experience based.
References

Batson, D.C. (1991). The altruism question: toward a social psychological answer. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Carone, G.R. (1994). Teleology and evil in 'Laws'. The Review of Metaphysics, 48(2): 275-280.

Cottingham, J.H. (2002). Descartes and the voluntariness of belief. The Monist, 85(3): 343-348.

Gold, D.T. (1989). New ideas in science. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 3(2), 103-112.

Hammond, D. (2003). The science of synthesis: exploring the social implications of general systems theory. Boulder, CO: University Press of Colorado.

Madsen, K.L. (2003). The effect of accurate/inaccurate teacher instruction, high/low teacher delivery, and on/off task students on musicians' evaluation of teacher effectiveness. Journal of Research in Music Education, 51(1): 25-34.

Nicholi, a.M. (2002, March). C.S. Lewis vs. Sigmund Freud on good and evil. The American Enterprise, 13(2): 26-29.

Wasserman, E.A. (1997). What's elementary about associative learning? Annual Review of Psychology, 48: 573-582.