Development of Personality

• Psychodynamic - Freud Theory of Psychosexual Development

  • Personality developing through five distinct stages
  • Theory of psychosexual development of the sexual drives
  • Childʼs personality emerges as a result of these developmental processes
  • By the age of 5 the basic adult personality is formed (crucial stages oral, anal, phallic) also id in this time (instinctual demands) which develops from birth
• Disruptions in childhood care

  Problems later in life e.g. attachment(first relationship with caregiver-trust)
• The ID

  Present at birth, temperament, the innate traits that are unconscious and instinctual. The ID does not depend on experiences.
• The ego

  Birth and 3 years old- the ego develops. The ego is the part of your personality that expresses the impulses of the ID and makes decisions on how to express feelings to the world.
• The superego

  Between ages 3 and 5 years old. "Inner voice,ˮ this part of your personality is an evolution of the ego that controls impulses but also contributes to conscious thought related to morality and self-criticism.
• Psychological disorders (anxiety)

  Imbalance among the motivations of the id, ego, and superego
• Freud Theory of Defence Mechanisms

  When the ego finds that the id is pressing too hard for immediate pleasure, it attempts to correct for this problem, often through the use of defence mechanisms - unconscious psychological strategies used to cope with anxiety and maintain a positive self-image. Today interventions target thoughts-CBT, mindfulness, psychodynamic therapy- help stop behaviours/thoughts.
• Eriksonʼs Stages of Psychosocial Development

  • Stage theorist modified Freudʼs theory into an eight-stage psychosocial theory of development (added culture)
  • Impact of social experience across the whole lifespan. Erikson was interested in how social interaction and relationships played a role in the development and growth of human beings
  • Personality develops in a series of stages throughout the lifespan
• Eriksonʼs Stages of Psychosocial Development

  • Success/mastery- psychological strengths and healthy personality
  • Unsuccessful- feelings of inadequacy + reduced ability to complete the next stages.

  
• Trauma (abuse, neglect, separation)

  Affect attachment relationships develop insecure attachment patterns, such as ambivalent, avoidant, or disorganised attachment, which can manifest as difficulties in forming and maintaining healthy relationships.
• Bowlby - founder attachment theory

  • Importance of child development and caregiver - infant relationship
  • Biological driven behaviour (crying, seeking proximity, clinging) seen in primates to feel safe and secure from danger and meeting needs of food and comfort
  • "Safe havenˮ explore the world
  • Develop schemes about yourself and others early - life course
• Ainsworth - experiment - The Stranger Situation

  • Ainsworth's research highlighted the importance of caregiver responsiveness and sensitivity in shaping attachment relationships.
  • Caregivers who are consistently responsive, emotionally available, and attuned to their infant's needs tend to foster secure attachment bonds. In contrast, caregivers who are insensitive, unresponsive, or inconsistently available may contribute to the development of insecure attachment patterns, insecurity, and attachment difficulties later in life.
• Attachment theory shows the critical role of early caregiving experiences in shaping infants' emotional development, sense of security, and trust in relationships. A secure attachment bond between infants and caregivers provides a foundation for healthy social and emotional development, whereas disruptions in caregiving can contribute to feelings of mistrust, insecurity, and attachment difficulties later in life.
• Alder - Parenting, Social and Creative Roles

  • Three basic concerns – work, friendship and love.
  • Parents - role of parents is to provide the child with accurate conceptions of all three.
  • Adler was the first theorist to stress the interactional nature of all relationships.
  • The motherʼs attitude towards her role is crucial. Satisfied or dissatisfied (competitive demands on lead to inferiority complex)
  • Adler 1964 fathers important - the father must be seen to treat his wife as an equal and cooperate with her.
  • Social interest - healthy adaptive personalities
  • Creative self - capacity to create your own unique personality by choices and goals.
• Alder - Inferiority Complex

  • Feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, and inferiority that individuals experience when they perceive themselves as being unable to meet the standards set by themselves or by others (childhood experiences, social pressures and comparisons)
  • Comes from childhood - see adults' greater skills
  • Drive for superiority motivates individuals to overcome their perceived weaknesses and achieve success in various domains of life, such as career, relationships, and personal goals.
  • Inferiority complex plays a significant role in shaping personality development- rise up or be crushed
  • Overcome the inferiority complex by fostering a sense of social interest, developing a positive self-image, and setting realistic goals for personal growth.
• Alder - Birth Order (1927)

  • Birth order contributed significantly to the development of an individualʼs style of life.
  • Each child is treated uniquely within the family depending on their order of birth.
• Learning Theory - Pavlov, Skinner, Watson, Dollard, Miller

  • Behaviour is learned (not inner motives)- we behave according to the situation and your past experiences in similar situation (outer forces)
  • Behaviour is learned by conditioning- positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment play key roles in shaping behaviour
• Learning Theory

  • Positive - giving praise to children who participate in games experiences
  • Negative - removing a loud games increases calm behaviour
  • Punishment - time out
• Social Learning Theory - Bandura

  • Behaviour is learned not only by consequences of our own actions (reinforcement), we learn from others
  • We learn from parents, peers and others who provide role models for children to learn mainly from observation
  • Model and imitate - Individuals are more likely to imitate behaviours that are performed by role models whom they perceive as similar, attractive, competent, or prestigious.
• Social Learning Theory

  • 1961 Bobo doll experiment 1961, researchers physically (hammer) and verbally abused a Bobo doll (clown-faced inflatable toy) in front of pre-school children, they mimicked the behaviour.
• Humanistic Personality Theory - Maslow and Rogers

  • Focus on personal growth. Human beings are seen to be motivated by a need to grow and develop in a positive way.
  • Human nature positive (Freudian innately aggressive and destructive).
  • Maslow - development in childhood is not explained but children should be given the freedom to develop according to their inner selves (or mental illness inner needs not met) without worrying overly about the past or the future.
• Hierarchy of Needs: Maslow

  • Self-actualisation is the final stage in the linear growth of an individual.
  • Maslow believed that in order to achieve this state of personal fulfilment, the person must first satisfy the preceding needs (i.e. physiological, safety, love/belonging, and esteem, in that order)
• Self-Actualisation: Maslow (1970)

  • SA people are creative, spontaneous, and loving of themselves and others.
  • They tend to have a few deep friendships rather than many superficial ones, and are generally private.
  • He felt that these individuals do not need to conform to the opinions of others because they are very confident and thus free to express unpopular opinions.
  • Self-actualised people are also likely to have peak experiences, or transcendent moments of tranquillity accompanied by a strong sense of connection with others.
• Rogers (1902 - 1987)

  • The focus in humanistic theories is on the here and now… MINDFULNESS
  • Within humanistic approaches, individuals are encouraged to savour the moment without worrying overly about the past or the future.
  • Rogers - people are moral and helpful by nature
  • Achieve emotional fulfilment… unconditional positive regard- a set of behaviours including being genuine, open to experience, transparent, able to listen to others, and self-disclosing and empathic.
  • Client centred therapy = empathy, genuine, own solutions
• Trait Approach to Personality: Big 3 + 5

  • Biology and inheritance (Eysenck) 75% and environment 25%
  • Inheritance and genes (Costa and McCrae)
  • Children and adolescents can be described in terms of personality traits which can be measured. Formed late adulthood.
  • Traits develop across our lives but are stable
  • Relate to educational, social and health outcomes.
• Biological Basis of Personality

  • Individual differences in personality traits are influenced by biological factors, including genetics, brain structure and function, neurotransmitter systems, and physiological processes.
  • Twin studies, adoption studies, genes-heritability of personality traits heritability estimates typically ranging from 30% to 50% for various personality traits.
  • Gene-Environment Interactions: genetics on personality is not deterministic. Environmental factors, such as parenting, socioeconomic status, and life experiences, interact with genetic predispositions to influence the expression of personality traits.
  • Evolutionary theory – survive and reproduce, natural selection,
• Temperment: De Pauw & Mervielde, 2010; De Pauw Mervielde, & Van Leeuwen, 2009

  • Born with a temperament (foundation) personality develops over time (genetics and environment). Temperament –approach and react to the world, does not change to life or environment.
  • How children respond to the world- mood, energy, emotional responsiveness
  • Models of child temperament (biologically based patterns of behaviour and emotion that appear within the first few years of life)
  • Four major trait dimensions: sociability, negative emotionality, persistence, and activity level
  • Goodness of fit- match between a childʼs temperament and their environment. Parenting to match.