The social environment refers to the various groups and social interactions going on in the groups of which the individual is a member. The human being although the most superior among animals is born the most helpless, unable to survive with continuous process of social interaction known as socialization. It is during the process that the individual learns to conform to the norms of his social group, acquires and performs various roles. He joins various groups which impose certain norms and a set of expectations on each member. The structure and size of the social group and the kind of social relations and interactions the individuals experiences influence the personality formation. His family structure determines the nature of the childs interpersonal experience, which in turn, is affected by the greater society. Through parental training, the child is prepared for efefctive adaptation to a changing social order. The size of the social group and the position or status one has a group affect his social experiences.

An only child will have experiences different from one who comes from a large family. The oldest child will have different experiences from that of the middle or that of the youngest in the same family. The extent to which various social processes like competition, conflict, cooperation or differentation that will exert influence depends on the nature of the social group. The individual is exposed to varying social experiences in the various social groups that he joins;these affects his attitudes and values. Likewise , the restraints which these social groups impose on him serve as a means of social control. thus, the kind of social groups and the social experiences the individual has, exert a great influence on his personality.