CONCEPT OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 2

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CONCEPTS OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

Definitions: Personality:DSM-IV-TR(APA,2000) Defines

Personality as” Enduring Patterns of perceiving ,relating to, and thinking about the environment and oneself”

Temperament: ”Refers to inborn personality characteristics that influence an individual’s manner of reacting to environment and ultimately his or her developmental progression.”(Chess &Thomas 1986)

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Theories of Personality Development Psychoanalytic Theory Sigmund Freud(1961) Psychosexual

development: - Father of psychiatry. - He believed that first 5 yrs of a child’s

life is most important…an individual’s basic character is formed by age 5.

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Components of Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory:

• Structure and dynamic of personality

• Topography of mind• Stages(psychosexual) of personality

development.

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Structure and Dynamic of Personality: 3 components of personality: - id “pleasure principle”…present at birth

- satisfy needs, & achieve immediate gratification

- id-driven behaviors are impulsive and may be irrational.

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Ego “Rational Self” or “Reality Principle”.

- Begins to develop between the age 4-6 month.

- Ego experiences the reality of external world, adapt to it and respond to it.

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As the ego develops and gains strength, it seeks to bring the influences of the external world to beer on the id to substitute the reality principles for the pleasure principle.

- Primary function for the ego is one of mediator …it strive to maintain harmony among the external world, the id , and the superego.

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Superego - Perfection principle - Development between age 3 and 6 yrs - Internalizes the values and morals set

forth by primary caregivers - Derives from a system of reward and

punishment.

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Components of superego: - ego ideals - consciencee.g. .. “ when a child is consistently

rewarded for “Good behavior” …. Then self esteem enhanced and the behavior becomes part of the ego ideal”, that it is internalized as part of his or her value system.

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- The conscience is formed when the child is consistently punished for “bad behavior”.

- the child learns that is considered morally right or wrong from feedback received from parental figures or from society or culture.

- When the superego becomes rigid and punitive problems with low self-esteem arise.

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Topography of the Mind: 1.The conscious Mind 2. The preconscious 3. The unconscious

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The conscious mind: - It includes all memories that remain

within an individual’s awareness, - It is the smallest of the three

categories. - Events are easily remembered e.g birth

dates, Tel.No., dates of special holidays. It is under the control of ego.

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Preconscious mind - Includes all memories that may have been

forgotten all, - Are not in present awareness but with attention can

readily recalled into consciousness. - e.g.. Tel. No and names that were once used

known) - The preconscious enhances awareness by helping to

suppress unpleasant and nonessential memories from consciousness

- Preconscious mind is under the control partially by superego.

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The unconscious mind: - Includes all memories that one is

unable to bring to consciousness. - It is the “largest” of the 3 categories. - Unconscious material consists of

unpleasant or nonessential memories that ,have been “Repressed” and can be retrieved only by or through therapy/hypnosis & with certain substances that alter the awareness.

- Unconscious material may emerge in Dreams & in seemingly incomprehensible behavior

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Dynamics of the Personality: - Freud believed that “Psychic Energy” is the force

or impetus required for mental functioning - Psychic energy originating in the id - Psychic energy fulfills basic physiological

needs(e.g.hunger,thirst, sex) - Freud called this psychic energy “libido”. - As the child matures,psychic energy is diverted

from the id to form the ego; it then moves from the ego to form the superego

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- Psychic energy is distributed withinid, ego, superego, with the ego retaining the largest share to maintain a balance between id impulsive behavior and the idealistic behaviors of the superego.

- If an excessive amount of psychic energy is stored in one of personality components, behavior will reflect that part of the personality.

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- For example:

… excessive psychic energy stored in the id ----- impulsive behavior .

… Over investment in the ego will reflect self-absorbed/narcissistic ,behaviors

… an excess within the superego ------ rigid, self depreciating behaviors

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Cathexis and anticathexis: - Freud used the term cahexis and

anticathexis to describe the forces within the id,ego,and superego.

- Cathexis: is the process by which the id invests energy into an object in attempt to achieve gratification .e.g a person who instinctively turns to alcohol to relieve stress .

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- Anticathexis: Is the use of psychic energy by the ego and the superego to control the use of alcohol with rational thinking. e.g “I already have peptic ulcer from drinking I will not drink ,I will call my doctor .

- conflict between cathexis and anticathexis ….. Tention and anxiety

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Freud’s Stages of Personality Development: - Freud placed much emphasis on the

first 5 yrs of life. - He believed that characteristics

developed during these early years bore heavily on one’s adaptation patterns and personality traits in adulthood.

- Fixation in early stage of development will almost certainly result in psychopathology.

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- Freud’s psychosexual personality development stages:

1.Oral stage: Birth ---18 months

2. Anal stage: 18 months ---- 3 yrs 3. Phallic stage: 3 --- 6 yrs 4. Latency stage: 6 ---- 12 yrs 5. Genital stage: 13 ---- 20 yrs

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INTERPERSONAL THEORY

Interpersonal Theory: “Harry Stack Sullivan”

- Sullivan believed that individual behavior and personality development are the direct result of interpersonal relationship.

- Sullivan’s major concepts

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Anxiety “is a feeling of emotional discomfort, and all behavior is aimed toward the relief or prevention of it”.

- Sullivan believed that anxiety is the “chief disruptive force in interpersonal relations and the main factor in the development of serious difficulties in living”.

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- Anxiety arises out of one’s inability to satisfy needs or achieve interpersonal security. Satisfaction of Needs: Interpersonal security The self –system… components.. - The “good me” - The “bad me” - The “not me”

The “good me”; is the part of the personality that develops in response to positive feedback from the primary caregiver

The “bad me”; is the part of the personality that develops in response to negative feedback from the primary caregiver… anxiety is experienced.. Feeling of discomfort, displeasure, and distress

The “not me”: is the part of the personality that develops in response to situations that produce intense anxiety in the child, feeling of horror, dread, these feelings then denied to alleviate anxiety, become “not me” but someone else

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Sullivan’s Stages of Personality Development: Birth to 18 months Infancy 18 months to 6 yrs Childhood 6 yrs to 9 yrs Juvenile 9 yrs to 12 yrs preadolescent 12 yrs to 14 yrs early adolescent 14 yrs to 21 yrs late adolescent

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THEORY OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Erikson described 8 stages of life cycle during which individuals struggle with developmental “crisis”

Specific tasks associated with each stage must be completed for resolution of the crisis and for the occurrence of emotional growth.

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Erikson’s Stages of Personality Development:

• Trust vs mistrust birth to 18 months

• Autonomy vs shame and doubt 18 months to 3 yrs

• Initiative vs guilt 3 to 6 yrs

• Industry vs inferiority 6 to 12 yrs

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• Identity vs role confusion 12 to 20 yrs

• Intimacy vs isolation 20 to 30 yrs

• Generativity vs stagnation 30 to 65 yrs

• Ego integrity vs despair 65 to death

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