Theories of Personality - Post-Freudian Theory PDF

THEORIES OF PERSONALITY LESSON 7 PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORIES: passed, he dropped his middle name and replaced it with the initial ‘H’ POST-...

THEORIES OF PERSONALITY LESSON 7 PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORIES: passed, he dropped his middle name and replaced it with the initial ‘H’ POST-FREUDIAN THEORY Had previously been called Erik Salomonsen, Erik Homburger, and Erik Erik Erikson Homburger Erikson. Brief Biography OVERVIEW OF THE THEORY Born on June 15, 1902 in Frankfurt, Germany Extended Freud’s infantile developmental Born to an unmarried Danish mother, stages into adolescence, adulthood, and old Karla Abrahamsen, and a father who age abandoned the family before Erikson’s Placed more emphasis on both social and birth which left him with a strong sense of historical influences identity crisis Different societies, with variations in child In his youth, Erikson traveled through Europe, rearing practices tend to shape often living a nomadic lifestyle and working in personalities various capacities. Identity Crisis Eventually moved to Vienna, Austria, in the 1920s, where he became acquainted with A turning point in one’s life that may either the field of psychoanalysis strengthen or weaken personality. He studied under the guidance of Anna Freud which allowed him to gain a deeper THE EGO IN POST-FREUDIAN THEORY understanding of Freudian concepts In Erikson’s theory, the concept of ego play a and psychoanalytic theory. central and distinctive role. In 1933, Erikson and his family left Europe Body Ego due to the rise of Nazism and settled in the United States. Physical aspect of the self In the U.S, he continued his research and Represents an individual’s awareness of their began to expand upon Freud’s own body and its presence in the world psychoanalytic framework, ultimately Encompasses bodily sensations and physical developing his own theory of psychosocial experiences development It is through the body ego that individuals His experiences and upbringing provide develop a sense of agency and bodily him with a deep appreciation of human awareness which are essential for exploring identity, which became a central theme in his and interacting with the external world. theory He died May 12, 1994 Ego Ideal No college degree. brought up by his mother and stepfather, but Psychological representation of an individual’s remained uncertain of his biological father. aspirations and ideals Ventured away from home during late Encompasses internalized standards and adolescence, adopting the life of a wandering values that a person aspires to achieve artist of poet Shaped by cultural, familial, and societal After almost 7 years, he returned home influences. confused, exhausted, and depressed Ego Identity While undergoing analytic treatment under Anna Freud, he stressed that his most difficult Represents an individual’s overall sense of self problem was searching for the identity of Encompassing the conscious awareness of who his biological father they are, what stand for, and where they fit in Had four children (Kai, Jon, Neil, and Sue) the world with Joan Serson. Developed through the integration of personal Failed to take good care of his son, Neil, who experiences, values, and aspirations. was born with Down Syndrome Told his other three children that their brother SOME KEY POINTS had died at birth (he lied to them as much as Psychological Conflicts his mother had lied to him about the identity Each stage in Erikson’s theory is associated of his bological father) with a specific conflict or challenge that must Though his mother’s lie had distressed him be successfully resolved for healthy greatly, he failed to understand that his development, the ego’s role is to manage and lie about Neil might later distress his operate these conflicts other children. Success in resolving these conflicts leads to the In America, he changed his name from acquisition of certain virtues or strengths. Homburger to Erikson, which served as a retreat from his earlier Jewish identification Development of Ego Identity He used his full name - Erik Homburger Erikson in his books and essays, as time Encompasses an understanding of one’s abilities, roles, values, and beliefs 1 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY LESSON 7 Shaped through the ego’s interaction with the One component part arises out of another and psychosocial challenges at each developmental has its own time of ascendancy, but it does not stage. entirely replace earlier components. children crawl before they walk, walk before Integration with Social and Cultural factors they run, run before they jump. Ego’s role in resolving psychosocial conflicts is STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL closely tied to the social and cultural context in DEVELOPMENT which an individual lives Ego’s development is influenced by the surrounding culture, societal expectations, and Syntonic Harmonious interactions with others element This distinguishes Erikson’s theory from Dystonic Disruptive Freud’s more individual-centered approach. element Both harmonious and disruptive, syntonic and SOCIETY’S INFLUENCES dystonic are necessary for proper adaptation. Sociocultural Context Conflict between syntonic and dystonic The manner of resolving the conflicts of each elements produces an ego quality or ego stage of development is significantly strength, which Erikson referred as a basic influenced by the culture and society in which strength. an individual is situated. Too little basic strength at any stage results in a core pathology for that stage. Identity Formation Infancy (Oral-sensory mode) Erikson believed that identity is not merely an inner process but is linked to a person’s Is my world predictable and supportive? experiences, interactions, and cultural norms First year of life that surround them. Parallel to Freud’s oral phase Social Expectations Modes of incorporation: receiving and accepting. Society dictates expectations and standards for behavior, roles, and accomplishments at Basic Trust Vs. Basic Mistrust different stages of life. Infants are entirely dependent on their Support and Resources caregivers for everything they need Primary caregiver, usually the mother The amount of support and resources available If mother provides food regularly and has within a society can either facilitate or hinder a exciting visual environment, child will learn person’s progress through the stages of basic trust psychosocial development. No correspondence will lead to basic mistrust. Cultural Variations Hope Cultural variations exist in how individuals Emerges from the conflict between basic trust experience and address psychosocial conflicts and basic mistrust o Ex: identity formation in an By having both painful and pleasurable individualistic society may differ from experiences, child will learn that future how it is developed in a collectivist distresses will meet with satisfactory society. outcomes. Impact on basic strengths Withdrawal Successful resolution of psychosocial conflict Core pathology of infancy leads to the acquisition of a “basic strength” or Retreat from the outside world virtue These basic strengths are nurtured within the Early Childhood (Anal-urethral-muscular social and cultural context of the individual. mode) EPIGENETIC PRINCINPLE Can I do things on myself or must I always rely on Outlines the notion that human development others? follows a predetermined and sequential path, Parallel to Freud’s anal phase where each stage builds upon the preceding Mastering body functions/mobility (urinating, one walking, throwing, holding) not just mastering Suggests that individuals go through a series of sphincter muscles life stages, each associated with a specific Self-control and control of interpersonal range, and these stages unfold in a particular environment. and fixed order 2 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY LESSON 7 Autonomy Vs. Shame and Doubt Inertia Time for self-expression Core pathology of school age Negativism is evident when child is struggling Give up and regress to an earlier stage of to have his autonomy development. Trust from mother = faith in themselves Shame and doubt occurs when faced with Adolescence (Puberty) excessive criticisms Who am I and where am I going? Will Genital maturation Beginning of free will One of the most crucial developmental stages Develop when environment allows the child to Person must gain a firm sense of ego identity express him/herself. Period of trial and error Compulsion Identity Vs. Identity Confusion Core pathology of early childhood Find out who they are or who they are not Play Age (genital-locomotor mode) Explore new roles to help them discover their identities Am I good or am I bad? Occupational, ideological, and sexual. Parallel to Freud’s phallic phase Fidelity Locomotion, language, skills, curiosity, imagination Faith in one’s ideology Oedipus and castration complexes are not to No longer need parental guidance. be taken literally Play shows both initiative and imagination. Role Repudiation Initiative Vs. Guilt Core pathology of adolescence Blocks one’s ability to synthesize various self- Children become more active in play and images which take in the forms of: engage in imaginative and exploratory Diffidence (extreme lack of self-trust) activities Defiance (act of rebelling against authority) Learn to take initiative in their actions and are often driven by a sense of curiosity Young Adulthood (Genitality) Genital interest awakens. Shall I share my life with another or live alone? Purpose Ability to fuse the identity with the Children play with a purpose, competing at identity with other people while games in order to win or be on top maintaining sense of individuality Develops conscience and attach labels Develop mature genitality. (right and wrong) to behavior which Intimacy Vs. Isolation becomes the cornerstone of morality. Intimacy (ability to fuse one’s identity with School Age another person without fear of losing it; can be Am I competent or am I worthless? achieved only after people formed a stable ego) Isolation (incapacity to take chances with one’s Parallel to Freud’s latency stage identity by sharing true intimacy). Peers, teacher, and adult models (social) Basic striving for competence. Love Industry Vs. Inferiority Mature devotion that overcomes basic differences between men and women Time of intense social growth Commitment, sexual passion, cooperation, and Learn to acquire skills and cooperation which friendship. lead to a sense of industry (willingness to finish the job) Exclusivity Insufficient work will result to sense of Core pathology of young adulthood inferiority Blocks one’s ability to cooperate, compete, Adler pointed out, inferiority can serve as or compromise-all prerequisite ingredients an impetus to do one’s best. for intimacy and love. Competence Confidence to use cognitive and physical abilities to solve problems. 3 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY LESSON 7 Adulthood (Procreativity) Will I produce something of real value? More than genital contact with an intimate partner Responsibility to care of offspring Working productively Generativity Vs. Stagnation Generativity - generation of new beings as well as new products and new ideas Self-absorption and stagnation - people become too absorbed in themselves, too indulgent. Care Widening commitment to take care of the persons, the products, and ideas one has learned to care for; not a duty or obligation but a natural desire. Projectivity Core pathology of adulthood Unwillingness to take care of certain persons or groups Manifested as self-centeredness, provincialism or pseudospeciation: the belief that other groups of people are inferior to one’s own. Old Age Have I lived a full life? Caring grandparents to their own grandchildren as well as to younger members of society RELATED RESEARCH Time of joy, playfulness, and wonder Ego Identity status in Adolescents across Also a time for senility, depression, and cultures despair Researchers have explored the applicability of Integrity Vs. Despair Erikson’s ideas in diverse cultural contexts Findings from cross-cultural studies have Integrity (feeling of wholeness and demonstrated that cultural factors may coherence, ability to hold together one’s sense impact the timing and nature of identity of “I-ness”) exploration, as well as the values and beliefs Despair (to be without hope; may express as that adolescents incorporate into their disgust, depression, or any other attitudes of identities. nonacceptance). There can be cultural variations in how adolescents operate the central conflict Wisdom of the 5th stage. Informed and detached concern with life itself Does identity precedes intimacy? in the face of death itself. Some studies have supported that individuals Disdain with a strong sense of identity are better Core pathology of old age equipped to form secure and lasting intimate Reaction to feeling (and seeing others) in an bonds increasing state of being finished, confused, However, some individuals may experience helpless. identity exploration and the development of intimate relationships concurrently, with one process influencing the other in a more dynamic way which challenges the idea that identity must be fully resolved before intimacy can occur. 4 THEORIES OF PERSONALITY LESSON 7 CRITIQUE OF ERIKSON Causality Vs Teleology Cultural Bias Both Critics argue that the theory was originally The predetermined sequence of stages based on research with predominantly white, suggests that each stage builds upon the middle-class individuals, and its applicability previous one to individuals from different cultural However, the ultimate goal is the development backgrounds may be limited. of specific virtues or strengths that contribute to a well-rounded personality. State rigidity Conscious Vs. unconscious determinants of Rigidity in defining stages with specific age behavior ranges and fixed conflicts Some argue that these fixed timelines and Put greater emphasis on the importance of conflicts may not accurately capture the conscious awareness in personality diverse and individualized paths of development individuals. But also appreciates the role of unconscious processes. Empirical Evidence Biological Vs. Social Influences While it provides valuable framework for understanding psychosocial development Balance some argue that the theory is less grounded in Recognizes the biological aspects of experimental research and more reliant on development, such as physical maturation clinical observations and subjective analysis. But places significant emphasis on the social and cultural factors that shape an individual’s Gender and gender roles experiences and responses to psychosocial conflicts. It does not explicitly account for the unique challenges and identity development processes Uniqueness Vs Similarities among people experienced by individuals based on their gender. Both While each person’s journey is unique there Overemphasis on identity are common psychosocial challenges and conflicts that individuals encounter during the Places excessive emphasis on the formation of various stages of life. identity, particularly during adolescence, which may not be as central to development of all individuals, some other aspects of development, such as relationships or career, may hold greater significance. Lack of Attention to Adulthood Theory pays less attention to adulthood and older age, focusing more on the earlier stages of development Later stages, especially those beyond middle ages, may not receive the same level of detailed analysis in the theory. CONCEPT OF HUMANITY Determinism Vs. Free Choice Balance Acknowledges that there is a predetermined sequence of psychosocial stages (epigenetic principle) Also highlights the capacity of individuals to make choices and actively shape their own development. Pessimism Vs Optimism Optimism Emphasizes the potential for growth, positive development, and the resolution of psychosocial conflicts. 5