1. Personality
The organized combination of attributes, motives, values, and behaviors that is unique to each individual.
Based on heredity and environment

2. Theories of Personality Development
Biological Perspective
Heritability
Temperament
Genetically based tendencies to respond in predictable ways to events that serve as the building blocks of personality
Three main dimensions:
Emotionality
Activity
Sociability
Behavioral inhibition

4. Theories of Personality Development
Psychoanalytic
Three parts of personality Id
Ego
Superego
Develop defense mechanisms to deal with anxiety

5. Theories of Personality Development
Psychoanalytic
Develops over 5 stages from birth through adolescence
Oral Stage (Birth – 1yr)
Anal Stage (1-3) Self Control
Phallic Stage (3-6) Gender Role
Latency Stage (6-12) Life Skills
Genital Stage (Adolescence)
Can develop fixations which effect personality
Personality development is complete by age five

6. Theories of Personality
Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development
The goal of each stage is to resolve it’s crisis more positively than negatively.
If resolved positively, will obtain a virtue.
If a stage is not resolved positively, it will increase the possibility of subsequent stages resolving negatively.
Will possibly revisit the crisis in stages other times in life and may not resolve the same way as the last time. (This may be coincidentally or by choice.)

7. Theories of Personality
Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development
Basic Trust vs. Mistrust (birth – age 1)
Hope
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (ages 1-3)
Will
Initiative vs. Guilt (ages 3-5)
Purpose
(Caregiver responsiveness and consistency in responding to the child’s needs have great impact on development in these stages)

8. Theories of Personality
Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development
Industry vs. Inferiority (ages 6-12)
Confidence
Identity vs. Identity / Role Confusion (ages 12-20)
Fidelity (sustained loyalty, faith and a sense of belonging)

9. Theories of Personality
Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development
Intimacy vs. Isolation (early adulthood)
“Intimacy includes the ability to experience an open, supportive, tender relationship with another person, without fear of losing one’s own identity in the process of growing close”
Love

10. Theories of Personality
Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development
Generativity vs. Stagnation (middle adulthood)
Caring
Integrity vs. Despair (late adulthood)
Wisdom

11. Theories of Personality
Social Learning Theory
Set of behavioral tendencies shaped by interactions with other people in specific social situations
Reciprocal Determinism
personal characteristics
environment behavior
- Observational Learning

12. Theories of Personality
Trait Theory: Big 5 Personality Traits
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extrovert/Introvert
Agreeability
Neuroticism
Personality is fully developed in our 20s

14. Components of Personality
Self-concept:
perceptions (positive or negative) of your own characteristics
Self-esteem:
evaluation (positive or negative) of self-worth
Identity:
overall sense of who I am and how I fit in

15. Self Concept
Our perceptions, both positive and negative, of our unique attributes, traits, abilities, attitudes, and values that define who we are.
Includes our sense of self (who we are and what or who we want to be)
Three parts
Real self
Ideal self
Possible self
Not fully in place until adolescence and young adulthood

16. Development of Self Concept
From birth to six months
Start to differentiate between self and environment
Learn that we can make things happen in our environment
By nine months
Joint Attention
Smile at self in mirror but do not seem to recognize
18 months to 24 months
Self recognition
Categorical self (based on age, sex, physical characteristics)

18. Development of Self Concept
Seems to be based on:
cognitive development
social experience
Social Comparison
Looking-glass self (based others)

19. Development of Self Concept
Preschool and into Middle Childhood
Express their self concept in very concrete terms based on
Physical characteristics
Activity descriptions
Possessions
Preferences
Tend to have unrealistic positive overestimations

20. Development of Self Concept
Age 8
Major shift in descriptions change from physical and active selves to:
Internal characteristics
Social descriptions
Begin to see selves as part of social units
Social comparison
Real self and ideal self
More realistic self evaluations

21. Development of Self Concept
Adolescence
Define selves less concretely and more abstractly or ideologically
More self aware and self conscious as self analysis and perception increases
More contradictions within self
Increased differences in real self and ideal selves
Begin to realize possible selves
Self integration of all parts into one

22. Development of Self Concept
Adults
Greater self awareness
Increased awareness of possible selves
With age, concepts of ideal self are more in line with real self
Goals, standards, and perspectives change (what was more important when younger is often no longer of importance, etc.)
Life review
Social comparison continues

23. Self Esteem
Our overall self evaluation of our value and worth as a person, high or low, that is based on our positive and negative self-perceptions.

24. Development of Self Esteem
Major Influences
Competence (self evaluation and perception)
Social comparison
Feedback from others
Cognitive distortions can possibly take root as a result

25. Development of Self Esteem
Preschool
According to Susan Harter, is based on
Competence
Personal and social adequacy

26. Development of Self Esteem
Mid elementary into adolescence
Physical appearance
Social acceptance
Scholastic competence
Athletic competence
Behavioral conduct

27. Development of Self Esteem
A 2002 study (Robins, et al.) showed that self esteem in the study participants:
decreased in adolescence (but not to unhealthy levels)
increased in the 20s
leveled off in the 30s
rose in the 50s and 60s
then dropped in the 70s and 80s.

28. Dealing with Low Self Esteem

29. Dealing with Low Self Esteem
Recognize the contributors!
Get rid of the trash by challenging with the Truth!
Support
Self talk
Areas of Competency

30. Identity Overall sense of who I am and how/where I fit into the world
Often associated with a sense of purpose

31. Identity Development Marcia’s 4 Identity Statuses
Based on crisis (conscious decision making) and commitment (personal commitment)
Diffusion: confusion and little progress (no crisis or commitment)
Foreclosure: status determined by parents / others, not personal exploration (commitment w/o crisis)
Moratorium: Exploring alternatives but not settled on one (crisis w/o commitment)
Achievement: Deliberately chosen identity (crisis w/ commitment)

32. Identity Development Influences on Adolescent Identity Development
Cognitive growth
Allows imagination and contemplation of future identities
Personality
Open to experience, neurotic level, etc.
Relationship with parents
Too close, not close, etc.
Experiences outside the home
Exposure to new and diverse ideas
The broader cultural context
Is there the cultural freedom for exploration?

33. Identity Development Ginzberg’s Three Stages of Vocational Choice
Fantasy Stage (up to age 10)
Wish and dream about certain kinds of work
Often based on self-concept
Tentative Stage (11-18)
Base ideas on more than wishes and dreams
Realistic Stage (18-22)
Narrow down to specific choices based on interests, values, capabilities, and knowledge of available opportunities

34. Adult Identity Development
Super’s Career Concept Theory
Crystallization (ages 14-18)
Develop ideas about work that mesh with existing global self concept
Specification (ages 18-22)
Narrow choices and initiate behavior that enables one to enter a career
Implementation (ages 21-24)
Education is complete and enter the world of work

35. Adult Identity Development
Super’s Career Self Concept Theory
Stabilization (ages 25-35)
Decision about a specific, appropriate career is made
Consolidation (age 35+)
Seek to advance and reach higher career positions

36. Older Adult Identity Selective Optimization with Compensation
Selection
Focus on limited set of goals and the skills needed to achieve them
Optimization
Practice those skills to keep them sharp
Compensation
Develop ways to get around needing other skills

37. Older Adult Identity Phases of adjustment to retirement
Pre-retirement phase
Gather info, talk about and plan
Honey-moon phase
Relish its newness the first few months
Disenchantment phase
Feel aimless and unhappy (13-18 months)
Re-orientation phase
Establish a realistic and satisfying lifestyle