Chapter 6 Answers PDF

Preview

Summary

Theories of Personality Henley class. These notes helped prep me for the final...

Description

1. Describe the kinds of identity crises Erikson experienced in childhood and adolescence. Note how they were reflected in his theory. ● Name Identity Crisis ○ His mother was Danish and Jewish. She was about to get married but then her groom never showed up. Then she got pregnant (and didn’t know the baby daddy) and her family sent her to Germany so that she wouldn’t disgrace them for having a child out of wedlock. Next she married Erik’s pediatrician (Dr. Theodore Homburger). ○ For the first few years of his life, Erik did not know that Homburger was not his biological father and believed that he grew up unsure of his name and psychological identity ■ (me because idk if my name is LeANNEah or leYAHNah) ○ when erik was 37 he moved to the US and changed his name to- Erik Houmburg Erikson ● Ethnicity Identity Crisis ○ He is technically Danish, but he considers himself German. ○ So when he went to German school his German classmates rejected him because his mother and stepfather were jewish. ○ And his jewish classmates rejected him because he was tall and blond and had “nordic facial features” (whatever that means) ● Finding his identity ○ in school he got mediocre grades, but he was really good at art ○ after he graduated from high school he traveled around europe (primarily germany and italy) and read, recorded his thoughts in a notebook (like a diary), and observed the world around him. He described himself as” morbidly sensitive and neurotic, even close to psychotic.” ● How it was reflected in his theory: ○ it was reflected in his theory because what he saw as a child became his “research that enabled a flow of ideas, articles and book.”

2. In what ways is Erikson’s theory similar to and different from freud’s theory? ● Erikson elaborated onto Freuds theories ○ When the personality develops ■ Freud was a firm believer in childhood and proposed that the personality is shaped by age 5. ■ Erikson believed that the personality continues on being shaped throughout one's entire life. And he believed that it developed over 8 stages over the entire lifespan. ○ Id, Ego, superego ■ Erikson placed “greater emphasis on the ego than on the id.” ■ Erikson believed that the ego was an “independent part of the personality.” He belived that the ego did not rely on the id. ○ Influences

■ ■ ■

Erikson believed that our personality is influenced by our culture and history. He believed that we are not completely “governed” by our childhood and “biological forces.” He recognized that these aspects are important, but they do not solely make up our personality.

3. What did Erikson mean by the concept of identity confusion? What evidence did he find for it among Native Americans? ● He found it to be a “lack of a clear self image or self identity.” It’s a confusion on who the person is ● With Native Americans he noted specific symptoms that could not be addressed based on Freuds theroy. ● The symptoms were related to a sense of “alienation from cultural traditions and resulted in a lack of clear self image or self identity.” ● (im sorry for how short this is!! Literally it is one paragraph on pg 210)! 4. How does Erikson’s epigenetic principle of maturation account for the effects of genetic and social factors on personality? ● definition: ○ the idea that human development is governed by a sequence of stages that depend on genetic or hereditay factors ■ basically your genetics is what determines the stages of development ○ “The social and environmental forces to which we are exposed influence the ways in which the genetically predetermined stages of development are realized.” ○ The personality is affected by both biological and social factors, “or by both personal and situational variables.” ○ (again im sorry for how short this is!! literally one paragraph on pg 211) 5. Describe the role of the conflict in the stages of psychosocial development. ● In Erikson's theory “human development involves a series of personal conflicts.” ● These conflicts originate at birth and are dormant until our environment “demands certain adaptations.” ● crisis: ○ definition: ■ to Erikson, the turning point faced at each developmental stage. ■ it involves a shift in personality, requiring us to refocus our instinctual energy in accordance with the needs of each stage of the life cycle. ● each stage has a particular crisis that requires some change in our behavior or personality ● we respond in two ways (DUH) either a maladaptive way(negative) or an adaptive (positive) way ● The only way to move onto the next developmental stage is to resolve the conflict.

●

If the conflict “at any stage remains unresolved, we are less likely to be able to adapt to later problems.” ○ A successful outcome is possible, it’s just harder to achieve

6. Describe the four childhood stages of psychosocial development. Discuss the effects of various parental behaviors on the possible outcomes of each stage. ● Oral-sensory: ○ Age: Birth to 1 year ○ Adaptive vs Maladaptive ways of coping: Trust vs mistrust ● Muscular-anal: ○ Age: 1-3 years ● Locomotor-genital: ○ Age: ● Latency: ○ 7. Contrast identity cohesion and role confusion as adaptive versus maladaptive ways of coping during adolescence. ● 8. What is the major difference between the first four developmental stages and the last four developmental stages? ● 9. What factors affect the development of ego identity? Why do some people fail to achieve an identity at this stage? ● definition: ○ the self image formed during adolescence that integrates our ideas of what we are and what we want to be ● Trying to shape one's identity can be a daunting task filled with anxiety. ● Adolescents try out different “roles and ideologies, trying to determine the most compatible fit.” ● people who successfully complete this stage “face adulthood with certainty and confidence.” ● Those who fail to achieve this stage will possibly experience an identity crisis. ● peer groups have a huge influence on the development of the ego identity. ● Some people fail because of who they chose to surround themselves with. 10. How can the conflicts of the adult stages of psychosocial development be resolved in positive ways? ● Through generativity ○ definition ■ need to nurture and guide younger people and contribute to the next generation. ○ become a mentor, teacher or guide for the betterment of society at large.

11. What are the two ways of adapting to maturity and old age? How can a person achieve the positive way of adapting? ● ego integrity & despair ● ego integrity ○ looking back on ones life with a sense of “fulfillment and satisfaction.” ○ We believe that we appropriately “coped with life’s victories and failures.” ○ Basically ego integrity is accepting the present and taking responsibility for everything that happened in the past. ● despair ○ looking back on life with a sense of “frustration, angry about missed opportunities and regretful of mistakes that cannot be recitified.” ○ we develop a hatred toward ourselves and bitter to the world around us. ● How to achieve ○ In order to achieve a postive outlook on life, one must remain active members of life. They must “seek challenge and stimulation in their environment.” ■ become grandpareents, take classes at a school, hobbies etc... 12. Describe the basic strengths at each stage of psychosocial development. ● definition: ○ to Erikson, motivating characteristics and beliefs that derive from the satisfactory resolution of the crisis at each developmental stage Oral sensory

Hope-successful resolution of the crisis. our desires will be satisfied. persistent feeling of confidence, a feeling we will maintain despite temporary setbacks or reverses.

muscular anal

will- determination to exercise freedom of choice and self restraint in the face of societies demands

locomotor-genital

purpose- courage to envision and pursue goals

latency

competence- exertion of skill and intelligence in pursuing and completing tasks

adolescence

fidelity- sincerity, genuineness, and a sense of duty in our relationships with other people

young adulthood

love- mutual devotion in a shared identity, the fusing of oneself with another person

adulthood

care- a broad concern for others, teaching others, helping others

maturity-- old age

wisdom- detached concern with the whole life. it is conveyed to all of the succeeding generations

13. Distinguish between the two types of maldevelopment. How can these conditions be corrected? ● definition: ○ a condition that occurs when the ego consists solely of a single way of coping with conflict ● types ○ maladaptive ■ “when only positive, adaptive, tendency is present in the ego” ■ can lead to neuroses ○ malignant ■ “when only negative tendency is present in the ego.” ■ can lead to pyschoses ● Correction ○ Can be corrected through psychotherapy ○ Maladaptations can be corrected through a process of “re-adaptations, aided by environmental changes. supportive social relationships, or successful adaptation at a later developmental stage.” 14. How does Erikson’s image of human nature differ from Freud’s? ● Very optimistic ● He believed that even though not everyone is successful in “attaining hope, purpose wisdom and the other virtues” we all have the potential to do it. “Nothing in our nature prevents it.” ● Each stage of the psychosocial growth is centered on a crisis, but Erikson “offers the possibility of a positive outcome.” ● We are capable of resolving each situation in a constructive way ● We have the potential to “direct consciously our growth throughout our lives.” ● We are not “exclusively products of our childhood” experiences. ● Erikson believes we have little control over our first 4 developmental stages, but that as we get older we gain control and independence over the ability to chose how we respond to a crisis. ● “Erikson believed that the personality is affected more by learning experience than heredity.” “Psychosocial” experiences outweigh “instinctual biological” forces. 15. What methods of assessment did Erikson use in developing his theory? ● Sitting fact to face on comfortable chairs” ○ He did not like how Freud asked his patients to lie down on a couch. He believed that it could create “an illusion of objectivity.” ○ He preferred to have the patient and therapist face each other and sit in

●

●

●

comfortable chairs. He believed that this would promote a more personal relationship and “ensure that they viewed each other as equals. No specific technique on assessing patients ○ Depending on the patient was how Erikson chose his technique. ○ He sometimes used free association ○ He hardly ever analyzed dreams because he thought it was “Wasteful and harmful” ○ He believed that each technique should fit the patient Where he got his data ○ he primarily got his data from “play therapy, anthropological studies and psychohistorical analysis.” ○ For emotionally disturbed children he used play therapy ■ definition: ● “he provided a variety of toys and observed how children interacted with them. The form and intensity of play revealed aspects of personality that might not be manifest verbally because of a childs limited powers of verbal expression.” Study of American Indians ○ he studied them by living with them and observing their behavior

16. Based on the results of his play-constructions research, what did Erikson conclude about sex differences in personality? On what grounds can we criticize these conclusions? ● definition: ○ a personality assessment technique for children in which structures assembled from dolls, blocks and other toys are analyzed. ● Experiment: ○ he took 300 boys and girls and gave them toys to play with. He told them to construct movie scenes from the toys. ■ girls ● the girls tended to build peaceful scenes that “contained low, enclosed structures.” “intruders (animal figures or male figures, never female figures) tried to force their way into the interiors.” ■ boys ● “focused on exteriors, action and height.” ● Their scenes were very action oriented with “towering structures and people in motion.” ● We can see “genital differentiation” through these scenes. In the male, “an external organ, erectable and intrusive in character.....In the female internal organs, with vestibular access, leading to a statically expectant ova.” ○ basically (because they are biologically different) girls will build “low enclosures in which people are walled in.” and boys will build towers ○ Erikson accredited this difference to the difference in societal roles for women. ■ “girls are less oriented toward aggression and achievement than boys are.”

17. Describe research findings on the development of ego identity in adolescence and on generativity in middle age. ● Ego Identity: Erikson believe social and historical factors affected the formation of ego identity ○ Women's movement of '60s and 70's was real-world lab test on effects of social forces ○ Psych's asked whether adolescent women were more influenced by movement than elders ○ Two studies showed Yes ○ Studies used women who graduated from one of three colleges between '40s and '60s ■ Used interviews, questionaires, self-report personality tests ■ Women attending college during movement showed greater aspirations ● Valued independence more than older women ● Attained higher levels of education, job status, and income ● More assertive and self-confident ● Generativity (middle age): Erikson said evokes needs to feel close and strong relations to others ○ Research shows it is positively correlated with power and intimacy motivation ○ Another study associated generativity with nurturance ■ All are necessary characteristics for teaching/mentoring next generation ○ Appears significantly related to having experienced warm/affection parenting as child ■ Research supports importance of mom/dad to child's well being ○ Middle-aged adults who scored high in gnerativity tended to: ■ Believe in goodness and worth of human life ■ Feel happier and more satisfied with own life (than those who scored low) 18. Discuss how the ethnic identity of ethnic minority adolescents can affect the formation of ego identity as well as subsequent attitudes and behavior. ● Ethnic identity was not considered by Erikson as an aspect of ego development ● Research consistently shows importance of racial/ethnic identity to minority group members ○ Denying racial identity can be highly stressful ● Study of 582 White and ethnic minority ○ Found Whites scored lower on measures of racial/ethnic identity than minority groups ● Study of more than 6000 students (14-18yrs) ○ African-Americans far more likely to choose friends on basis of ethnic identity than Whites or Asian-Americans ● Research involving nearly 300 Black adolescents ○ Showed clear/consistent/strong relationships between racial identity & psychological health

○

●

●

●

High scores on racial identity were also high in subjective well-being, life satisfaction, and self-esteem Study of more than 3000 Black, Asian, and biracial teens ○ Found self-esteem was highest among Blacks and lowest among Asians ■ Biracial - significantly lower than Blacks and significantly higher than Asians ○ Thus, racial identity is stronger/more important factor for self-esteem among Black adolescents than biracial or Asian adolescents Group esteem: how people feel about being members of their racial/ethnic group ○ Shown to increase in African-American and Latino-American teenagers during early and middle adolesence ○ White students remained high from beginning to end Black adolescent studies of ethnic identity ○ Women: found to be most significant factor in defining sense of self ○ Both sexes: considered the most important factor in developing a strong ego identity ○ Low ethnic identity in Black college students found to be related to: ■ Low self-esteem ■ Anxiety ■ Inferiority feelings ○ High ethnic identity in Black adolescents ■ Expressed less positive attitudes toward drugs ■ More positive attitudes toward school ■ Related to more positive behaviors while at school ○ Black adolescents who scored high measur of anti-White attitudes, far more likely to: ■ Abuse drugs ■ Have negative attitudes toward school ■ Exhibit negative behaviors at school

19. How can online role playing games help adolescents establish an ego identity? ● Erikson said it was necessary during adolescent development to "try different roles to see which offers the best fit" ○ Computer games and internet sites may afford unique, high-tech opportunity to do so anonymously ● Dungeons and Dragons- exemplary role playing game for this example ○ Virtual "dungeons" allow players to interact with others and build personal virtual world ■ Imaginary characters can interact with others (in "multi-user dungeons") ○ Participants play roles as like/unlike real selves as they want without revealing real identity ○ "You can be whoever you want to be... You can completely redefine yourself if you want." ■ Exactly what Erikson urged us to do during adolescence

●

●

Study of 217 (avg age of 25) found: ○ Interpersonal attraction among players increased the longer they played ○ As did intensity of their social-identification with virtual community ■ Degree of identification with virtual world was thought to be as intense/satisfying as identifying with the real world Danger of person being so absorbed in virtual identity that it replaces true developing self ○ Can also happen in real world by adopting a different persona ○ Point being - Internet offers secure way of trying to establish identity for some adolescents

20. In what ways do people high in generativity differ from people low in generativity? ● Middle-aged adults who scored high in gnerativity tended to: ○ Believe in goodness and worth of human life ○ Feel happier and more satisfied with own life (than those who scored low) ● Studies comparing people who scored high in measures of generativity to low scorers ○ Scored higher in measures of: ■ Extraversion ■ Conscientiousness ■ Openness to new experiences ■ Agreeableness ■ Emotional well-being ○ More likely to: ■ Be involved in meaningful/satisfying social relationships ■ Feel strongly attached to their community ■ Be more emotionally stable ■ Have successful marriages ■ Have greater achievements at work ■ Have close friendships ■ Display more altruistic behavior ○ Those who valued social recognition and achievement had more fully developed identities in their 40s and scored higher in generativity 21. Describe the proposed stages for the development of gender preference identity. ● Sensitization: prior to adolescence; stage that refers to one's initial perception of being different from peers of same sex ● Identity confusion: adolescent stage; marked by confusing, perhaps frightening, realization that one's feelings and thoughts could be characterized as homosexual ● Identity assumption: person comes to believe he or she is homosexual and begins to accept the beginnings of a gay identity ● Commitment: the person fully accepts gay identity as a way of life...