Developmental Theories

• Sigmund Freud (1856 – 1939) was a theorist who had a great impact on Western thought.
• Freud’s theory states that maturation of the sex instinct underlies stages of personality development, and that the manner in which parents manage children’s instinctual impulses determines the traits that children display.
• The three components of personality according to Freud are: the Animal in Man, which lacks a sense of right or wrong and contains primitive desires; the EGO, which refers to the self and reflects higher functions of man such as memory, orientation, reasoning, intellectual capacity, and judgment; and the Superego, which refers to the conscience and the ego ideal.
• The Superego is the last to develop, as children learn the values of their parents and gain a moral understanding of the world.
• Freud’s Psychosexual Theory suggests that personality development occurs through the resolution of sexual conflicts.
• According to Freud, when children are born, their minds are entirely “id”, and as they try and fail things, learning what is acceptable in society, they develop an “ego”.
• Virtue associated with the task of competence is emerging confidence in own abilities and taking pleasure in accomplishments.
• The task of virtue is the beginning development of conscience, learning to manage conflict and anxiety.
• A significant person in the context of competence is an opposite sex peer or teacher.
• Virtue associated with the task of fidelity is forming an adult, loving relationship and meaningful attachments to others.
• Virtue refers to the task of achieving a sense of control and free will.
• A significant person in the context of love is a husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend.
• Virtue associated with the task of love is forming adult, loving relationships and meaningful attachments to others.
• A significant person in the context of virtue is a family member.
• Virtue associated with the task of wisdom is accepting responsibility for oneself and life.
• A significant person in the context of fidelity is a husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend.
• A significant person in the context of virtue is a peer or teacher.
• The “superego” is the last to develop, as children learn the values of their parents and gain a moral understanding of the world.
• The phallic stage in personality development occurs from 3 to 6 years and is characterized by castration fears, penis envy, masturbation/exhibitionism, sibling rivalry, Oedipal and Electra Complexes, and explorative "why".
• Residuals of the phallic stage include sexual deviations and the superego is developed.
• The oral stage is the foundation of personality development.
• The oral stage in personality development occurs from birth to 1 year and is characterized by crying, swallowing, thumb sucking, nail biting, and a sense of trust and need for security.
• Residuals of the oral stage include overeating, talkativeness, gossiping, smoking/drinking alcohol, and chewing gums.
• Residuals of the anal stage include rigidity, meticulousness, perfectionism, hoarding/collecting, and compulsive cleaning.
• The anal stage is characterized by toilet training and is the stage where a good mother is identified.
• The genital stage in personality development occurs above 12 years and is characterized by a heterosexual stage, emergence of lust, orgasm, a sense of identity, ambivalence, struggle for independence, support systems, and capacity for true intimacy.
• The anal stage in personality development occurs from 1 to 3 years and is characterized by temper tantrums, a sense of independence, negativism and stubborn "no", punishment and cleanliness, and bedwetting/bowels/bladder (toilet training).
• The phallic stage is characterized by identification with a girl to a father and a boy to a mother.
• Payba, MSN, RN, is a faculty member at Manila Doctors College of Nursing.
• The latency stage in personality development occurs from 6 to 12 years and is characterized by sublimation of sexual drive to school acts, school phobia, a sense of industry, and focus on best friends/group success.
• Residuals of the latency stage include school dropout and social loneliness.