CHAPTER 4

OVERVIEW OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

INTRODUCTION

As you go along studying personality erinancement, it would be significant that

you study the background on human development. This will surely help you
understand others and more importantly one's personality as you continue to
discuss the stages of human growth as supported by different views and theories.

The Psychological Aspects of Human Development

Human development was broken down into specific stages by most theorists,
which are typically progressive. This means that you must pass through one stage
before you can get to the next. Think about how you learned to run; first you had to
learn to crawl, then you learned to walk, and finally you developed the skills for you
to run. Without the first two stages, running would be impossible. However, what if
you passed beyond that threshold and you can no longer back track?
The most prominent stage theories in regard to motor and cognitive, social
development, and moral development will be discussed here. As told, most of these
stage theories are progressive, although there are some which are not, such as
Erikson's psychosocial and Freud's psychosexual wherein a person fails to
complete the stage. However, this failure will regretfully result in difficulties later in
life.

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To put things in perspective, the following will offer an overview of

development according to psychology principles.

 The Motor and Cognitive Development

This comes in timely and specific stages which are normally progressive. It must pass
through one stage before proceeding to the next. In simpler terms, it can be compared to
a video game with many stages and levels, each having its own level of difficulty, usually
increasing or decreasing, depending on the players' skill in playing the game. Realization
of accomplishment comes then as benefits upon completion of each stage, which gives a
boost on our psychological wellbeing when we beat the game.
Below shows the developmental stages of one's personality:
1. Infants(0-2 years old)
According to Jean Piaget (1896-1980), in his book, “The Origins of
Intelligence in Children (1952)", infants begin their journey of Sensory Motor
Stage Development, from the time of birth, up to two years of age.

As infants,they start out by first learning to crawl, walk, and ciumsily as it may
appear during the beginning. In time he gets better at it, hence the term
progressive, until finally, advancing and developing the skills to eventually learn
how to run.Progressively, on each stage or breakthrough so-to-speak, the child
begins to process information, over time; he begins to learn the ability to interact
with the world in which his own curiosity fuels this behaviour.
One good example is when one recalls seeing children at this age, when they
are handed something, they associate with it by immediately placing it in their
mouth, as the need for sustenance is the first lesson they learn.

2. Toddlers (2-6 years old)

The child absorbs interactive information like a sponge.As children go

through different progressive stages in which the created.What or who we

become as individual characters start of words and images, the children in this

stage of development
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will learn how to-interact with their environment in a more

complex manner.
3. Adolescence(7-12)
A stage of emotional and physical development, ending to what is commonly
referred to as puberty, an onset of physical changes bring a surge of biochemical
activity that cause a lot of changes physically. For females, changes like
enlargement of the mammary glands, to changes in the tone of voice and for males,
occur at this junction in human development, a myriad cocktail, embodied by a string
of cognitive,emotional, physical and attitude changes, that can leave one conflicted
and confused without proper guidance. Due to surging hormonal levels, it is at this
 point that we begin to explore the concept of attraction to the opposite sex.
This is a turning point in our intellectual development, from this point on
we either move forward to our next stage (breakthrough) or we remain as is
and development will simply progress at a very slow and tedious pace in our
transition from being juveniles to young adults.
4. Teens(13-19)
At the onset and still following the wake of puberty, young adults or teens begin
to explore these new found physical and psychological sensations, sex for instance
and the concept and or act of copulation,is explored.

The danger of unguided teens often going astray is high. It is at this point
that famiy ties must be vigorously enforced and practiced, lest the teen not
finding this in a family unit, would only drive them to seek approval and
understanding from other peer groups, which may oftenbe in the same
situation as they are in and may therefore give them unwise counsel. Young
adults at this stage in their development need to understand first what is
happening to them, both physically and psychologically. Tempered restraint in
a package that they can easily understand, may be introduced by an adult
parental figure.

Since this is the time for rapid development, patience is needed. As young
adults at this stage would not exercise any yet, they all want to be understood, to
know and be acknowledged in their search for that unique social identity.

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5. Adulthood (20-beyond)

For humans, this is a period of physical and psychological point begins to form
and stabilize and provided a breakthrough of what was instilled in man during this
time will manifest tself starting at this junction, throughout his entire life.

It is at thistime that one develops the complexities of relationships, knowledge,

experience, wisdom,and spirituality, like wine, through a progression of years, one
becomes more self-aware.

Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development

Erik Erikson (1902-1994) has another version of human development wherein he
maintained that children develop in a predetermined order, like Piaget.However, instead
of focusing on cognitive development, he was then interested in how children socialize
and how this affects their sense of self. He then proposed his theory having eight distinct
stages, each with two possible outcomes. In his theory,he stressed that successful
completion of each stage results in a healthy personality and successful interactions
with others. In this light, failure to successfully ccmpiete a stage can result in a reduced
ability to complete further stages and therefore a more unhealthy personality and sense
of self. These stages, however, can be resolved successfully at a later time.

The foliowing are the eight stages of Erikson's theory on psychosocial development
of human beings:
The First Stage: Trust vs.Mistrust

year of age described by Erikson as the most fundamental stage in psychosocial

development..

the core development of trust is based on the dependability and

trust through an attachment to a parental figure who fulfills a role security for
the child,by way of giving definition one may address

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this as Good Parenthood, now the opposite of. this however, is when the comfort of the
safety and security blanket is withdrawn. Uncertainty and doubt, compounded by
rejection, will negate the feeling of trust to mistrust as a child is left out to discover the
world on his own. Trial and error so-to-speak, the child discovers physical or mental
(emotional) pain if hurt and the fear of it develops. Stopping the child to explore freely
as one will begin to develop caution. He now begins to harbor doubt; the child becomes
self-aware of the “danger” of being hurt, wherein the psychosocial development is
hindered (slowed down) by this process.

The Second Stage: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

This takes place during early childhood wherein oe develops a greater sense of
personal control.

,As infants, when they need to defecate or pee, they simply do, without cause
whether they may make a mess inside their diaper or not, Erikson believed that
learning to control one's body functions leads to a feeling of control and a sense of
independence, potty training with emotional gratification and self-fulfilment as a
person's reward.
Persons who successfully complete this stage feel more secure and confident;
those who do not are left with a sense of inadequacy, self-doubt and often low self-
esteem.

The Third Stage: Initiative vs. Guilt

When a child begins to go to school such as kindergarten or preschool, he begins to

interact with other children. However, if observed, some children begin to assert
dominance over an activity. For instance, when a group of children playing a game of
heroes and villains, a dominant child, through social interaction, would impose that he
or she is the hero and the rest should be villains. To simply be the bad guy is
unacceptable. The child doesn't know it yet but these are the first tentative steps
towards learning how to be confident.
Children who demonstrate dominance at this stage may develop qualities that in
the future would make them become capable leaders, unlike their “villain” counterparts.
If this behaviour is not curved, children who do not achieve this breakthrough often are
left with deep psychological scars bordering on guilt and demoralizing

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low self-esteem,when a child begins to doubt himself, this negates

the fuel that pushes his initiative.

The Fourth Stage: Industry vs.Inferiority

approximately between ages five and eleven. A child's peer circle children
begin to develop the need for self-gratification,a need of validating their
accomplishments and abilities.
Just imagine a child with so much self-doubt and low self. esteem, he
glows when he is given encouragement by a parental figure. This leads to a
higher belief in himself. He eventually develops confidence.
Children who receive very little or no acknowledgement will doubt their abilities
and more often become unsuccessful. Someeven spiral to a psychologica state of
having the need to be constantly satiated for their hunger for attention and
validation.

The Fifth Stage; Identity vs. Confusion

This occurs during, adolescence wherein children become more and more
independent, that they learn more about themselves as a person. Parental guidance at this
point becomes crucial as the proper motivation will develop a strong sense of self.Those
who do not achieve this breakthrough remain unsure of who or what they are,and most
often become insecure and confused about themselves and their future,thus the question
“who am I,what am I here for?"

The Sixth Stage: Intimacy vs. Isolation

stage is when one starts to explore twist and turns of inter-personal to

develop a close commitment with another individual.

becomes crucial in the outcome of this one.Imagine a person totally bad

relationships with very low commitment levels,whereas,this brought on by
rejection coupled with a bout of loneliness.

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The Seventh Stage: Generativity vs. Stagnation

As we progress through adulthood, let us assume that we have reached a stage of a

well-meaning career or in this case building a family.This stage focuses on fulfilment.

In terms of a career, we come to a realization that we are contributing to society at

large. We develop a sense of continuance with our family, more importantly our children,
through whom we understand the meaning of the mortality and immortality.

We learn at this point that everything comes into actuality; we realize that we
measure up. Satisfaction about what we have done is high, and we in effect are satisfied.

The Eight Stage: Integrity vs. Despair

This is when we confront the realization of our own mortality. As an old person, we
start to look back on what we have done in the past, on things that might have or could
have been. Regret may be present at this stage with a feeling of life or time spent wasted
or on the other hand this can be the apogee of one's life where one feels proud of one's
self and what one has done, so goes the saying:“if I could do it all over again I won't
change a thing".

This segment in one's psychosocial development ushers a life well spent looking
back with few or no regrets, basically, having one's eyes closed but one's heart open.

Freud's Stages of Psychosexual Development

The name Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) is a household nom de guerre in the field of
psychology. His theories on the evolutionary process of the human persona have influenced
many scholars not only during his time but at the present time as well.

In his Stages of Psychosexual Development, said to be contrary or in most circles-

controversial. There seems to be an agreement with and or sequences must be progressive
and must result in a successful lead to completely the opposite which is an unhealthy
personality believed that we develop through each stage, step or sequence based on
erogenous zones, there is a meeting of minds when both experts

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that the child concerned may become fixated on that particular if not point of indulging or
giving in to these erogenous zones even as adults. the idea of collecting or playing with
toys regardless of one's age.
 These are the different stages of Psychosexual Development in progression by
Sigmund Freud:

The First Stage:Oral

This is the first stage from birth to about 18 months old,along this stage; the child
is focused on oral pleasures like putting things handed to him directly into his
mouth, in other words - WE SUCK AT THIS STAGE.
Freud implies the idea that too much or too little gratification can result in an Oral
Fixation or Oral Personality meaning persons of this level may have a strong
affliction or dependency to external or artificial stimuli, which could be as simple as
being addicted to coffee or worse, drug dependency.

Person with this psychclogical quirk may have or develop a dependency also on
other people and may have the inability to “stand on their own".

The Second Stage: Anal

This is from 18 months to three years wherein the child's focus of pleasure is on
eliminating and retaining feces,similarly good parenting, the child has to learn to
control anal stimulation or in layman's terms "potty training".

This stage may result in an obsessive compulsive behavor with contrary when
the person may become messy and disorgaized-a slob, more or less.

The Third Stage: Phallic

This stage occurs during three to six years old. During this stage for a parental
figure, in this case shall we say: MOM.

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Attachment to the maternal figure is at its height. One may notice children running
towards MOM and not DAD when hurt. Children may even begin to fear their paternal
figure and develop a fixation towards the mother, thus the term "mama's boy".

It is during this stage also that Feud believes that a boy develop unconscious sexual
desires for his mother. It is because of this, that he becomes a rival with his father and
sees him as competition for the mother's affection. It is during this time also that a boy
develop a fear that his father will punish him for these feelings, such as by castrating
him. Afterwards, it was added that girls go through similar situation, the development of
unconscious sexual attraction, not to their mother, but to their father. However, Freud
strongly disagreed with this. Regardless of his disagreement,it has been termed the
Electra complex by more recent psychoanalysts.

According to this theory of Freud, out of fear of castration and due to the strong
competition of his father, a boy eventually decides to identify with him rather than fight
him. The boy then develops masculine characteristics and identifies himself as a male,
and represses his sexual feelings toward his mother by identifying with his
father.According to some psychoanalysts, fixation at this stage may result in sexual
deviancies both overindulging and avoidance and a weak or confused sexual identity.

The Fourth Stage:Latency

Occurring by the age of six to puberty, it is during this stage that sexual urges remain
repressed and children interact and play mostly with same sex peers. One may observe
children,boys playing boys' games and girls playing girls' games. Only in rare instances
that there may be a mix or interchange of both, wherein a boy may become interested in
playing hovse instead of cops and robbers.

The Fifth Stage: Genital

This is the final stage of psychosexual development which begins at the onset of
puberty, a person's sexual urges for the first time become active. The problem is, this is
the first time a person may not be psychologically equipped to understand the myriad of
changes happening to him. Guidance at this point is crucial. It is often associated to
coming of age, a time when parents are advised to initiate that age old talk about the
"birds and the bees".

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Structural Model of Personality
Sigmund Freud's structure of personality includes the ID,EGO, a balance between
these three elements that if they will work together will create complex human
behaviors.

The ID

The ID is said to be the only

component of personality that is present
from birth and is considered as a source
of all "psychic energy",
makingitarisingprimarycomponent of
one's personality.

Thispart of a person's personality is

said to be entirely unconscious having a
completely instinctive and primitive
behaviour. Basically,the
 ID is motivated only by the reward of emotional gratification-pleasure. An average
person is driven by his needs but in this case take away the reasoning or logic, that is
the ID, when it wants it, it wants it NOW,if not satiated, this may result in emotional
stress like sadness or anger. In more physical terms: pain, hunger and thirst can solicit
an attempt to remove the cause of pain, eat or drink.

Notice for example an infant, if hungry or uncomfortable,the baby will cry. Parents
would usually hover around the child until pacified with what the child wants or in this
case what the ID demands.

Remember however, more often giving in to these NEEDS is not always favorable
to one's psychological development,as it may pave developing into a what one can
colloquially address by the term-being a spoiled brat.

pleasure ourselves. We may even find ourselves in a situation that we addiction. This
behavior is both disruptive and socially unacceptable.

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The EGO

This aspect of personality is responsible for dealing with reality; the EGO is best given a
description in layman's terms as the logical or civilized sibling or spawn of the ID.

According to Freud, the EGO·develops from the ID and ensures that the impulses or
NEEDS of the ID can find expression in a way that is acceptable in the real world.

EGO works in the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious inind which operate based
on the reality principle, which strives to satisfy the ID's desires in reaistic and socially
appropriate ways.

The reality principle weighs the pros and cons, costs and benefits of an action before
deciding to act upon or abandon impulses (NEEDS).

In most cases, the ID's impulses can be satisfied through a process of delayed
gratification--the EGO will eventually allow the behavior,but only in the appropriate time, a
perfect example is the act of copulation or plainly called“sex".

that is good within us. It

The SUPER EGO provides guidelines for
making judgments.
This holds all ofour internalized moral
standards and ideals that we acquire from
both parents and society--our sense of right
and wrong. It is basically what seems to be all
 According to Freud, this aspect of personality begins to emerge at around age five
having two parts, namely: the ego ideal and the conscience.

The first includes the rules and standards for good behaviors (our paradigms), behaviors
which are often approved by a figure of
authority.Inmostcaseswillbeourparents,whereinadheringorobeying these rules lead us to
the feeling of pride, value and accomplishment. The conscience on the other hand includes
information about things those often forbidden and lead to bad consequences, punishments
or feelings of guilt and remorse.

unconscious and acts as a perfectionist that pushes us to be civilied in

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everyaspectincludingourbehavior. Itworks to suppress allunacceptable act
upon idealistic standards rather than upon realistic principles.

to function despite these forces. A person with good EGO STRENGTH with
too much or too little EGO STRENGTH can become too unyielding (a yes
man) or too disrupting (a non-conformist).
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