Psychology Chapter on Personality Development

Learning Objectives

• Define Personality
• Explain theories of personality development
• Compare different Personality Types
• Devise strategies to work with different personalities

Personality Definition

• The distinctive and characteristic patterns of behavior, emotions, and thinking that define an individual's personal style and influence interactions with the environment
• Stable over time, evident since adolescence, and recognizable to acquaintances in different environments

Key Concepts

• Temperament: Hereditary aspects of personality (e.g., sensitivity, irritability, moodiness, friendliness)
• Personality Trait: A stable, enduring quality exhibited in most situations (e.g., friendliness, competitiveness, sociability)
• Personality Type: A style of personality defined by a group of related traits (e.g., introvert, extrovert)
• Self-Concept: A person's perception of their own personality traits. Can be positive or negative and influences personal adjustment
• Self-Esteem: A positive evaluation of oneself, viewing oneself as worthwhile

Comparison of Personality Types

• Extroversion: Obtains gratification from external stimuli, enjoys human interaction, is enthusiastic, talkative, assertive, energized, and gregarious. Prefers time with others and experiences boredom when alone.
• Introversion: Primarily focused on internal mental life, takes pleasure in solitary activities (reading, writing, using computers, hiking, fishing). Analytical and thoughtful before speaking; may be overwhelmed by too much social stimulation.

Comparison of Personality Types (Continued)

• Type A Personality: Competitive, achievement-oriented, sense of urgency, prone to anger and hostility; linked to heart disease, depression, and a shorter lifespan.
• Type B Personality: Easygoing, non-competitive, placid, and cool; associated with a longer lifespan.

Perspectives in Personality Development

• Intellectual/Cognitive Development (e.g., Jean Piaget)
• Psychosexual Development
• Social Development

How Personality is Formed

• No single definitive answer on the extent to which genetics and hereditary factors versus upbringing, environment, and experience shape personality exists.
• Research suggests both nature and nurture play a role, with approximately half/half influences in most cases, but variable results person to person.
• Personality changes throughout life.

Intellectual or Cognitive Development (Jean Piaget)

• Children are active learners, constructing schemas about the world and assimilating and accommodating new information
• Schemas (theories) are adapted for new situations (assimilation) or amended to fit new information (accommodation)

Psychodynamic Approach to Personality (Sigmund Freud)

• The best-known psychodynamic approach to understanding personality.
• Suggests that conscious, preconscious, and unconscious (repressed) levels of the mind interact and significantly inform personality

Freudian Theory of the Personality

• The id (primitive, innate desires), ego (logic and reason), superego (moral standards)
• Internal conflict between id, ego, and superego can influence personality

Psychosexual Stages

• Oral (birth to 18 months): Erogenous zone = mouth; fixation results in dependent, attention-seeking, or aggressive personalities, and can manifest in later life as overeating, alcoholism or smoking.
• Anal (18 months to 3 years): Erogenous zone = anus; fixation results in either a rigid, orderly, compulsively clean or a disorderly, destructive, and cruel personality.
• Phallic (3 to 5 years): Erogenous zone = genitals; fixation potentially contributes to aspects of narcissism and disturbed relationships.
• Latency (6 years to puberty): Psychosexual development pauses.
• Genital (puberty onward): Person successfully negotiates prior stages, entering a mature adult phase.

Psychosocial Stages (Erik Erikson)

• Trust vs. Mistrust (birth to 18 months): Cultivating trust or suspicion through relationships and caregiving
• Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (18 months to 3 years): Developing independence or feelings of inadequacy.
• Initiative vs. Guilt (3 to 5 years): Developing a sense of purpose or feelings of inadequacy.
• Industry vs. Inferiority (6 to 12 years): Developing competence or feelings of inadequacy
• Identity vs. Role Confusion (12 to 20 years): Developing a sense of self or confusion regarding personal identity.
• Intimacy vs. Isolation (20 to 40 years): Developing intimate relationships or feelings of isolation
• Generativity vs. Stagnation (40 to 65 years): Contributing to the development of future generations or stagnation.
• Ego Integrity vs. Despair (65+ years): Accomplishing meaning and sense of completion or despair.

Personality Disorders

• Enduring, deeply ingrained maladaptive patterns of behavior or inner experience that deviate from cultural expectations
• Manifest in various ways, including perceiving self and others, mood, and impulse control.
• These patterns often cause significant impairment in social or occupational functioning and can cause either distress to the individual, or to others.
• The DSM groups personality disorders into Clusters A (odd/eccentric), B (dramatic/erratic), and C (anxious/fearful).

Conclusion

• Understanding diverse personalities enhances understanding of thoughts and emotions.
• Self-understanding is improved.
• Acceptance and interaction with others is increased.