1. Concepts of Personality Development
Chapter 2
Concepts of
Personality Development

2. Introduction
Personality is defined by the DSM-IV-TR as “enduring patterns of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and oneself that are exhibited in a wide range of social and personal contexts”

3. Introduction (cont.)
Life-cycle developmentalists believe that people continue to develop and change throughout life, thereby suggesting the possibility for renewal and growth in adults

4. Introduction (cont.)
Stages are identified by age; however, personality is influenced by temperament (inborn personality characteristics) and the environment
*It is possible for behaviors from an unsuccessfully completed stage to be modified and corrected in a later stage

5. Introduction (cont.)
Stages overlap, and individuals may be working on tasks from more than one stage at a time
Individuals may become fixed in a certain stage and remain developmentally delayed

6. Introduction (cont.)
The DSM-IV-TR states that personality disorders occur when personality traits become inflexible and maladaptive, causing either significant functional impairment or subjective distress

7. Psychoanalytic Theory: Freud
Freud believed basic character was formed by age 5 years
He organized the structure of the personality into three major components Id
Ego
Superego

8. Psychoanalytic Theory: Freud (cont.)
Topography of the mind
The conscious
The preconscious
The unconscious

9. Psychoanalytic Theory: Freud (cont.)
Dynamics of the personality
Psychic energy
Cathexis
Anticathexis

10. Psychoanalytic Theory: Freud (cont.)
Development of the personality
Oral stage (birth to 18 months)
Anal stage (18 months to 3 years)
Phallic stage (3 to 6 years)
Latency stage (6 to 12 years)
Genital stage (13 to 20 years)

11. Psychoanalytic Theory: Freud (cont.)
Relevance to nursing practice
Being able to recognize behaviors associated with the id, ego, and superego will assist in the assessment of a client’s developmental level
Understanding the use of ego-defense mechanisms is important in making determinations about maladaptive behaviors and in planning care for clients to assist in creating change

12. Interpersonal Theory: Sullivan
Based on the belief that individual behavior and personality development are the direct result of interpersonal relationships
Major concepts of this theory
Anxiety
Satisfaction of needs
Interpersonal security
Self-system

13. Interpersonal Theory: Sullivan (cont.)
Infancy (birth to 18 months)
Childhood (18 months to 6 years)
Juvenile (6 to 9 years)
Preadolescence (9 to 12 years)
Early adolescence (12 to 14 years)
Late adolescence (14 to 21 years)

14. Interpersonal Theory: Sullivan (cont.)
Relevance to nursing practice
Relationship development is a major psychiatric nursing intervention
Knowledge about the behaviors associated with all levels of anxiety and methods for alleviating anxiety help nurses assist clients in achieving interpersonal security and a sense of well-being

15. *Theory of Psychosocial Development: Erikson
Based on the influence of social processes on the development of the personality
Erikson identified eight stages of development and the major tasks associated with each

16. Theory of Psychosocial Development: Erikson (cont.)
Trust vs. Mistrust (birth to 18 months)
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (18 months to 3 years)
Initiative vs. Guilt (3 to 6 years)
Industry vs. Inferiority (6 to 12 years)
Identity vs. Role Confusion (12 to 20 years)
Intimacy vs. Isolation (20 to 30 years)
Generativity vs. Stagnation (30 to 65 years)
Ego Integrity vs. Despair (65 years to death)

17. Theory of Psychosocial Development: Erikson (cont.)
Relevance to nursing practice
Many individuals with mental health problems are still struggling to achieve tasks from a number of developmental stages
Nurses can plan care to assist these individuals to fulfill the tasks and move on to a higher developmental level

18. Theory of Object Relations: Mahler
Based on the separation–individuation process of the infant from the maternal figure (primary caregiver)
Stages of development
Phase I: The Autistic Phase
Phase II: The Symbiotic Phase
Phase III: Separation–Individuation

19. Theory of Object Relations: Mahler (cont.)
Phase III—four subphases
Differentiation (5 to 10 months)
Practicing (10 to 16 months)
Rapprochement (16 to 24 months)
Consolidation (24 to 36 months)

20. Theory of Object Relations: Mahler (cont.)
Relevance to nursing practice
Understanding the concepts of Mahler’s Theory of Object Relations assists the nurse in assessing clients’ level of individuation from primary caregivers
The emotional problems of many individuals can be traced to lack of fulfillment of the tasks of separation–individuation

21. A Nursing Model: Peplau
Applies interpersonal theory to nurse–client relationship development
Correlates the stages of personality development in childhood to stages through which clients advance during the progression of an illness
Sees interpersonal experiences as learning situations for nurses to facilitate forward movement in the development of personality

22. A Nursing Model: Peplau (cont.)
Peplau identified six nursing roles in which nurses function to assist individuals in need of health services
Resource person
Counselor
Teacher
Leader
Technical expert
Surrogate

23. A Nursing Model: Peplau (cont.)
Four stages of personality development
Stage 1: Learning to count on others
Stage 2: Learning to delay satisfaction
Stage 3: Identifying oneself
Stage 4: Developing skills
in participation

24. A Nursing Model: Peplau (cont.)
Relevance to nursing practice
Peplau’s model provides nurses with a framework to interact with clients, many of whom are fixed in, or because of illness have regressed to, an earlier level of development
Using nursing roles suggested by Peplau, nurses may facilitate client learning that was not achieved in earlier experiences.