Theories of Personality: Psychodynamic Theory - Erikson PDF

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VII-Erikson: Post Freudian TheoryTOPIC OUTLINE1 Overview of Post-Freudian Theory 2 Biography of Erickson 3 The Ego in Post-Freudian Theory 4 Stages of Psychosocial Development 5 Erickson’s Method of Investigation 6 Related Research 7 Critique of Erickson 8 Concept of HumanityI. Overview of Post-Freu...

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PSYCH:

Theories of Personality

VII-Erikson: Post Freudian Theory

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TOPIC OUTLINE Overview of Post-Freudian Theory Biography of Erickson The Ego in Post-Freudian Theory Stages of Psychosocial Development Erickson’s Method of Investigation Related Research Critique of Erickson Concept of Humanity

I. Overview of Post-Freudian Theory • Intended to Extend Freud’s Assumptions – Including extending infantile development into adolescence, adulthood and old age. – Life-cycle approach to personality – Emphasis on social and historical influences – Stages of development are characterized by a – psychosocial struggle – For example, identity crisis (a turning point in one’s life that may either strengthen or weaken personality) in adolescence. II. Biography of Erikson • Born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1902 • Son of Jewish mother and unknown father. • As a child, does not feel accepted by either Jewish or Gentile community • Leaves home at 18 to live as itinerant artist, wandering Europe for 7 years • In Vienna, is introduced to psychoanalysis by Anna Freud, who becomes his analyst • Graduates from Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute • Lacking an academic degree, accepts research position at Harvard Medical School in 1933 • Publishes Childhood and Society in 1950 • Also taught at Yale, Berkeley, and several other institutions • Professor of Human Development at Harvard in 1960 • Died in Cape Cod in 1994

• Different societies with varied child-rearing practices that shapes personalities that fit needs and values of their culture. Epigenetic Principle • Term borrowed in embryology. • The ego grows as our organs do; developing sequentially, with certain changes arising at a particular time and with more recent developments built upon previous structures. • “Anything that grows has a ground plan and that out of this ground plan the parts arise, each part having its time of special ascendancy, until all parts have arisen to form a fucntioning whole”.

IV. Stages of Psychosocial Development 1. Growth follows epigenetic principle Syntonic 2. Every stage has (harmonious) an interaction of Dystonic (disruptive) opposites Basic strength. 3. Conflict produces ego strength or ego quality 4. Too little strength at one stage results in core psychopathology at a later stage 5. Stages are also biological in nature -Identity is shaped 6. Earlier stages do not cause later by multiplicity of personality conflicts and eventsdevelopment. past, present and anticipated. 7. From adolescence on, personality development involves identity crisis.

STAGE 1: INFANCY • Oral-Sensory Mode: 1st year of life • Modes of Incorporation • Receiving and Accepting Interpersonal trust with caregiver III. The Ego in Post-Freudian Theory Core Hope: The Basic Trust pathology: Basic versus Description of Ego Psychology Withdrawal Strength of Basic Three Interrelated Aspects of the Ego (sense of Infancy Mistrust “I”): Retreat from Infants must By 1. Body ego (physical self) the outside world develop both attitudes experiencing both 2. Ego ideal (established ideal of self) pleasurable and painful 3. Ego Identity (image we have of experiences ourselves). Distress Society’s Influence meets satisfactory • Ego emerges from and is largely shaped by outcomes. culture.

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STAGE 2: EARLY CHILDHOOD • Anal-Urethral-Muscular Mode, 2nd to 3rd year of life Children learn to control their body especially to cleanliness and mobility This is a time for stubborn rebellion and meek compliance A time of impulsive self-expression and compulsive deviance Core Will: The Autonomy pathology: Basic versus Strength of Compulsion Shame and Childhood Doubt • Expression of • The • They are inadequate will beginning likely to find • This results of free will a culture in play age as and that lack of purpose willpowerattempts to and into the but only a inhibit some school age lack beginning of their confidence/co selfmpetence. expression. • Should have proper ration between autonomy and shame and doubt. • Autonomy grows out of basic trust that has been established in infancy STAGE 3: PLAY AGE • Genital-Locomotor Mode, 3-5 years old The lifelong power of playfulness Plays shows both initiative and imagination Purpose: Initiative Core The Basic versus pathology: Strength of Inhibition Guilt the Play Age • Their • Should have • Initiative: genital selection balance: not interest and pursuit too much has a initiative as it of goals direction, • Guilt: the can lead to chaos. And consequence with mother or also, not too of taboo and father much guilt as it inhibited being the can result to goals object of too much their moralistic sexual attitude and desires. • become overly This stage inhibited,

is the beginning of conscience and this becomes (the cornerston e of morality)

which is the antipathy of purpose

STAGE 4: SCHOOL AGE • Latency, 6 to 12 or 13 years old Social world of children is expanding Industry Competen Core pathology: versus ce: The Inertia Inferiority Basic Strength of the School Age • The • Stage of • The antithesis of little sexual confidence competence development to use • The child , it is a time one’s give up and for social physical regress to an growth and earlier stage of • Industry: cognitive development remain busy abilities to with solve the something problems or finish a that job accompany • Inferiority: school age. when work is insufficient to accomplish their goals • Again, should be balance. STAGE 5: ADOLESCENCE • Period from Puberty to young adulthood It is one of the most crucial developmental stages By the end of this period, a person must gain a firm sense of ego identity. Fidelity: Identity Core versus pathology: The Basic Identity Strength of Role Confusion Adolescenc Repudiation e • Ego • Faith in • Blocks one’s identity one’s ability to ideology. reaches its synthesize climax various selfduring images and adolescence values into a as young workable

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PSYCH: people strive to find out who they are and who they are not. • Identity emerges from 2 sources: (1) adolescents’ affirmation or repudiation of childhood identification s and (2) their historical and social contexts which encourage conformity. • Identity confusion is a necessary part of our search for identity. Though too much can result to pathology.

Theories of Personality identity. • Diffidence: is an extreme lack of selftrust or selfconfidence, express by shyness or hesitancy. • Defiance: the act of rebelling against authority.

STAGE 6: YOUNG ADULTHOOD • Genitality About 19 to 30 Mutual tryst and a stable sharing of sexual satisfactions with a loved person. Core Love: The Intimacy pathology: Basic versus Strength of Exclusivity Isolation Young Adulthood • Intimacy: • Mature • Becomes the ability to pathological devotion fuse one’s when it block’s that identity with one’s ability to overcomes that of cooperate, basic another compete or differences person compromise-all between without fear prerequisite men and of losing it. ingredients for women. • Isolation: intimacy and

Incapacity to take chances with one’s identity by sharing true intimacy. • Isolation is essential before one can acquire mature love.

love

STAGE 7: ADULTHOOD •Procreativity From 31 to 60 years old Take their place in society and assume responsibility for whatever society produces. Longest stage of development Procreativity refers to more than genital contact, but assuming responsibility for the care of offspring that result from sexual contact. Core Generativit Care: The pathology: y versus Basic Stagnation Strength of Rejectivity Adulthood • It is the • “A • unwillingness Generativity: widening to take care of commitme the certain persons nt to take generation or group care of the of new • Manifested persons, beings as as selfthe well as new centeredness, products and product, provincialism and the new ideas. or pseudo • One-to-one ideas one speciation: has intimacy no belief other learned to longer groups of take care enough. • people are for” • One Other inferior to must have people, one’s own hope, will, especially purpose, children competenc become part e, fidelity of one’s and love in concern. • order to Isolation is take care essential of that before one which can acquire one’s care mature love. for.

STAGE 8: OLD AGE • Generalized Sensuality 60 to end of life To take pleasure in a variety of

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physical sensations-sights, sounds, tastes, odors embraces and perhaps genital stimulation. May also include a greater appreciation for the traditional lifestyle of the opposite sex. Maintain integrity in the face of despair. Core Wisdom: Integrity pathology: The Basic versus Strength of Disdain Despair Old Age • Defined as “a • • Integrity: reaction to “Informed means a feeling (and and feeling of seeing others) detached wholeness in an concern and increasing rate with life coherence itself in the of being and an finished, face of ability to confused death hold helpless” itself” together • Concern one’s sense with “I-ness” ultimate despite issues, diminishing including physical and “nonintellectual existence” powers. • Despair: Express disgust, depression, contempt for others or any other attitude that reveals a nonacceptance of the finite boundaries of life. It means without HOPE.

SUMMARY OF LIFE CYCLE • Each of the eight stages of psychosocial development is characterized by a psychosocial crisis. • The psychosocial crisis is stimulated by a conflict between the predominating syntonic element and its antithetical dystonic element. • From this conflict emerges a basic strength, or ego quality. Each basic strength has an underlying antipathy that becomes the core pathology of that stage.

Erickson’s Method Anthropological Studies To show that early childhood training was consistent with this strong cultural value Sioux Nation of South Dakota Yurok Nation of northern California

of Investigation Psychohistory -

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Combination of the methods of psychoanalysis and historical research to study personality Including Martin Luther and Gandhi

Related Research • Ego Identity Status in adolescents across cultures Busch &Hoefer (2011), African and German adolescents’ levels of Extended objective measures of Ego identity status (EOMEIS): African scored high in foreclosure (commitment) and moratorium (exploration). While German scored high in achievement (exploration and commitment) and diffusion (no exploration and no commitment) • Does Identity precede intimacy Beyers & Krenke 2010 Participants were interviewed when they were 15 years old and again when they were 25 years old. Longitudinal study reveals increasing ego development from ages 15 to 25 From more conforming at age 15 to more self-aware and individualistic at age 25 Therefore, ego development in adolescence predicts intimacy. “The condition of twoness is that one must have first become oneself”. Critique of Erikson • High on Generating Research, and Internal Consistency • Moderate on Organizing Knowledge, Falsifiability, Guiding Action, and Parsimony

CONCEP T OF HUMANI

• Both Determinism and Free Choice • Optimism over Pessimism • Causality over Teleology • Mixed in Unconscious and Conscious

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It is Influenced by Stage with Unconscious Dominating Early Life before adolescence and Conscious Later • Culture over Biology • Uniqueness over Similarity

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